STALIN’S CHAPTERS AND NARRATIVE SIGNIFICANCE IN SOLZHENITSYN’S “THE FIRST CIRCLE”

Attention in this essay has been paid to the significance of Stalin’s representation in Solzhenitsyn’s “The First Circle” (1955-1968, chapters 19-23). The article brings together author’s words and leader’s and character’s voices, explores a number of themes centered on Stalin’s apperception his own personality and historical process. This essay investigates the main place of Stalin’s chapters in the novel structure and the composition of the chapters about Stalin. Historical problematics is the main point in characters’ disputes. The essay achieves “polyphony” in various narrative forms from dramatic episodes with inner dialogues to the situation “alone on the stage”. That shows paradox of leader’s inherent life and historical time and place.

Solzhenitsyn, Stalin, polyphony, literary composition and reception, artistical historical conception