Canonization of the autobiographical myth of Vyacheslav Ivanov in the works of S. S. Averintsev

The autobiographical myth created by the poet and symbolist theorist Vyacheslav Ivanov has a complex structure. Its core is formed by the purposeful efforts of the writer. The second layer arose thanks to the “family” biographer Olga Shor (Dechart). Its visible embodiment was the four-volume collected works of Ivanov, published in Bruxelles. The third layer was created by the famous philologist S. S. Averintsev, who for three decades published scientific works dedicated to the poet. They are distinguished by an apologetic style and complete acceptance of the image of Ivanov, created by himself. Thanks to this approach, Averintsev accomplished the canonization of the poet’s autobiographical myth. The autobiographical myth lost the touch of subjectivity and largely coincided with the main line of interpretation of the writer’s work in philological science. It is not surprising that among the numerous scientific publications about Ivanov, there are practically no works devoted to the autobiographical myth. This publication takes the first step towards understanding this problem and clarifies the concept of the “symbolist canon”.