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Two centuries of Russian classics

Philological journal
A.M. Gorky Institute of World Literature of the
 Russian Academy of Sciences

Povarskaya St., 25A, bld. 1,
121069 Moscow, Russia

+7 (495) 690-50-30

red@rusklassika.ru

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  • Funding Sources:

    This work was carried out at IWL RAS with financial support from the Russian Science Foundation, project no. 22-18-00051-P, https://rscf.ru/ project/22-18-00051/

  • For citation:

    Veligorsky, G. A. “ʽThe Blue Forest’ in the ʽEstate Text’ of Russian Literature 18th–21st Centuries.” Dva veka russkoi klassiki, vol. 8, no. 3, 2026, pp. 214–239. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.22455/2686-7494-2026-8-3-214-239

  • Abstract:

    This article examines one of the universal images in the mythopoetics of the Russian country estate: the alluring blue, embodied by a shimmering distance — usually defined by a specific natural feature. Our study focuses on the “blue forest” mythologem, which originated in folklore and Old Russian literature, evolved within the literature of the Russian country estate starting in the 1830s, and has since undergone continuous development, accumulating new meanings and connotations. The article briefly traces the evolution of this image and highlights key milestones in its history, while examining in greater detail several writers of the country estate genre who significantly influenced its development (such as L. N. Tolstoy, I. A. Bunin, I. M. Shevtsov et al.).

  • Keywords: estate, mythopoetics, blue color, forest, L. N. Tolstoy, I. A. Bunin, I. M. Shevtsov
  • Author: George A. Veligorsky
  • Information about the author:

    George A. Veligorsky, PhD in Philology, Senior Researcher, A. M. Gorky Institute of World Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Povarskaya St., 25A, bld. 1, 121069 Moscow, Russia.

    ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4316-4630

    E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

  • Received: April 19, 2026
  • Approved after reviewing: May 20, 2026
  • Published: September 25, 2026
  • Issue: 2026 Volume 8 No. 3
  • Department: Russian Literature of the 18th–19th Centuries
  • Pages: 214-239
  • DOI: Visit Website
  • EDN:

    https://elibrary.ru/NBSXHQ

  • UDK: 821.161.1.09"19"
  • Publication Type: Research Article

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