Frontier Space of Kyakhta and Amur Region in D. I. Stakheev’s Essays ‘Beyond Baikal and on Amur’ (1869)

Abstract

The article presents the results of an analysis of D. I. Stakheev’s essays from the book “Beyond Baikal and on the Amur” (1869). The author focuses on the study of the essays “Kyakhta”, “Maimachen”, “From Kyakhta to Blagoveshchensk”, and “From Blagoveshchensk to the Sungari River”. Attention is given to the peculiarities of artistic recreation of the “frontier” space. The article discusses the problematic and thematic content of the essays, including the portrayal of Russian and Chinese cultures, issues of population migration to the Amur region, and depictions of nature, among others. The author argues that the character of Stakheev’s reflection is shaped by a frontier vision and a sense of borderland. The novelty of the research lies in the exploration of Stakheev’s lesser-known essays and the application of the frontier paradigm as a research tool. The article proposes a structure for the frontier image in Stakheev’s works, which includes geographical spatial images, ethno-poetics of Russian and Chinese cultures, and the image of the “frontier man”. It is shown that the writer employs a system of folk-poetic evaluations, draws on elements of folklore, and utilizes imagery and motifs from folk creativity. The study reveals the characteristics of the Far Eastern frontier as depicted by Stakheev and demonstrates that the essays serve as a unique literary material about the folk culture of Transbaikalia and the Amur region in the mid-19th century.