Apophaticism of pain in S.A. Yesenin's poem “Black man” (liminal states in Russian culture)

The object of the article is apophaticism as a phenomenon of artistic culture. The subject is apophaticism of the phenomenon of pain, which is perceived from metaphysical positions in the Russian philosophical thought. The material for the article is represented by S.A. Yesenin’s poem “Black Man” and his early poems. The ethos of life and death in the poet’s art is subject to hermeneutic reconstruction. Much attention is given to the Russian folklore tradition in the poet’s works, which is expressed both explicitly and implicitly. One can find liminal, i.e. borderline states in the Russian folklore, in folkloric accounts, in fairy tales in which the hero stays. These states are associated with temporal death and going through the initiation path. The research methodology represents a holistic ontohermeneutical analysis aimed at highlighting the folklore paradigm in S.A. Yesenin’s poetic style. Much attention is paid to the oneiric space in his figurative system, as well as to the phenomenon of “black” colour which is ambivalent in the world culture. The research results lie in revealing the cultural potential of the poem “Black Man” for further study of the apophatic aspect of the phenomenon of pain as well as apophaticism as a specific feature of the Russian culture associated with the phenomenon of pain and death. The results can also be used in courses on Russian literature, culturology and philosophy.