“Romantic” Poprishchin: History of the Concept of N.V. Gogol the Story “Diary of a Madman”. Part 2

The paper deals with the idea of N.V. Gogol`s “St. Petersburg” story “Notes of a Madman”. Numerous reminiscences of images from world literature, journalism and fiction of that period are examined in detail. Long-term studiing on the poetics of Gogol’s story are summarized. The connection between “Notes of a Madman” and the poem “Dead Souls” and “Reflections on the Divine Liturgy” is established. Gogol’s polemic with European romanticism in is explored circumstantially. The article is a continuation, based on new material, of a research work begun in 2022 – “German romantic V.G. Wackenroder and the 20th century: artistic foresight N.V. Gogol” (published in the collection of the IWL RAS “Literary Process in Russia in the 18th–19th centuries. Secular and Spiritual literature”). An attempt has been made to present a holistic concept of the work and a wide range of fruitful research thoughts in its interpretation. The work consists of the fifteen sections: 1. Problems of interpretation of the story; 2. Background and history of the creation of “Notes of a Madman”; 3. “Soulful City” “Notes...”; 4. Idleness, bribery, threat of “scolding”; 5. Diktat of fashion, red tape; 6. Neglect of spiritual growth; 7. Vanity and the possibility of repentance; 8. From “Notes of a Madman” to “Dead Souls” and “Reflections on the Divine Liturgy”; 9. Pseudoculture; 10. “Donquixoticism”; 11. Cervantes and Ariosto; 12. The circle of romanticism: poetry, politics, philosophy, mysticism; 13. “Notes of a Madman” and romantic madness; 14. Poprishchin and music; 15. “Popular theology”. This publication presents the final four sections. The previous eleven were published in issue 3(65) of the magazine for 2024.