“Kuratov encyclopedia”: unrealized intent of A.E. Vaneev (1933-2001)

The appearance of personal literary encyclopedias is a certain stage in the devel- opment of literary encyclopaedias, based on the long-term study of the biogra- phy and creative heritage of a particular poet or writer. In domestic practice, the first such experience was the creation of “Lermontov encyclopedia” (1981). In the 1990s among literary critics and public figures of the Komi Republic the idea of creating “Kuratov encyclopedia” devoted to the founder of Komi litera- ture Ivan Alekseevich Kuratov (1839 - 1875) was discussed. Among the initia- tors of this idea was the People's poet of the Republic of Komi Albert Egorovich Vaneev (1933 - 2001), leading researcher of the Komi Science Centre, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, a well-known researcher of Kuratov’s creativity, the author of works "Creative laboratory of I.A. Kuratov", "The problem of content and form in the aesthetics of I.A. Kuratov", "Kuratov and modern Komi poetry", "To the characteristics of the philosophical views of I.A. Kuratov", "Kuratov's realism in relation to the concept of realism in the aes- thetics of the Russian Revolutionary Democrats", "In search of truth. World outlook and aesthetic views of I.A. Kuratov". The experience of A.E. Vaneev as a member of the main Editiorial Board of the encyclopedia "The Republic of Komi" was added to this. The idea of creating “Kuratov encyclopedia” emerged in the process of working on the Republican encyclopedia. The work on the con- cept and thematic vocabulary of the encyclopedia was completed by A.E. Vaneev in the mid-1990s. The encyclopedia was conceived by A.E. Vaneev as a detailed collection of information about life and work of I.A. Kuratov, his everyday, official and literary environment, his place in the national, Russian and world culture. The structure of the encyclopedia was developed and substantiated, dif- ficulties on the way to its creation and specific topics requiring additional study of Kuratov’s creativity were identified. A.E. Vaneev’s applications of the second half of the 1990s to the Ministry of Nationalities Affairs of the Komi Republic on the preparation of the publications of “Kuratov encyclopedia” re- ceived no support. With A.E. Vaneev's death in 2001 his research plans were also cut short. Materials on the preparation of encyclopedia as part of the Va- neev family archive are now in the funds of the Scientific Archive of the Komi Science Centre, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, they served as a source for writing this article. The publication of the vocabulary according toA.E. Vaneev’s idea could be the first step in creating the future “Kuratov encyc- lopedia”.