The Mythopoeic Space of the Bathhouse in the Literary Texts of F. M. Dostoevsky and A. P. Platonov

The archetypal nature of the image of the bathhouse is reflected in the works of fiction by writers from different eras. The image of the banya (bathhouse, sauna) is ambivalent: on the one hand, it is one of the mythological boundaries separating the living world from the world of evil spirits and the dead, on the other, it is a place of purification not only of the body, but also of the spirit. Since the banya is a place where the four elements — fire, water, air and earth — are connected, it is considered as a place of transition from one state to another, and therefore actualizes such mythological oppositions as living — dead, one's own — foreign, spiritual — bodily, sacred — infernal, etc. The article analyzes the image of banya in the artistic works of F. M. Dostoevsky and A. P. Platonov. It is noted that banya for the characters of A. P. Platonov is a place of hygienic procedures (i. e. purification of the body itself), a place where the soul is cleansed, getting rid of the old life, cleansing the characters before entering a new stage of life. In addition, banya is a place where a switch from life to death is possible, the boundary between which for A. P. Platonov is blurred. He considers a visit to the banya as an opportunity not only to observe hygiene, but also a way to maintain health and physical well-being; however, no purification of the soul with a subsequent change in the life of his characters takes place in the banya in his works.