SCHISM IN A. N. TOLSTOY’S LITERARY COMPREHENSION (ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE NOVEL «PETER THE GREAT»)

Aim. We show peculiarities of A. N. Tolstoy’s disclosure of the circumstances of the church schism in the 17^th century, their impact on the society and the consequences to which they led; in addition, we present a detailed analysis of several images of Old Believers created by A. N. Tolstoy and pictures of their activities. Tolstoy’s description of the way of life in the sketes of the Old Believers, as well as their moral and spiritual state are commented on Methodology. Use is made of analytical and comparative methods of literary text research to reveal the topic. The images of Old Believers, monastics and the Patriarch are analyzed in detail. Special attention is paid to internal, spiritual problems of the population, moral loss, search for the truth by individual characters, and true spiritual support. Specific methods are clarified, thanks to which A. N. Tolstoy, following D. Merezhkovsky, managed to capture in an original way the main facets of the state of Russia in the era of Peter’s reforms. Particular attention is paid to the artistic detail and its role in revealing the characters’ lifestyles.

Results. The study revealed stylistic features that help Tolstoy in his desire for a realistic depiction of the historical period. The problem of Tolstoy’s understanding of the influence of the church schism on the spiritual and moral, as well as the economic life of the country, is clarified. The images of schismatics, monastics and the Patriarch himself are analyzed and explained.

Research implications. The study confirms that spiritual problems occupy an important place in the work of A. N. Tolstoy. The significance of the work lies in an in-depth and concrete understanding of the plastic embodiment of the declared topic.

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