Letters of Ivan IV the Terrible (Architectonics and Suggestion Techniques)

Abstract

The epistolary traditions of medieval Russia had the most varied sources. In this article, we address the problem of the Genesis of the formative models that formed the basis of the architectonics of the most famous Epistles of medieval Russia. The polemical Epistles of Ivan the Terrible, which have long been included in the circle of classical texts of medieval Russia, should be considered in the context of the development of the Epistle genre as such. But its General theory, as well as a complete history over the course of seven centuries of the development of East Slavic literature has not yet been created. This is due to the objective difficulties associated with the nature of this genre. In medieval Russia, the message is changeable. It not only stands between everyday life and high book tradition, but is also prone to frequent transformations. It is sometimes rhetorical, sometimes ordinary, but at the same time both rhetoric and uncomplicated style do not exclude publicism and public sound. Nevertheless, within the boundaries of the creativity of individual authors, the epistle has completely separated itself as a very peculiar type of source, endowed with such formal and meaningful features that allow it to be distinguished from works of other genres. Comparing the polemical letters of Ivan the Terrible with each other and some other texts of the same author, which are adjacent to them, allows us to talk about a single architectonics and General methods of suggestion — persuasion of the addressee for such letters. The main compositional units of Ivan IV’s letters echo the structure of late Byzantine epistolography. But this coincidence is only external. The basic set of motifs and formulas of Byzantine writing was strikingly different from the epistolary manner that Ivan IV developed. His polemical texts go back to the polemical treatise, diplomatic letters, and private writing.