The Khan’s Palace in Bakhchisarai - a Cultural Artifact and Architectural Ekphrasis Based on the Texts of Pushkin, Bunin, Parajanov

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Abstract

The study uses biographical, historical-literary, comparative and hermeneutical methods to examine some texts that form the artistic image of the Bakhchisarai Khanate in Russian literature for almost two centuries. The Palace of the Crimean Khans in Bakhchisarai, also known as Khan-Sarai, is a unique structure that is the only example of palace architecture in the Crimean Tatar style in the world. In Russia, it is recognized as an object of cultural heritage of federal significance. If in reality the Palace was built by order of the Crimean khans Gireyev, then the father of it’s image in Russian literature can be called A.S. Pushkin, the architectural ekphrasis created by him will serve as a kind of catalyst that will bring to life a number of images of the Khan’s palace in Russian literature. Many authors connected the Palace, Bakhchisarai and Pushkin, but the article emphasizes the texts of I.A. Bunin and S.I. Paradazhnov. Research material: the poem “The Fountain of Bakhchisarai” by Pushkin, the story “Crimea” by Bunin and the novel-script of the unrealized film “The Sleeping Palace” by Paradzhanov. The purpose of the article is to examine the image of the Khan Palace as a cultural artifact of world importance through the prism of architectural ekphrasis. In such an aesthetic paradigm, the listed texts and the image of the Khan Palace itself were not previously considered. In the course of research on the basis of the works of Russian literary critics, such as B.V. Tomashevsky, I.Z. Surat, S.G. Bocharov, M.P. Bilyk, E.V. Yatsenko, E.F. Shafranskaya, G.T. Garipova, identified patterns and principles determining the logic of formation of the artistic appearance of the architectural ensemble in Bakhchisarai, as well as parallels between these processes. In addition, genre models emerging under the influence of the author’s thinking style are established. The results of the research can be used in the development of lectures and seminars, where the attention of students will be focused on the phenomenon of the ethnocultural component in Russian literature. This will allow to more fully reveal the internal regularities of the literary process of the 20th century.

About the authors

Shevket R. Keshfidinov

Moscow City University

Author for correspondence.
Email: keshfidinov-shevket@rambler.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-3293-3393

Postgraduate Student

4, bldg. 1, 2nd Selskokhozyaystvenny pr., Moscow, 129226, Russian Federation

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