“IMPATIENT MAN” RASKOLNIKOV AND MYSTERIOUS RUSSIA (ABOUT LITURGICS OF “CRIME AND PUNISHMENT” BY F.M. DOSTOEVSKY)

Abstract

The article regards “Crime and Punishment” from the perspective of temple-related poetics which encompasses a universal pattern of both dogmatic and mystic Orthodox teaching about the Universe. It has enabled us to trace the connection between the novel itself and the Orthodox church service. Liturgics of the novel reveals itself through poetization of church services and sacraments. Among the sacraments mentioned above Confession and the Blessed Sacrament reflected in the Marmeladov’s storyline are of symbolic nature. Christ proves to be the most mysterious central image of the novel. Dostoevsky reproduces the Evangelic Image of Christ through the liturgic “listening” of the paroemia about the resurrection of Lazarus. The image of the priest which penetrates through the whole novel is associated with the iconography of the image of Christ. Liturgics of “Crime and Punishment” is supported by numerous evangelic images, in particular by the analogy of coffin-like room of Raskolnikov with shelters of the possessed, with the poetics of the New Testament related names and objects. The image of the Orthodox Church with its gleaming dome (the Church Raskolnikov is trying to sever all ties with) is regarded as a substantial image of particular relevance associated with the “Crime” of the novel. Exacerbation of the “spiritual impatient man” fades away in the Divine love which is reflected in love of his family and dear ones, in liturgic support of Christian symbols up to Epilogue (the most repeated symbols include images of cross, icon, grave candle, pray), motives of the sign of the cross, his mother’s blessing, cheerful acceptance of other’s person guilt. The studying of “Crime of Punishment” in the context of temple-related poetics has allowed us to define trans-historic nature of liturgic storylines. A striking point in this case could be “zaraisky storyline” which is connected with the colourman Mikolay, a native of Ryazan who reproduces the image of the Cup as Unity in Christ and as self-giving love. “Zaraisky storyline” connects “Crime and Punishment” with tragic events of the 13th century, with the cycle of stories about Nicola Zaraisky which tell about the invasion of Batu Khan and about the destruction of natives of Ryazan for the sake of faith as a reflection of the national ideal. Liturgucs of “Crime and Punishment” is strengthened by the hidden autobiographic storyline which turns the first of the Dostoevsky’s five novels into the novel-penitence.