Scope and Contents
The Leonid Rzhevsky Papers consist of correspondence, writings, clippings and personal papers that document the work of Russian-born novelist and literary critic Leonid Rzhevsky. The papers span the years 1941-1987, with the bulk of the material dating from the 1950s and 1960s. The papers include material related to a few of Rzhevsky's works of fiction but chiefly document his critical essays, lectures and editorial work.
Correspondence and writings document Rzhevsky's role in the twentieth-century Russian emigre literary community in Europe and the United States. Rzhevsky was critical of the Soviet government and advocated for a unified emigre voice to propel Russian literary analysis into the post-Soviet era. Correspondence provides personal insights that are crucial to contextualizing Rzhevsky's creative writing, since his style of fiction approaches that of a memoir when addressing the fate of Soviet refugees (especially in post-War Germany).
Rzhevsky's editorial work is documented in his correspondence with "second wave" emigre literary figures, many of whom fled to Europe and the United States via Germany in the wake of the Second World War. Much of the correspondence is addressed to Rzhevsky both in a personal capacity and in his capacity as editor of Grani from 1952 to 1955 and of Novyi Zhurnal from 1975 to 1976. Correspondents such as Igor Chinnov, Ivan Elagin and Boris Filippov proposed essays for publication and discussed writings of Rzhevsky and others. In many cases, correspondence that began on formal editorial terms continued after Rzhevsky's tenure as editor.
The papers include dozens of drafts and printed versions of Rzhevsky's essays and lectures. His writings and lectures address diverse topics in Russian literature, including stylistics in the work of Solzhenitsyn, spiritual themes in the work of Dostoevsky, and innovations in the language of contemporary Soviet poets.
The papers also include fragmentary documentation of Rzhevsky's teaching, including correspondence with students and the schedules of symposia he organized at Norwich University in the 1970s and 1980s.
Correspondence and writings document Rzhevsky's role in the twentieth-century Russian emigre literary community in Europe and the United States. Rzhevsky was critical of the Soviet government and advocated for a unified emigre voice to propel Russian literary analysis into the post-Soviet era. Correspondence provides personal insights that are crucial to contextualizing Rzhevsky's creative writing, since his style of fiction approaches that of a memoir when addressing the fate of Soviet refugees (especially in post-War Germany).
Rzhevsky's editorial work is documented in his correspondence with "second wave" emigre literary figures, many of whom fled to Europe and the United States via Germany in the wake of the Second World War. Much of the correspondence is addressed to Rzhevsky both in a personal capacity and in his capacity as editor of Grani from 1952 to 1955 and of Novyi Zhurnal from 1975 to 1976. Correspondents such as Igor Chinnov, Ivan Elagin and Boris Filippov proposed essays for publication and discussed writings of Rzhevsky and others. In many cases, correspondence that began on formal editorial terms continued after Rzhevsky's tenure as editor.
The papers include dozens of drafts and printed versions of Rzhevsky's essays and lectures. His writings and lectures address diverse topics in Russian literature, including stylistics in the work of Solzhenitsyn, spiritual themes in the work of Dostoevsky, and innovations in the language of contemporary Soviet poets.
The papers also include fragmentary documentation of Rzhevsky's teaching, including correspondence with students and the schedules of symposia he organized at Norwich University in the 1970s and 1980s.
Dates
- 1941-1987
Creator
Language of Materials
Materials in Russian, English, German and Swedish.
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
Boxes 20-21: Restricted fragile material. Reference surrogates have been substituted in the main files. For further information consult the appropriate curator.
Boxes 20-21: Restricted fragile material. Reference surrogates have been substituted in the main files. For further information consult the appropriate curator.
Conditions Governing Use
The Leonid Rzhevsky Papers is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from Leonid Rzhevsky on general Slavic funds in 1983 and from Agnes Rzhevsky on the Edwin J. Beinecke Book Fund in 1989.
Arrangement
Organized into three series: I. Correspondence, 1948-1987. II. Writings and Lectures, 1941-1985. III. Other Papers, 1961-1986.
Extent
10.93 Linear Feet (21 boxes)
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Overview
The Leonid Rzhevsky Papers consist of correspondence, writings, clippings and personal papers that document the work of Russian-born novelist and literary critic Leonid Rzhevsky. The papers span the years 1941-1987, with the bulk of the material dating from the 1950s and 1960s. The papers include material related to a few of Rzhevsky's works of fiction but chiefly document his critical essays, lectures and editorial work.
Correspondence and writings document Rzhevsky's role in the twentieth-century Russian emigre literary community in Europe and the United States. Rzhevsky was critical of the Soviet government and advocated for a unified emigre voice to propel Russian literary analysis into the post-Soviet era. Correspondence provides personal insights that are crucial to contextualizing Rzhevsky's creative writing, since his style of fiction approaches that of a memoir when addressing the fate of Soviet refugees (especially in post-War Germany).
Correspondence and writings document Rzhevsky's role in the twentieth-century Russian emigre literary community in Europe and the United States. Rzhevsky was critical of the Soviet government and advocated for a unified emigre voice to propel Russian literary analysis into the post-Soviet era. Correspondence provides personal insights that are crucial to contextualizing Rzhevsky's creative writing, since his style of fiction approaches that of a memoir when addressing the fate of Soviet refugees (especially in post-War Germany).
