THE IMAGE OF RUSSIA IN THE WORK OF IRINA KNORRING

Abstract

The paper explores the image of Russia in the work of Irina Knorring, a poet of the first wave of Russian emigration in France. Knorring and her family left Russia after the October Revolution, but memories of the abandoned homeland accompanied the poet until the end of his life. The theme of Russia was one of the key themes in the poetry of Irina Knorring. The image of Russia in Knorring’s poetry is dual. Old Russia, the country where the poet’s childhood passed – the magical, fairy-tale world of Pushkin’s folk songs and fairy tales. This world is unusually beautiful, picturesque, mythological, similar to the Garden of Eden. This old Russia is gone irrevocably, and the new Russia is a dark, terrible country. By the change in the poet’s creative intonation, you can trace her attitude to what is happening in Russia. While in the 20s Knorring still believes in the revival of the former Russia and the possibility of returning home, then later comes the realization of the irrevocable end of her former world. At the same time, it is important to emphasize that Irina Knorring’s love for Russia remains unchanged.