Marriage and Family Relations in V. P. Krymov’s Trilogy Out for a Million

The literary legacy of writer Vladimir Krymov (1878-1968), born in Dinaburg (Daugavpils), comprises twenty-seven books, seven of which have been translated into English. In 1933, the trilogy “Behind the Millions” was published in Berlin, rightfully considered one of the author’s most important works. The novel represents a variant of the family chronicle, a genre particularly popular in Russian literature from the late 19^th to the early 20^th centuries. The history of the family often reflects the main issues of its time, stemming from the contradictions of bourgeois culture that permeated all levels of personal and socio-economic existence. Within V. Krymov’s artistic realm, three generations of characters are clearly delineated: the older generation, the middle generation, and the younger generation. Considering the daily behaviour and customs of the Old Believers during the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, it is noteworthy that the problem of marriage and family life organization constituted one of the most significant challenges. Each generation of Old Believers possesses a set of values that aids survival in unfavourable circumstances, particularly during periods of persecution and repression by official authorities and the Orthodox Church. For the Old Believers, the family plays an ontologically significant role in terms of both cultural and confessional aspects, serving as a key to preserving identity and transmitting cultural values. The older generation, guided by ancestral experience and revered norms presented in texts, largely adheres to the features of traditional family relationships, reminiscent of a medieval model. This model is characterized by a hierarchical internal structure, clear role divisions, a traditional approach to education, and a pursuit of economic self-sufficiency. The family’s role here lies in the stable and reliable organization and implementation of religious upbringing and education, as well as in the establishment and assimilation of prohibitions. Despite the seclusion of the Old Belief, it has never existed in complete isolation but rather in a perpetual “culturally different” environment. Representatives of the middle generation, while maintaining religiosity, develop a new value system. Their aim is wealth accumulation and the pursuit of financial success, viewed as an opportunity to achieve higher social standing and prestige. Categorical attitudes toward prohibitions no longer hold sway over this generation. While sinful behaviour pervades everyday life in the capital city of St. Petersburg, it remains unnoticed and unrecognized as a sin. Consequently, none of the younger generation members manage to create a happy family.