G. A. Shengeli. From the courtroom of the Moscow Province Court: Selected reports (1926–1927)

Abstract

The review offers a critical study of G. Shengeli’s collected reports and feuilletons From the Courtroom of the Moscow Province Court [Iz zala Moskovskogo gubernskogo suda], which reveals a hitherto unknown interest of the renowned poet, translator and scholar of versification.Very little has been known about Shengeli’s rather prolific career as a courtroom reporter: the scholar who compiled the book, Anton Marinin, conducted research that resulted in the discovery of the poet’s authorship, convincingly proven across several pen-names. Writing reports and feuilletons, especially at the time of NEP, was a popular side job among big-name authors: it was exciting, had a prominent social angle, and paid well. But what is the appeal of these courtroom reports today? What is their relation to the ideas at the core of the novels The Twelve Chairs [Dvenadtsat stuliev] and The Little Golden Calf [Zolotoy telyonok]? Finally, can a product of a side job undertaken solely for quick and easy money claim eternal relevance? The reviewer contemplates and answers all these questions.