Information about the author: 

Abstract:

The paper is dedicated to the analysis and commentary of the poem “The Star of Dawn” by the classic of Abkhaz literature Mushni Lasuria. Its global, universal resonance is noted. The poem, which combines the incredible complexity of the plot and the simplicity of presentation, and acquires the meaning of a national epic, is compared in the article with Dante’s “Divine Comedy”. Attention is paid to Lasuria’s “poetic theology”. It is indicated that the poetic creativity of the author acts as a form of connection between the spirit, soul and body: what is outside of consciousness, not expressed in words and not enlightened by the Spirit is subject to decay. It is emphasized that the material world created by the Creator appears in the poem not simply animated, but spiritualized: God is present in the world, addressing us with countless faces. It is indicated that the moral theology of Orthodoxy in the poem “The Star of Dawn” is cast in a brilliant artistic form, which allows avoiding tedious didacticism, involving the reader in a rational and vital dialogue. A thesis is put forward about the deep connection of Mushni Lasuria’s poetic worldview with the national worldview and perception of the world, which is most clearly manifested in the pages dedicated to the Mother of God, who is especially revered by the Abkhazians and in whose honor August is named as the “month of the Dormition” (“Nanhua mza”). It is noted that the poet does not simply expound the key aspects of the Bible, but immerses himself in the biblical atmosphere, lives in it, breathes it, making a path through holy places, empathizing with what is happening in Sacred History as a witness and participant. The poem is called “a hymn to the resurrection of the dead”, and Mushni Lasuria himself is called “the apostle of the Abkhazians”.