A Son of Kharkiv Soil and his Double Anniversary

Abstract

The article is devoted to the work by L. Mechnikov commemorating his double anniversary in 2018. The elder brother of famous I. Mechnikov is closely associated to Kharkiv and Kharkiv University. During his life throughout the world (Europe, Middle East, Japan, USA). L. Mechnikov revealed the versatility of his talent: as a social scientist, writer, journalist, and teacher. The article accentuates his own literary heritage, especially his literary-critical publications that have still got no due attention. L. Mechnikov is primarily known as the author of his scientific work “Civilization and the great historical rivers” (Paris, 1889) presenting the original theory of human development. However, he is the author of more than 400 books including novels, memoirs, articles, satires. The article focuses first on his two autobiographical novels describing the writer`s childhood and youth in Kharkiv region, emigration years in France and Italy. His later work called “Notes of the Garibaldian” is explored as a masterful reconstitution of the Risorgimento era, filled with a wide range of interesting characters, details and descriptions. It is revealed that during his elder years, L. Mechnikov devoted himself to the study of Italian literature history from a socio-political point of view. He raised the issue of the relationship between romanticism and realism in the literature of the period of national liberation struggle, stressed the importance of civic literature, expressed a weighty opinion about the use of poetic forms, genres and the expression of people's aspirations in literature as its highest purpose. He continued the critical research of literary works until his late days, exploring the novels by Honore de Balzac, Georges Sand, Victor Hugo, Emile Zola. The article concludes that L. Mechnikov is an illustrious son of Kharkiv who developed his talents in literature, criticism and social theories that has to be known to his compatriots.