The Story of how Vladimir Sergeevich Took Offense at Faivel Bentsilovich. An Unpublished V.S. Solovyov’s Letter to F.B. Getz

An analysis of the manuscript legacy of V.S. Solovyov is of the greatest importance for the study of his views, creativity, and biography, especially in connection with the ongoing pro-ject of publishing a complete collection of his works and letters. Even well-known and al-ready published texts, including those that appeared in newspapers and journals, need careful comparison with the manuscripts that have come down to us. This is particularly true of Solovyov's correspondence that at the time were carefully selected and, in some cases, edited before publication. This is demonstrated by the example of one of the philosopher’s letters that was intentionally published in a noticeably shortened form. The letter to his friend F.B. Getz was written in the summer of 1891 and reflects a dramatic episode in the lives of both and led to a break between Solovyov and the editorial board of the Petersburg newspaper Novosti. The article also presents a short story about Faivel Getz (1853–1932), a journalist, social activist, and the addressee of the letter with whom Solovyov engaged on the Jewish issue. This article also analyzes at length the events of 1891, which led to a small scandal that served as the reason for writing this letter. V.S. Solovyov could be suspected of cheating and self-promotion as a result of a misunderstanding that arose from the fact that two different authors published in the same newspaper at that time under the same pseudonym. The appendix contains the full text of Solovyov's letter to Getz with the necessary commentary.