Abstract:

The research consists of the series of articles analyzing the pre- viously unexplored expressiveness, figurativeness, fantasy and sarcasticity of a number of Old Russian works. The first article reveals the expressiveness of the “Turkic” utterances of Afanasy Nikitin in The Journey Beyond Three Seas according to the list of the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts (RSAAA), f. 181, no. 371 of the first quarter of the 16th century. The second article characterizes the distorted, fantastic earthly worlds depicted in the Tale of the Twelve Dreams of King Shahaisha according to the list of the Russian National Library (RNL), Kir.-Beloz., no. 22/1099 of the 1470s; in the Conversation of Three Saints according to the list of the Russian State Library (RSL), Troitsk., no. 778 of the beginning of the 16th century; in the collection of proverbs and sayings according to the list of the RSAAA, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Moscow Main Archive (MMA), no. 250–455 of the late 17th century; in The Tale of Ersh Ershovich according to the list of Pushkin House, 1.27.105 of the late 17^th — early 18^th centuries; in the Bird Council according to the list of the RNL, 0.XVII.17 the mid-18^th century; in the Medicine Book. How to Treat Foreigners according to the list of the RNL, Q.XVII.96, Peter’s time; in the Legend of a Luxurious Life and Fun according to the list of the RNL, 0.XVII.57 of the first quarter of the 18th cen- tury. The third article examines the aesthetic role of verses in the collections of the late 17^th century: RSL, Tikhonravov, no. 233, 249, 380, 411, 499. The fourth article shows that some compilers of collections of the 17^th century appreciated the visual arts of works, mostly very old (оn the example of collections of the RSL, Tikhonravov, no. 460, 384, 18, 340, 231). In two Appendices to the article are published the descriptions of the composition of the collection no. 231 and the text of the parable about the dispute of parts of the human body. In two Ap- pendices to the article, it is said about the everyday depiction of the collection of proverbs and sayings according to the list of the RSAAA, MMA, no. 250–455 of the late 17^th century and on the expressiveness of articles in the miniature collection of the RSL, Bolshakov, no. 325. The fifth article points to the mocking meaning of proverbs and sayings about criminals in the same collection of the RSAAA, MMA, no. 250–455. Finally, the sixth article draws attention to the evolution of the literary work of Archpriest Avvakum from brief mentions of events to detailed stories about them (оn the material of Vita, petitions, Book of Interpretations, Book of Accusations, Write-off about the creation of man, The Lamentable Word about the death of noblewoman F. Morozova). We must warn you that the pictorial and expressive meaning of the examples and phrases quot- ed from the texts of the monuments is not thoroughly proved in this work, but is only stated. Otherwise, each example would require an independent essay on certain literary means, and the theme and composition of the work would be completely different.

References:

1. Antonovich, A.K. Belorusskie teksty, pisannye arabskim pis’mom, i ikh grafiko- orfograficheskaia sistema [Belarusian Texts Written in the Arabic Script and their Graphic and Spelling System]. Vil’nius, Vil’niusskii gosudarstvennyi universitet Publ., 1968. 418 p. (In Russian)
2. Demin, A.S. “O zhanrovom sostave rukopisnogo sbornika, prinadlezhavshego boiarinu M.P. Golovinu” [“On the Genre Composition of a Manuscript Collection from M.P. Golovin’s Library”]. Literaturnyi fakt, no. 8, 2018, pp. 160–175. (In Russian)
3. Likhachev, D.S. Kul’tura Rusi vremen Andreia Rubleva i Epifaniia Premudrogo [The Culture of Russia of the Times of Andrei Rublev and Epiphanius the Wise]. Moscow, Leningrad, Izdatel’stvo AN SSSR Publ., 1962. 194 p. (In Russian)
4. Lur’e, Ia.S. “Literaturnaia i kul’turno-prosvetitel’naia deiatel’nost’ Efrosina v kontse ХV v. [“Efrosin’s Literary and Cultural-Educational Activities in the End of 15th Century”]. Trudy Otdela drevnerusskoi literatury [Proceedings of the Department of Old Russian Literature]. Moscow, Leningrad, Izdatel’stvo AN SSSR Publ., 1961, pp. 130–168. (In Russian)
5. Panchenko, A.M. Russkaia sillabicheskaia poeziia ХVII–ХVIII vv. [Russian Syllabic Poetry of the 17th–18thCenturies]. Leningrad, Sovetskii pisatel’ Publ., 1970. 437 p. (In Russian)
6. Panchenko, A.M. Russkaia stikhotvornaia kul’tura XVII veka [The Russian Poetic Culture of the 17th Century]. Leningrad, Nauka Publ., 1973. 280 p. (In Russian)
7. Petrushevskii, I.P. “Kommentarii geograficheskii i istoricheskii” [“Geographical and Historical Commentary”]. Khozhdenie za tri moria Afanasiia Nikitina 1466– 1472 gg. [“The Journey Beyond Three Seas” by Afanasy Nikitin 1466–1472]. 2nd ed., rev. and edd. Moscow, Leningrad, Izdatel’stvo AN SSSR Publ., 1958. pp. 187–251. (In Russian)
8. Pigin, A.V. “Literaturnaia istoriia Povesti o videnii Antoniia Galichanina” [“Literary History of the Tale of Antony Galichanin’s Vision”]. Trudy Otdela drevnerusskoi literatury [Proceedings of the Department of Old Russian Literature], vol. 52. St. Petersburg, Dmitrii Bulanin Publ., 2001, pp. 225–292. (In Russian)
9. Skripil’, M.O. “Skazanie o Vavilone-grade” [“The Legend about Babylon City”]. Trudy Otdela drevnerusskoi literatury [Proceedings of the Department of Old Russian Literature], vol. 9. Moscow, Leningrad, Izdatel’stvo AN SSSR Publ., 1953, pp. 119–144. (In Russ.)
10. Spasskii, I.G. Russkaia monetnaia sistema [The Russian Monetary System]. 4nd ed. Leningrad, Izdatel’stvo Gosudarstvennogo Ermitazha, 1970. 256 p. (In Russian)
11. Chukaszian, B.L. “K voprosu o vliianii persidskoi literatury na tvorchestvo Grigorisa Akhtamartsi” [“To the Question of the Influence of Persian Literature on the Works of Grigoris Akhtamartsi”]. Izvestiia AN Armianskoi SSR. Obshchestvennye nauki [News of Academy of Sciences of Armenian SSR. Social Sciences], no. 5–6. Erevan, Izdatel’stvo AN Armianskoi SSR, 1960, pp. 191–204. (In Russian)