Mystical historiosophy of Velimir Khlebnikov

Abstract

In this article the mystical historiosophy of Velimir Khlebnikov is considered as a form of Russian historiosophical thought. Religious, philosophical, historical and cultural prerequisites of formation of the concept of historicism in Russian mysticism of the beginning of the 20th century are analyzed. Special attention is paid to “Boards of Fate”, a collection of notes and observations about the universal laws of time discovered by Khlebnikov. In the article general principles are formulated of assessment of both the mystical historiosophy of Khlebnikov, and other attempts of mystic-occult development of the principle of historicism. Progress in the humanities and cultural anthropology makes it easy to see the limitation of such attempts and to establish some of their initial attitudes, reproduced by default. When these attitudes remain ignored, mystical historicism not only is reproduced in this or that form again and again, but also naturally finds admirers. In particular, we consider the idea of “the universal myth” which for a long time was an attractive reference point for anthropology and for other humanities. Modern anthropological theories (for example, M. Godelye), see in such construction of the universal myth the reproduction of old speculative idealism in new forms of ethnology and psychoanalysis. As the current state of domestic culture is characterized by deviations from scientific and philosophical historicism (various versions of folk history, “new chronology” of A. Fomenko, conspiracy theories, etc.), analysis of sources of Russian mystical historicism acquires natural relevance. A conclusion is made about the need to study Russian historiosophical mysticism for deeper understanding of the principle of historicism and of peculiarities of its perception in Russia.