Mironova Olga Alekseevna – Independent researcher, Bachelor of Philology at Lomonosov Moscow State University, ORCID: 0009-0006-7373-957X
The article describes some aspects of the space system of V.O. Bogdanova’s novel Pavel Zhang and Other River Creatures. Bogdanova’s novel is characterized by a rich space system that includes the locations of Moscow, Kolomna, Zabaikalsk, Kosteevo, Moscow region, Blagoveshchensk, Heihe, Beijing. The “capital – province” opposition includes locations and is divided into three levels: “Russia – abroad” (“Russia – China”, “Moscow – Beijing”), “capital – province” (“Moscow – Russian province”, “Beijing – Heihe”), “city center – outskirts” (Moscow). At the first level, less developed Russia turns out to be a province, compared to China, which has become a metropolis. The second one describes the relations between Moscow and the Russian idyllic and infernal province. There is a similar correlation between Beijing and Heihe at this level. At the third level, we compare the center of Moscow, which appears as a man-made hell, and its outskirts, which become a place of expression of sincere feelings and also a chthonic space. The functions of space in this novel are: the realization of a system of images, the creation of a background of action, the organization of the plot, the formation of connotations and cultural connections.
capital; province; idyll; infernality; red