Autobiographical episodes from the life of a Kazan journalist in the early 20th century in V. Yazvitsky’s novel “From the Book of Genesis” (1916)
https://doi.org/10.26907/2782-4756-2025-82-4-122-128
Abstract
This article analyzes autobiographical motifs in the novel “From the Book of Genesis” (1916) by the renowned Russian and Soviet writer V. Yazvitsky, the theme dating back to his time as a journalist for Kazan periodicals (1903–1905). Kazan-related themes from Yazvitsky’s prose are examined within the context of the “Kazan text”, a particular case of the “urban text”, which has become a significant research topic in modern literary studies. The article identifies typical features and elements of the “Kazan text” of the early 20th century in Yazvitsky’s works. V. Yazvitsky’s autobiographical stories are interpreted in the context of the history of the Kazan press, the history of the Kazan Russian literary environment, and the history of Marxist societies in Kazan in 1905. Moreover, V. Yazvitsky’s literary texts contain interesting data that convey the atmosphere and mood of the first Marxist societies and left-wing newspaper editorial offices, although they have never before been used in research on the history of Kazan Marxist societies and early Marxist journalism.
About the Author
A. Bik-Bulatov
Kazan Federal University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Bik-Bulatov Airat Shamilyevich, Doctor of Philology, Associate Professor
18 Kremlyovskaya Str., Kazan, 420008
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Review
For citations:
Bik-Bulatov A. Autobiographical episodes from the life of a Kazan journalist in the early 20th century in V. Yazvitsky’s novel “From the Book of Genesis” (1916). Philology and Culture. 2025;(4):122-128. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.26907/2782-4756-2025-82-4-122-128
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