The Tender Friendship and the Charm of Perfect Accord: Nabokov and His Father

Introduction

Introduction h From conversations with my father, from daydreams in his absence, from the neighborhood of thousands of books full of drawings of animals, from the precious shimmer of the collections, from the maps, from all the heraldry of nature and the cabbalism of Latin names, life took on a kind of bewitching lightness that made me feel as if my own travels were about to begin.Thence, I borrow my wings today. —Vladimir Nabokov, The Gift My father was, indeed, a very active man, but as often happens with the children of famous fathers, I viewed his activities through a prism of my own, which split into many enchanting colors the rather austere light my teachers glimpsed. In connection with his varied interests—criminological, legislative, political, editorial, philanthropic—he had to attend many committee meetings, and these were often held at our house. —Vladimir Nabokov, Speak, Memory My father [ . . .] not only taught me a great deal but also trained my very thoughts, as a voice or hand is trained, according to the rules of his school. —Vladimir Nabokov, The Gift The family milieu habitually exerts an important, often decisive, influence on a human being. It has been long observed and established that parents, specifically fathers, “are in a unique position to be the most powerful single source of influence on a child, and the only consistent influence the child is exposed to throughout childhood.”1 Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977), one 1. Hamilton, Father’s Influence on Children, 170. 2 • The Tender Friendship and the Charm of Perfect Accord of the most celebrated writers of our time, is no exception. He grew up in a refined family of diverse interests. The liberal values and wide-ranging cultural activities of the writer’s parents had a crucial impact on his worldview, personality, predilections, and tastes. Nabokov’s father, Vladimir Dmitrievich (1870–1922), was a prominent jurist and statesman at the turn of the twentieth century, a great connoisseur of literature, painting, and theater as well as a butterfly enthusiast, passionate chess player, and keen athlete. V. D. Nabokov left a considerable literary legacy that enables one to discern his legal and political stance and aesthetic inclinations. To be sure, Nabokov’s mother, Elena Ivanovna (née Rukavishnikov , 1876–1939), an amateur pianist, entomologist, and painter, played a significant role in her son’s development, especially his artistic pursuits, such as poetry, painting, theater, and music. Like so many women in imperial Russia, however, Elena Ivanovna lived in the shadow of her husband, and there is hardly any material evidence that allows for a comprehensive evaluation of her influence on Nabokov. While Elena Ivanovna’s effect on Nabokov’s personal advancement may be ascertained primarily from the writer’s own reminiscences and those by close relatives such as his paternal uncle Konstantin and cousin Nicolas, the pivotal impact of V.D.Nabokov on his son may be corroborated in many different ways. In addition to a great variety of recollections about him, Vladimir Dmitrievich’s versatile and vibrant personality finds its expression in his library (via its extant catalogue) and, to a degree, in the family art collection. Most importantly, the senior Nabokov’s heritage may be gleaned from his own writings—his numerous books, speeches, and articles. It is worth noting that the interest in V. D. Nabokov’s legacy has been steadily growing not only in Russia but also in the West. Students in my Nabokov seminar at Cornell University frequently inquire about the availability of Nabokov senior ’s works. Regrettably, most of them, originally published in imperial and émigré periodicals, have been neither reprinted nor translated. One can only hope that this deplorable situation will be rectified in the near future. In the meantime, this book partially remedies this problem by including Nabokov senior’s two seminal articles and by providing plentiful references to and citations from his otherwise hard-to-find writings. As a Nabokov scholar, however, I view their primary and indispensable significance in the powerful light they cast on the writer’s system of beliefs and aesthetic values. What makes the examination of the senior Nabokov’s impact on his firstborn so important is the relationship of mutual admiration and respect between the father and the son. While V. D. Nabokov adored Introduction • 3 his eldest son, recognized his great many gifts, and did his utmost to nurture them, Nabokov revered and admired his...