Abstract

Spanish motifs were frequent in Russian literature at the beginning of the twentieth century. Konstantin Balmont is considered one of the most representative poets who used Spanish topics in his work. In the previous studies, we demonstrated the presence of Spanish motifs in the work of Marina Tsvetaeva. In the present study, we examine Balmont’s influence on Tsvetaeva’s Spanish motifs in her work. Our multidisciplinary perspective will place the biographical, historical-literary, comparative, and intertextual methods of analysis under focus. A comparative analysis of the work of both poets will evince Balmont’s long-term influence on the development of Spanish motifs in Tsvetaeva. Our research also reveals cases of motifs transferred from one author to the other in the Spanish context. Conversely, many motifs of the original Spanish folklore translated by Balmont are assimilated by Tsvetaeva without reference to the Spanish theme. Nevertheless, the Spanish theme, in the case of Balmont, proves to be stable; so that Balmont himself becomes a living embodiment of Don Juan in Tsvetaeva’s texts. Communication with Balmont and plans to write dramatic works on Spanish themes are among the main reasons why Tsvetaeva’s poetry is enriched with elements of Spanish folklore, as we shall conclusively demonstrate in due course in this article.