Leonid Denisovich Rzhevsky (1905-1986)
Leonid Denisovich Rzhevsky was born with the family name Surazhevskii on August 21, 1905 in Moscow. He graduated from Moscow Second University in 1930 and completed his graduate training at the Lenin Pedagogical Institute in 1941 with the rank of Kandidat. In 1953 he emigrated from the Soviet Union, teaching for several years at the University of Lund in Sweden before moving permanently to the United States in 1963. He taught on the faculty of the University of Oklahoma, Norman (1963-1964), New York University (1964-1974) and the Norwich University Russian School summer program (1968-1980s).
Rzhevsky published numerous novels, stories, and critical essays beginning in the 1950s. He was active in the anti-communist Russian emigre community and had long-standing associations with the journals Posev (and the affiliated publishing house) and Grani. Rzhevsky also edited radio broadcasts on literary and political topics for Radio Liberty (in Russian: Radio Osvobozhdenie) in the 1950s.
Rzhevsky's major works of fiction include the novels Mezhdu dvukh zvezd (1953), Pokazavshemu nam svet (1960), Dve strochki vremeni (1976), Dina (1979), and Bunt podsolnechnika (1981) and the short story collections Dvoe na kamne (1963) and Cherez proliv (1966). His major works of criticism include Iazyk i totalitarizm (1951 and 1953), Prochten'e tvorcheskogo slova (1970), Tvorets i podvig (1972), Tri temy po Dostoevskomu (1972) and numerous shorter essays. Many of his essays were pseudonymous under the name L. Tann, which was derived from a family name in Rzhevsky's maternal lineage (Von der Tann).
Rzhevsky's wife was Agniia (Agnes) Sergeevna Shishkova. They married in 1943.
Rzhevsky published numerous novels, stories, and critical essays beginning in the 1950s. He was active in the anti-communist Russian emigre community and had long-standing associations with the journals Posev (and the affiliated publishing house) and Grani. Rzhevsky also edited radio broadcasts on literary and political topics for Radio Liberty (in Russian: Radio Osvobozhdenie) in the 1950s.
Rzhevsky's major works of fiction include the novels Mezhdu dvukh zvezd (1953), Pokazavshemu nam svet (1960), Dve strochki vremeni (1976), Dina (1979), and Bunt podsolnechnika (1981) and the short story collections Dvoe na kamne (1963) and Cherez proliv (1966). His major works of criticism include Iazyk i totalitarizm (1951 and 1953), Prochten'e tvorcheskogo slova (1970), Tvorets i podvig (1972), Tri temy po Dostoevskomu (1972) and numerous shorter essays. Many of his essays were pseudonymous under the name L. Tann, which was derived from a family name in Rzhevsky's maternal lineage (Von der Tann).
Rzhevsky's wife was Agniia (Agnes) Sergeevna Shishkova. They married in 1943.
Processing Information
Partially processed in 1998. Processing completed and finding aid revised in 2008.
The Library of Congress system is used to transliterate Russian language, but diacritics are not used. Illustrative examples are: Iuz Aleshkovskii and Efim Etkind. Names of Russian emigres are spelled in accordance with the individual's usage or record of publication. Therefore these spellings do not necessarily conform to standard Library of Congress transliteration. For example, the spelling Rzhevsky is used throughout the finding aid (instead of Rzhevskii).
The Library of Congress system is used to transliterate Russian language, but diacritics are not used. Illustrative examples are: Iuz Aleshkovskii and Efim Etkind. Names of Russian emigres are spelled in accordance with the individual's usage or record of publication. Therefore these spellings do not necessarily conform to standard Library of Congress transliteration. For example, the spelling Rzhevsky is used throughout the finding aid (instead of Rzhevskii).
- Authors, Russian -- 20th Century
- Bakhrakh, Aleksandr
- Chinnov, Igorʹ
- De Smeth, Maria
- Editors -- 20th Century
- Efimov, Igorʹ Markovich
- Elagin, Ivan, 1918-1987
- Filippov, Boris, 1905-1991
- Gulʹ, Roman, 1896-1986
- Language and languages -- Style
- Literary style
- Pervushin, N. V. (Nikolaĭ Vsevolodovich), 1899-
- Posev (Firm)
- Radio Liberty
- Russia -- Emigration and immigration
- Russian literature -- 20th Century
- Rzhevskaia, Agnes
- Rzhevskiĭ, Leonid, 1905-1986
- Ėtkind, E. G. (Efim Grigorʹevich), 1918-1999
- Title
- Guide to the Leonid Rzhevsky Papers
- Author
- by Lisa Conathan
- Date
- 2008
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository
Location
121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Opening Hours
Access Information
The Beinecke Library is open to all Yale University students and faculty, and visiting researchers whose work requires use of its special collections. You will need to bring appropriate photo ID the first time you register. Beinecke is a non-circulating, closed stack library. Paging is done by library staff during business hours. You can request collection material online at least two business days in advance of your visit, using the request links in Archives at Yale. For more information, please see Planning Your Research Visit and consult the Reading Room Policies prior to visiting the library.