‘The scream of a dragonfly’ or, B. Eichenbaum and Acmeism. Based on the Russkaya Molva newspaper (1912–1913)

Abstract

The article examines the evolution of B. Eichenbaum’s attitude to Acmeism. The author is particularly interested in Eichenbaum’s early years as a writer and literary critic, especially in his articles that appeared in the Russkaya Molva newspaper in 1912–1913, which have only recently attracted scholarly attention. One of such articles is reprinted here for the first time. Eichenbaum’s publications are interpreted in the context of his works and hitherto unstudied content of Russkaya Molva. The negative treatment of the newspaper by Soviet historians of journalism and literature was predetermined by Lenin’s scathing criticism of the periodical. In reality, however, Orlova’s analysis proves that the newspaper had every right to call itself progressive and politically unbiased. In his polemic with Acmeists, likely guided by B. Sadovskoy, Eichenbaum sides with the latter’s assessment of the poetic movement. He contrasts Acmeists’ output with that of the French poet F. Jammes. Over time, however, Eichenbaum revises his attitude towards Acmeist poetry, especially Akhmatova’s, and later Gumilyov’s, works.