FAUSTIAN ELEMENTS IN VYACHESLAV IVANOV’S POETICS: A STUDY OF “THE TALE OF PRINCE SVETOMIR”

Abstract

The article examines the reception of J.W. Goethe’s “Faust” in Vyacheslav Ivanov’s “The Tale of Prince Svetomir” and the 1894 draft plan of the tale. The analysis is based on Goethe’s tragedy and Ivanov’s archival materials, including the draft plan discovered in the poet’s archives and published by scholars of his work. Through a combination of comparative, intertextual, and biographical methods, the study demonstrates the extensive reception of motifs from “Faust” and identifies key borrowings: the theme of “temptation by higher powers”, allusions to Walpurgis Night and character-based receptions. The similarities in the main storylines of both works, which are characterized by the protagonists’ desire to improve the lives of ordinary people, are highlighted. The findings reveal how Ivanov adapted Goethean themes to the Russian cultural context while integrating Christian symbolism. The results contribute to the study of intertextuality in Symbolist works in general and in Ivanov’s oeuvre in particular.