바로크와 러시아 문화 ‘탕자 우화’의 변용으로 살펴본 근대성의 기원

The place of the Baroque in Russian cultural history remains controversial. This is because Russia, located on the edge of the European continent, was historically late to be influenced by Western culture, or not at all. In Russia, where the Renaissance did not exist, the Baroque was either embraced as part of court culture or seen as a means of reinforcing state ideology. Therefore, in Russia, the Baroque was often discussed only in the realm of official culture. However, in the period around the 17th century, the negative feeling of the Baroque had a constant impact not only in Europe, but also in Russia, and left its mark on the popular culture. For example, we can take A Tale of Sorrows and Misfortunes, a paraphrase of the biblical fable of the Prodigal Son. With a different ending from the original, it reveals that for Russian people of the time, religious sanctity no longer existed, and that the secular life of the individual was the only basis for existence. With its pessimistic fatalism, the tale shares the realism, secularism, and negative life sentiment of European Baroque culture. All human beings must live as individuals thrown into this godless world and realize that this is the fate of Modern man. This is the unofficial cultural sensibility of the Russian Baroque.