To the Textual Analysis of the “Sunday Letters”. From the Unpublished and Uncollected Heritage of Vladimir Solovyov

Author: korolevaNV / Date: 10-01-2026 /
Publication Title: 
To the Textual Analysis of the “Sunday Letters”. From the Unpublished and Uncollected Heritage of Vladimir Solovyov
Publication author(s): 
B.V. Mezhuev
Abstract: 

This article attempts a textual study of one of Vladimir Solovyov's least explored works, a series of articles titled “Sunday Letters”, published in the newspaper “Rus” in 1897–1898. The article highlights the fact that twelve of the twenty-two known Sunday Letters were republished by the author himself as an appendix to the separate edition of “Three Conversations”. It is noted that in some of the letters selected for separate publication, Vl. Solovyov polemicizes with the views of one of the regular contributors to Rus, the publicist M.O. Menshikov, who categorically rejected Vl. Solovyov's criticism of Leo Tolstoy's religious and moral views and directly argued with the philosopher's perspective on war. The article also includes the texts of three previously unknown Sunday letters: one of them, titled “The State Church”, was not published in the newspaper in 1897 and was preserved in Vladimir Solovyov's archive. Another letter was also not published in the newspaper due to censorship reasons, but it was later printed in a Russian magazine after the author's death. Finally, the third letter published in this article appeared in the newspaper “Rus” in a period of time after the series ended. The author argues that Solovyov's purpose in this latter publication overlooked by the editors of his Collected Works was to signal to attentive readers the censorship reasons behind the series' suspension.

 

References: 

(Sources)

Collected Works

  1.  Solov'ev, V.S. Pis'ma N.Ya. Grotu [Letters to N. Grot], in Solov'ev, V.S. Pis’ma v 4 t., t. 1 [Letters of Vladimir Sergeevich Solovyov in 4 vols., vol. 1]. Saint-Petersburg: Tipografiya tovarishchestva «Obshchestvennaya pol'za», 1908, pp. 61–102.
  2.  Solov'ev, V.S. Pis'ma V.L. Velichko [Letters to V. Velichko], in Solov'ev, V.S. Pis'ma v 4 t., t. 1 [Letters of Vladimir Sergeevich Solovyov in 4 vols., vol. 1]. Saint-Petersburg: Tipografiya tovarishchestva «Obshchestvennaya pol'za», 1908, pp. 194–235.
  3.  Solov'ev, V.S. Predislovie k «Trem razgovoram» [Preface to Three conversations], in Solov'ev, V.S. Sobranie sochineniy v 12 t., t. 10 [The complete works in 12 vols., vol. 10]. Bryussel': Zhizn' s Bogom, 1966, pp. 83–92.
  4.  Solov'ev, V.S. Voskresnye pis’ma [Sunday letters], in Solov'ev, V.S. Sobranie sochineniy v 12 t., t. 10 [The complete works in 12 vols., vol. 10]. Bryussel': Zhizn' s Bogom, 1966, pp. 3–80.
  5.  Tolstoy, L.N. Pismo k I.M. Tregubovu, 03.08.1900 g. [The letter to I.M. Tregubov, 03.08.1900], in Tolstoy, L.N. Polnoe sobranie sochineniy. T. 72. Pis'ma. 1899–1900 gg [The complete works. Vol. 72. Letters. 1899–1900]. Moscow; Leningrad: Gosudarstvennoe izdatel'stvo khudozhestvennoy literatury, 1933. 630 p.

