Folk Types in the Prose of Konstantin Paustovsky

In the spring of 2022, the 130th anniversary of K. G. Paustovsky’s birth was celebrated. This offers an occasion to reflect on the strange discrepancy among attitudes towards the writer: many still treat his texts with attention and deep respect, while literary critics typically bypass his work with a restrained silence. On the one hand, Paustovsky’s masterpieces have been reprinted for years and are still in print; a magazine called “The World of Paustovsky” was published for several years (1992–2012); and the writer’s literary and memorial museums host guests in Moscow and Tarusa. On the other hand, more and more often one may come across remarks, or even articles, expressing doubt or skepticism about the prominent position in literature which Paustovsky occupied during his life.

Against this contradictory background, this article examines the influence of folk language and culture in Paustovsky’s work. Some modern critics appreciate this only as a result of the social setting in which the writer lived and worked — as something completely unrelated to his main intent. To the contrary, this article considers Paustovsky’s artistic interest in folk traditions, language, and folklore, and in the individualities of the bearers and keepers of this culture. It focuses on the characters which reflect Paustovsky’s communication with common people and the stories they told him. These bring motifs from folklore and the authentic-sounding intonation of folk speech into his own works.