The Image of Garden in Russian Literature and Culture

The reflection of gardens has always occupied a special place in diverse myths, legends, art forms, poetry and folklore. It is an embodiment of free, idyllic place, where harmony and bliss prevail, and nature and culture seamlessly complement each other.

The image of gardens is abundantly demonstrated in Russian culture and literature. If we take into consideration the culture of the Ancient Rus, garden was the manifestation of Heaven on earth, a reminder of supreme forces’ existence. Moreover, garden played a crucial role in the life of mankind, because it exerted a huge impact on world perception since antiquity. The life of human and nature were inextricably linked with each other and perceived as a single entity. The nature determined the whole life and mentality of every human. Thus, the garden is portrayed as a symbol of happiness-misery. For instance, happiness is depicted whereby garden with bloomy, green, lush flora, while misery is demonstrated by wilted, fading garden. For centuries the concept of garden developed, and subsequently in secular culture of Russia it became an inherent feature of the noble and imperial country residences, impressive, manorial houses, estates.

Apart from that, garden functions as a significant literary symbol of sentiments, emotions; it is a crib of valuable memories and place where past encounters present. Similar concepts are highlighted in a famous play by Anton Chekhov Cherry Orchard. Here, the cherry orchard acts as a symbol of connection between nature and human, the beauty of garden and beauty of life, of people who have cultivated the cherry orchard endeavoring best efforts, the life that gradually perishes simultaneously with the garden that is their heaven on earth.

The image of cherry orchard also encompasses the image of  old Russia, where nobility blossoms, and old conventions exist. However, the era of the old nobility and old traditions relinquishes the reins of power. The progress with its technological and cultural innovations starts to dominate over the gentry, who refuses to keep abreast of new times, be opened to a new system, adjust to a capitalist industrialization, but desires to remain static. Anton Chekhov shows the cherry orchard as a paradise of nobility that experiences the destruction, the fall like the nobility itself. Such comparison can be seen in the speech of Ranevskaia: “O, my garden… you are… full of happiness, the heavenly angels have not abandoned you” (620). Also, the gentry becomes a group of exiles, as they are forced to leave their residence with the cherry orchard. This punishment is inflicted due to the sins of nobility, such as building their mansions, their paradise, at the expense of their servants’ lives. Moreover, the vast societal changes make them suffer. The fall of the cherry orchard denotes the disappearance of the entire epoch, the epoch of nobility.

Furthermore, this play is important from an ecocritical perspective. The progress is accompanied by the emergence of various technological devices, machines that gradually devastate the nature hence its vital connection with human. The industrial society does not leave enough space for authentic, untouched nature that is exploited for the needs of mankind and taken for granted. Technological breakthrough simultaneously restrains people from interacting with nature. People endeavor to compensate the destruction of nature with advanced technology, yet nature cannot be replaced by anything.

                                                                                                                                         Anna Zubkova