“A Philosopher for Pinkerton” and “An Unfortunate Reactionary” (The Polemic of K.I. Chukovsky and V.V. Rozanov in 1908—1911)

The idea of finding the source of V.V. Rozanov’s genius never left K.I. Chukovsky. The article traces the public polemical speeches of the writers from the period of K.I. Chukovsky’s residence in St. Petersburg to the end of the most vivid polemic in 1910—1911. There are examined the hidden details of the polemic of 1908—1909. It was devoted to mass detective literature. The article reveals fundamental differences between the writers. For the first time, there are presented handwritten additions to the well-known polemical article by K.I. Chukovsky “An Open Letter to V.V. Rozanov”. The author reveals the primacy of K.I. Chukovsky’s critical speech among the participants of the polemic with V.V. Rozanov of 1910—1911. The draft versions of V.V. Rozanov’s objections have never been published before as well. A comparison of the contents of K.I. Chukovsky’s letters and critical articles against V.V. Rozanov leads to the conclusion about the complexity of the writers’ relations to each other. They both highly evaluated the literary talent in their political opponent. At the same time, both V.V. Rozanov and K.I. Chukovsky followed the political direction of periodicals. Loyalty to the political programs of literary press bodies was mandatory. The article draws attention to the similarity of the ideas about the eclectic formation of cultural processes in society. V.V. Rozanov and K.I. Chukovsky were guided by the idea that political processes were secondary compared to the moral organization of a person. In the reissue of the “Open Letter”, the critic removed the texts condemning V.V. Rozanov for his opposition to the revolutionary movement.

1. Ivanova E.V. Comments, Chukovskii K.I. Sobr. soch.: v 15 t. T. 7 [Chukovsky K.I. Collected Works: in 15 volumes. Volume 7]. Moscow, Terra-Knizhnyi Klub Publ., 2003, pp. 644—720 (in Russ.).

2. Dzhimbinov S.B. Chukovsky Korney Ivanovich, Rozanovskaya entsiklopediya [Rozanov Encyclopedia]. Moscow, ROSSPEN Publ., 2008, column 1157—1159 (in Russ.).

3. Chukovsky K.I. A Passer-By and the Revolution, Sobr. soch.: v 15 t. T. 6 [Collected Works: in 15 volumes. Volume 6]. Moscow, Terra-Knizhnyi Klub Publ., 2002, pp. 392—397 (in Russ.).

4. Chukovsky K.I. Dnevnik, 1901—1929 [Diary, 1901—1929]. Moscow, Sovetskii Pisatel’ Publ., 1991, 541 p.

5. Chukovsky K.I. A.I. Kuprin, Sobr. soch.: v 15 t. T. 6 [Collected Works: in 15 volumes. Volume 6]. Moscow, Terra-Knizhnyi Klub Publ., 2002, p. 81 (in Russ.).

6. Dokukina A. Rozanov i Chukovskii (k istorii literaturnykh otnoshenii) [Rozanov and Chukovsky (On the History of Literary Relations)]. Available at: http://chukovskiy. lit-info.ru/chukovskiy/about/dokukina-rozanov-i- chukovskij.htm (accessed 26.09.2022).

7. Gollerbakh E.F. V.V. Rozanov. Zhizn’ i tvorchestvo [V.V. Rozanov. Life and Work]. Moscow, Kvazar Publ., 1991, 84 p.

8. Rozanov V.V. Poln. sobr. soch.: v 35 t. Seriya “Literatura i khudozhestvo”: v 7 t. T. 4: O pisatel’stve i pisatelyakh: stat’i 1908—1911 gg. [Complete Works: in 35 volumes. “Literature and Art” Series: in 7 volumes. Volume 4: About Writing and Writers: Articles 1908—1911]. St. Petersburg, Rostok Publ., 2016, 1056 p.

9. Rozanov V.V. Uedinennoe [The Solitary]. Moscow, Politizdat Publ., 1990, pp. 21—86.

10. Chukovsky K.I. Nat Pinkerton and Modern Literature, Sobr. soch.: v 15 t. T. 7 [Collected Works: in 15 volumes. Volume 7]. Moscow, Terra-Knizhnyi Klub Publ., 2003, pp. 25—62 (in Russ.).

11. Rozanov V.V. Mimoletnoe. 1915 god [The Fleeting. 1915]. Moscow, 2011, 519 p.

12. Shaginyan M. Letters to K.I. Chukovsky, Otdel rukopisei Rossiiskoi gosudarstvennoi biblioteki (OR RGB) [Manuscripts Department of the Russian State Library], coll. 620 (K.I. Chukovsky’s Archive), carton 73, item 9, p. 2 (in Russ.).

13. Lomonosov A.V. On Literary Terror (Based on the Materials of V.V. Rozanov’s Drafts and Unpublished Articles), Observatoriya kul’tury [Observatory of Culture], 2019, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 62—71. DOI: 10.25281/2072-3156-2019-16-1-62-71 (in Russ.).

14. Chukovsky K.I. Letters. 1903—1925, Sobr. soch.: v 15 t. T. 14 [Collected Works: in 15 volumes. Volume 14]. Moscow, Terra-Knizhnyi Klub Publ., 2003, 689 p. (in Russ.).

15. Rozanov V.V. Literary and Political Aphorisms: (A Reply to K.I. Chukovsky and P.B. Struve): Fragments of Articles on Literary Topics, Otdel rukopisei Rossiiskoi gosudarstvennoi biblioteki (OR RGB) [Manuscripts Department of the Russian State Library], coll. 249 (V.V. Rozanov), carton 6, item 14, pp. 8—13 (in Russ.).

16. Rozanov V.V. The Apocalypse of our Time, Uedinennoe [The Solitary]. Moscow, Politizdat Publ., 1990, pp. 391—440 (in Russ.).

17. Chukovsky K.I. Psychological Motives in Aleksey Remizov’s Works; An Open Letter to V.V. Rozanov; Pfuel, Otdel rukopisei Rossiiskoi gosudarstvennoi biblioteki (OR RGB) [Manuscripts Department of the Russian State Library], coll. 620 (K.I. Chukovsky’s Archive), carton 88, item 10, pp. 15—22 (in Russ.).

18. Chukovsky K.I. About Little Things, Sobr. soch.: v 15 t. T. 7 [Collected Works: in 15 volumes. Volume 7]. Moscow, Terra-Knizhnyi Klub Publ., 2003, pp. 527—534 (in Russ.).

19. Rozanov V.V. Fallen Leaves. The Second and Last Box, Uedinennoe [The Solitary]. Moscow, Politizdat Publ., 1990, pp. 203—390 (in Russ.).

20. Gollerbakh E.F. In my Notebook I. Self-Report of 1933. “It’s Unforgettable”, Vstrechi i vpechatleniya [Meetings and Impressions]. St. Petersburg, Inapress Publ., 1998, 566 p. (in Russ.).