This article is devoted to the consideration of the eternal images of Tristan and Isolde in the lyrical works of Russian symbolist poets. Russian culture and literature are interested in the famous Celtic legend against the background of a wide fascination with the medieval culture of Western Europe, perceived by symbolists in line with the ideas of panaesthetism of the era of Russian modernity. The purpose of the study is to determine the functions, place and content of the images of Tristan and Isolde in the artistic world of poems by Russian symbolist poets. This world is revealed in the categories of a lyrical event, a system of images, a lyrical situation, motive and plot. The research material was such works as "Humbly betraying myself to burn..." (1910) by M. Voloshin, "Thursday" (1909-1910) by C. de Gabriak, "The Elusive Kiss ..." (1919) by V. I. Ivanov, "My darling went fishing..." (1921) by F. K. Sologub, "The Temptation of Death" (1922) by V. Y. Bryusov. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that as a result of the analysis, the ideas about the peculiarities of the interpretation of the eternal images of Tristan and Isolde by Russian symbolist poets were significantly rethought and concretized, and the national specifics of their interpretation were also determined. Based on the results of the comparative analysis, the following results were obtained for the first time. The images of Tristan and Isolde appear in the lyrical works of Russian symbolist poets in the function of generalized, multi-valued symbols, which are interpreted very inconsistently. They are used to comprehend the life trials of lyrical heroes, and their meaning is created in the halo of previous interpretations, starting with Dante's Divine Comedy and ending with R. Wagner's opera, as well as in correlation with other mythological heroes and autobiographical subtext. In general, Tristan and Isolde, contrary to the previous Western European tradition, seem to be a sign of such a spiritual experience that denies the ideal of great love as a harmonizing and enlightening force. Mutual passion, principles of honor attract lyrical heroes, correlated with Tristan or Isolde, to the torments of hell and death, and their hopes for happiness turn out to be illusory.
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