DIARY NOTES OF S. F. PLATONOV (APRIL 16 - DECEMBER 24, 1878): “WHO WILL READ MY DIARY...”. PART 5

Graduating from high school, obtaining a certifi cate, and searching for an answer to the question of his place in society continue to worry the young S. Platonov, then a student. The last year of his stay at the gymnasium brought a wonderful, though not long-lasting, acquaintance with V. F. Kenevich, who had a noticeable infl uence on the budding young poet. One can judge the fi rst experiments in versifi cation by the few surviving works. The major philologist recognizes his pupil’s talent, which requires a lot of work to develop. The comprehension of his stay in Kharin and acquaintance with the sisters - the granddaughters of the outstanding K. F. Kalaidovich and the famous N. S. Selivanovsky - continue, and the absence of letters from Moscow, where they live then, leads to a decadent mood. Spiritual searches result in various kinds of philosophical refl ections, which are important for understanding the process of forming the worldview of a future academician.