“The end of another period in life”: the first days of World War II in V. N. Muromtseva-Bunina’s 1939 diary

The diaries of V.N. Muromtseva Bunina can be regarded as a kind of “chronicle” of Russian émigré life reflecting various narrative techniques, including shifts in perspective and the depiction of events from multiple viewpoints. In the diaries, major global events are often conveyed through the lens of others’ words and testimonies: letters, conversations, rumors, etc. This is particularly evident in the description of the outbreak of World War II, where the global crisis is presented through the opinions and stories of others. The war becomes reconstructed through these interpretations, and the process of exchanging them takes on special significance. The beginning of the war in the diaries is intertwined with the author’s personal crisis, associated with the move from Belvedère. While the move is experienced directly the war is perceived indirectly, through dialogues, rumors, and correspondence. Thus, the events of the war’s outbreak are presented using several narrative strategies. First, there is the documentary recording of facts, focusing on specific details. Second, there are existential reflections, often conveyed in a style resembling free indirect speech. Third, the incorporation of others’ testimonies creates a polyphonic representation of the events. These strategies are clearly evident in the entries from September 1939, where the first and third often compete for dominance. As a result, the start of the war is depicted as both a real and imagined event, constructed in the author’s mind through others’ retellings and speculations. This collective imagining of the war has significant cultural consequences, including the dissolution of émigré circles in Paris.