The female image through the prism of the eternal and the earthly in the life and work of V.S. Solovyov
Abstract
The theme of Sophia in the aspect of mystical experience and life path of V.S. Solovyov is considered in order to reveal the actual problem – the phenomenon of femininity in its versatility. The visions of the Beautiful Woman, which influenced the evolution of Solovyov’s religious and philosophical views, are described. The author provides an analysis of the synthesis of Solovyov’s mystical, rational, and poetic attitudes to his visions, which was conditioned by the Gnostic idea of Sofia the Wisdom of God. It is shown in the article that Solovyov creatively perceived and developed this idea combining it with his own mystical experiences as well as with the philosophical justification of all-unity. It is mentioned that the theme of womanhood was considered by Solovyov in a wide range which included both the scale of the universe and the earthly life. This required the use of historical, comparative, dialectical, metaphysical, and analytical methods of research. Solovyov’s view of the complex and contradictory feminine earthly nature is presented. The author considers Solovyov’s life and claims that women with the name Sophia played a special role in it, as they were dear and beloved to him. The stories of Solovyov’s love for the muse of his life, Sofia Khitrovo, as well as for Sofia Martynova continue the theme of femininity and poetic embodiment of Solovyov’s feelings and notions of the peculiarities of the female soul. The conclusion is made that Solovyov tried to perceive the problem of femininity in a holistic way – from its divine manifestation to the earthly. This indicates a serious contribution of Solovyov to the study of the mystery of the feminine at different levels of the universe through the prism of mystical, rational, and poetic views.
