В. И. Самойло в русской периодике и культурной жизни Вильно (1920–1939) ; V. I. Samojlo Vilniaus rusų periodikoje ir kultūriniame gyvenime (1920–1939) ; V. I. Samoilo in Russian periodicals and cultural life of Wilno (1920–1939)

Abstract

A native of Belarus, publicist, critic and author of poetic texts Vladimir Samoilo (1878–1941) is well known as a teacher of Yanka Kupala and a popularizer of his poetry. He is also known as a correspondent of Alexander Blok and an author of works about his creations, as well as a prominent figure of the Belarusian national movement. However, his participation in the Russian periodical press and in the social and cultural life in Wilno is insufficiently investigated. The aim of this study is to fill this gap. Samoilo was the organizer of the evenings of the famous Russian writers Dmitry Merezhkovsky, Zinaida Gippius, Dmitry Filosofov in 1920. He participated in discussions about the works of the Russian philosopher Nikolai Berdyaev, organized by the Literary-artistic section of the Wilno Russian society in 1925. He was elected a member of the council of the Religious-philosophical section of the Wilno Russian society in 1927. Later, Samoilo became vice-chairman of the Religious-philosophical section. Samoilo was the author of a large statement at the solemn assembly on the 50th anniversary of the death of Fyodor Dostoevsky in 1931. At the meetings of the Religious-philosophical circle, Samoilo made reports on Russian philosophers Ivan Kireevsky, Pyotr Chaadayev and others. Newspapers "Vilenskoe slovo", "Vilenskaya misl", "Utro" published Samoilo's articles on the topics of domestic and international politics as well as economy. He was the editor and publisher of the newspaper "Vilenskaya rech", where he published articles about the works of Alexander Blok and Fyodor Dostoevsky as well about the historiosophic concept of Marian Zdziechowski. He had conflicts with the newspaper "Vilenskoe utro". Samoilo's cooperation in the newspaper "Nashe vremia" was accompanied by a polemic with the Warsaw newspaper "Za svobodu!" and its head Dmitry Filosofov about Alexander Blok's poem "The Twelve". The most important Samoilo's publications in the "Nashe vremia" newspaper are devoted to the history of Russian literature and philosophy, as well to discussions in the Religious and philosophical circle of the Wilno Russian society. The analysis of the collected information clarifies the existing knowledge about the activities and views of Samoilo in the Wilno period and complements the general picture of the life of the Russian minority in the Wilno region and in the interwar Poland as a whole. Despite the contradictions and conflicts with certain representatives of the Russian society in Wilno, Vladimir Samoilo was its active and influential participant.