“As Bryusov’s Equal”: M.F. Likiardopulo’s Letters to V.Ya. Bryusov

Abstract

The publication is dedicated to Mikhail Likiardopulo’s place in the literary life of the 1900–1910s and his relationship with Valery Bryusov. An active journalist, translator of new English prose (Oscar Wilde, H.G. Wells), from 1906 Likiardopulo worked as a secretary of the Symbolist magazine “Vesy” (1904–1909), the actual editor of which was Bryusov. A significant part of Likiardopulo's letters, informing the correspondent “about political and literary events”, is devoted to the literary spite of the day and makes it possible to perceive the behind-the-scenes side of events and phenomena reflected on the pages of the capital's magazines and newspapers. In 1917 he left for the diplomatic service abroad; the last of the published letters (1923) was sent by him from England, where Likiardopulo died in 1925. The published texts are provided with a detailed historical and literary commentary.

Keywords

• correspondence of writers
• m. likiardopulo
• v. bryusov
• literature of modernism
• magazine “libra”
• publications of the symbolists
• periodicals
• archival materials