POETIC STYLE OF NON-FICTION MEMOIRS: THE PROBLEM OF THE PAST AND THE PRESENT IN THE BOOK OF M. ATAMANOV “ULON-VYLON DAURKAE: TODE VAYONYOS”

The article looks into the poetic style of the new book of memoirs of Mikhail Atamanov “Ulon-vylon Daurkae: todevayonyos” (The World of My Life-Being: Memoirs) in the context of the development of non-fiction literature in the Udmurt literary process at the turn of the century. The focus is on the artistic features of the genre of memoirs in the works of a Finno-Ugric scholar, essayist, publicist, missionary, translator of the Bible and liturgical literature into the Udmurt language, compiler of the national epic “Tangyra”. The main theme of the memoirs is the theme of motherhood and fatherhood, the image of a small homeland, the ethnic history of the Udmurt people, the path to Christianity. For Mikhail Atamanov, the source for creating the memoirs was his studies in linguistics, ethnography and expeditions to the Udmurt ethnic groups along with his personal life experience. Special poetry to the leading images of the memoirs, the portraits of the parent home and small homeland, is created by a deep knowledge of folklore, folk traditions, the bearer of which is the author of memoirs. In addition to that, Atamanov’s book is significant for the theme of road, which is not so notable at first sight. It is associated with his life experience, personal becoming, his studies, work, spiritual and scientific growth. It is worth noting that the theme of continuity of generations, inherited memory of the public, common closeness with the ancestors is also topical in the memoirs. One of the burning issues of the book is the theme of the nation’s future. The author is overly concerned about the globalization processes in the world, he is hurt by the fact that the current generation of Udmurts doesn’t much care for keeping the Udmurt language and traditions of the nation.