Traditions of pilgrim literature in works of A.N. Muravyov

The pilgrim literature as a phenomenon of Russian culture appears, as a matter of fact, simultaneously with thereligious phenomenon which lies in its basis. In the Old Russian literature pilgrim compositions were initially created on the basis oftranslation samples (among which researchers specify proskinitariy, itinerariy, diegisis). By the 12th century a special genrehozhenie is formed. In the course of the literary process this genre undergoes changes connected with various historical and culturalprocesses, with influence of secular travel (which is especially appreciable in the 18th century) and other factors, which in the beginningof the 19th century led to occurrence of a special synthetic literary form pilgrimage to Holy sites, which A.N. Muravyov embodiedin his works. Muravyov creates some products on the basis of this genre model. In the centre of our attention was The Pilgrimage toHoly Sites in 1830, thematically close to the classical samples of the genre. When creating this work Muravyov intentionally addressesto the literary tradition of pilgrim texts formed throughout several centuries. The writer supplements the third edition of The Pilgrimagewith The Review of Russian Travel to the Holy Land where he gives analytical judgement of development of the Russian pilgrim literature,from Ancient Russia up to the beginning of the 19th century. Muravyov approaches to this question with scientific accuracy - hecompares different lists of Old Russian texts (from Imperial and Synod libraries), verifies the citation, makes comments on errors ofmodern publishers. Symptomatically, having access to the majority of Old Russian monuments of literature on travels, and to pilgrimcompositions written by ecclesiastics in the 18th century (at that time it was not accessible to everyone), Muravyov is strictly limited bythe circle of the analyzed texts. In The Review his attention is concentrated on Hozhenie of abbot Daniel, Zhitie of EvfrosinyaPolotskaya, The Wanderer on my travel and my life by Zosima, Travel of Trifon Korobeynikov by V. Pozdnyakov, Vasily GagarysTravel, A. Sukhanovs Proskinitariy, notes by S.I. Pleshcheev, and Travel by Meletiy, Wandering around East HolySites by V. Grigorovich-Barsky and The Fragment from Travel across Greece and Palestin in 1820 by D.V. Dashkov. Each of theseproducts possesses, according to Muravyov, sign features. For this reason, Muravyov does not solve the problem of describing manytexts; his purpose is to select the key products reflecting the dynamics of development of the pilgrim literature and the phenomenon ofpilgrimage. In this selection it is possible to track the logic of the authors thought, to allocate the basic reference points. Having attentivelystudied key texts, in The Review Muravyov creates an original model of a pilgrim plot, which becomes the basis of art judgementof this theme in The Pilgrimage. Following the spiritual tradition of hozhenie and the secular tradition of travel, Muravyov gives anew interpretation of the pilgrim plot. The deepest religious feeling penetrates his work; it combines with the analytic features of a secularobserver carefully investigating and estimating what he has seen. Thus, the two types of attitude do not conflict with each other, andharmoniously co-exist in consciousness of the narrating hero, creating a complete representation of the sacred space.

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