The article continues the author’s series of works, where he examines a number of concepts, philosophems, metaphors and symbols inherent in the Russian philosophical and artistic tradition. This consideration is carried out in close connection with the history of European artistic and philosophical culture. In this case, the author explores several images and symbols inherent in both the metaphysics of unity and the Russian poetry of thought. We are talking about the ontological model of the “pyramid of light and darkness”, which arises within the framework of Platonic and Neoplatonic traditions and is very common in European culture. In some cases, it is connected with the theme of apocatastasis, especially if we talk about the metaphysics of unity. The author examines the above-mentioned topics, referring to the artistic world of E. A. Baratynsky, A. A. Blok, Andrei Bely, F. M. Dostoevsky, as well as the philosophical constructions of Nikolai Kuzansky, V. S. Solovyov, L. P. Karsavin, A. F. Losev. The introductory pages of Joseph de Maistre’s famous essay “St. Petersburg Evenings” and Goethe’s fundamental theory of color emphasize the degree of prevalence of the studied topics in European culture. The author examines the stated problems using material from the fields of philosophy, theology, fiction, and the history of fine arts.
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