Mystical Anarchism was a tendency within the

Russian Symbolist Russian symbolism was an intellectual and artistic movement predominant at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. It arose separately from European symbolism, emphasizing mysticism and ostranenie. Literature Influences Primary ...

movement after 1906, especially between 1906 and late 1908. It was created and popularized by

Georgy Chulkov Georgy Ivanovich Chulkov ( rus, Гео́ргий Ива́нович Чулко́в, p=ɡʲɪˈorɡʲɪj ɪˈvanəvʲɪtɕ tɕʊlˈkof, a=Gyeorgiy Ivanovich Chulkov.ru.vorb.oga; – January 1, 1939) was a Russian Symbolist poet, editor, writer an ...

. In 1906, Chulkov edited ''Fakely'' (''Torches''), an anthology of Symbolist writing, which called on Russian writers to: :abandon Symbolism and

Decadence The word decadence, which at first meant simply "decline" in an abstract sense, is now most often used to refer to a perceived decay in standards, morals, dignity, religious faith, honor, discipline, or skill at governing among the members ...

and move forward to "new

mystical Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in u ...

experience". Later in the year Chulkov followed up with a "Mystical Anarchism" manifesto. The doctrine has been described as: :a mish-mash of

Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (; or ; 15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher, prose poet, cultural critic, philologist, and composer whose work has exerted a profound influence on contemporary philosophy. He began his car ...

, Herzen, Bakunin,

Merezhkovsky Dmitry Sergeyevich Merezhkovsky ( rus, Дми́трий Серге́евич Мережко́вский, p=ˈdmʲitrʲɪj sʲɪrˈɡʲejɪvʲɪtɕ mʲɪrʲɪˈʂkofskʲɪj; – December 9, 1941) was a Russian novelist, poet, religious thinker, ...

(Chulkov was a former editor of '' New Path''),

Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...

Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and has been regarded as among the ...

utopian socialism Utopian socialism is the term often used to describe the first current of modern socialism and socialist thought as exemplified by the work of Henri de Saint-Simon, Charles Fourier, Étienne Cabet, and Robert Owen. Utopian socialism is often ...

, Tolstoy's

Christian anarchism Christian anarchism is a Christian movement in political theology that claims anarchism is inherent in Christianity and the Gospels. It is grounded in the belief that there is only one source of authority to which Christians are ultimately ans ...

, and Dostoyevsky's rejection of necessity.Bernice Glatzer Rosenthal. ''New Myth, New World: From Nietzsche to Stalinism'', Penn State Press, 2002, p. 42

Alexander Blok Alexander Alexandrovich Blok ( rus, Алекса́ндр Алекса́ндрович Бло́к, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ɐlʲɪˈksandrəvʲɪtɕ ˈblok, a=Ru-Alyeksandr Alyeksandrovich Blok.oga; 7 August 1921) was a Russian lyrical poet, writer, publ ...

and especially Vyacheslav Ivanov were supportive of the new doctrine while

Valery Bryusov Valery Yakovlevich Bryusov ( rus, Вале́рий Я́ковлевич Брю́сов, p=vɐˈlʲerʲɪj ˈjakəvlʲɪvʲɪdʑ ˈbrʲusəf, a=Valyeriy Yakovlyevich Bryusov.ru.vorb.oga; – 9 October 1924) was a Russian poet, prose writer, drama ...

, the editor of the leading Symbolist magazine ''The Balance'', and

Andrei Bely Boris Nikolaevich Bugaev ( rus, Бори́с Никола́евич Буга́ев, p=bɐˈrʲis nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ bʊˈɡajɪf, a=Boris Nikolayevich Bugayev.ru.vorb.oga), better known by the pen name Andrei Bely or Biely ( rus, Андр� ...

were opposed to it. The resulting controversy raged on the pages of Russian Symbolist magazines until late 1908.

Notes

References

*Bernice Glatzer Rosenthal. "The Transmutation of the Symbolist

Ethos Ethos ( or ) is a Greek word meaning "character" that is used to describe the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, nation, or ideology; and the balance between caution, and passion. The Greeks also used this word to refer to ...

: Mystical Anarchism and the

Revolution of 1905 The Russian Revolution of 1905,. also known as the First Russian Revolution,. occurred on 22 January 1905, and was a wave of mass political and social unrest that spread through vast areas of the Russian Empire. The mass unrest was directed again ...

" in ''Slavic Review'' 36, No. 4 (December 1977), pp. 608–627. {{DEFAULTSORT:Mystical anarchism Literary movements Modern art Anarchist culture Russian art movements Symbolism (arts) Anarchist schools of thought

See also

Notes

References