“We Know Little About the Early Bryusov...”: The Work of the Poet-Symbolist as Reflected in the Scholarly Heritage of N. K. Gudziy

The article attempts to talk about that part of the scholarly heritage of the literary historian, textual critic, teacher N.K. Gudziy, which is dedicated to the work of the poet, prose writer, literary critic, translator, public figure V.Ya. Bryusov. Based on unpublished archival materials, printed works, materials from Gudziy’s personal archive and correspondence, the scholar’s contribution to the development of domestic “Bruce studies” is characterized, and the main circumstances that influenced the formation of his reading and research interest in this topic are identified. In addition, the background to the birth of Gudziy’s main scholarly works, dedicated to Bryusov and the early stage of the formation of Russian symbolism, is presented, and the scholar’s active work at the 2nd Moscow State University, the State Academy of Artistic Sciences, and the “Circle in Memory of Valery Bryusov” is considered from the point of view of the researcher’s movement towards chosen topic and object of critical interest. The presented materials allow us to trace the fate of several research subjects – the history of early Russian symbolism, Bryusov’s youthful creativity, the change of his creative and critical interests, the role of the literary environment in the poet's life – from their birth and systematization of archival materials to printed embodiment.