Epic heroes - a look from the West: the initial reception of the Russian epos in German culture

German researchers and readers of Russian epics got acquainted with them in two ways: first, through the cheap lubok prints, which were often produced in Germany, and, secondly, thanks to the publications of epics in German (K.X. von Busse, A. Dietrich, and others.). This led to a special reception of the Russian epic heroes. In the lubok prints, the epic Russian heroes lost their national traits, even their appearance changed. Roughly the same thing happened in Russia; the lack of publications of Russian epic texts led to the fact that the images of the heroes were perceived in the cheap lubok “German” form. Often, Russian epics and epic stories were rated as “rude”. The first publication of epic texts about Russian heroes in German, which attracted noticeable attention of scholars in Germany and Russia, took place in 1819. This is Karl Busse’s book “Prince Vladimir and his Round Table: Old Russian Epic Songs” (Karl Heinrich von Busse. “Furst Wladimir und dessen Tafelrunde: Alt-Russische Heldenlieder”). However, it is hardly possible to call these text a translation of authentic tpic songs: their plot has its source in V.A. Levshin and ballads A.Kh. Vostokov. Busse draws attention to the difference in the value systems of the Russian and Western European epic and makes a conclusion about the pagan nature of the epics and the cultural backwardness of the Russian people. Similar conclusions can be drawn from other German publications of Russian epics (for example, A. Dietrich). Thus, the reception of the Russian epic epos in German culture seems distorted not only by external traits, but also at the very basis - in the value system.