(the poem “Dead souls” and the comedy “The Inspector”)
The paper discusses the theatrical remakes of Gogol’s works: the comedy “The Inspector”
and the poem “Dead Souls.” Considering the creative interpretation of N. Kolyada, both performances are related to the actualization of the Last Judgment themes – judgment and retribution, sin and repentance. Such an approach allows for a more vivid description of existential and national problems in performances N. Kolyada. It is concluded that N. Kolyada
differently adapts Gogol’s works for his performances. In the case of “The Inspector,”
Kolyada uses the elements of theatrical language (attributes of the stage space, costumes, music) to mainstream opposition “purity – dirt” and “righteousness – sin,” the oppositions that
allow identifying the situation of the imaginary and real Inspector. When being staged, the
poem “Dead Souls” changes its nature of the genre with the dramatization – the epic begin-
ning is transformed under the influence of medieval drama traditions. In the performance, the
plot of the Last Judgment changes the character system: Korobochka and Chichikov, first of
all. The sentimental finale of the Last Judgment reveals in Korobochka the ability to love and
becomes the key to the revitalization of her soul. The metonymic correlation of Korobochka
with the entire Russian people determines the transformation of the image of Chichikov.
Kolyada highlights in Chichikov not entrepreneurial obsequiousness, but a sense of contempt
for the Russian people: he calls it “dubinogolovy.” An ontological issue related to the manipulation between life and death is removed from the semantic field of his image, but social
and moral issues remain.
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(the poem “Dead souls” and the comedy “The Inspector”) // Сибирский филологический журнал. 2020. № 4. Pp. 133–147. DOI: 10.17223/18137083/73/9.