Сонеты Вадима Андреева: Отражения испанской культуры
Vadim Andreev’s Sonnets: Reflections of Spanish Culture

Summary/Abstract: The essay deals with a cycle of sonnets written by Vadim Leonidovič Andreev (1903–1976) in the 1920s and published in his second book of poems Nedug bytija in 1928. Whereas Andreev in his poetical works mainly reflects various traditions of Russian poetry, this cycle specifically addresses Spanish motifs and literary characters. Andreev’s dialog with Spanish culture becomes part of his reflection on eternal questions. The essay shows how the different motifs are used to form unity within the cycle, and to analyse in which way Andreev includes Spanish plots (Don Quijote, Don Juan, Philipp II, Carmen) to elaborate his preoccupying themes: death, love, and the sense of life. It also discusses to what extent the sources used by Andreev can be identified. Among them are Georges Bizet’s opera Carmen, but also works of Russian poets.

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