The book by Yu. M. Lotman "Pushkin's novel "Eugene Onegin". Comment. The teacher's Guide " enjoys well-deserved popularity not only among teachers. While reading this book, we came across a discussion about the magic crystal. This is a fragment of the fiftieth stanza of the eighth chapter of Eugene Onegin: And the distance of a free novel I'm through the magic crystal Still unclear to distinguish. To interfere in the dispute of such experts as N. O. Lerner, M. F. Muryanov and Yu. M. Lotman is certainly an audacity. From the very beginning, we emphasize that we are trying to look at this problem not through the eyes of a Pushkinist, but only through the eyes of a lexicographer. So, what's the argument about? N. O. Lerner believed that the magic crystal is a glass ball for divination; lighting it from behind with the wavering flame of a candle, the diviner looks at the images that appear in the ball and tries to interpret them. (This method of divination is still known today and has even recently been shown on television.) M. F. Muryanov did not agree with N. O. Lerner: glass is amorphous and has no crystal structure, and, therefore, Pushkin could not have had it in mind when talking about a magic crystal. Yu. M. Lotman amended the interpretation of M. F. Muryanov:" ... the word "crystal" in high style could also mean glass" (here are convincing examples from the poems of G. R. Derzhavin and A. S. Pushkin). N. O. Lerner and Yu. M. Lotman are certainly right. Here we want to clarify the meaning of the word crystal "glass". At the end of the XVIII-beginning page 116 In the 19th century, the noun crystal could have the following meanings:: 1. Special structure of some minerals - table salt, copper sulfate, etc. 2. Rock crystal (semi-precious stone), naturally formed in natural conditions (and, by the way, also having a crystal structure). 3. High-quality glass, characterized by high purity and transparency; products made of such glass, especially faceted pendants for cha ... Read more