Ahí estaba mi rusalka

la imaginación acuática y la alteridad en “Taman”, de Mijaíl Lermontov

Resumen

This article proposes an analysis of the chapter “Taman”, part of Mikhail Lermontov’s (2013) novel A Hero of Our Time (1840), with an emphasis on the role played by the sea in the narrative, as well as the construction of otherness, which takes the form of the “strange” inhabitants of the coastal village. “Taman” depicts the short passage of Russian army officer Grigory Pechorin through the town of the same name, which serves as a border between Russia and Ukraine, whose territory was partially controlled by the Russian Empire at the time of writing. This border element is reflected in the characters Pechorin meets there. There is a strong cultural mix in them, including Ukrainian, Tatar and Cossack elements, which can be seen in their clothing and language. This difference is a source of estrangement and distrust for the official. In this way, we also see the chapter as an example of a colonial encounter in 19th century Russophone literature. Lermontov’s critical, albeit often ambiguous, stance towards the Empire leads him to subvert several of the tropes typically associated with colonial literature of the period and invites post-colonial readings that help elucidate Russia’s dual self-perception as a nation marginalized by Western Europe and, at the same time, as an imperial power vis-à-vis Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. For the purposes of this study, we will make some brief observations about the role of bodies of water in Russian culture. We will then investigate the complex relationship between the poets of the Golden Age and the and the Russian imperial project, as well as the specificities taken on by Lermontov’s work in this context. Finally, we will analyze the chapter “Taman”, considering the historical significance of the region to Russia, as well as the border and multicultural aspects of the characters, so Other to the protagonist.