Homelessness in N. S. Leskov's novel “On the Knives” (the image of Pavel Gordanov)
Purpose. To establish the semantic volume of the concept of “home” in N.S. Leskov's artistic picture of the world, the image of Pavel Gordanov, one of the main characters of the anti-nihilistic novel “On the Knives” (1870-1871), is considered in the context of the theme of homelessness. Methods. The study uses an integrated approach that combines historical-typological, comparative-contrastive, descriptive, motivational and conceptual methods that bring the text into the cultural sphere. Introduction. The disappearance or loss of a home is an archetypal plot, as it goes back to early forms of verbal creation and is constantly present in fiction. Homelessness contradicts the national concept of home as a durable, lasting and orderly world and marks a break with the past. Homelessness is opposed to home, it is associated not only with the desacralization of the function of the dwelling, but also with the inner untidiness of the heroes, loneliness, the idea of being cut off from their roots, moving away from the spiritual principle. Discussions. The absence of one's own home is a detail that determines the unfavorable world order and attitude of Pavel Gordanov. The writer creates a collective image of a nihilist, typical of that time, which does not arouse sympathy among the readers and demonstrates a clear rejection on the part of the narrator. Conclusions. Homelessness is associated with a false ending, with the destruction of norms and traditions, the loss of God. N. S. Leskov's understanding of home is consistent with the concept of home in traditional Russian culture, in which the writer was brought up, with Slavophilism, which substantiated the originality of the historical development of Russia, which is fundamentally different from the Western European direction. This perception determines the characteristic features of the author's worldview. The correct house in the understanding of N.S. Leskov is a prayer house, a house of God.