From Reading to Creativity: The Concept ‘Library’ in Valery Mikhailov’s Essay-Novels about Russian Poets

V. Mikhailov is known in the global literary space as a poet, prose writer, and laureate of many international literary awards. His essay-novels Lermontov, Boratynsky, and Zabolotsky gained wide recognition and received positive reviews from critics in Russia, Germany, and Kazakhstan. The aim of this study is to reveal how, in texts of the biographical genre, the author traces the evolution of the protagonists’ interest from reading to mastering the craft of writing. In the process of the protagonists’ personal and literary development, home libraries play a significant role. The home library, as a concept of knowledge, was an essential companion during the childhood of N. Zabolotsky and V. Khlebnikov - the idol of the 20th century Russian poet. A love for the spoken word, legends, and fairy tales grew into a love for books. A man of deep thought and feeling, N. Zabolotsky understood his high calling but referred to it with a simple word - profession. Alongside reading, the natural world awakened in the future poet a thirst for knowledge, and its imagery is reflected in many of his poems. While imitating V. Mayakovsky, A. Blok, and S. Yesenin, the widely-read N. Zabolotsky was more profoundly influenced by V. Khlebnikov. The novelty of this article lies also in its exploration of the influence of Russian Symbolists on the creative work of N. Zabolotsky.