What time period are we talking about when the term “modern Russian literature” is mentioned? Obviously, it dates back to 1991, receiving impetus for development after the collapse of the USSR. There is currently no doubt about the presence of this cultural phenomenon. Many literary critics they agree that four generations of writers are behind its creation and development.

The sixties and modern literature

So, modern Russian literature arose immediately after the collapse Soviet Union and the fall of the Iron Curtain did not come out of nowhere. This happened largely due to the legalization of the works of writers of the sixties, previously prohibited from publication.

The newly discovered names of Fazil Iskander became known to the general public (the story “Constellation of Kozlotur”, the epic novel “Sandro from Chegem”); Vladimir Voinovich (novel “The Adventures of Ivan Chonkin”, novels “Moscow 2042”, “Design”); Vasily Aksenov (novels “Island of Crimea”, “Burn”), Valentin Rasputin (stories “Fire”, “Live and Remember”, story “French Lessons”).

Writers of the 70s

Together with the works of the generation of disgraced freethinkers of the sixties, modern Russian literature began with books of authors of the generation of the 70s that were permitted for publication. She enriched herself with writings (the novel “Pushkin’s House”, the collection “Apothecary Island”, the novel “The Flying Monks”); Venedikt Erofeeva (prose poem “Moscow - Petushki”, play “Dissidents, or Fanny Kaplan”); Victoria Tokareva (collections of stories “When it became a little warmer”, “About what did not happen”); Vladimir Makanin (stories “A table covered with cloth and with a decanter in the middle”, “One and One”), Lyudmila Petrushevskaya (stories “Thunderstrike”, “Never”).

Writers initiated by perestroika

The third generation of writers - creators of literature - was awakened to creativity directly by perestroika.

Modern Russian literature has been enriched with new bright names of its creators: Viktor Pelevin (novels “Chapaev and Emptiness”, “Life of Insects”, “Numbers”, “Empire V”, “T”, “Snuff”), Lyudmila Ulitskaya (novels “Medea and her children”, “Kukotsky’s Case”, “Sincerely yours Shurik”, “Daniel Stein, translator”, “Green Tent”); Tatyana Tolstoy (novel “Kys”, collections of stories “Okkervil River”, “If you love - you don’t love”, “Night”, “Day”, “Circle”); Vladimir Sorokin (stories “The Day of the Oprichnik”, “Blizzard”, novels “Norma”, “Telluria”, “Blue Lard”); Olga Slavnikova (novels “Dragonfly Enlarged to the Size of a Dog”, “Alone in the Mirror”, “2017”, “Immortal”, “Waltz with a Beast”).

New generation of writers

And finally, modern Russian literature of the 21st century has been replenished with a generation of young writers, the beginning of whose creativity fell directly on the time of state sovereignty Russian Federation. Young but already recognized talents include Andrei Gerasimov (novels “Steppe Gods”, “Razgulyaevka”, “Cold”); Denis Gutsko (the Russian-speaking dilogy); Ilya Kochergina (story “The Chinese Assistant”, stories “Wolves”, “Altynai”, “Altai Stories”); Ilya Stogoff (novels “Machos Don’t Cry”, “Apocalypse Yesterday”, “Revolution Now!”, collections of stories “Ten Fingers”, “Dogs of God”); Roman Senchin (novels “Information”, “Yeltyshevs”, “Flood Zone”).

Literary awards stimulate creativity

It is no secret that modern Russian literature of the 21st century is developing so rapidly thanks to numerous sponsorship awards. Additional motivation encourages authors to further develop their creativity. In 1991, the Russian Booker Prize was approved under the auspices of the British company British Petrolium.

In 2000, thanks to the sponsorship of the construction and investment company "Vistcom", another major award was established - "Natsbest". And finally, the most significant is “ Big book", established in 2005 by Gazprom. The total number of existing literary awards in the Russian Federation is approaching one hundred. Thanks to literary awards, the writing profession has become fashionable and prestigious; the Russian language and modern literature received a significant impetus to their development; the previously dominant method of realism in literature was supplemented by new directions.

Thanks to active writers (which manifests itself in works of literature), it develops as a communicative system through further universalization, that is, through the borrowing of syntactic structures, individual words, speech patterns from vernacular, professional communication, and various dialects.

Styles of modern literature. Popular literature

Works of modern Russian literature are created by their authors in different styles, among which popular literature, postmodernism, blogger literature, dystopian novel, and literature for clerks stand out. Let's take a closer look at these areas.

Mass literature today continues the traditions of entertaining literature of the end of the last century: fantasy, science fiction, detective, melodrama, adventure novel. However, at the same time, there is an adjustment to the modern rhythm of life, to rapid scientific progress. Readers mass literature constitute the largest share of its market in Russia. Indeed, it attracts various age groups population, representatives of various levels of education. Among the works of popular literature, compared with the books of others literary styles, most of all bestsellers, that is, essays that have peak popularity.

The development of modern Russian literature today in the nai to a greater extent determined by the creators of books with maximum circulation: Boris Akunin, Sergei Lukyanenko, Daria Dontsova, Polina Dashkova, Alexandra Marinina, Evgeniy Grishkovets, Tatyana Ustinova.

Postmodernism

Postmodernism as a direction in Russian literature arose in the 90s of the last century. Its first adherents were writers of the 70s and Andrei Bitov. Representatives of this trend contrasted realism with an ironic attitude towards communist ideology. They're in artistic form demonstrated evidence of the crisis of totalitarian ideology. Their baton was continued by Vasily Aksenov “Island of Crimea” and Vladimir Voinovich “The Adventures of Soldier Chonkin”. Then Vladimir Sorokin and Anatoly Korolev joined them. However, Viktor Pelevin’s star shone brighter than all other representatives of this trend. Each book by this author (and they are published approximately once a year) gives a subtle artistic description of the development of society.

Russian literature at the present stage is developing ideologically thanks to postmodernism. His characteristic irony, inherent in changes in the social system, the dominance of chaos over order, free combination artistic styles determine the universality of the artistic palette of its representatives. In particular, