From Antiquity to Renaissance: Poetic Translation in Pages of “Russian Messenger”

This article explores the reception of poetry from antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance within the journal “Russian Messenger,” examining the editorial policies that shaped its content. The study is based on a complete set of issues from “Russian Messenger” published between 1856 and 1906. Analyzing poetic translations, adaptations, and interpretations provides insight into the ideological framework of one of the leading journals of the late 19th century. The relevance of this article is underscored by the recent surge in interest from both the humanities and the broader public towards “Russian Messenger” as a proponent of traditional views on governance, alongside the insufficient exploration of Russian poetic translation in the latter half of the 19th century. It has been established that the editorial focus on classical literature is reflected in the publication of both translations and works inspired by ancient texts, with a roughly equal volume of such materials appearing in the journal. The primary form of medieval poetry reception consists of adaptations, reinterpretations, and works based on medieval themes. Notably, there is a particular interest among the authors of “Russian Messenger” in the Spanish romancero, which can be interpreted as evidence of a phase of Romantic Hispanism within the Russian cultural tradition during the late 19th century. Key figures through whom the journal’s authors engage with foreign literature from the Middle Ages and Renaissance include Dante and Shakespeare.

1. Adonyeva, I. G. (2013). Legal topics of the journal “Russian Bulletin” of the liberal period (1856—1862). Bulletin of Novosibirsk State University. A series of History, philology, 12 (6): 5—11. (In Russ.).

2. Alekseev, M. P. (1985). Russian culture and the Romanesque world. Leningrad: Nauka. 544 p. (In Russ.).

3. Andreev, O. V. (2015). Magazine about the main events of Russian history. Privolzhsky scientific Bulletin, 6—3 (46): 102—105. (In Russ.).

4. Balykova, L. A. (2018). I. S. Turgenev and M. N. Katkov: an attempt at cooperation. Based on the materials of the writer’s Memorial Library. In: Turgenev and the liberal idea in Russia: materials of the All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference dedicated to the 200th anniversary of Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev. Perm: Perm State Humanitarian Pedagogical University. 80—83. ISBN 978-5-85218-957-8. (In Russ.).

5. Chernova, M. S. (2022). At the origins of political journalism: M. N. Katkov on the “Polish question”. Media research, 9: 175—180. (In Russ.).

6. Egorov, B. F. (1976). V. P. Botkin — the author of “Letters about Spain”. In: Botkin V. P. Letters about Spain. Leningrad: Nauka. 265—286. (In Russ.).

7. Gavrilov, I. B. (2019). Mikhail Nikiforovich Katkov as a guardian of traditional Russian principles. Russo-Byzantine Bulletin, 1 (2): 204—221. DOI: 10.24411/2588-0276-2019-10013. (In Russ.).

8. Gorodilova, N. I. (2022). The novel “Anna Karenina” in the assessment of the “Russian Bulletin”. Proceedings of the Russian Academy of Sciences. A series of literature and language, 81 (1): 82—89. DOI: 10.31857/S160578800018921-9. (In Russ.).

9. Gorskaya, N. I. (2018). Prison reform and its reflection on the pages of the “Russian Bulletin” (1879—1885). Proceedings of the Smolensk State University, 3 (43): 324—342. (In Russ.).

10. Index of authors (1856—1862): A-K. (1989). Leningrad: Publishing House of LSU. 43 p. (In Russ.).

11. Khvostova, O. A. (2018). “…An artist should also have a conscience...”: M. N. Katkov in the history of the publication of I. S. Turgenev’s novel “Smoke”. Philosophical Letters. Russian-European Dialogue, 1 (2): 150—160. (In Russ.).

12. Klimakov, Yu. V. (2011). M. N. Katkov as publisher and editor. Bibliography. Scientific journal of Bibliography, Book studies and Library Science, 2 (373): 93—100. (In Russ.).

13. Kolokolova, O. A. (2024). Reception of antiquity in Russian literature of the first third of the XIX century (based on the material of the almanac “Northern Flowers”). Scientific notes of Petrozavodsk State University, 46 (1): 66—75. (In Russ.).

14. Kozlov, A. E. (2015). Travelogues of the “Russian Bulletin” of the 50s: dynamics and pragmatics. Imagology and comparative studies, 1 (3): 143—159. (In Russ.).

