The Green Lamp (1927-1939)

The first meeting of the Green Lamp took place on February 5, 1927 in the building of the Russian Trade and Industrial Union in Paris. Merezhkovsky delivered a speech on the tasks of the new society; his co-rapporteur Vl. Khodasevich reminded those present about the traditions associated with the name of the circle (see. " Green Lamp "). “The flame of our Lamp shines through the green lampshade, or rather, through the green color of hope,” D. S. Merezhkovsky said in his words. G.V. Ivanov was elected Chairman of the Society, V. Zlobin was the Secretary, and Z. Gippius was the Personal Secretary.

As Y. Terapiano recalled, the Merezhkovskys decided to create something like an “incubator of ideas”, a kind of secret society where everyone would be connected (“in a conspiracy”) regarding the most important issues ^[3] .

On February 24 and March 1, two sessions of the Green Lamp were held on the topic of Russian Literature in Exile. On March 31, the “Poetic Evening of the Green Lamp” took place, at which Merezhkovsky read his poems. During 1927, meetings of the Green Lamp were held on the topics: “Russian intelligentsia as a spiritual order”, “Does poetry have a purpose?”, “Does Christianity die?” ^[four]

Transcripts of the first five meetings are published in the New Ship magazine. ^[2] Founded by Z. Gippius, he alluded by its name to associations with the Noah's Ark and developed in his publications the theme of the upcoming religious “salvation”. The journal lasted about two years (1927-1928) ^[5] . The first reports were read here: M. O. Tsetlin (“On literary criticism”), Zinaida Gippius (“Russian literature in exile”), I. I. Bunakov-Fondaminsky (“Russian intelligentsia as a spiritual order”), G. V. Adamovich "Does poetry have a purpose?"

Green Lamp meetings were available to the elite. Participants were invited according to the list, and at the entrance, Secretary V. A. Zlobin charged a small fee from each to cover the cost of hiring the hall. As Y. Terapiano recalls, at about nine in the evening the hall was usually already full. Among the regulars were I. A. Bunin with his wife, B. K. Zaitsev , M. A. Aldanov , A. M. Remizov , V. F. Khodasevich, N. A. Teffi : they took a place in the front row. The editors of the journal “Modern Notes” M.V. Vishnyak, V.V. Rudnev, and I.I. Bunakov-Fondaminsky often visited the Green Lamp, and I. P. Demidov and S. I. Talin came from the “Latest News”. , from the Renaissance S. K. Makovsky. Participants in the debate were the philosophers N. Berdyaev , K. Mochulsky, G. Fedotov , L. Shestov ^[2] .

On February 18 and 27, 1928, two meetings of the Green Lamp took place on the theme of Tolstoy and Bolshevism. In March, due to the conflict with G.V. Ivanov, V.F. Khodasevich left the board of the Green Lamp. On April 10, a meeting was held on the theme “The Apocalypse of Our Time by V.V. Rozanov (on the Old Testament and Christianity)”. On April 12, the board of the Green Lamp, according to Gippius, “collapsed”. Since that time, meetings have been held irregularly ^[4] .

At the end of 1929, there was a “double evening” of the Green Lamp in the Paris Playel hall on the theme “About Love”, which gathered a large audience, as well as a meeting dedicated to Joyce and Proust; in the spring of 1930 - meetings on the topics “Why did we get bored?” and “Symbolism” (twice) ^[6] .

• Zobnin Yu. V. Dmitry Merezhkovsky: life and deeds. - M .: Young Guard, 2008 .-- ISBN 978-5-235-03072-5 .