Pushkin in the Literary Manifestos of the 1920s

The aim of study is to reveal the uniqueness of reception of the Pushkin myth in the context of post-revolutionary cultural transformation, when the poet’s legacy was subjected to both simplified interpretations and deep creative rethinking. Analyzing the critical works of V.F. Khodasevich, B.V. Tomashevsky, O.E. Mandelstam, and others, we point out the warnings of these authors against the canonization of Pushkin, turning him into an “aesthetic barrier” obscuring the living tradition. The central place in the study is occupied by the analysis of the aesthetics of “The Pass (Pereval),” where Pushkin’s principles - freedom of creativity, organicity, humanism - were rethought through the prism of a turning point in the era. Perevaltsy (The Pass’ Members) contrasted inspired creativity with the utilitarianism of Proletkult, developing the traditions of meditative lyrics (poems by D. Semenovsky, N. Zarudin, M. Golodny). Their works contain allusions to Pushkin’s motifs (“The Prophet,” “The Village”), but taking into account the tragedy of modern times. The philosophical and aesthetic term “tragedijnost`” introduced by the Perevaltsy was, in their opinion, the basis of true art. It is concluded that Perevaltsy (The Pass’ Members) saw in the classics not the “ashes” of the past, but living “seeds” for the future, preserving the continuity of culture. Prospects for further study of the reception of Pushkin in the literature of the “big twenties,” emphasizing the relevance of his legacy for understanding the dynamics of the literary process of the era.