художествена

Populist ideas penetrated Bulgarian literature in the late 1980s and mainly in the 1990s. Under the influence of the populist ideology, adopted by Russian public figures and populist writers, some writers created works that make up our populist literature. This literature is limited in scope and not particularly rich in the variety of genres, ideas and images. There are not always strictly defined "pure" populist frameworks. And with the gradual experience of populist ideas in the first decade of the new century, it ceases to be a topical issue in our literary reality. Therefore, the term "populist literature" should be accepted and understood quite conditionally and with reservations. The important thing is that the works of populist writers excited contemporaries. Created in that era when the overall national appearance of our post-liberation realistic literature was taking shape, they diversified its ideological and aesthetic wealth, contributing to the strengthening of democracy and humanism within it.

In his new book with the above title, Zhelyu Avdzhiev examines from Marxist-Leninist positions the aesthetic originality and place of populism and populist literature in the development of Bulgarian literature. Having correctly grasped the specifics of this characteristic phenomenon, the author invests enough energy to characterize it comprehensively and to point out its previously unexposed features, to present its most important representatives in a new light. In our country, there have been no deliberate discussions on the issues of the essence of populist literature, although these issues have interested many literary scholars, as a result of which they have been quite clarified and a considerable amount of literature has accumulated. In the work under consideration, however, the problems arising around the character and essence of populist literature are analyzed for the first time in such detail and exhaustively in a separate, independent monographic study. Until now, we have not had a comprehensive literary-historical study in which to examine the original character, specific development and unique essence of populist literature in Bulgaria. The work under consideration is precisely such a study, in which the author has set himself the task of thoroughly studying this literature, and in a newer direction.

In the centuries-old historical destiny of our people, there are eras rich in events and personalities that most fully reveal our national essence, synthesize the most intimate in the efforts of the Bulgarian for national affirmation, social-moral and cultural empowerment. That is why, like a beacon, they have attracted, retained and will direct the gaze of scientists and artists, historians and sociologists, philosophers and psychologists. Such a comprehensive and incredibly intense era undoubtedly represents the era of national liberation struggles, the epilogue of which was the April Uprising of 1876. For nine decades now, this event, magnificent in its conception and organization, in its ideological and emotional saturation, in its social and moral impulses, has been emitting an irresistible radiance. Crowned with the halo of immortality, it pushes us to reflect, confronts us with ever new problems. Prepared for decades with dedication and boundless sacrifice, conceived and guided by bright minds and ardent hearts, it came to show the world the greatness and tragedy of the Bulgarian tribe, to evoke the admiration of honest people, to disturb the public conscience, to throw confusion into the minds of European statesmen and diplomats. And most importantly - to strengthen the belief that "we are not forever submissive to them", that the land - soaked in blood for centuries and strewn with bones - will no longer tolerate a foreign enslaver, it has nurtured the most cherished dream - freedom and justice of the people.

Georgi Markov's new book presents the author to us as a well-oriented literary critic, who makes conscious and in-depth efforts to reveal the specific laws of literary creativity, to penetrate the secrets of artistic mastery, into the world of the writer. The fruit of theoretical thinking, the book has a close proximity to the sphere of art. It does not give abstract logical interpretations and analyses, but rather approaches them concretely, in connection with the artistic features of literary works. The author's growth is evident. 1 G. Markov, Life Truth and Artistic Truth, ed. Narodno Prosveta, Sofia, 1968. A few years ago he published the book "Questions of Literary Analysis". If we compare it with the current one, we will see many common problems and at the same time - a big difference in their development. A manifest aspiration towards a complex research approach, towards a modern scientific level. Georgi Markov's theoretical interests are directed primarily towards the problems of ideology and artistic analysis, towards revealing the complex relations between literature and reality. These issues, which have a fundamentally important methodological significance for clarifying the essence of artistic creativity, have always been little developed so far, and there are many unresolved problems in connection with them. In the past, a considerable tribute was paid in this area to schematism and simplification, to vulgar sociology. To this day, many theorists are often satisfied only with general definitions and formulations, without detailing and arguing in essence. However, in his new book, G. Markov approaches the problems from different aspects, seeks the root causes of the phenomena, connects theoretical issues with examples from various literary works, mainly by Bulgarian poets and writers.