The evolution of the manor image in the early stories of I. A. Bunin

This study is dedicated to the analysis of the image of the noble estate in the early stories of Ivan Bunin ("Tanya," "At the Khutor," "In the Field"), with the aim of identifying trends in the transformation of the theme of the noble estate at the early stages of his creativity and revealing its multifaceted symbolic significance as a socio-cultural sign. The subject of the research is the image of the estate in the early stories of Ivan Bunin. This study reveals a triple philosophical dimension of the image of the estate in Bunin's early works: at the social level, it serves as a metaphor for class differences and contradictions (in the story "Tanya," the estate is contrasted with the starving village); at the existential level, it becomes a space where time freezes and life slips away (the existential reflections of Kapiton Ivanovich in the abandoned estate in the story "At the Khutor"); at the historical level, it symbolizes the inevitable disappearance of noble culture and the noble estate (the destruction of the estate Luchizarovka in the snowstorm in the story "In the Field"). The methodology of the research is based on structural-semantic analysis utilizing semiotic analysis. The emphasis is placed on identifying the symbolic meanings of the image of the estate, its connection to the characterization of the characters, the social context, and the philosophical issues. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the transformation of the estate from a static background into a dynamic "symbol of national memory," reflecting the decay of estate culture and spiritual traditions during the transformations in Russia at the end of the 19th century. The author of the research concludes that in Bunin's early works, the image of the estate is characterized by a preliminary sketchiness and indistinctness of outlines. At the same time, a dynamic development can be traced: the estate gradually transforms into an organic component of the spiritual world of the main character. In the works of Bunin during this period, the image of the estate already demonstrates a tendency toward decline. In the conclusion of the research, it is emphasized that the depiction of the estate in Bunin's early works not only constructs cultural memory in a certain historical context but also lays the groundwork for the theme of the "noble estate" in Bunin's creative path.

Bunin, early short stories, Russian manor estate, manor image, Tanhka, At the Khutor, In the Field, the decline of aristocratic estates, evolution of the estate, symbolism