Olga Kodocigova
2026.1.29Slovo
Abstract
ARTISTIC TIME IN OLD RUSSIAN HAGIOGRAPHY AND IN EVGENY VODOLAZKIN’S NOVEL LAURUS This article examines the representation of narrative time in Evgeny Vodolazkin’s novel Laurus in comparison with temporal concepts in Old Russian hagiography. The study begins with an overview of narrative time within contemporary narrative theory, establishing a general theoretical framework for the subsequent analysis. It then turns to the representation of time in the context of Old Russian hagiography, focusing on two key aspects: Dmitry Likhachov’s concept of timeless, eternal time, in which meaningful events coexist outside chronology, and A.F. Uzhankov’s models of linear and cyclical time in Old Russian literature. The study reveals that Vodolazkin adopts the poetics of hagiographic time, preserving the categories of timelessness and linear progression while transforming the cyclical model into a spiral one, where recurring events gain new meaning through the protagonist’s inner transformation. The article concludes by discussing how Laurus both aligns with and challenges the conventions of the modern novel through its genre hybridity and other characteristic features.
Citation format
KODOCIGOVA, Olga. художественное время в древнерусской агиографии и романе евгения водолазкина лавр. Slovo, 2026, 15(1/2025): 45–57.