“A Stroll through the Streets of Polis”
The study is dedicated to the examination of the series of essays entitled “A Stroll Through the Streets of Polis” that occupies a unique place in the diverse and multi-genre literary work of the brilliant Armenian satirist Hakob Paronyan (1843-1891). As a classic example of physiological essay genre, it is noteworthy in the field of worldwide satire and, by the way, unique in the context of the whole Armenian literature.
Surprisingly, previous literary studies have not made this masterpiece a subject of special study and have been content with merely recording a few words of praise. Interest in “Stroll…” necessarily arose nowadays, and with the discovery and comparison of numerous newly revealed facts (25 new essay versions), a complete scientific history of that work was created for the first time. Meanwhile this masterpiece by Paronyan undoubtedly has a modern resonance: it allows us to restore the artistic biography of Constantinople located at the crossroads of East and West in the second half of XIX century filled with deep authenticity and a colorful environment. It is no coincidence that “Stroll…” was translated into Turkish and was published in Istanbul. In 2014, in Turkey, the book was included in the list of the best books recommended to readers for reading in summer time. As “Armenpress”, reported the list was compiled by the Turkish newspaper “Hurriyet” recommending reading it during the summer holidays, “as the best medicine for those readers who have decided to spend their vacation in Istanbul. In the book “A Stroll Through the Streets of Istanbul” Hakob Paronyan satirically depicts the public and courtyard life of 34 districts of Istanbul, the indifference of the Armenian leadership to the problems of the Armenian community and the contradictions created by class division. “Paronyan will help you to look at the past of the city, that has lost its colors, outline, image, and even most of its people,” with different eyes, – states the book’s announcement. And this study aims to uncover Paronyan’s principles of depicting a big city, the ideological and artistic features of the work in question and the value system.