Byronic character's image in Russian Romanic stories in early thirties of XIX century

Acceptance of Byron’s works by the Russian society started after 1815. Conventionally, three stages of the English poet perception by the Russian society can be determined: the initial stage of Byron’s emersion in Russian literature (1815-1820), “imitative” period (1820s), a period of critical understanding (1830-50s). The Byronic hero has several characteristic features. He is independent, individualistic, selfish, disillusioned, lonely, wandering, rebellious, mysterious, restless, proud, gloomy, thoughtful, fearsome, suffering, and passionate. Such type of a character was frequently depicted in the Russian romantic prose. The hero of E. P. Rostopchin’s story “Duel” (1839) has seven features inherent to the character of “oriental poems”. The hero of the story, Valevich, is a lonely, rebellious, mysterious, restless, gloomy, thoughtful, and suffering person. Contemporaries of the writer not only admired Byron’s works but also accused him of creating identical characters. The writers ridiculed Byronic figures who were dressed in “Harold cloak” with the purpose to excite interest in fine ladies. Such a character is a subject of the author’s irony in V. F. Odoevskiy’s story “Black Glove” (1838). Byronic and “pseudo-Byronic” heroes can be easily identified in Russian romantic prose oriented on the works of the English poet.