The lecture focuses on Vladimir Nabokov’s works in the context of the philosophy of Russian symbolism and in relation to the philosophical interpretation of the word and symbol.
It discusses the philosophical views of the Silver Age poet Andrei Bely and philosopher Vyacheslav Ivanov on the symbol. Additionally, the lecture sheds light on their influence on Nabokov’s works. The lecture reveals the interrelationships of Nabokov’s poetic and prose works and the poetry of the Silver Age. It focuses on the intersection points of creativity and biographical lines of Nabokov and bright representatives of Russian symbolism. Their works are a vivid example of the spectrum of Russian symbolism, a multifaceted manifestation of the philosophy, mythology and culture of the Russian heritage of the late 19th − first third of the 20th century. The modern literature of meta-modernism uses the principle of "oscillation" or "flickering" and its philosophy is underpinned by the idea of a "symbol", which in a clear and concise form demonstrates the potential of the word, the power of its impact. In this regard, Vladimir Nabokov’s prose can be viewed as ultra-modern prose.