The Saintly Heroines In Russian Literature

The worship of women is one of the important features of Russian literature of the Western tradition. There were many women who sincerely believed in God and were imbued with the spirit of self-sacrifice. In classical Russian and Soviet literature these women possessed the virtue of holy religious asceticism. They worshiped saints willingly, despised material gains, displayed moral tenacity and offered selfless love. Russian authors are successful in conveying their own ideal and placing hopes on the resurrection of Russian nationalism's through the aid of these saintly heroines. Heroines in Russian literature have gained a unique symbolic significance: they are the embodiment of suffering and strength.The saintly heroines in Russian literature have exerted a great influence on Russian society. They have nobler spirit than heroes and rescue the souls of heroes. All the stories of these saintly heroines were written by men. This has direct bearing on the Russian concept of "saint Russia," worship of "Mother earth-the Virgin Mary-Sophy" and the writers' passions for women, the role of women in the real life and the history of Russia; but also makes the writers examine the creation of women images.This paper analyses saintly heroines of the different authors in Russian literature also taking into account the theology of the Russian Eastern Orthodox Church and the ideas of religious philosophy. It also seeks, using the theology of the prototype criticism and aesthetic criticism, to extract the cultural origins, aesthetic values and the progressive role in society of these images Moreover, it will bring to light the disappearance of the saint's spirits and their moral idea of the heroines in contemporary Russian literature and will argue that the saint's ascetic practices are the moral pillar of the resurrection of Russian nationalism.