15. Landa, K. S. (2019). Dmitry Min — translator and commentator of Dante’s “Divine Comedy”. Bulletin of the Russian Christian Humanitarian Academy, 20 (3): 295—313. DOI: 10.25991/VRHGA.2019.20.3.059. (In Russ.).

16. Masanov, I. F. (1957). Dictionary of pseudonyms of Russian writers, scientists and public figures: in 4 volumes, 2. Moscow: Publishing House of the All-Union Book Chamber. 388 p. (In Russ.).

17. Moshonkina, E. N. (2013). The translation reception of the “Divine Comedy” in the XIX century in Russia and France: an attempt at comparative analysis. Bulletin of the Moscow University. Episode 22. The theory of translation, 2: 110—121. (In Russ.).

18. Nazarova, T. V. (2013). Forms of propaganda of the idea of conservative development in the “Russian Bulletin”. Bulletin of the Volgograd State University. Series 8. Literary studies. Journalism, 12: 99—110. (In Russ.).

19. Nikolyukin, A. N. (2013). Katkov and his contemporaries. Literary journal, 32: 7—27. (In Russ.).

20. Perevalova, E. V. (2007). M. N. Katkov’s journal “Russian Bulletin” in the first years of publication (literary position). PhD Diss. Moscow. 184 p. (In Russ.).

21. Perevalova, E. V. (2011). “Women’s” fiction of the “Russian Bulletin”. News of higher educational institutions. Problems of printing and publishing, 3: 126—139. (In Russ.).

22. Perevalova, E. V. (2021). “Tramps” and “decadents” in the evaluation of the journal “Russian Bulletin”. News of higher educational institutions. Problems of printing and publishing, 3—4: 43—47. (In Russ.).

23. Podosokorsky, N. N. (2024). Mikhail Katkov — publisher of F. M. Dostoevsky. Dostoevsky and world culture. Philological Journal, 1 (25): 239—252. DOI: 10.22455/2619-0311-2024-1-239-252. (In Russ.).

24. Pyatkova, S. G. (2013). Political exile in the Russian Empire on the pages of the journal “Russian Bulletin” (1856—1860-ies). Fundamental research, 8—4: 1003—1008. (In Russ.).

25. Ranks, O. K. (2011). “Count Alarkos” H. Grau: puppet theater. Bulletin of Vyatka State University, 32: 135—139. (In Russ.).

26. Russian poetic translation on the pages of the “Russian Bulletin”: bibliography. (2024). In: Literary translation and comparative literary studies. [Vol.] XIX: collection of scientific tr. Moscow: Flint. 385—426. ISBN 978-5-9765-1837-7. (In Russ.).

27. Rylova, O. N. (2010). Russian antiquity in Russian literature: on the problem of cultural dialogue. Bulletin of the Tomsk State Pedagogical University, 5 (95): 100—106. (In Russ.).

28. Sergeev, A. S. (2014). Maxim Gorky’s creativity in the assessment of the “Russian Bulletin”. Scientific notes of the Orel State University. The Humanities and Social Sciences series, 4 (60): 174—177. (In Russ.).

29. Sergeev, A. S. (2017). Literary criticism in the journal “Russian Bulletin” of the 1900s. PhD Diss. Saratov. 223 p. (In Russ.).

30. Sharifullina, S. V. (2017). Journalistic essays on the pages of the journal “Russian Bulletin”. In: Cherepovets Scientific readings — 2016: materials of the All-Russian Scientific and practical conference. Cherepovets: Cherepovets State University. 109—111. (In Russ.).

31. Trofimova, T. A. (2007). “A positive beginning” in Russian literature of the XIX century. PhD Diss. Moscow. 184 p. (In Russ.).

32. Vasilyeva, E. B. (2007). Conservative periodicals of the second half of the XIX — early XX century. In the Decembrist movement (based on the materials of the Russian Bulletin magazine). Omsk Scientific Bulletin, 2 (54): 25—28. (In Russ.).

33. Zakharov, N. V. (2007). Shakespeareanism of Russian literature. Knowledge. Understanding. Ability, 3: 175—180. (In Russ.).

34. Zubkov, K. Yu. (2015). “The anti-nihilistic novel” as a polemical construct of radical criticism. Bulletin of the Moscow University. Series 9. Philology, 4: 122—140. (In Russ.).