Одесский и волынский тексты в русской литературе хіх – хх вв.: «Две большие разницы»?

Abstract

The article deals with the comparison of the Odessa and the Volyn texts. According to the analysis of numerous works of XIX - XX centuries Russian literature, the texts have both sharp differences and undeniable similarities. The opposition „ancient – modern” separates them. If the representatives of the Volyn text often turn to a solid history of the region, creating a peculiar historical chronotope (F. Glinka, I. Kulish), the Odessa writers perceive their city as a purely modern (Pushkin, Olesha). Both texts are also divided by the opposition „wilderness – fuss”. The novelty awareness, openness, modernity, vibrant bustling and adventurous life are inherent for the Odessa text. The Volyn text is characterized by a sense of wilderness, outback, detachment from cultural centres, and among the main reasons for the latter are boondocks, deeply provincial, „island” life, which is not intended for the high life of the spirit. The wilderness chronotope and ruins topos (V. Korolenko, K. Olenin) arise in it. The sea topos in the Odessa text and the river topos in the Volyn text are the major toposes of the two texts. The sea in the Odessa text is beautiful and vast, noisy and fragrant, colorful and changeable, diverse and incomprehensible (Kataev, Paustovsky), it is connected with the theme of travelling and romantic adventures (Babel, Olesha), motifs of purity (Kataev) and freedom (Zhvanetskiy). The river in the Volyn text can be not only powerful, beautiful and affluent (the Goryn in Kondratyev works), but not related to the flow of life (Korolenko). The river is also a part of a negative and gloomy landscape paintings (Gomolitsky). Similar images of provincial idyll, natural and material abundance, peace, satiety are common to both texts. They are united by a peculiar idyllic chronotope (Glinka, Gomolitsky, Jabotinsky, Zhvanetskiy). Troubles (war, revolution, etc.) invade the idyllic, nourishing, free life in both texts. However, they are not able to destroy the usual idyll. Harmony will certainly return to the chaos that is felt only as a temporary inconvenience in the works of the two texts (Paustovsky, Kozachinsky Slavin). The Odessa and the Volyn texts (as well as Odessa and Volyn themselves) are characterized by multi-ethnicity and multi-religious manifestations. Specific Jewish chronotope (Korolenko, Kuprin, Ilf, Bagritsky) is peculiar to them. Fyodor Glinka was surprised and moved by the special atmosphere of the Volyn multiculturalism and religious tolerance. Jabotinsky and Zhvanetskiy poeticize the coexistence of different ethnic groups. Finally, a motif of literary messianism is common to two texts. Creators of both texts pin their hopes for the future literary revival with its own environment, literary school, its region. (Babel in the Odessa text Gomolitsky in the Volyn text).