Русское мессианство. Профетические, мессианские, эсхатологические мотивы в русской поэзии и общественной мысли

In this monograph the author tries to analyze one of the most enigmatic fields of the human mind — the everlasting aspiration for the Supreme Truth sought in divine revelations. From the sages, clairvoyants and visionaries of the ancient polytheistic world the way is traced to the Book of Prophets in the Bible and further on to the unique prophetic tradition in classic Russian poetry and social thought. Since the late Middle Ages strong messianic and eschatological trends have been always the most characteristic features of the famous Russian men of letters whose writings are full of prophecies and fierce invectives condemning the ruling regime. The unprecedented force of their Word affecting greatly the mind of Russian intellectuals stipulated the growth of anarchist, nihilist and dissident societies, which eventually lead the country to revolutionary cataclysm.

The concept of «the God-loving nation», which emerged in Russian Orthodoxy since the early times of Christianity, fostered the formation of «the Holy Russia» archetype and the image of the chosen God-beloved nation. For many centuries dramatic historic events like the Mongol invasion, the liberation from the foreign yoke, the establishment of the empire, the change of dynasties as well as wars, riots and plagues were represented through the prism of the religious conscience, which presumed fatalist acceptance of the God’s will along with the messianic and eschatological expectations.

Russian poetry as a category of professional literature came to light only in the XVIII c. in the process of «globalization» initialized by Peter the Great. Inspired both by the traditional Biblical rhetorics and the writings of the Western classics G. Derjavin addressed «the Rulers and the Judges» with a powerful prophetic word. Meanwhile A. Radischev, infatuated with the ideas of the great philosophers of the French Enlightenment, became the first Russian bard to challenge the monarchy openly in his ode «Freedom». His arrest and exile marked the starting point in the long list of Russian intellectuals who chose suffering for their prophecy in preference to the peaceful and wealthy life. This list was soon extended by the names of the passionate and noble-mindeed Decemberists insurgents — Ryleev, Kuhelbecker, Glinka. Their poetry derived directly from the pathetic psalms and dreadful predictions of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel formed the core of the Russian prophetic tradition.

The influence of the classic prophecy in the poems by A. Pushkin shows the crucial meaning of this theme for the spiritual self-awareness of the Russian genius and his contemporaries. Pushkin’s «Prophet» based on the Biblical episode and revealing the prophetic mind at its extreme can be regarded as the utmost achievement of the Russian literary «missionarism».

The poet is placed beyond the mundane passions and temptations, and his role defined as a saint preacher, a champion of truth and justice. Pushkin’s quest for civil rights and his mighty aspiration for freedom combined with the unrivaled poetic talent contributed to further development of the prophetic trends in Russian literature. After Pushkin’s tragic death gloomy pathos of M. Lermontov allowed critics to see in him a new brilliantl prophet summoned by God to point out the sins of his generation and to predict the tragic future of the country. In the meantime, he was a typical Byronic personality staying in opposition to the establishment. Lermontov’s dark demonic gift filled his poems with mystic premonitions and macabre presentments that have not lost their appeal to the heart of a Russian reader even nowadays.

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The so-called democratic poets and critics headed by Belinsky, Dobrolyubov, Gertsen succeeded to turn the mainstream of Russian poetry in an attempt to make of literature a weapon in their ideological struggle against the absolutist regime. Their poems, essays and manifestoes are full of the unconcealed and irreconcilable hatred towards the oppressors. The Narodniki movement with its extremism fluctuating from the propaganda of «Going to the people» missionary ventures to the declarations of the merciless war on the government was the practical implementation of the prophetic slogans put forward by the first revolutionaries. The poetry by P. Lavrov and his associates demonstrated a perverse vision of reality in which violence and terror were supposed to pave the way to the ideal realm of justice.