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Acknowledgments: This work was supported in the IWL RAS by the Russian Science ГFoundation Project No. 22-18-00051-П, Available at: https://rscf.ru/ project/22-18-00051.

Abstract:

Poet Dmitry Borisovich Kedrin (1907–1945) spent most of the Great Patriotic War in the suburban village of Cherkizovo near Moscow. Having no country home of his own, the poet knew country life well and felt its poetry subtly (“Autumn Near Moscow”, 1936). In the works of 1941–1945, the image of the cottage is repeatedly transformed, filled with new meanings. In the poem “To the Front” (1941), it turns into a place of farewell to comrades and peaceful life, and a noisy feast resembles a funeral or a wake by itself. In the poem “Nature” (1942), the abandoned dachas of the evacuated are a symbol of the violation of the world order, the helplessness of man in the face of the natural elements. The image of deserted dachas also appears in the poem “Pilots Playing Volleyball” (1943). However, the mood of the work is different — the turning point in the war and close acquaintance with the military changed Kedrin’s state of mind. The lyrical hero admires the courage and joie de vivre of the pilots, believes in the success of the common cause. In the post-war “Invitation to the Country” (1945), going out of town becomes a symbol of a peaceful life that is improving, and a bright hope for the future. The lyrical hero sees summer abundance as a celebration of liberation from a deadly threat; the surrounding forests and groves await summer residents as dear guests. Victory restores harmony between man and the world. The cottage once again becomes a place of friendly meetings, immersion in nature and admiring its beauty.

Keywords: Dmitry Kedrin, dacha, the Great Patriotic War, poetry, poems, Cherkizovo.

Acknowledgments: The author is grateful to Svetlana Dmitrievna Kedrina and Dmitry Olegovich Kedrin for their help in the work.