The beginning of the 20th century is used to be called the ''Silver Age'' in Russia. This definition was introduced by the philosopher Nikolai Berdiayev to the historical cultural system for to divide his contemporary art from the previous Golden Age in art referring to the 19th century. However, there exists the other point of view. I came across with it at the lecture of Nikita Struve, grandson of the great Peter Struve, who considered the 20th century’s beginning to have been the apex of the Russian culture, incredible and inconceivable flight.
Although both points of view are well stipulated I accept the second attitude to the Silver Age. N. Berdiayev lived that time. Its worth to watch any phenomenon from the distance for to estimate its significance for the future. N. Struve managed to do it.
Actually, Russia did never witness such an ample, fertile, mighty spiritual flourishment. None of the countries did ever give birth to such a great number of geniuses simultaneousl y as Russia in the second half of the 19th century. The Silver Age occurred to be the true Golden Age, the kind of the Russian Renaissance. This light streaming from the long extinguished stars shall reach for a long time everyone staying inside the Russian human paradigm, making any man return again and again to these clear white and black photos, cadres of the old news-reel, memoirs of the dead people buried at the Sainte-Genevi? ve-des-Bois, and, of course, to the poetry itself.
The poets, whose verses were used for these vocal miniatures, represent both Russian capitals. The Moscovites Marina Tsvetayeva and Boris Pasternak, Petersburgians Fyodor Sologub and Georgiy Ivanov. Vladislav Hodasevich originated from Moscow, though the longer part of his pre-emigration life he resided in Petersburg - Petrograd.
The brief introduction is not able to accomodate descriptions of every author’s styles, however, I’d like to say a few words about Georgiy Ivanov, who is undeservedly forg