G. Y. Shulpyakov. Batyushkov is not sick

Abstract

Batyushkov is not Sick [Batyushkov ne bolen] is Shulpyakov’s first big ‘literary research,’ in which he sets out to provide the deep insight into Konstantin Batyushkov’s life story. To do this, he extends the biography genre conventions and enriches the text with cultural-historical essays and profound literary-critical analysis of the poet’s oeuvre. Examining facts of the past that bear similarities to the present day, Shulpyakov proceeds with a study of key events in Russian and world history and explores the categories of history, time, memory, and — through the study of Batyushkov’s life — the category of norm. Shulpyakov is fascinated with the protagonist’s duality, namely his spiritual and intellectual identity. Thus, instead of a mentally disturbed Batyushkov relegated to the status of Pushkin’s shadow, the former is shown as a poet whose two volumes were enough to build up his reputation as a classic. The study is especially interesting for scholars as it contains the unabridged version of the diary kept by Batyushkov’s physician Anton Dietrich, published in Russian for the first time.