PATTERNS OF RENAISSANCE EPISTOLOGRAPHY IN THE EXPERIMENTAL PROSE OF ALEXANDER ILYANEN

The online prose of Alexander Ilyanen, recognized as one of the most significant experiments of Russian literature today, is not only a reflection on the possibilities of writing and utterance, but also an experience of rewriting of written forms. Recent prose of Ilyanen is a kind of philological observation of the usability of different types of writing to assemble a meaningful statement about the current quarantine situation. Correlation of these types of writing with the usual genres is not relevant, even introducing general framework of the novel and drama. Renaissance Italian epistolography as a way of producing situations, rather than roman à clef, clarifies Ilyanen’s prose strategies. A detailed analysis of the Renaissance letters by Poggio proves that he did not affirm the new model of language use, reviving the Cicero ideal, but he controlled effects of writing and biography, to improve official policy. The irony, intrigues, hints, social designing in these letters anticipate the tactics of professional blogging by eminent writers, but differ in responsibility for political decisions of both authors and persons mentioned.