Article

Name: Falsification of Anna Akhmatova’s Manuscripts as Problem of Textual Criticism

Authors: Petr A. Druzhinin

V. V. Vinogradov Russian Language Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation

In the section On the Occasion of the Centenary of Yury Chumakov

Abstract:

The article provides an overview of the falsification of Anna Akhmatova’s since the mid- 1990s, when the first forgeries of Akhmatova’s manuscripts appeared, up to the early 2020s. A periodization of falsifications of various types is proposed, the history of attempts to identify the forgeries and prevent their inclusion into the heritage corpus is outlined.

The first forgeries of Anna Akhmatova’s manuscripts can be considered unique: these were rather attempts by falsifiers to claim the co-authorship with Akhmatova – not only through handwriting, but also through poetic creativity. That is why in the 1990s several of Akhmatova’s works, considered lost or mentioned in memoirs have resurfaced. Many scholars believed in their authenticity, and despite of being proved to be fake, these texts are still discussed in the scientific literature under the guise of originals.

The second stage of the falsification of Akhmatova’s manuscripts dates back to the mid-2010s, when the principles of falsification underwent serious change and at the same time have been simplified. This stage is characterized by an overt commercial orientation of falsifications, which is reflected in the content of the manuscripts and inscriptions.

Specific examples demonstrate the effectiveness of literary analysis as an instrument of exposing fakes. The debatability of the authenticity of Akhmatova’s manuscripts is regarded as an actual problem of the textual criticism of the leading authors of Russian literature.

Keywords: textual criticism, Akhmatova, manuscript, signature, fake, counterfeit, forgery, falsifier

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