Analysis of the Structure of Text Space in the Novel by B. L. Pasternak “Doctor Zhivago”: Spatial Opposition Moscow – Yuryatin

The article examines the structure of the text space in the novel by B. L. Pasternak “Doctor Zhivago”. The novel “Doctor Zhivago” is marked by an emphatic connection between the spatial organization and the general meaning of the work. The theory of the mechanism of spatial modeling of artistic texts, proposed by Yu.  M. Lotman, indicates that the space in artistic texts is a simulation of the real world. Using this theory to rethink this novel helps us achieve a deeper understanding. The meaning of the text space of the novel is highlighted by the fact that the juxtaposition of the real space of Moscow and the unreal space of Yuryatin reflects non-spatial cultural values. This antithesis is represented by the vertical axis “top - bottom”. As a real space, Moscow rather symbolizes physical boundaries, and as an unreal space, Yuryatin claims the spiritual value of the protagonist of the novel Zhivago.