Philosophical dialogue: Mikhail Bakhtin - Alexey Dorogov (memoirs and archival evidence)

The name of Mikhail Mikhailovich Bakhtin (1895–1975), an outstanding thinker of the 20th century, philosopher and cultural scientist, is widely known. The relevance of his research thought, which comprehended the depth of knowledge about man in the forms of literary creativity, as well as in historical forms of culture, only increases over the years. Because of this, interest in his legacy, including his scientific dialogues, is also increasing. The article provides memories about one of M.M. Bakhtin’s interlocutors – Alexei Alexandrovich Dorogov (1923-2003), whose name is well known only to those who knew him personally, talked with him, listened to his lectures on a wide range of historical, philosophical and cultural problems. This publication sets out to bring out of the shadows of oblivion our remarkable compatriot, a profound and original thinker who was linked to M.M. Bakhtin by a friendship that began on 20 August 1965 and lasted until the latter's death in 1975. Their dialogues can be attributed not just to the genre of memoirs, but to the history of scientific thought. The article is supplemented by the author’s personal memories of meetings and conversations with A. Dorogov. The publication may open up new facets of M.M. Bakhtin’s life and work, as well as to complete the picture of scientific thought of the twentieth century by including in it a little-known thinker, Alexei Alexandrovich Dorogov.