NOVELETTE "THE CHOICE OF THE CROSS" BY V. A. ZHUKOVSKY

The article is devoted to the analysis of the poetic novelette by V. A. Zhukovsky The Choice of the Cross (1845). The novelette is a translation of Die Kreuzschau by the German author Albert von Chamisso. The artistic image of a wanderer walking in the mountains and his devotional address to the Creator to relieve the burden of mortal sufferings is comprehended in the novel in terms of Christianity. The reference to the Gospel and to the guidance of the reverend fathers of the Church helps to understand the plot as the way to belief, determination for God, path of endeavors and sufferings. The article also focuses on the inner world of V. A. Zhukovsky who was very close to the spiritual contents of the novel.