Article

Name: Letters from Kazimir Lisovsky to Maxim Gorky

Authors: Elena V. Kudrina

A. M. Gorky Institute of World Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation

In the section Study of literature

Abstract: This publication presents, for the first time, the letters of the boy Kazimir Lisovsky to the Russian and Soviet writer Maxim Gorky, dating from 1932 and 1935. Presently housed in the A. M. Gorky Archive at the Institute of World Literature (IWL RAS), these documents provide a distinctive perspective on the formative years of the future distinguished Siberian poet. Of particular interest is the inclusion of the hitherto unpublished poem “Maxim Gorky,” which Lisovsky appended to his correspondence yet omitted from his subsequent poetry collections published between the 1940s and 1970s. These archival findings serve to augment the creative and personal biography of the poet, offering insight into his early perception of Gorky and his nascent understanding of literary craft. The letters constitute a substantial “children’s” literary corpus, thereby facilitating the reconstruction of the socio-cultural phenomenon of Soviet childhood. This correspondence serves as a medium for self-expression, offering insight into two distinct phases of Lisovsky’s artistic evolution. The initial phase encompasses the assimilation of literary traditions, while the subsequent phase represents the initial stages of independent creative endeavors. In conclusion, Lisovsky’s childhood letters offer a compelling illustration of socialization and the pursuit of a moral role model during the Soviet Union’s formative years. These letters contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the construction of a literary identity that was significantly influenced by Gorky’s substantial impact.

Keywords: K. L. Lisovsky, M. Gorky, letters, epistolary, creative heritage, archive, collection of children's letters

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