The Poetry of “Heavenly Truths” by Sergei Makovsky

The article is devoted to the poetry of art historian Sergei Konstantinovich Makovsky (1877—1962), first considered as a self-contained phenomenon. The perception of Makovsky as a poet by contemporaries and descendants is characterized. An attempt is made to answer the question about the reasons for the general underestimation of him as a poet. Subjective metaphysical views, laid by Makovsky in the basis of his poetic creativity, are revealed. Different levels of antinomianism, characteristic of Makovsky’s general worldview and reflected in his poetic work, are analyzed. An intermediate conclusion is made that his poetry pursues the myth-making goal of merging art with religion, and the creator (poet) with the Creator (God). On the basis of the poems themselves, the persistent mystical motifs accompanying Makovsky’s poetic work are revealed and analyzed: duality, incomprehensibility, inexpressibility, silence, loneliness, horror, longing and apocalyptic perception. As a means of existentially overcoming the impact of these states, the concepts of faith, hope and love are identified. The conclusion is made about Makovsky’s non-participation in poetic movements and schools, and the relevance of his poetry at the present time is explained.