N. S. Leskov's «Trifles from the life of archbishops» in the context of English literature about clerical life (George Eliot and Anthony Trollope)

The paper attempts to prove that while creating his works about clergymen's life N. S. Leskov leans on the traditions of contemporary English literature, specifically, George Eliot's and Antony Trollope's «cler-ical» series. In his «Trifles from the Life of Archbishops», Leskov combines the satirical-psychological tradi­tion of Trollope's «The Chronicles of Barsetshire» with the psychological-dramatic tradition of George Eli­ot's «Scenes of Clerical Life». Using poetic tools and devices typical of English authors, Leskov provides the non-ritual, trivial representation of his characters, skillfully combining subtle satire with deep sympathy for clergymen and genuinely dramatic description of their private life and social status. Revealing the most un­sightly aspects of «clerical life», Leskov aims to help priests regain esteem and understanding from their congregations, establish an open dialogue between the clergy and society.