The concepts of “writer” and “reader” in the Russian-German writer Andreas Saks’ reviews of the works of novice authors

Ethnic German Russian writer Andreas Saks (1903 - 1983) played a big role in the establishment and development of the Union of Soviet writers of the Volga German Autonomous Republic in the 1930th and the Writers’ organization of the city of Astrakhan in the 1960th. One of the main directions of his literary activities was reviewing the works of novice authors and providing literary consultations for the latter. His help in encouraging the new authors’ literary talent and in publishing their works made a unique contribution to the quantitative and qualitative growth of local organizations of the USSR Union of Writers. Andreas Saks’ reviews manifest his literary talent, pedagogical education and large experience in literary consultancy. Each of his reviews is, in fact, a literary masterclass. The article focuses on the linguo-cultural research of his unpublished reviews written in the 1960th which are now kept at the State archives of the Astrakhan region. The main attention is paid to the linguo-cultural concepts of “writer” and “reader” which are commonly referred to in Andreas Saks’ reviews. These concepts bring out his views on a writer’s role in society, the significance of literary activities for the development of culture, the writer’s responsibility to his reader, and the specificities of the Soviet readership.