SAINTS, MYSTICS AND VILLAINS OF PETERSBURG

All the late works of Vassily Vassilievich Rozanov: "Family issue in Russia", "Dark face. Metaphysics of Christianity", "Solitary", "Fallen leaves", "Apocalypse of our times" are associated with the issues of family and sex and represent separated sketches, small meditations, diary records, the internal dialogues united by mood.

There is an opinion that at this time the philosopher was endured by the deep spiritual crisis which was not finding the permissions in unconditional acceptance of Christian doctrines to which Rozanov vainly aspires.

It is possible to consider as result of Rozanov thought was pessimism and "existential" panegoism (in the spirit of S.Kierkegaard. Different, however, in the point of a cult of the individuality expressing in elements of a sex).

Subject to this pessimism, Rozanov accepted by inevitability of revolutionary accident in sketches "the Apocalypse of our time" (1917) with despair and hopelessness, counting it as a tragical end of the Russian history.

According to a well-known Rozanov critic, "Rozanov has been overflowed by himself".

In "Lonely" Rozanov formulates also the relation to religion. It reminds the relation to Christianity of Konstantine Leontev, namely the relation to the Christ as to personal God.

Till 1911 nobody would dare to name him writer. At the best - journalist. But after publication of "Lonely", his recognised as the genius creator and the real Petersburg mystic.

Source: Vassily Rozanov