Velimir Chlebnikov – kritik: neskol’ko slov o kritičeskoj ėsseistike V. Chlebnikova

This article is devoted to the critical prose in the oeuvre of Velimir Chlebnikov (1885 – 1922), one of the most renowned poets of the Russian avant-garde. Ever since he was alive, the attention of criticism has focused on the wide variety of features characterising his oeuvre, above all slovotvorčestvo and the peculiarities of his poetic language. From this range of literary elements, several non-strictly textual aspects of Chlebnikov's works stand out. Even though his prose works – and, above all, those works that belong to the category of the so-called “non-artistic” prose – remained relatively in the dark, there are still some topics which would require a detailed study. Among them the crucial role that critical prose played in his literary career is prominent. With a focus on the analysis of V. Chlebnikov’s critical articles, the aim of this paper is not only to sketch a portrait of the poet as a critic-essayist, but also to highlight the structural aspects and the historical context of the works that are taken into account.