THE ENIGMA OF RUSSIAN SYMBOLISM: ALEKSANDR BLOK AND 'YOUNG POLAND''

This article tries to answer the question about the presence of Russian symbolism in the literary consciousness of 'Young Poland' and to explore to what extent its reception was conditioned by a combination of social and politica1 factors. The analysis is focused on the work of two Polish modernists, Tadeusz Nalepinski and Tadeusz Micinski, who are known to have pursued an artistic dialogue with the poetry of Russia's leading symbolist poet Aleksandr Blok. The author of the article argues that they must have been familiar with his Verses 'About the Beautiful Lady' (Stikhi o Prektasnoi Dame). What is more, Blok's poem became for them a lasting inspiration especially in the portrayal of women characters.