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Amherst Center for Russian Culture Zinaida Gippius and Dmitrij Amherst Center for Russian Culture Zinaida Gippius and Dmitrij Merezhkovsky Papers 1903-1957 Bulk dates: 1906-1934 Accession Number: CRC91-0002 Quantity: 5.5 linear feet Containers: 3 Records Storage Boxes 5 Archival Boxes Processed: 1993 April-Ju ly By: Tanya Chebotarev, Center for Russian Culture Associate Daria D'Arienzo, Archivist of t he College Finding Aid: Date: 1993 July-August Prepared by: Tanya Chebotarev, Center for Russian Culture Associate Edited by: Daria D'Arienzo, Archivist of t he College Access: In general, there is no restriction on access to Zinaida Gippius and Dmitrij Merezhkovsky Papers for research use. Selected items may be restricted to protec t the pri vacy right s of indi viduals or for ot her legal reasons. Fragil e items may be restricted for preservation reasons. Photocopying: No photocopying is permitted. Copyright: It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of copyrights. Requests for permission to publish material from the papers should be directed to the Director of Amherst Center for Russian Culture. Funding: The processing of Zinaida Gippius and Dmitrij Merezhkovsky Papers was supported by a grant from the Social Science Research Council and the American Council for Learned Societies as part of their "Program to Alleviate Backlog in Soviet and East European Collections in the United States." © Amherst Center for Russian Culture 1993 August Page 1 Zinaida Gippius and Dmitrij Merezhkovsky Papers Description of the Papers Scope and Content Note The papers document the life and activities of Russian symbolist poet Zinaida Gippius (1869-1945); her husband, Russian philosopher and writer, Dmitrij Merezhkovsky (1865-1941); and their longtime secretaries, editors and writers, Dmitrij Filosofov (1872-1940) and Vladimir Zlobin (1894-1967). Zinaida Gippius was a prolific poet, fiction writer, playwright, essayist, memoirist, and critic. Gippius wrote many critical essays on literature, religion, and political issues. They were published in leading Moscow and St. Petersburg literary journals and newspapers under various pse udo nyms inc lud ing A nto n Krajn y and Rom an Arensky. Merezhkovsky's literary work included poetry, novels, dramas, critical essays, and translations from several languages including Greek. His significance was primarily cultural. He was a popularizer of French symbolism in the 1890s; formulator and chief proselytizer of the "new religious consciousness" after 1900; and a prophet of a religious revolution after 1905. Gippius and Merezhkovsky fled Russia in December 1919. They lived in Poland until October 1920 and then moved to Paris. These papers cover the period of Gippius' and Merezhkovsky's lingering departure from Russia in 1906-1907 and their years in emigration in Paris (1920-1945). The largest series in the papers is Series 1: Zinaida Gippius Papers which is further divided into three subseries: Correspondence-Incoming, Correspondence-Outgoing and Manuscripts. This correspondence is the most significant subseries of the papers. These subseries contain Gippius' correspondence with leading Russian and foreign intellectuals, such as G. Adamovich, K. Balmont, A. Bely, N. Berberova, A. Blok, I. Bunin, G. Ivanov, A. Remizov, V. Rozanov, M. Shaginian, F. Sologub, B. Zajtsev and others. The subseries Manuscripts includes published and unpublished poems by Gippius, the manuscript of "Dante in Hell", the transcript of a conversation with P. Suvchinsky, a draft of the article "Le Possede" in French, and several versions of Gipp ius' and Merezhkovsky's motion picture play "Boris Godunov". Series 2: Dmitrij Merezhkovsky Papers is subdivided into two subseries: Correspondence and Manuscripts. The Papers contain more than 200 items, mostly handwritten, from such Russian philosophers, writers and artists as N. Bakhtin, K. Balmont, A. Bely, A. Blok, V. Briusov, I. Bunin, I. Fondaminsky, G. Ivanov, E. Liatsky, S. Prokofjev, L. Shestov, P. Struve, F. Sologub, B. Zajtsev. The subseries Manuscripts includes several versions of © Amherst Center for Russian Culture 1993 August Page 2 Zinaida Gippius and Dmitrij Merezhkovsky Papers Merezhkovsky's and Gippius' motion picture play "Boris Godunov", two drafts of his untitled thesis, and poems. The papers also include correspondence, documents and manuscripts of Russian emigres belon ging to the Merezh kovsk ys' circle, su ch as G. Adamovich , K. Balmon t, N. B erberova, I. Fondaminsky, G. Ivanov, A. Kartashev, M. Markovich, P. Solovjeva. © Amherst Center for Russian Culture 1993 August Page 3 Zinaida Gippius and Dmitrij Merezhkovsky Papers Series Description The collection is organized as follows: 1. Zinaida Gippius Papers , 1906-1945 2. Dmitrij Merezhkovsky Papers , 1906-1941 3. Dmitrij