Ivanov's Wednesdays, Literary and Artistic Meetings

Categories / Literature. Book Publishing/Salons, Circles, Creative Associations and Unions
IVANOV'S WEDNESDAYS were weekly literary and artistic meetings held in the flat of poet and philosopher Vyach. I. Ivanov and his wife, and writer, L. D. Zinovyeva-Annibal which became the centre of literary life of St. Petersburg of the beginning of the 20th century. The flat was situated on the highest floor of the round bay window and was called in literary circles the Tower (35 Tavricheskaya Street). Ivanov's Wednesdays were held in 1905-07, but the flat of Ivanov continued to remain the centre of attraction of all the creative powers of the city up to the moment of his departure from St. Petersburg. Almost all the outstanding literary men, artists, philosophers, cultural figures of St. Petersburg visited the Tower. Constant visitors of Ivanov's Wednesdays were L. S. Bakst, N. A. Berdyaev, A. A. Blok, A. Bely, S. N. Bulgakov, M. O. Gershenson, M. V. Dobuzhinsky, N. S. Gumilev, S. M. Gorodetsky, Z. N. Gippius, M. A. Kuzmin, A. V. Lunacharsky, V. E. Meyerhold, D. S. Merezhkovsky, V. A. Pyast, A. M. Remizov, F. Sologub, K. A. Somov, F. A. Stepun, L. I. Shestov grouping round the new types of journals - Mir Iskusstva (the World of Art), Novy Put (the New Way), Voprosy Zhizni (Questions of Life). Ivanov's Wednesdays were distinguished by its natural melding of the atmosphere of professional debate with artistic, bohemian entertainment and practising occultism. They greatly influenced the artistic and literary life of St. Petersburg and the development of poetry of the silver age.

References: Богомолов Н. А. Из оккультного быта "башни" Вяч. Иванова // Богомолов Н. А. Русская литература начала ХХ века и оккультизм: Исслед. и материалы. М., 1999. С. 311-334; Бердяев Н. А. "Ивановские среды" // Русская литература XX века / Под ред. С. А. Венгерова. М., 2000. Т. 2. С. 233-237; Боград Г. Л. Дом с "башней" // Дома рассказывают. СПб., 2001. Вып. 1. С. 231-268.

D. N. Akhapkin. Bakst Leon (real name Lev Samoilovich Rosenberg)
Berdyaev Nikolay Alexandrovich
Blok G.P.
Bulgakov Sergey Nikolaevich
Dobuzhinsky Mstislav Valerianovich
Gershenson Mikhail Osipovich
Gippius Zinaida Nikolaevna
Gorodetsky Sergey Mitrofanovich
Gumilev Nikolay Stepanovich
Kuzmin Mikhail Alexeevich
Lunacharsky Anatoly Vasilievich
Merezhkovsky Dmitry Sergeevich
Meyerhold Vsevolod Emilievich
Pyast Vladimir Alexeevich
Remizov Alexey Mikhailovich
Shestov Lev Isaakovich
Sologub Fedor (real name Teternikov Fedor Kuzmich)
Somov Konstantin Andreevich
Zinovyeva-Annibal Lidia Dmitrievna
Tavricheskaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 35
Боград Г.Л. Дом с "башней" // Дома рассказывают. СПб., 2001
Богомолов Н. А. Из оккультного быта "башни" Вяч. Иванова // Богомолов Н. А. Русская литература начала ХХ века и оккультизм: Исслед. и материалы. М., 1999
Бердяев Н. А. "Ивановские среды" // Русская литература XX века / Под ред. С. А. Венгерова. М., 2000 Mir Iskusstva (World of Art), journal
Novy Put (New Way), newspaper