Kudashkina N.A. The artistic image of Sevastopol during the period of the Crimean war (1853–1856) and its role in the historical development of the city (based on the works of L. N. Tolstoy and M. M. Filippov)

Abstract: The article examines the events relating to the Crimean war (1853–1856) through an analysis of fictional literature from which the artistic image of Sevastopol of that time is reconstituted. On the example of the works of L. N. Tolstoy “Sevastopol sketches” and M. M. Filippov “Besieged Sevastopol” the semantic content, structure, and basic functions of the artistic image are revealed. The key historiographical stances on the question of using literature as a historical source are also addressed. The author provides case examples of works by history scholars using literature as a historical source: M. V. Nechkina, S. O. Schmidt, L. N. Gumilev, G. R. Naumova. The comparative historical method is applied to demonstrate the inseparable connection between the past and the present, which also allowed to determine the image’s role and to establish a link between epochs. In this regard the artistic image is viewed as a conductor of moral issues, profound emotions, and a kind of “developer” of human activity in history. The artistic image of the city created by the classic authors is analysed as a source for historical perceptions of events, phenomena, and people. The article demonstrates how the heroic characters from the named literary works impacted the formation of the socio-cultural space of Sevastopol.

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