Literary relations between S.M. Gorodetsky and N.S. Gumilev in the aspect of acmeism formation (based on the material of magazine and newspaper journalism of 1908-1910)

The article examines the formation of literary relations between S.M. Gorodetsky and N.S. Gumilev in the symbolist period of their activity. According to the author of the article, the study of early magazine and newspaper journalism of the two poets is an important source for determining the reasons for the foundation of the “Guild of Poets” and Acmeism as a literary union that surprised many contemporaries. The material of critical articles and correspondence of the two poets demonstrates that they closely followed each other’s work, and also sought to strengthen mutual literary ties. Gorodetsky responded with a review of Gumilev’s book of poems “Romantic flowers” (1908), and invited its author to participate in the almanac “Circle of the Young People”. In turn, Gumilev not only accepted the offer of his colleague, but also intended to maintain cooperation with him, publishing a literary magazine “The Island”. Criticizing Gumilev for his apprenticeship with V Bryusov, Gorodetsky still finds positive aspects in his poetry, noting the accuracy and physiology of his images. So does Gumilev, who reproaches his opponent for neglecting the artistic form, but emphasizes the life-affirming power of his poetry and attention to earthly reality. Despite Gorodetsky’s critical attitude to the aesthetic platform of the literary magazine “Apollo”, the strengthening of formalism, which was opposed by the poet-mythmaker, was perceived by him as a necessary stage on the way to a new art. This allows us to conclude that the leaders of Acmeism consciously sought to synthesize in the new poetic movement the opposite features of their own creativity, developing the ideas formulated by Gorodetsky in 1909.