The Occulted Woman in Russian Silver Age Decadent Poetry
The Occulted Woman in Russian Silver Age Decadent Poetry

Summary/Abstract: The article outlines the cultural context of Russian women who contributed to the development ofdecadent poetry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, most now forgotten or “occulted” (eclipsed,crowded out). Given the importance of gender theories and “feminine” discursive space in theSilver Age, this phenomenon must be examined; it is not just a typical example of women writtenout of literary history. The article suggests reasons why decadence may have appealed to womenas well as why Russian women who adopted a specifically decadent position might not have beentaken seriously. It ends by suggesting why more famous Russian poets (especially Axmatova andCvetaeva, whose reputations have lasted and grown) achieved more lasting influence thanks totheir occulted female predecessors.

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