SEMANTICS OF THE TITLE OF THE NOVEL BY VIKTOR NEKRASOV “IN THE TRENCHES OF STALINGRAD”

Abstract

Viktor Nekrasov’s story “In the Trenches of Stalingrad” has a largely unique history in the literary process of the 20th century. The story was published in a short time in Znamya magazine in 1946, in 1947 the author was awarded the Stalin Award of the second degree, in the 1970s the writer’s works were banned and withdrawn from libraries. The history of the title change is no less dramatic. The author’s original title in the typewritten manuscript was “At the End of the Earth.” After editing, the first official title becomes “Stalingrad” with the genre designated as “novel.” The Stalin Prize is awarded to Nekrasov for the story “In the Trenches of Stalingrad.” The article studies all variants of the title of the writer’s Stalingrad story. The contextual semes and semantic increments necessary for an adequate interpretation of the three variants of the title are identified. The conclusion is made about the semantic ambivalence of the final title of the story. It gives the key to an adequate interpretation of the story and balances the nominative and predicative functions of the title.