RELIGIOUS REINTERPRETATION OF REAL SPACE IN THE “MEPHISTOPHELES” CYCLE BY K.K. SLUCHEVSKY

Abstract

The article presents a comprehensive analysis of the “Mephistopheles” cycle created by K.K. Sluchevsky in the early 1880s. The main task of the study is to examine the ways of metaphysical reinterpretation of real space by the poet-pre-symbolist and their influence on the perceptions of the eternal struggle between good and evil. The article is based on a detailed analysis of all ten texts of the cycle, with particular attention to Sluchevsky’s use of spatial metaphors and symbols to express philosophical and religious ideas. Key themes and motifs of the cycle are identified, showing a deep symbolic connection between the real and metaphysical worlds in the context of man’s spiritual quest. The article will be useful to researchers in the fields of literary studies, philosophy, and theology, as well as to anyone interested in the role of religious symbolism in Russian poetry of the late 19th century and its impact on the formation of cultural and spiritual space.