On monism and dualism in the linguistic picture of the world of Georgy Dmitrievich Grebenshchikov: Siberia vs Russia / Siberia vs America

This paper examines the integrity and diversity within the linguistic worldview of Georgy Dmitrievich Grebenshchikov, who was a writer, publicist, social activist, and first-wave post-revolutionary émigré. Through an analysis of his extensive literary output, two conceptual cores emerge: Siberia and America. During his pre-emigration period, Siberia served as the central image, primarily contrasted with Russia. However, after Grebenshchikov’s move to the United States, America became a dominant element in his work, although traces of America appeared fragmentarily even before his emigration. The study finds that Grebenshchikov consistently processed American reality by comparing it with his native Siberia. His cognitive engagement with America’s practical achievements fostered a positive vision for Siberia’s developmental potential. The analysis concludes that Grebenshchikov’s worldview underwent an evolution: a Siberian monism transformed into a Siberian-American dualism. In emigration, the image of Siberia was not lost but intensified through its parity with America, and this dualism ultimately provided the conceptual integrity of his post-emigration linguistic worldview.

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