Русская литература в чешской периодике 1920-х гг. (газета «Литерарни новины»)

Abstract

The study deals with the perception of Russian literature by the Czech literary newspaper Literární Noviny in the 1920s. Being part of the left cultural bloc, the periodical paid much attention to Russian literature in general and to the modern literary process in Russia in particular. On the pages of the newspaper on this topic, controversy has repeatedly unfolded, including with Russian emigrants living in Prague (about the role of Russian and Soviet literature for Czech culture, about M. Gorky, about Soviet ditties, etc.). Of the classics, the greatest attention is paid to L. N. Tolstoy, who was presented as the inspirer of the Russian revolution, then to F. M. Dostoevsky, A. S. Pushkin and others, with an emphasis on the complex relationship of writers with the authorities. When referring to modern literature, unlike most left-wing publications, the newspaper's critics speak favorably not only about Soviet authors, but also about emigrants — these are the materials about I. G. Ehrenburg, especially concerning his interest in Czechoslovakia and its culture. The main Soviet author for the editorial board of the newspaper was M. Gorky, whose work was highly valued in the context of proletarian literature and considered as a role model for Czech writers. All things considered, against the general background of left-wing publications, Literární Noviny are distinguished by their tolerance towards ideological opponents, and therefore a wide variety of materials on Russian literature and its translations, despite the obvious general pro-revolutionary pathos.