...If we trace the creative path traveled by Gumilyov, we will not find almost any deviations from the once set goal throughout its entire length. The desire for it, at first instinctive, becomes more conscious and strong-willed over the years. This goal is to raise poetry to the level of a religious cult, to return to it, which in our days fraternizes with fiction and small feuilletons, the power with which Orpheus enchanted even animals and stones. This is the pathos of Gumilyov’s poetry, this is its meaning for the poet himself. To a reader looking for only Derzhavin’s sweet lemonade or civil medicine in poetry (and we know how close to 100% the number of such readers are), these plans seemed just a beautiful pose. And no matter what literary success accompanied Gumilyov, in this very success there would have been a deep mutual discord - between the poet, who set himself such tasks, and his motley and random audience... G. V. Ivanovistochnik: “N. S. Gumilyov: PRO ET CONTRA.” Compiled by Yu. V. Zobnin.