Evolution of Travel Tradition in Russian Prose of First Third of 19th Century: From Real to Imaginary

This article traces the evolution of the travel tradition in Russian prose during the first third of the nineteenth century. The primary objective of the study is to conceptualize the transformation of narrative strategies in the travelogues of V. A. Zhukovsky, A. S. Pushkin, and A. F. Veltman, juxtaposed with the works of the followers and imitators of N. M. Karamzin — P. I. Sumarokov, P. I. Shalikov, and V. V. Izmailov. It is established that Zhukovsky, Pushkin, and Veltman employed personal diaries and notes as raw material for the construction of a new artistic whole, whereas the works of the sentimentalists remain confined within the boundaries of documentary discourse. The subjective structure of the texts is analyzed. The study reveals that while firstperson narration is preserved in fictional travelogues, a differentiation emerges between the subject of consciousness and the subject of speech; the variability of authorial narrative strategies is conceptualized. The specificity of the chronotope is characterized. It is demonstrated that in Zhukovsky's works, the mountain landscape functions as a space of romantic dual-worldliness; for Pushkin, the border serves as a marker of an indissoluble connection with Russia; Veltman models an «imaginary journey», substituting the actual itinerary with the topography of memory. The conclusion is drawn that the travelogue of the first third of the nineteenth century evolves from the imitation of Karamzin toward the emergence of genre-original phenomena. The novelty of the research is seen in the comprehensive analysis of the mechanisms for the implementation of the sentimentalist tradition in later travelogues.