Alexander Radishchev’s Signposts:
The Opposition of Light and Darkness in
Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow
Paper | Mirgorod, Vol. 23/24 (2025) | pp. 7–32
Mateusz MULARCZYK
Abstract: This work provides an analysis of the political and ideological program in Alexander Radishchev’s Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow, whose uniqueness and universality the author reveals through a thoughtful application of the categories of light and darkness. The first part of the paper focuses on positioning the opposition of light and darkness against the backdrop of definitional, artistic, and axiological distinctions. Emphasis is placed on Radishchev’s transcendence beyond the simplified understanding of these two categories as mere opposites. Through the use of nature-derived motifs, such as clouds or fog, the realm of intermediate elements occupies a distinct place in the work. The background is provided by the paintings of C.J. Vernet, whose maritime works serve as a starting point for key social reforms. A novel perspective emerges from comparing Radishchev’s artistic solutions with Hans Blumenberg’s concept of absolute metaphors, thereby reaffirming the enduring value of the work. The second part of the paper addresses the traditional issue in Radishchev studies of the peasant question while also drawing attention to the overlooked passages concerning education. The similarity
of the artistic techniques employed, including the characteristic play of light and shadow, allows these two fundamental issues to be connected. The same stories and characters are often illuminated in different ways, which clearly links the aesthetic impact of the opposition
between light and darkness with its epistemic significance.
Nuance and a constant desire for dialogue emerge as central values arising from the work. This makes it possible to avoid the burden of tendentious associations and to offer a new interpretation of Alexander Radishchev’s Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow.
Keywords: light / darkness / Alexander Radishchev / Enlightenment / painting / Hans Blumenberg / education / revolution
DOI: https://doi.org/10.32017/mirgorod-2025-23.24-1
Cite this paper: Mularczyk, M. (2025). Drogowskazy Aleksandra Radiszczewa. Opozycja światła i mroku
na przestrzeni utworu Podróż z Petersburga do Moskwy. Mirgorod: The Annual of the History and Epistemology of Contemporary Literary Studies, 23/24, pp. 7–32. DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32017/mirgorod-2025-23.24-1
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