The concept "Italian" in the perception of F.M. Dostoevsky

The global trend towards the formation of a unified cultural space justifies the need to study intercultural relations. Russian-Italian ties in this context have a particular significance not only because of their rich history, but also because it is an example of an extremely productive relationship for both parties. Italy is a unique cultural phenomenon, and the ancient past, associated with the history of ancient Rome and its rich cultural heritage, probably had the strongest influence on the consciousness of the Russian intelligentsia. This fact largely influenced the formation of the special mission of Italy in the whole world, of which Berdyaev argues in his short essay "The Sense of Italy". The author points out that Italy is a country where the creative spirit prevailed over all other human aspirations and expressed itself on the Italian soil more fully and freely. In this regard, Berdyaev notes that Italy had a special value and appeal for the Russian consciousness. A special place in the culture of Italy belongs to a kind of a precursor of the Renaissance, whose work can not be attributed entirely to the aesthetics of the Middle Ages: the poet Dante Alighieri. The study of the Russian classics' perception of Dante's creativity is perhaps one of the most developed issues of the Russian-Italian comparative studies. This area of the broad topic "Dostoevsky and Italy" includes the greatest number of studies, which often are small articles on a particular issue. F.M. Dostoevsky visited Italy three times, the longest visit was to Florence with his wife Anna Grigorievna in 1868. Most of Dostoevsky's immediate impressions of his journey are found in the letters which, however, are short in the description of feelings and thoughts related to Italy. In connection with this fact the value of the consideration of not only the writer's evidence expressed in the epistolary genre, but also of the entire body of his texts increases. When considering the topic "Dostoevsky and Italy", it is necessary to reconstruct the semantic cell "Italy and the Italian" in the perception of Dostoevsky. The material for this analysis can be the artistic and critical texts of Dostoevsky. For the first time the epithet "Italian" is found in the novel Poor People and refers to an essay of a certain writer Ratazyaev. This essay has the title "Italian Passions" although its characters are not Italians and the action is obviously taking place in Russia. Consequently, the strongest type of sentimental feelings that the characters are experiencing is called "Italian", expressed in an extreme degree. The essay has a surprising epithet which describes the hero's state of mind, he said that his "worn out chest" is crisscrossed with the "all-disruptive hellfire". It is obvious that the passion of love that tortures the soul is associated in the mind with the infernal combustion. At the same time such a passion is called Italian and no other. This infernal theme continues not in an ironic way in the story The Double where the definition "Italian" arises in connection with the name "Italian Street" at one of the crucial, tragic and mysterious narrative moments when Mr. Golyadkin meets his double. The image of the double in the story has a certain correlation with the infernal space, which again allows associating the image of Italy and the infernal beginning. Next, Italy reminds of itself in the first few pages of the story Netochka Nezvanova. The heroine begins the story of her stepfather Efimov who had a special friendship with an Italian violinist. This acquaintance becomes fatal for Efimov because, as he put it himself, the Italian is a real devil. In general, the story forms a collective image of a romantic musician whose art becomes a way of expressing the disharmony of the world and the suffering of his soul. The image of the brilliant violinist S-ts refers to Niccolo Paganini, the famous Italian musician. One of the most important aspects of Dostoevsky's interaction with the culture of Italy was music, which is most evident in his early works that reflect the experiences of young Dostoevsky associated with frequent visits to the Italian Opera, friendly musical nights and even childhood impressions. The further study of Dostoevsky's texts in A Writer's Diary for 1873 shows the most interesting contrast of Italy and St. Petersburg. The successive analysis of the artistic and critical texts of Dostoevsky suggests that the concept "Italian" in his mind is wonderfully connected with the infernal semantics.

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