Turgenev and modern Russian literature

The article reveals the connections of contemporary Russian literature (the late 20th - early 21st century) and the mythologized concept "Turgenev", which carries a semantic load of creativity and biography of the classic, raises questions of the influence of the classic's image and his works on work of postmodern writers. An attempt has been made to study the manifestation forms and the meaningfulness of this myth in the texts analyzed. Works non-uniform in genre, style, degree of artistry, ethical and aesthetic views of contemporary authors are considered: works by A. Korolyov, L. Petrushevskaya, M. Galina, S. Dovlatov, V. Pietsukha, M. Gigolashvili, A. Bilzho. Interest in the "Turgenev" myth lies, on the one hand, in the generally recognized authority of I. S. Turgenev in the history of Russian literature, his indisputable greatness (which is seen by modern authors as undeserved), on the other - in the contradictory personality of the classic, and also in the non-standard life of the writer "on the edge of another's nest". Korolyov, Petrushevskaya and Galina, who introduce Turgenev as a character in their work, see powerlessness, fear of life and the lack of will in the classic. However, this accentuation of Ivan Turgenev's inability for a normal, from their point of view, existence, for freedom of choice opens up deeper layers of the text: Korolyov comes to the philosophical theme of choosing between good or evil; through the image of the writer in the bank Petrushevskaya shows her vision of the place of the classic today, and Galina in the style of horror presents Turgenev as a mystically gifted person, who is on the verge of madness caused by emotional tension. Views of Dovlatov, Gigolashvilli and Pitsukha allow one to "reduce the bar" and to discern the legacy of the classic without unnecessary piety, detailing all the pros and cons. The text by Bilzho allows one to turn to canonical for understanding the modern without tension, with humor.