Solovyov’s China and its influence on his contemporaries

The article examines the influence of V.S. Solovyov on the writers and poets of the Silver age. On the material of the works of Solovyov, related to the «сhinese theme»: the articles «Russia and Europe», «China and Europe», «Japan», «The enemy from the East»; the review of the first volume of works by E.E. Ukhtomsky; the poems «Panmongolizm» and «Dragon»;the tractate «The three conversations about war, progress and the end of world history»; the letter «About the recent events», – is evaluated his influence on D.S. Merezhkovsky's articles: «Yellow-faced positivists», «The coming ham», V.I. Ivanov's articles «Russia, England and Asia», «Inspiration of horror», V.M. Doroshevich's story «Goddess», V.V. Veresaev's story «Under the cedars»; «Chinese poems» and the articles of V.J. Bryusov. The political context of the works, the tradition of depicting China in Russian literature, literary and sinological works on this topic are taken into account. The comparative analysis of texts, the coincidence of a number of theoretical positions, and separate definitions and epithets are revealed. The numbers of Solovyov's positions are revealed, which are reflected in the works of Merezhkovsky and Ivanov: materialism and positivism of the Chinese, the «emptiness» of their philosophy, the denial of life and progress, the «yellow danger», the need for the Christianization of China (the last position in Merezhkovsky is not). Doroshevich's story, written at the height of the ikhetuan rebellion («boxer rebellion»), was influenced by the philosopher's eschatological prophecies. The negative image of China in the poetry of V.J. Bryusov is the textual confirmation of the influence of Solovyov, noted by modern literary criticism.