The History of the Relationship between I. S. Shmelev and G. D. Grebenshchikov: New Materials

The article examines the intersections of the life and creative paths of two émigré writers, Ivan Shmelev and Georgy Grebenshchikov, a topic that has not previously been the focus of scholarly inquiry. Their acquaintance began in Crimea, shortly before the peninsula came under Soviet control, and was later resumed in Paris within the milieu of Russian émigré life. Literary existence abroad imposed its own demands: writers had to cultivate useful contacts, secure foreign publishers and translators, and seek access to the European book market. Initially, Grebenshchikov achieved notable success in promoting his works in France, a fact that aroused some resentment among his more established contemporaries, including Shmelev. Yet Grebenshchikov consistently expressed respect for Shmelev, and he authored the only substantial article devoted to Shmelev’s novella It Was. After World War II, in a devastated France struggling with shortages of food and goods, Shmelev’s circumstances were further burdened by accusations of collaboration due to his association with the pro-fascist newspaper Paris Herald. Grebenshchikov, who had settled in the United States in 1924, was among the first to offer support, sending encouraging letters and much-needed dietary provisions. The newly collected and chronologically arranged evidence–including unpublished correspondence and émigré periodicals – sheds new light on the destinies of both writers and on the cultural environment of the Russian diaspora.

I.S. Shmelev, G.D. Grebenshchikov, first-wave Russian emigration, émigré literary life, epistolary heritage, World War II