Vyacheslav Ivanov and the Mutual Understanding Union (1918)
The article reconstructs the history of the shot-lived Union of Spiritual Communication between the Russian, French and Italian Intellectuals called Mutual Understanding (Entendement Reciproque) (1918), and outlines the previously unknown data on the role of the symbolist poet Vyach. Ivanov in this international project. The reconstruction is based on Y. V. Gotye's diary, the Union's statutory documents, as well as on the previously unpublished letters by Malfitano. The author is trying to clarify the reasons which prompted Ivanov to reject the proposal to become one of the leaders of the Union.