On the Problems and Prospects of Transcriptional Textology

The article addresses the theoretical foundations and editorial practices involved in publishing Dostoevsky’s draft manuscripts. In light of the distinctive features of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s creative process, the search for an editorial methodology capable of preserving all semantic layers of his manuscripts becomes especially pressing. The study traces the history of publishing the writer’s notebooks from the early Soviet period onwards. The dilemma between facsimile and transcription-based editions gives rise to a range of challenges situated at the intersection of reception aesthetics and the poetics of polycoded texts. The method of “diplomatic transcription” is shown to safeguard the graphic and semantic integrity of Dostoevsky’s autographs. The advantages and potential of this approach are analyzed within the broader context of the development of the Digital Humanities.

textology, textual criticism, manuscripts, F.M. Dostoevsky, drawings, calligraphy, transcription, facsimile, Digital Humanities