Nikolaj Chernyshevsky’s political writings as appraised by A. Lunacharsky

Abstract

The article focuses on analysis of series of articles by Anatoly Lunacharsky about Nikolaj Chernyshevsky. In these articles Lunacharsky tries to i enhance literary status of the author of the novel “What isto be done?” and to prove that Chernyshevsky is a good novelist. The conclusion is made that this attempt ended with two-fold result: on the one hand, in series of articles Lunacharsky states that Chernyshevsky is one of the best writers. But on the other hand this statement is always accompanied by some doubtful reservations. As a result the meaning of articles could lead audience to the conclusion about Chernyshevsky that was already present during pre-Soviet times: that the author of“What is to be done?” is primarily a propagandist, and the writer only in the second place.