The influence of the imagery system of game works of the 19th century on Russian literature of the 20th century

The subject of the research is the imagery system of Russian "gaming" literature of the 19th century, which includes key elements such as the images of the player, cards, the opponent, women, fate, and death, as well as its influence on the poetics and imagery system in the works of Russian literature of the 20th century. The object of the study includes the works of A.S. Pushkin, M.Yu. Lermontov, N.V. Gogol, V.F. Odoevsky, F.M. Dostoevsky, L.N. Andreev, and their reception in the works of M.A. Bulgakov, V.V. Nabokov, and V.T. Shalamov. The author examines aspects of the topic such as the evolution of gambling and cheating motifs, the extrapolation of gaming space onto reality, and the role of the female image as a functional element of the plot. Special attention is paid to the transformation of archetypal models of games and their philosophical-psychological functions in the literature of two centuries. The methodological basis of the work consists of comparative-historical and intertextual methods, as well as a structural-typological approach to analyze stable elements of the imagery system. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the comprehensive analysis of the evolution of the imagery structure of Russian "gaming" literature as a continuous traditional complex. For the first time, it explores not only direct influences but also the mechanisms of transformation of key images and motifs—from their formation in the classics of the 19th century to their reinterpretation in the works of the 20th century. An important aspect of this novelty is the inclusion of Varlaam Shalamov's work in this context, whose "Kolyma Tales" have not previously been examined in succession with the gaming tradition of the 19th century. Specific intertextual connections are detailed, such as the comparison of Lermontov's "The Tambov Treasurer" and Bulgakov's "The Run," as well as the application of R. Caillois’s theory (Alea/Agon) to the analysis of the texts by Shalamov and Nabokov. As a result, it is concluded that despite significant evolution, the imagery system of gaming works of the 19th century had a profound and multifaceted influence on Russian literature of the 20th century, contributing to the understanding of the mechanisms of literary succession.

figurative system, game literature, motive of the game, Russian literature, gambling, intertextuality, gambler image, poetics, comparative literature, literary tradition