“You are philosophizing not with the act with wich you create your art…” Epistolary dialogue between Ivan Ilyin and Ivan Shmelev on the principles of “spiritual novel”

Annotation

I. S. Shmelev’s correspondence with I. A. Ilyin concerning the novel “Heaven Ways” (“Puti Nebesnye”) is considered. This novel was called by Shmelev himself as “experience of the spiritual novel”. Estimates and advices of the philosopher are analyzed as well as Shmelev’s replies to him. Writer accepted or rejected arguments of his friend and spiritual mentor Ivan Ilyin.

Keywords

Ivan Shmelev, Ivan Ilyin, Vladimir Solovyev, novel “Heaven Ways”.

Literature

1. Borisova L.M., Dzyga Ya.O. Continuation of the "Golden Age": "The Heavenly Paths" by I.S. Shmelev and the Traditions of the Russian Novel. Simferopol: Krym-Farm-Trading, 2000. 227 p.
2. Denikin K.S. Ivan Sergeevich Shmelev // The Spiritual Path of Ivan Shmelev: Articles, Essays, Memories / compiled, foreword by A.M. Lyubomudrova. Moscow: Sibirskaya Blagozvonnitsa, 2009. pp. 484–495.
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8. Soloviev V. S. “Only the sun of love is motionless...”: poems. Prose. Letters // Vladimir Soloviev: memoirs of contemporaries. Moscow: Moskovsky rabochy, 1990. 444 pp.
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10. Shevarov D.G. Ivan Shmelev. "I have always lived with my heart...": letters to Raisa and Lyudmila Semmering // Novy mir. 2004. No. 11. pp. 144–152.
11. Shmelev I.S. Collected works: in 5 volumes (supplement 6–8). Vol. 5. / compiled and foreword by E. Osminina. Moscow: Russkaya Kniga, 1998. 480 p. This research was supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation (RSF) No. 23–28–00665 (https://rscf.ru/project/23–28–00665/); the Dostoevsky Russian Christian Humanitarian Academy