DEPICTED AND DEPICTING WORD: A.N. OSTROVSKY, N.S. LESKOV, I.S. SHMELEV

The article considers artistic principles of representing folk speech reflected in the creative works of three Russian canonical writers such as A.N. Ostrovsky, N.S. Leskov, I.S. Shmelyov. Images of people’s life stem from speech activity. Critical literature about the writers mentioned above focuses on speech as a subject matter and on its objective status. However in the creative works of the writers under discussion the word proves to be both depicted and depicting, while claiming iconicity as the key principle of text structuring. Literary works of these writers are affected by the genre concept of the ancient Russian literature as well as by the temple and liturgic ontos of the Orthodox Church. The paper highlights Ostrovsky’s constituent efforts to create dramaturgy as a national poetic epos reflected in the temple and litulrgic and iconic symbols, in the aspiration of the national playwright to portray ideal images and concept of the Ideal shared by the people. Referring to Leskov’s creative works the author emphasizes his focus on ecclesiastical discourse, on the Sacred Writings. Therefore Leskov’s poetics is saturated with visual iconic images and liturgic images and is marked with ecphrasis, iconography of sainthood referred to the phenomenon of foolishness for Christ. Leskov’s writings are regarded as a vocal icon of Russia, as a narration with its typical “Russian nesting doll” (“matryoshechnaya”) structure reflecting Orthodox code of Russian culture. Iconic principles of representation are reflected in all Smelyov’s writings: in the plots, compositions, motives, images-symbols. The author refutes an opinion about Shmelyov as a writer-ethnographer, portrayer of pre-revolutionary way of life. The paper proves symbolism and material sacralization of Shmelyov’s poetics, his contribution to develop principles of non-verbal narration, principles of visual iconic symbolism.