Time as the “Fourth Dimension of Space” in the Story by P.D. Uspensky “The Strange Life of Ivan Osokin”

The article discusses for the fi rst time the artistic work of P.D. Uspensky, in particular his story “The Strange Life of Ivan Osokina”, in the context of the author’s philosophical searches. Uspensky focuses on understanding time as the fourth dimension of space, while searches in this direction, on the one hand, are conditioned by mystical, esoteric ideas, on the other hand, are confi rmed by the theories of mathematicians, in particular Hinton. The story is considered in the context of theses from Uspensky’s books “Tertium Organum (The Key to the Riddles of the World)” and “A New Model of the Universe”, as well as Uspensky’s biography, especially his experience of communicating with G.I. Gurdjieff . The creative history of the work is briefl y given, refl ecting the evolution of Uspensky’s searches. A special role is played by the ending, which he wrote at the end of his life and changed the concept of the story. The poetics of time as space is connected, fi rstly, with the cinematic/ mechanical nature of the hero’s life, and secondly, with the interpretation of the myth of eternal return, the consequence of which is the simultaneous existence of the past, present and future. It is concluded that “The Strange Life of Ivan Osokin” largely corresponds to the principles of magical prose: the image of a wizard, the motif of the miraculous, movement in time and space, the perception of the extraordinary as natural. Behind the magical plot is hidden a deep philosophical concept of Uspensky, who contrasts coexistence and repetition: if the first is revealed to the hero only in the finale, then the second draws him into a bad infinity.