Filosofov Correspondence , 1903-1920 4. Vladimir Zlobin Correspondence , 1922-1946 5. Other Russian Emigres Materials , 1921-1957 6. Photographs Series 1, Zinaida Gippius Papers , 1906-1945, 3 linear feet, is the largest series of the papers. It is further divided into three subseries: Correspon dence-Incomin g, Correspondence- Outgoing, and Manuscripts. Subseries 1, Correspondence-Incoming, 1906-1945, 2.5 linear feet, contains Gippius' incoming correspondence with leading Russian and foreign intellectuals. This subseries is organized alphabetically by correspondent and each folder is arranged in chronological order. Most unidentified correspondence has been placed in the beginning of the subseries. The correspondence, which has been identified by first name only, is found in the alphabetical sequence under that first name. Subseries 2, Correspondence-Outgoing, 1906-194 3, 0.25 linear feet, co ntains Gip pius's outgoing correspondence with Russian intellectuals. This subseries is organized alphabetically by correspondent and each folder is arranged in chronological order. Unidentified correspondence has been placed in the beginning of the subseries. Subseries 3, Manuscripts, [1906-1928], 0.25 linear feet, includes drafts of manuscripts for Gippius' published and unpublished poems, the handwritten manuscript of "Dante in Hell", the transcript of a conversation with P. Suvchinsky, a draft of the article "Le Possede" in French, and copies of several versions of "Boris Godunov", the motion picture play written by Gippius and Merezhkovsky. This subseries is arranged alphabetically by title and type. Series 2, Dmitrij Merezhkovsky Papers , 1906-1941, 1.00 linear foot, is organized into two subseries: Correspondence, and Manuscripts. Subseries 1, Correspondence, 1906-1941, 0.75 linear feet, is divided into incoming and outgoing correspondence. This subseries is organized alphabetically by correspondent. Material in each folder is arranged in chronological order. © Amherst Center for Russian Culture 1993 August Page 4 Zinaida Gippius and Dmitrij Merezhkovsky Papers Subseries 2, Manuscripts, [1908-1937], 0.25 linear feet, includes several versions of D. Merezhkovsky and Z. Gippius motion picture play "Boris Godunov," some of which have not been published, drafts of his untitled thesis, and poems. This subseries is arranged alphabetically by type. Series 3, Dmitrij Filosofov Correspondence , 1903-1920, 0.5 linear feet, contains incoming and outgoing correspondence. The series is organized alphabetically by correspondent and each folder is arranged in chronological order. Series 4, Vladimir Zlobin Correspondence , 1922-1946, 0.5 linear feet, consists of incoming and outgoing correspondence. This series is organized alphabetically by correspondent and each folder is arranged in chronological order. Series 5, Other Russian Emigres Materials , 1921-1957, 0.5 linear feet, is subdivided into 3 subseries: Correspondence, Documents, and Manuscripts. These subseries reflect the activities of several Russian emigres belonging to the Merezhkovskys' circle, such as G. Adamovich, K. Balmont, N. Berberova, I. Fondaminsky, G. Ivanov, A. Kartashev, M. Markovich, P. Solovjeva and others. The subseries Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by correspondent and then in chronological order. The subseries Documents contains documents found among the Correspondence subseries in Series 1, 2, 3 and 4. These materials do not belong to the Merezhkovskys' family and are organized alphabetically by type. The subseries Manuscripts was artificially created to pull together the creative works found among the Correspondence subseries in Series 1 and 2. This subseries is organized alphabetically by author. Series 6, Photographs , consists of several unidentified photographs arranged in chronological order. © Amherst Center for Russian Culture 1993 August Page 5 Zinaida Gippius and Dmitrij Merezhkovsky Papers Series 1, Zinaida Gippius Papers , 1906-1945 Box Folder No. No. Dates Description Correspondence - Incoming 1 1 n.d. Unidentified signatures 12 letters, 1 postcard, 1 telegram 1 2 1907 Apr 15; Unidentified signatures 1910 Dec 17 - 6 letters, 1914 Mar 1 1 telegram 1 3 1922 Jul 27 - Unidentified signatures 1924 May 15 11 letters, 3 postcards 1 4 1926 Jul 14 - Unidentified signatures 1940 Jan 15 12 letters 1 5 1907-1922 Unidentified envelopes 11 envelopes Adamovich, Georgij 1 6 n.d. 6 letters, 6 poems See Also: Series 5, Box 8, Folder 15 1 7 n.d. 10 letters 1 8 n.d. 10 letters 1 9 1915 May 16 - 6 letters, 3 poems 1926 Nov 11 See Also: Series 5, Box 8, Folder 15 1 10 1927 Jul 18 - 8 letters 1927 Dec 5 © Amherst Center for Russian Culture 1993 August Page 6 Zinaida Gippius and Dmitrij Merezhkovsky Papers Series 1, Zinaida Gippius Papers , 1906-1945 Box Folder
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