THE THEME OF BESIEGED LENINGRAD IN THE LETTERS OF OLGA FREINDENBERG TO BORIS PASTERNAK IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE 1940S

Abstract

The theme of besieged Leningrad contained in the letters of scholar-philologist, culture scientist Olga Freindenberg to her cousin Boris Pasternak is analysed in the paper. Since the correspondence was published relatively recently, its introduction to scientifi c circulation, determination of the subject and intentions of the correspondents seem to be important and topical. The article is intended for specialists-philologists, for all those interested in epistolary heritage of the 20th century. The correspondence between Boris Pasternak and Olga Freindenberg referring to the period of the siege is represented by the author as a specifi c type of combined discourse which unite social and communicative, everyday, signifi cant and symbolic functions. It is a part of the single artistic and semantic canvas, the whole creative heritage of the cousins, the whole of their correspondence which lasted for more than half a century and was based on «everlasting» themes like creative work, meaning of existence, love, faith, humanism. The image of besieged Leningrad is represented in the letters as a starting point for correspondents’ philosophic considerations about such categories as existence, time and space, about meaning of existence. At the same time, the letters demonstrate their authors’ artistic talent and virtuous possession of the word, the ability to say important between the lines. The stylistics of Olga Freidenberg’s epistolary heritage, when syntax, along with lexical fi gurative, gives rise to vivid, tragic paintings of what is described, is analysed in the work.