Pakhomov, S. (2025) “This is very Interesting“: Reception and Interpretation of Indian Culture in the Works of Maximilian Voloshin – МЕЖДУНАРОДНЫЙ ЖУРНАЛ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЙ КУЛЬТУРЫ

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Sergey V. PAKHOMOV
Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia
26, Malaya Posadskaya ul, Saint Petersburg, 197046 Russian Federation
Associate Professor, Department of Philosophical Anthropology and History of Philosophy
PhD (in Philosophy)
e-mail: sarpa68@mail.ru
ORCID: 0000-0001-5263-2526

Pakhomov, S. (2025) “This is very Interesting“: Reception and Interpretation of Indian Culture in the Works of Maximilian Voloshin

Abstract: The purpose of this article is the reception and interpretation by the poet Maximilian Voloshin of images, ideas, mythologies, and plots of Indian spiritual culture. This field is not yet sufficiently developed in science. Voloshin’s reception of India changed during his life, it was not uniform. Several times Voloshin intended to travel to the East, including India, but these plans were not destined to come true. Instead of India, he found himself in the West, in Paris, where he immersed himself in the study of various teachings, including those associated with India (for example, Buddhism). Three factors influenced the reception of India, which Voloshin had been interested in since his early youth: the attractive image of a “righteous country” dating back to ancient Russian literature; the romantic opposition of “wonderful India” to the “soulless East”; and finally, the theosophical-anthroposophical interpretation of India as a center of esoteric wisdom, a country where “the initiates” live. The article examines the special influence of theosophy and anthroposophy of R. Steiner on Voloshin’s worldview. The article also analyzes in detail Voloshin’s interpretation of such Indian concepts as “dharma”, “karma”, “reincarnation”. A special place is given to the “Bhagavad Gita” as the book that, of all Indian literature, had the greatest influence on the poet. Although in general India was not in the focus of M. Voloshin’s interests throughout his life, it nevertheless played an important role in the period of his formation as a poet and spiritual seeker at the early stage of his creative career. Voloshin uses Indian notions, images, parables, legends to understand his own life, reflect on the destinies of Russia and the whole world, tries to find something native in the Indian tradition, creatively transforming Indian themes.

Key words: Voloshin, East, West, Russia, India, culture, theosophy, anthroposophy, philosophy, Blavatsky, Steiner, Buddhism, karma, dharma, Bhagavad Gita.

References:

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For Citation:

Pakhomov, S. (2025) “This is very Interesting“: Reception and Interpretation of Indian Culture in the Works of Maximilian Voloshin. International Journal of Cultural Research, 1 (58). 112–131. DOI: 10.52173/2079-1100_2025_1_112

DOI: 10.52173/2079-1100_2025_1_112