Greek Motifs in the Works of M.Yu. Lermontov

Aim. To highlight the specifics of Lermontov’s perception of the history and culture of Greece, to analyze Greek motifs in his work.Methodology. The article uncovers the sources, which shaped Lermontov’s perception of Greece, the circle of works that use plots and images of the classical antiquity and contain a response to the events of contemporary Greek history. The author uses biographical, cultural-historical, historical-functional methods of research.Results. The article comprehensively presents the features of artistic interpretation of the image of Greece in Lermontov’s works, demonstrates that both the past (classical era) and the present of the country are equally important to the author. Poet’s works interpret mythological plots and images, as well as Greek folk song “Olympus”, he lyrical plot of which is qualitatively rethought.Research implications. The article systematically presents the Greek theme in Lermontov’s works, which allows us to more fully reveal the problem of intercultural dialogue in the literature of the first half of the 19th century.