Literay Fact

2541-8297 2542-2421

IWL RAS

https://doi.org/10.22455/2541-8297-2022-26-202-221

Research article

Articles

Alexander Blok’s Revolutionary Trilogy (“The Twelve,” “The Scythians,” “Catiline”)

Altshuller

Mark G.

editor@litfact.ru

2022

“Twelve ” “Scythians ” “Catiline ” symbolism “eternal femininity ” Christ Antichrist Huns Scythians

2026

The article examines three texts by Blok, written almost at the same time. In our opinion, the poet describes the horrors of the Russian revolution; he views it as the coming of the Antichrist. Blok foresees the death not only of the old bourgeois world, but also that of the terrible new world brought on by the revolution. The Antichrist, posing as Christ, destroys both the twelve revolutionary criminals and the shabby, mangy cur, who represents the old world with its bourgeois, prostitutes, and priests.

Anisimov, E. Petr Pervyi. Blago ili zlo dlia Rossii? [Peter I: Good or Bad for Russia?]. Moscow, Novoe literaturnoe obozrenie Publ., 2017. 272 p. (In Russ.)

Blok, A. Zapisnye knizhki 1901–1920 [ 1901–1920]. Moscow, Khudozhest-vennaia literatura Publ., 1965. 664 p. (In Russ.)

Blok, A. Sobranie sochinenii: v 8 t. [Collected Works: in 8 vols.]. Moscow, Leningrad, Khudozhestvennaia literatura Publ., 1960–1963. (In Russ.)

Zorgenfrei, V.A. “Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Blok (Po pamiati za piatnadtsat’ let: 1906–1921)” [“Alexander Alexandrovich Blok (From Memory in Fifteen Years: 1906–1921)”]. Aleksandr Blok v vospominaniiakh sovremennikov: v 2 t. [ Alexander Blok in Memoirs of Contemporaries: in 2 vols.], vol. 2, comp., text prep. and comm. by Vl. Moscow, Khudozhestvennaia literatura Publ., 1980, pp. 7–39. (In Russ.)

Novikova, L.I., Sizemskaia, I.N., editors, compilers. Vlast’. Narod. Antologiia [Intellectuals. Power. The People. Anthology]. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1993. 341 p. (In Russ.)

Kantor, V. “‘Vechno zhenstvennoe’ i russkaia kul’tura” [“‘Eternally Feminine’ and Russian Culture”]. Oktiabr’, no. 11, 2003. Available at: https://magazines.gorky.media/ october/2003/11/vechno-zhenstvennoe-i-russkaya-kultura.html (Accessed 27 November 2022). (In Russ.)

Kantor, V.K. “Antikhrist Vladimira Solov’eva i Khristos Aleksandra Bloka” [“The Antichrist of Vladimir Solovyov and the Christ of Alexander Blok”]. Solov’evskii sbornik: Materialy mezhdunarodnoi konferentsii “V.S. Solov’ev i ego filosofskoe nasledie” [ Solov’ev Collection: Materials of the International Conference “V.S. Solov’ev and His Philosophical Legacy”]. Moscow, Fenomenologiia-Germenevtika Publ., 2001, pp. 145–156. (In Russ.)

Solov’ev, V. “Das Ewig–Weibliche. Slovo uveshchatel’noe k morskim chertiam” [“The Eternal Feminine. A Word of Exhortation to the Sea Devils”]. Solov’ev, V. Stikhotvoreniia i shutochnye p’esy [Poems and Joking Plays]. Leningrad, Sovetskii pisatel’ Publ., 1974, pp. 120–121. (In Russ.)

Solov’ev, V. Stikhotvoreniia i shutochnye p’esy [Poems and Joking Plays]. Leningrad, Sovetskii pisatel’ Publ., 1974. 352 p. (In Russ.)

10.

Solov’ev, V. Chteniia o bogochelovechestve, stat’i. Stikhotvoreniia i poemy. Iz “Trekh razgovorov.” Kratkaia povest’ ob antikhriste [Readings on God’s Humanity, Articles. Poems. From “Three Conversations.” A Brief Story about the Antichrist]. Petersburg, 1994. 528 p. (In Russ.)

11.

Solov’ev, S. “Vospominaniia ob Aleksandre Bloke” [“Memories of Alexander Blok”]. Pis’ma Aleksandra Bloka [Letters of Alexander Blok]. Leningrad, Kolos Publ., 1925, pp. 9–45. (In Russ.)

12.

Stepanov, A.N. “Estetika ‘Trekh razgovorov’ v tvorchestve A. Belogo, A. Bloka (‘Dvenadtsat’,’ ‘Skify’)” [“The Aesthetics of the ‘Three Conversations’ in the Works of A. Belyi, A. Blok (‘The Twelve,’ ‘The Scythians’)”]. Solov’evskie issledovania, issue 4 (28), 2010, pp. 98–108. (In Russ.)

13.

13. Stepun, F. Sbyvsheesia i nesbyvsheesia [What has Happened and has not Happened], vol. 1. New York, Publishing House named after Chekhov Publ., 1956. 398 p. (In Russ.)

14.

14. Sugai, L.A. “‘…I bleshchushchie chertit arabeski’.” [“‘…And the Brilliant Arabesques He Draws’.”]. Andrei Belyi. Simvolizm kak miroponimanie [Andrei Bely. Symbolism as an Understanding of the World]. Moscow, Respublika Publ., 1994, pp. 3–18. (In Russ.)

15.

15. “Final ‘Dvenadtsati’ — vzgliad iz 2000 goda” [“The Finale of ‘The Twelve’ — a View from the Year 2000”]. Znamia, no. 11, 2000, pp. 190–206. (In Russ.)