An Unnoticed Anniversary - On Merezhkovsky's Role in Russian Culture

Abstract

Fp HREE years ago, in 1965, the hundredth anniversary I of the eminent Russian literary critic, novelist and religious philosopher, Dimitri Merezhkovsky, passed almost unnoticed. Except for an occasional derogatory remark Merezhovsky's name is scarcely mentioned in Soviet literary textbooks because of his profound, if peculiar, religiosity as well as his decadent attitude. The Russian emigre press published several appreciative articles on Merezhkovsky, but the Amercan, German and French literary magazines made only cursory mention of him and his work. This is hard to understand, considering the fact that Merezhkovsky played a leading role in the development of Russian symbolist poetry and was instrumental in furthering the Russian religious revival at the beginning of this century. His books were translated into many languages, including English, and in 1933 he was a candidate for the Nobel prize, which was, however, rewarded to Ivan Bunin. Merezhkovsky's achievements are many-sided: He was a poet, a literary critic, a philosopher, a playwright and a historical novelist. In all these fields he excelled and, in spite of many critical attacks on him, remained a highly respected figure during his lifetime. Although his own poetical gift was not of particularly high caliber, it was he who published the first collection of symbolist