VLAS DOROSHEVICH: "THE EAST IS PECULIAR"

E. A. IKONNIKOVA

Doctor of Philological Sciences

Sakhalin State University (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk)

Keywords: East, V. M. Doroshevich, journey, Russian literature of the early XX century.

Famous Russian journalist Vlas Mikhailovich Doroshevich (1865-1922) - author of numerous works that caused a lively response among Russian readers of the beginning of the XX century. Perhaps, none of the domestic journalists has ever been awarded the popularity that this man, nicknamed the "king of feuilleton", had during his lifetime. V. M. Doroshevich's publications were read (both with sincere sympathy and with a desire to refute the journalist's opinion) by many Russian writers: Anton Chekhov, Lev Tolstoy, Maxim Gorky, Korney Chukovsky, etc. His prose was also followed by politicians.

V. M. Doroshevich traveled a lot. A separate page of his biography is occupied by trips to the Middle and Far East: to Iran and Turkey, to Ceylon and India, to Japan and China. Impressions of new and fascinating places are reflected in the author's publications. The East attracted V. M. Doroshevich with its history and culture (from folklore treasures and national history to everyday details and customs).

As one might expect, Doroshevich's style, which is memorable for its images and aphorism, did not keep within the boundaries of exclusively journalistic practice and received its rightful place in the space of popular literature. Since that time, the journalist has been widely known for publications that reflect his impressions of trips to the East: "In the Promised Land (Palestine) "(1900), " The Chinese Question "(1901, co-authored with A.V. Amfiteatrov), " Mu-Hsiang. Chinese Novel "(1901), " Legends and fairy tales of the East "(1902), " Sakhalin (penal servitude)" (1903, 1905, 1908), "How I got to Sakhalin "(1903, 1905), "The East and the War" (1905), " Oriental Tales "(1921) etc. Many of these books were reprinted during Doroshevich's lifetime. After the revolution of 1917, the journalist was practically not published, but with rare appearances in front of the public, he invariably read his eastern fairy tales.

Doroshevich's works on the East, and in particular on China and Japan, aroused interest, of course, primarily among the Russian public. Special attention to the newspaper publications of the journalist and the newspaper Russkoe Slovo edited by him increased during the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). It is known that thanks to Doroshevich, Russkoe Slovo had two dozen competent military journalists who promptly covered events at the front.

Today, the "eastern" part of the writer's work is in demand not only by domestic, but also by foreign readers, despite the almost century-long distance. It is noteworthy that the first extensive translations of Doroshevich's works (with the exception of acute social articles, which were once promptly translated by European and American periodicals) took place only in the XXI century. So, for example, English-speaking readers are just beginning to get acquainted with such translations of Doroshevich's books as " Three Chinese Fairy Tales "(translated by John Dewey), " What the Emperor can't Do: Fairy Tales and Legends of the East "(translated by Ronald D. Landau and John Dewey), "Russian Colony in the Far East" (translated by John Dewey). Andrew A. Gentes from the book " Sakhalin (hard labor)"). Modern Japanese historians and literary critics (Yuka Kurata, Go Kosino, etc.) quite often quote V. M. Doroshevich. The greatest interest of Japanese researchers is caused, on the one hand, by the description of the Sakhalin penal servitude, on the other-by the images of China and Japan created by a Domestic journalist at the beginning of the XX century, and the perception of these Eastern countries.

"The East is peculiar," Doroshevich wrote. Many of the journalist's statements about the East also look peculiar, all of them sound either like aphorisms or maxims that need to be understood-

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It is no coincidence that V. M. Doroshevich urged "to stop being naive, thinking that the East is naive". Here are some of these examples: from concise to very common. For example, Doroshevich wrote about China and the Chinese: "China does not hate us. We don't hate China. It can and should be a source of endless benefits for us. For their sake, Russia has performed a number of great cultural feats, starting with the construction of the Siberian Railway. China has nothing decidedly against these benefits, because they are mutual"; " Are the Chinese cowards? And what if this is an age-old delusion?"; " ...between the Chinese of the north, south, east, west, and the Chinese of separate and often neighboring provinces, there are whole abysses of difference in concepts, views, customs, customs, worldview, even in religion and language. And to think of all Chinese as one people just because they all wear a braid is like thinking of Europeans as one people because they all wear frock coats."

Semyon Vladimirovich Bukchiia (b. 1941), Doctor of Philology, critic, prose writer and publicist, is closely connected with the study of the heritage of V. M. Doroshevich and his time. Bookchin is the author of more than twenty books, among them: "Dear Anton Pavlovich... Essays on A. P. Chekhov's correspondents "(Minsk, 1973), " The Fate of a feuilletonist. The life and work of V. Doroshevich "(Minsk, 1975), " Vlas Doroshevich. The Fate of a Feuilletonist "(Moscow, 2010) and others. Here are some excerpts from the author's interview with S. V. Bukchin about V. M. Doroshevich and his interest in the East.

- And during his Sakhalin trip in 1897 and later, Doroshevich visited the Middle East, China, India and Japan. As you know, the journalist wrote several eastern legends and a number of other works related to the culture and history of the East. How well is this part of Doroshevich's work known in Russia?

- Doroshevich wrote not just a few, but dozens of Oriental legends and fairy tales. This is an essential part of his creative legacy. And, by the way, a favorite of readers. In 1983, in Minsk, I managed to publish a rather voluminous volume of Doroshevich's Fairy Tales and Legends at the publishing house of the Academy of Sciences of the BSSR. The circulation was 80 thousand copies. Fairy tales and legends are included in the reprinted one-volume books of the writer.

- Why did Doroshevich turn to the topic of the East? Can this be explained only by the sharpness of this topic in Russian periodicals and in the fiction of the early twentieth century?

- He considered the East a storehouse of wisdom, was fascinated by its poetry, philosophy, and picturesque beauty.

- What was Doroshevich's attitude to the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-1905 and to Japan in general, and what is the evidence of newspaper materials written by the journalist at that time?

- Doroshevich was a patriot of Russia (of course, not in the leavened sense of the word). He was proud of the feat of the Varyag sailors. And, of course, he was critical of Japan, which was then hostile to Russia.

- As far as I know, Doroshevich's "Sakhalin", as well as other works of this author, have not yet been performed in Japanese. But there is no doubt that Doroshevich would be interesting for Japanese readers. For example, the Japanese writer Kotaro Samukawa (1908-1977) in his book "The Eve of Development" (1941) calls Doroshevich's name.

- About Doroshevich's "Japanese footprints". I've been looking for them myself. And it was strange that the Japanese bibliography did not record any responses, in general, any reaction to the Sakhalin trip and Doroshevich's essays. In any case, it should be borne in mind that Doroshevich's essays were reprinted in various foreign languages, including in English. Samukawa could find out about them through foreign periodicals. In addition, we should not forget that some of Doroshevich's essays on Japan (not related to the Sakhalin trip) could have come to Japan together with the widely distributed Russian newspaper Russkoe Slovo. And getting to know them might have spurred Samukawa's interest in Doroshevich.

- Do Doroshevich's books have a future? What do you find most valuable and interesting about Doroshevich's work for the new generation of readers?

- This question is answered by the permanent editions of Doroshevich's books. In addition to "Sakhalin" and the volume "Fairy Tales and Legends", his theatrical essays (Minsk, 2005), the volume" Memories " (Moscow, 2008), and one-volumes of his satirical and humorous prose were published. What is interesting about them for the modern reader? And you look at the Internet, in the same "LiveJournal", there are many interesting statements.