Literatures of the Permians: formation, specificities, imagery

The review analyses the monograph «Permic Literatures in the Context of Finno-Ugric Culture and Russian Literature» (Ekaterinburg - Izhevsk - Syktyvkar, 2014; ed. by T. A. Snigireva, E. K. Sozina). Its authors study works created by Komi and Udmurt writers within the period from the late 8th till the middle of the 20th century. The monograph appears to be a systemic research into the formation and specificities of development of the Komi-Zyrians, Komi-Permyaks and Udmurts' artistic tradition. The work describes the historical process of interaction of Finno-Ugric literatures. Furthermore, it explains the mechanisms of trans­formation of a people's oral poetry into the national written fiction. Working with prosaic texts, poetry and documentation, the authors analyse the way Finno-Ugric classical literature writers understood the relation­ship between art and society, their aesthetic programmes and views on the role of an artist in society. The work also thoroughly traces the national assimilation of the Russian literature experience. The monograph can be regarded as a valuable guide for practical studies of history of national literatures. It can be used by philological faculty students for their courses on literary studies.