Владимир Николаевич Забугин – итальянский рецензент русской мысли

Abstract

The paper guides the reader through a modest but important part of historical and philosophical heritage of Vladimir Nikolaevich Zabugin: through the reviews regularly published by the author in leading Italian scientific journals and cover­ing achievements of Russian religious thought, medieval studies and literature. Zabughin is one of the key russian figures in the field of Italian Studies in the first quarter of the 20th century, specialized in the Middle Ages and the Renais­sance. Living and working in Italy, he closely followed the development of philosophical thought in his homeland. He was the first to introduce Italian audience to P.A. Florensky, S.N. Bulgakov, medieval studies of L.P. Karsavin and P.M. Bitsilli, philosophical lyric drama of A.N. Maykov and he was also one of the first to talk in Italy about V.S. Soloviev. The presented reviews were aimed not only at important task of acquainting Italian public with outstanding works of Russian authors, not accessible to the Western reader because of the language barrier, but to a certain extent served as material for Zabugin’s own historical and philosophical views. The analysis of these critical articles allows to trace the origins of his important concept of the “Christian Renaissance”, which was expressed in his posthumous work “The History of the Christian Renaissance in Italy” (Milan, 1924). His idea on Renaissance was different to the Burckhardt and Pastor theory (at that time accepted in Italy). The article also deals with the history of Zabugin’s engagement in Orthodox-Catholic reconciliation and his editorial and publishing activities on the pages of the Grottaferrata’s periodical “Roma e l’Oriente”.