Alchemy in Russian Literature
Document Type
Original Study
Subject Areas
Language/Linguistics and Literature
Keywords
alchemy, metal transmutation, science and alchemy in Russia, Russian literature, Pushkin, A. Tolstoy, M. Bulgakov.
Abstract
Along with sciences, alchemical activity heavily influenced literature and art, and the images of alchemists were widely reflected in the works of poets, writers, artists, philosophers and scientists. In Eastern and Western literature of ancient, medieval, and modern times, alchemy, together with the intriguing images of alchemists, was used also as a source of vivid metaphors. This article is devoted to the subject of alchemy in Russian literature, investigating which writers were interested in it and how it was developed in Russia. Prominent Russian authors’ poetic and prosaic writings have been perused throughout the research paper and it is believed that the images of alchemists portrayed by Alexander Pushkin, Nikolai Gogol, Alexander Herzen, Nikolai Ogarev, Alexei Tolstoy, and Mikhail Bulgakov were of European origin.
How to Cite This Article
Isakhanli, Hamlet
(2020)
"Alchemy in Russian Literature,"
Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences: Vol. 23:
Iss.
2, Article 4.
DOI: 10.5782/2223-2621.2020.23.2.69
Available at:
https://kjhss.khazar.org/journal/vol23/iss2/4
Publication Date
2020