The problem of spiritual self-identification of the Russian person in Leskov's late journalism (1880s)

The views of late N.S. Leskov in the 1880s are characterized by the tendency to comprehend the depth and complexity of the human nature, essence of his relationship with the society, history, God, and are vividly presented in his publicistic works which refer to a specific type of utterance revealing thoughts and ideas of the author. By the 1880s the publicistic heritage of the writer turns into a dynamic system open for interaction with literary activity and with reality in all its manifestations. Starting in the 1860s, there is a break-up of the patriarchal mode of Russian national life, destruction of the moral values of the past, the so-called 'raschelovechivaniye' (de-humanization) of the Russian person, understanding the problem of spiritual awakening, spiritual growth of the Russian person, especially the one from the national environment who, according to Leskov, has features of integrity, ability to cope with the crisis and through the fall and cleansing from a sin move to a higher stage. In the 1880s the writer reaches a higher stage of his development and returns to the theme of spiritual crisis of the Russian person, that is now transformed in his conscience into the theme of 'Russian hatred'. The publicistic system of the writer undergoes certain changes. First of all, it becomes larger quantitatively. In the 1880s the author wrote more than 300 articles. Moreover, the system is expanding thematically, seeking inclusiveness, completeness of interpreting the Russian reality. But the thematic diversity is combined with the general, main problem which supports the integrity of the live system being its core. This is the problem of spiritual self-determination of the Russian person and Russian world in the reality of the current situation - 'Russian hatred'. It is significant that the problem is considered by Leskov in its philosophical, moral and ethical view. Ideas of late Leskov dealing with the person and society become universal, placing new emphasis on his philosophical and sociological concepts that underlie the publicism of the previous periods. The thought about the paramount importance of social reality, sociological methods of interpreting the person and his environment become less important in the publicism of the 1880s, the constituent elements of Leskov's new publicistic system become universal laws of existence, the most important of them being morality which can and should spread its influence on all and everyone relying on the inborn instincts of good and justice, and inherent striving for the spiritual growth. We think that such transformations in publicism, author's understanding of its role and function in society become the natural result of its long-lasting interaction with the artistic heritage of the writer. The fact proves the systematic character of the publicism and the possibility to interpret the whole body of his artistic heritage as an integral artistic system.

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