Siberia as a Local Text in Poetry of Pavel Vasiliev

This article examines the poetic works of Soviet poet Pavel Nikolayevich Vasiliev (1910– 1937) to construct the Siberian text as a semiotic phenomenon in Russian culture. Utilizing the methodology of Yuri M. Lotman, it posits that the local hypertext comprises three subtexts: text as name, text as topos, and text as time. The study reveals that Siberia is personified in the author’s perception as a feminine figure. It demonstrates that the Siberian topos, in the poet's metageographical representation, emerges as an autonomous territory — a country in its own right. Notably, the major geocultural elements of this topos include the great Siberian rivers. The cities are perceived by the poet both concretely (Omsk, Irkutsk, Tyumen) and generically (Siberian Chicagos). The research emphasizes that significant semiotic characteristics of the Siberian text encompass the harsh climate and vastness of the territory. It shows that the transmission of the Siberian text as chronos involves a diachronic connection linking the past with the present, thereby actualizing specific meanings. Vasiliev’s poems depict typical Siberian characters: the merchant-gold miner and the Siberian peasant, embodying common traits of the Siberian character. The authors conclude that the construction of the Siberian text in Vasiliev’s poetry represents a significant contribution to the representation of Siberian text as a vital phenomenon in Russian culture.

Siberia, local text, Pavel Vasiliev, metageographical representation, topos, chronos