Italian text in the critical works and correspondence by I.V. Kireyevsky

Italian text occupies an important place in the works by the Lyubomudry, who started a new stage in the cultural dialogue between Russia and Europe. These authors represented Italy as a real space and a cultural phenomenon (as in the stories by Pogodin and Pavlov, the journey notes and poetry by Shevyrev), a philosophic phenomenon (Odoevsky's prose), a personal psychological experience (the works by Shevyrev, Venevitinov). Italian text found an original interpretation in the works by I.V. Kireyevsky as well. When young, he was a member of the Society of Lyubomudriye and supported the idea of the cultural dialogue between Russia and Europe. Later his views changed: he came to Slavophilism and religious pursuits. However, his ideas about global and Russian development, the role of religion for the culture, and the laws of literary process form a unifying vision. As one of the Lyubomudry, Kireyevsky was interested in the problems of cognition, philosophy of art, European and Russian education. These themes became central in his articles and letters. Moreover, Italy was important for his biography: when young, Kireyevsky was going to visit Italy during his educational journey through Europe. The journey was suddenly interrupted to make Italy his unrealised dream. In the letters written by young Kireyevsky, Italy gets a positive estimation as a romantic ideal. The phenomenon of Italy is connected with the heritage of classical antiquity and the Renaissance, the mythologeme of the South as an earthly paradise. The works by Ariosto and Tasso, the masterpieces by Raphael and Corregio make Kireyevsky think of art perception and the beauty as a philosophic category. Italian text in Kireyevsky's articles is more special. Italy is usually on the periphery of his attention, either included in the broad European context or placed inferior to Germany, England, and France. Italy may become an element of comparison (opposed to Russia, Germany, and the USA), but only the subordinate one. Kireyevsky reduces almost all the romantic stereotypes connected with Italy to objectively comprehend its art and history. A special important theme is Italian Catholicism, which, according to Kireyevsky, serves as the stem for European rational cognition. Besides, Italy does not become an empiric space - Kireyevsky does not focus on definite Italian topoi or personalities. It remains an abstraction, which is used exclusively for the analysis. It is possible to trace two lines in Kireyevsky's articles containing Italian text: aesthetic and historiosophic. The first is found in "Something on the character of Pushkin's poetry", "About Russian women writers", "About the language of Yazykov", etc., where Kireyevsky discusses contacts between Russian and Italian literature and describes the worldview in Italian art, or dwells on the destiny of princess Z. Volkonskaya - a writer and the Lyubomudry' "muse", whose emigration had a great influence on their works. The articles of the second line ("The review of modern literature status", "The nineteenth century", "In response to A.S. Khomyakov") demonstrate Kireyevsky's transition to Slavophilism. He renounces the ideas of cultural dialogue between Russia and Europe. Italy of the 19th century and of the past is brought closer to Russia; Italian culture is opposed to German or French, as being more sensual and less rational, and to American, as being free from mercantilism. However, Italy is often viewed unfavourably, because it is a part of the Western civilization, which has chosen, in Kireyevsky's opinion, the wrong way of development.

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