Fridays, Y. P. Polonsky's Fridays, K. K. Sluchevsky's Fridays

Categories / Literature. Book Publishing/Salons, Circles, Creative Associations and Unions
FRIDAYS, Y. P. Polonsky's Fridays and K. K. Sluchevsky's Fridays. Y. P. Polonsky's Literary and Art circle was founded in St. Petersburg in the 1860s, and was known as Polonsky's Friday in St. Petersburg. The gatherings became regular in 1870s, and were held at the poet's flats at 18 Zvenigorodskaya Street, 24 Fontanka River Embankment, and 26 Znamenskaya Street (now Vosstania Street). They were attended by F. M. Dostoevsky, I. S. Turgenev, I. A. Goncharov, D. V. Grigorovich, A. G. Rubinstein, A. N. Maykov, A. N. Pleshcheev, N. N. Strakhov, N. S. Leskov, I. I. Yasinsky, K. K. Sluchevsky, I. K. Aivazovsky, V. S. Solovyev, and many other writers, musicians, artists, and statesmen. Apart from traditional literary readings and discussions, music parties, often held as charitable events, became an integral part of the Fridays. After Polonsky died in 1898, Friday regulars established the Polonsky Literary and Art Circle, which existed until 1916. Polonsky's undertaking was taken over by Sluchevsky, who founded his own circle of poets, which held meetings between 1898 and 1904 at his flats at 7 Nikolaevskaya Street (now Marata Street) and 28 Italyanskaya Street (now Zhukovskogo Street) "for friendly discussions on Fridays." Sluchevsky's was an exceptional literary circle, attended not only by visitors of Polonsky's circle but also new members such as V. Y. Bryusov, D. S. Merezhkovsky, Z. N. Gippius, I. A. Bunin, K. D. Balmont, N. M. Minsky, F. Sologub, K. M. Fofanov, and M. A. Lokhvitskaya. The circle published its own magazine Slovtso in 1899-1900 and a miscellany, Dennitsa , in 1900. After Sluchevsky died, members of the meetings arranged the Sluchevsky Memorial Meetings, held until 1917 and attended by A. A. Blok, V. I. Ivanov, N. S Gumilev, and S. A. Esenin.

Reference: Смиренский В. К истории пятниц К. К. Случевского // Рус. лит. 1965. № 3. С. 216-226; Барятинский В. В. "Пятницы Полонского" и "Пятницы Случевского": Из серии воспоминаний "Догоревшие огни" // Воспоминания о серебряном веке. М., 1993. С. 295-299; Сапожков С. В. "Пятницы" К. К. Случевского: (по новым материалам) // НЛО. 1996. № 18. С. 232-275; Тахо-Годи Е. А. Константин Случевский: Портрет на пушкинском фоне. СПб., 2000. С. 308-389.

A. B. Muratov. Aivazovsky Ivan Konstantinovich
Balmont Konstantin Dmitrievich
Blok G.P.
Bryusov Valery Yakovlevich
Bunin Ivan Alexeevich
Dostoevsky Fedor Mikhailovich
Esenin Sergey Alexandrovich
Fofanov Konstantin Mikhailovich
Gippius Zinaida Nikolaevna
Goncharov Ivan Alexandrovich
Grigorovich Dmitry Vasilievich
Gumilev Nikolay Stepanovich
Ivanov Vyacheslav Ivanovich
Leskov Nikolay Semenovich
Lokhvitskaya-Skalon Mirra Alexandrovna
Maykov Apollon Nikolaevich
Merezhkovsky Dmitry Sergeevich
Minsky (born Vilenkin) Nikolay Maximovich
Pleshcheev Alexey Nikolaevich
Polonsky Yakov Petrovich
Rubinstein Anton Grigorievich
Sluchevsky Konstantin Konstantinovich
Sologub Fedor (real name Teternikov Fedor Kuzmich)
Solovyev Vladimir Sergeevich
Strakhov Nikolay Nikolaevich
Turgenev Ivan Sergeevich
Yasinsky Ieronim Ieronimovich
Fontanka River Embankment/Saint Petersburg, city, house 24
Marata St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 7
Vosstaniya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 26
Zhukovskogo Street/Saint Petersburg, city, house 28
Zvenigorodskaya Street/Saint Petersburg, city, house 18
Смиренский В. К истории пятниц К. К. Случевского // Рус. лит., 1965
Барятинский В.В. "Пятницы Полонского" и "Пятницы Случевского": Из серии воспоминаний "Догоревшие огни" // Воспоминания о серебряном веке. М., 1993
Тахо-Годи Е.А. Константин Случевский: Портрет на пушкинском фоне. СПб., 2000
Сапожков С.В. "Пятницы" К.К. Случевского: (по новым материалам) // Новое лит. обозренние, 1996