“Invited by the Mighty Powers to Watch the Spectacle in Awe”: a Political Portrait of Valery Bryusov

Abstract

The article gives a detailed outline of the evolution of political and geopolitical views of Valery Bryusov (1873–1924), one of the greatest fi gures of Russian Silver Age. An innovator and rebel in literature, Bryusov, despite his rejection of many political and social realities of Russian life, invariably remained a patriot having a clear understanding of Russia's national interests. Having received a professional education in history and keeping up with world politics from his very youth, Bryusov became one of the most “political” poets of his era infl uenced by his favorite poet Fyodor Tyutchev. The article examines Bryusov's activity as a political analyst and publicist, his attitude to the Russian-Japanese war of 1904–1905, the revolutionary turmoil of 1905–1907, the confl ict of European civilization with the non-European world, the First World War and the February Revolution in Russia. The author analyzes Bryusov's attitude to the Bolshevik coup and his relations with the new government. The author assumes that Bryusov's political works should be republished.