ACADEMIC JOURNAL
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ISSN 2542-1077 (Print) ISSN 1994-5973 (Online) |
Literary studies |
Guryeva A. A. | Saint Petersburg State University |
Keywords: Peter the Great in Korea Russia and Korea Korean literature Korean literary tradition Korean journals Sonyeon (Youth) magazine Choe Nams |
Summary: The paper analyzes some specific features of the first Korean publications about Peter the Great in the
early XX century relating to the Korean literary tradition, as well as traces the reason for addressing the tradition. These
publications are a part of the enlightenment movement aiming at introducing the Koreans to the achievements of the
West in order to take Korea to a new level, with Peter the Great being a model of such approach. The selection of the
biographical genre for the majority of the publications can be explained by the fact that this genre suggests the model
of behavior resulting in some immaterial reward and general harmony. The prose genre derived from the classical
biography was widespread in the XVIII and the XIX centuries, thus the biographical genre was also associated with
popularity. This fact was used by the enlightenment movement representatives, who published biographies in numbers
to lift the national spirit and preserve the tradition. Some specific features can also be found on the level of contents.
The description of wild morals in Russia before Peter the Great emphasizes the traits of the Tsar as the builder of the
nation. Categorically, it coincides with the main subjects of the Korean myths about the founders of the state. These and
other features lead to the conclusion about the relation between the traditional specifics of Peter the Great’s representation
and the main directions of the activities carried out within the enlightenment movement. The publications were to
prepare the readers for the certain perception of a given text and at the same time reflected the specific understanding of Peter the Great’s role by the authors of his first biographies. |
Displays: 461; |