Yuriy Sidorov and Andrei Bely

The article studies literary and personal relations between Yuriy Sidorov (1887-1909) and Andrei Bely (1880-1934). The article studies borrowing of Bely's artistic features and motives are highlighted in Sidorov's work (mainly in the drafts of his unwritten novel “Povestvovanie Sfinksa” [“The story of the Sphinx”] and in his poetry as well). An attempt is made to explain Bely's interest in Sidorov (an interest of a prominent author towards a beginner). According to the author, Bely's vision of the potential synthesis of literature and life, a writer and a man in young poet's work could be a motivation. The paper uses archival materials, poems, prose and memoires of contemporaries.