"two Russias"

[ROBERT A ROTHSTEIN]

>
> Does anyone know the origin of the idea that there are two Russias, for
> example, "te, kotorye sazhali i te, kotorye sideli"? I think someone told
> me that it was one of the philosophers who was exiled in the 20s. Thanks,
> Emily Tall
>

        According to K. V. Dushenko, _Slovar' sovremennykh tsitat_ (Moscow:
Agraf, 1997), the quotation, in the form "Dve Rossii glianut drug drugu
v glaza:  ta, chto sazhala, i ta, kotoruiu posadili (or:  kotoruiu sazhali)"
is attributed to Anna Akhmatova.  Dushenko adds that it is quoted in Lidiia
Chukovskaia's diary for March 4, 1956, in the context:  "Teper' arestanty
vernutsia, i dve Rossii..."  Chukovskaia also cites it as the epigraph to
the second volume of her _Zapiski ob Anne Akhmatova_.

                Bob Rothstein