Author: Ivan Esaulov
Russian State University for the Humanities, Moscow
Translated from Russian: Tania Atanasova
Published in Slavyanski dialozi, V, 9, 2008
Abstract: The interpretation of a literature work depends to a great extend on the context of understanding in which the interpreter places it. Historical distance that separates res- earch-workers from the epoch when these outstanding literature works were created has it own deeply positive moments. It is wrong to ignore them in our striving for „historicity“ of interpretation. The striving for taking into account „the little time“ of creating a certain work as precisely as possible often destroys dialogicity and replaces humanitarian understanding by monologic „study“ of the object. The author of the article insists on the necessity of new understanding of the essence of Russian literature, which is determined by its belonging to the Orthodox type of culture. That is why new categories of philological analysis are necessary for expressing the most important aspects of this culture: conciliarism, paschality, Christocentrism, law, God’s grace.