Representation of Novorossiya in “Journey Across Crimea and Bessarabia in 1799” by Pavel Sumarokov

Abstract

This study explores the representation of Novorossiya’s space in Pavel Sumarokov’s travelogue “Journey Across Crimea and Bessarabia in 1799” within the framework of semiotic-imagological analysis. The research’s relevance stems from the growing interest of domestic humanities in Novorossiysk issues, which exhibit certain lacunae. The novelty of the study lies in the analysis of spatial imagery elements of Novorossiya, primarily limited to descriptions of the surroundings of Nikolaev, Kherson, and Odessa, areas relatively understudied in literary studies. Loci types are identified based on the opposition of “naturalness — anthropogenicity.” The natural space is predominantly portrayed as untamed, dangerous, and inhospitable steppe, contrasted with spatial images of three major Novorossiysk cities mentioned above. Common motifs of sudden (miraculous) appearance, rapid growth, and high degree of orderliness are attributed to the latter. The motif of frontierness is identified as a fundamental element characteristic of the entire Novorossiya space. It is also actualized in the analysis of Sumarokov’s representation of Novorossiya’s historical space, whose core meaning is formed by plots and personae associated with the era of Catherine II and, specifically, the Russo-Turkish wars.

Keywords

• travelogue
• imagology
• pavel sumarokov
• novorossiya
• artistic space