IMAGES OF CHINA IN THE CREATIVE MIND OF G. R. DERZHAVIN AND A. S. PUSHKIN

Abstract

The article reveals the genesis and structure of the «Chinese Text» of Russian literature in the 18th–19th centuries. Its subsequent evolution is shown — how, stepping into the parks, Catherine’s Chinese became more consistent and philosophical. For encyclopedic educators, Chinese philosophy came to be perceived as one of the ideals of thought. At the same time, the image of China in Russia began to be used both in critical literature and in ideological struggle. The spread of the Chinese style in popular culture became the basis of glamour. The Chinese topic in the correspondence of Catherine II and Voltaire is interpreted as «mutual enlightenment», which is partially replicated in the further interactions of the Empress and Derzhavin in their efforts to resolve the Chinese border problems. The formation of Pushkin as a poet took place in the conventional Tsarskoye Selo China. His subsequent in-depth involvement in the topic is associated with the emergence of realistic trends in his work and with his interest in history, which made it possible to anticipate future events and topics in this direction.