Konstantin Leontiev and Russian literature of the middle of the 19th century: two historical-literary plots

The writer, thinker and publicist Konstantin Leontiev (1831-1891) is also well known as a literary critic, who introduced, in particular, the concept of “device”. His critical articles have been studied in sufficient detail, but this usually does not take into account literary opinions scattered throughout his journalistic articles, letters, and even works of art. The article deals with plots that previously did not attract the attention of researchers and are related to Leontiev’s perception of Russian literature of his time. The work consists of two parts, for each of which the problem of the writer’s image is central, whether they are radical critics or adherents of “pure art”. The author shows how Leontiev’s attitude towards his contemporaries changed over time and how this was reflected in his own work.