Vasechko Vyacheslav
Abstract: This article is an attempt of conceptual analysis of the prominent Russian thinker Vladimir Solovyov’s undiscovered work, namely, his play “The White Lily”, which genre he himself has defined as “mystery-joke”. In spite of the seeming entertainment and unpretentiousness, the play presents definite stage in the evolution of Solovyov’s thought, and expresses some principal points of his philosophical system albeit in a rather simplified and popular form. The text of the mystery (in both printed and handwritten versions) is considered in three main aspects. Firstly, we find out socio-empirical circumstances of
its creation, the motives that guided the author of the mystery when he referred to the new unusual literary genre. The description of thinker’s personality, which is represented in the text in one way or another, is given. Secondly, the textual analysis is presented, which reveals the richness and diversity of the sources used by Solovyov, and provides an interpretation of the fundamental mystical characters and symbols appearing in the play. Special attention is payed to the Bible, especially books of the Old Testament, which influence on Solovyov’s work is underestimated by the researches. Thirdly, it is shown how the mystery text presents one of the fundamental concepts of Solovyov, namely, Sofia (“Wisdom of God”). In relation to this play, the author deals with such attributes of Sofia as completeness, materialization (spiritual physicality), ideality (transcendence), beauty, correlation with Eros. The thesis is substantiated that for the thinker Sofia and the Blessed Virgin Mary (Mother of God) are not antipodes but quite related concepts, and their ratio strives for full identity. In general, it is suggested to consider “The White Lily” as artistic expression of integral mystical-philosophical conception of the author, in
which the earthly, everyday human life appears in the role of projections and transient modus of the Supreme transcendent reality.
Keywords: Vladimir Solovyov; “The White Lily”; mysticism; Sofia; Old Testament; Book of Job; Book of Isaiah; rose; lily; Mother of God.