The image of a book in the artistic prose by V. A. Nikiforov-Volgin

The article examines the semantics of the image of a book in the short stories of V. A. Nikiforov-Volgin and his short novel “The Road Staff.” The author, as the bearer of the Orthodox worldview, relies on the tradition of ancient Russian literature, whose ideological foundation was the Holy Scripture. The book appears in the works of the writer precisely as a sacred image: the Bible or its part - the Gospel - a collection of liturgical texts, a patristic creation. Readings from these books are included in the context of episodes related to the divine service or the pious home life of the characters of V. A. Nikiforov-Volgin. The book also acts as a source of comprehension of the beauty of the Church Slavonic word. In addition, in the artistic consciousness of the prose writer, the image of a book is embodied in a metaphorical way (the short story “Love is the Book of God”) as a sign of the character’s introduction to the spiritual world, his inner transformation. In the short story “The Ancient Book,” the spiritual history of both an individual family and an entire country is transmitted through notes left in the Bible: from former piety to neglect and blasphemy (in Soviet times). In the rosary texts of V. A. Nikiforov-Volgin, who describe the life already in post-revolutionary Russia, there is hope for its coming spiritual revival, which is associated, in particular, with the image of the Gospel. It and other items required for the performance of divine services and Sacraments are carried by priests traveling along Russian roads. The Gospel word in the short story “The Sun is playing” turns an atheist into a believing Christian in the process of reading the sacred text. In the works of V. A. Nikiforov-Volgin a book is one of the ways to God, giving comfort to the heart.