Vera Muromtseva-Bunina’s diaries: problems of source studies and textual studies

The article is the first to examine the diaries of Vera Muromtseva-Bunina in their integrity. All surviving autographs of the diaries, as well as their typewritten variants, are described. The year of the beginning of systematic diary keeping by Vera Muromtseva, 1911, is established according to the references in the emigrant records. Vera Muromtseva left almost all of her pre-revolutionary diaries in Moscow with her relatives when she left with Ivan Bunin for Odessa in the summer of 1918, taking only some records for 1905 and 1914-1915. The peculiarities of Vera Muromtseva-Bunina’s diaries in terms of form and content have been studied. Autographs and typewritten versions of the diaries, which do not always coincide with the autographs, have been preserved. It is likely that Vera Muromtseva prepared typewritten texts for publication in emigrant periodicals or as a separate edition. She prepared typescripts for 1918-1922, 1924-1927, 1931-1933. However, this plan was not fulfilled, and the typewritten text was not finalised. The article defines the time and traces the course of work on the typescripts. Special attention is paid to the typewritten texts of the diary for 1919, as it has variants. It is noted that Ivan Bunin was familiar with the diaries of Vera Muromtseva and appreciated them. It is established that Ivan Bunin read his wife’s diaries while working on “The Cursed Days”. The present preparatory work is aimed at achieving the main goal - to prepare a scientific edition of the full text of the diaries of Vera Muromtseva-Bunina with all variants and scientific apparatus.