The “Yerevan epic” in Russian Soviet literature of the first half of the 20th century: Andrei Bely, Marietta Shaginyan, Osip Mandelstam

The literature and culture of Eastern Armenia and Russia have been intertwined since the 19th century, when Eastern Armenia became part of the Russian Empire in 1828. During this period, Armenian themes became an integral aspect of Russian literature, with many writers, including Alexander Pushkin, Marietta Shaginyan, Andrei Bely, and Osip Mandelstam, drawing on Armenian motifs in their works. This study focuses on analyzing Yerevan's image in the works of these authors, comparing their perceptions of the city and its cultural significance in Russian literature, particularly within the framework of the “Armenian text.” The paper examines three travelogues on Armenia written by Marietta Shaginyan, Andrei Bely, and Osip Mandelstam, with a focus on the portrayal of Yerevan. Despite their approaches, the authors’ texts share a common theme of the city’s transformation and development. Shaginyan depicts Yerevan as a symbol of socialist progress and a center of cultural and scientific achievements. For A. Bely, the city represents a point of convergence between cultures and elements, intertwining antiquity and modernity, as well as nature and artifice. Mandelstam, in turn, emphasizes Yerevan’s historical and cultural significance, imbuing it with personal and symbolic meaning. This study highlights the diversity of interpretations of the city, reflecting the ideological and creative differences among the authors.