Literary topics of diary entries by V.N. Muromtseva-Bunina

The article examines previously unknown diary entries of V.N. Muromtseva-Bunina, stored in the Russian Archives in Leeds (Great Britain) and covering the period of the Bunins’ life during the Second World War in the south of France, in Grasse. The features of the implementation of the literary theme of V.N.’s diary entries are analyzed. Muromtseva-Bunina 1939-1945, which give an idea of her reading range and today remain unexplored within the framework of her creative heritage. Near-literary records are combined into several groups: records about her reading impressions (reading religious literature and works of foreign writers in German, English and French, in particular, Mariel Buchanan, Andrft Gide, François Mauriac, John Locke), records about the actual writing activity, about copying on a typewriter the works of I.A. Bunin and other authors, as well as about translation studies. The analysis allows us to conclude that in 1939-1945. Vera Nikolaevna appears in the role of not only the wife and life partner of I.A. Bunin, but also an assistant in his creative activities, participating in organizing literary meetings and rewriting the texts of his works, as well as other emigrant authors. In 1939-1945. Vera Nikolaevna wrote parts of the autobiographical series of essays “Conversations with Memory”, read religious texts, literary works in the original, writing down reviews on them. All this makes it possible to talk about Vera Nikolaevna Muromtseva-Bunina as an extraordinary person who made her contribution to the culture of Russian Abroad.[