Individual works

  1. Anton Chekhov i ego kritik Mikhail Men'shikov [Anton Chekhov and His Critic Mikhail Menshikov]. Moscow: Russkiy put', 2005. 475 p.
  2. Men'shikov, M.O. Dumy o schast'e [Thoughts on Happiness]. Saint-Petersburg: Tipografiya M. Merkusheva, 1898. 176 p.
  3. Men'shikov, M. Otkliki LXIII [Responses LXIII], in Nedelya, 1900, no. 17, col. 605.
  4. Men'shikov, M. Otkliki XXXV [Responses XXXV], in Nedelya, 1900, no. 6, col. 218–219.
  5. M.O.M. < Men'shikov, M.> Pis’ma k druz’yam [Letters to Friends], in Rus', 1898, August 19/31, no. 53, p. 3.
  6. Men'shikov, M.O. Vl.S. Solov'ev [Vl.S. Solovyov], in Menshikov, M.O. Kriticheskie ocherki. T. II [Critical Essays. Vol. II]. Saint-Petersburg: Trud, 1906, pp. 489–498.
  7. O.T.V. < Gol'tsev, V.A.> Otvet g. Men’shikovu [The Reply to Menshikov], in Russkaya mysl’, 1895, book VIII, pp. 157–159.
  8. Obolenskiy, L.E. Moi lichnye vospominaniya o V.S. Solov'eve. Tsit. po: Kolerov, M.A. Novoe svidetel’stvo sovremennika o Vladimir Solov'eve [My personal memories of V.S. Solovyov. Quote by: Kolerov M.A. New Testimony of a Contemporary about Vladimir Solovyov], in Issledovaniya po istorii russkoy mysli. Ezhegodnik, 2019, pp. 1–23.
  9. Skvortsov, V.M. Sudebnyy protsess Kovenskogo ksendza Belyakevicha i katolicheskaya tserkovnaya distsiplina. Tserkovno-gosudarstvennoe i missionerskoe znachenie sudebnogo protsessa Kovenskogo ksendza Belyakevicha [The trial of the Coven Priest Belyakevich and Catholic Church discipline. The church-state and missionary significance of the trial of the Kovensky priest Belyakevich]. Saint-Petersburg: Izdanie zhurnala «Missioner. Obozrenie», 1900. (National Missionary Library). 56 p.
  10. Solov'ev, V.S. Tri razgovora o voyne, progresse i kontse vsemirnoy istorii, so vklyucheniem kratkoy povesti ob Antikhriste i s prilozheniyami [Three conversations on war, progress, and the end of world history, including a short story about the Antichrist and appendices]. Saint-Petersburg: Tipografiya tovarishchestva «Trud», 1900. 279 p.
  11. Solov'ev, Vl. Nemezida [Nemesis], in Rus', 1898, no. 8, pp. 1–2; no. 15. p. 2; no. 22, p. 2.
  12. Solov'ev, Vl. O soblaznakh [On Temptations], in Rus', 1897, March 9/21, no. 50, p. 2.
  13. Solov'ev, Vl. Rossiya cherez sto let [Russia in a Hundred Years], in Rus', 1898, July 29, no. 29, p. 2.
  14. Solov'ev, Vl. Slovesnost’ ili istina? [Literature or Truth?], in Rus', 1897, March 30/ April 11, no. 70, p. 2.
  15. Solov'ev, Vl. Dukhovnoe sostoyanie russkogo naroda [Spiritual state of Russia people], in Rus', 1898, August 2/14, no. 53, p. 3.
  16. Solov'ev, Vl. Voskresnye pis'ma. XXIV. O komarakh i verblyudakh (Razgovor s damoy) [Sunday Letters. XXIV. On Mosquitoes and Camels (Conversation with a Lady)], in Rus', 1898, October 4/16, no. 99, p. 3.
  17. Zapozdaloe «Voskresnoe pis’mo» V.S. Solovieva [V.S. Solovyov's Late “Sunday Letter”], in Vestnik vsemirnoy istorii, August 1900, no. 9, pp. 203–208.

(Articles from Scientific Journals)

  1. Lepekhin, M.P. Neobkhodimye utochneniya k biografii M.V. Golovinskogo [Necessary Clarifications to the Biography of M.V. Golovinsky], in Iz glubiny vremen. Al'manakh, 1998, no. 10, pp. 281–318.

(Articles from Proceedings and Collections of Research Papers)

  1. San'kova, S.M. Dva litsa «Novogo vremeni»: A.S. Suvorin i M.O. Men'shikov v zerkale istoriografii [Two Faces of the New Era: A.S. Suvorin and M.O. Menshikov in the Mirror of Historiography]. Orel: State University – UNPK, 2011. 224 p.
  2. Stepanov, A.N. «Tri razgovora» Vl. Solov'eva: voprosy publikatsii, zhanrovogo svoeobraziya i kompozitsionnoy tselostnosti [“Three Conversations” by V.S. Solovyov: Issues of Publication, Genre Originality, and Compositional Integrity], in Materialy Mezhdunarodnoy konferentsii «Minuvshee i neprekhodyashchee v zhizni i tvorchestve V.S. Solov'eva». Vyp. 32, Sankt-Peterburg, 14–15 fevralya, 2003 [Proceedings of the International Conference “The Past and the Enduring in the Life and Work of V.S. Solovyov”. Issue 32, Saint-Petersburg, February 14–15, 2003]. Saint-Petersburg: Sankt-Peterburgskoe filosofskoe obshchestvo, 2003, pp. 378–383.

 

Key words: 
journalism, Vladimir Solovyov and Leo Tolstoy, M.O. Menshikov's ultra-moralism, Christian state, non-resistance to evil by force, political philosophy, religious tolerance
2025. Issue 4 (88)
The DOI index: 
10.17588/2076-9210.2025.4.006-028
Publication file: 
str.6-28_88.pdf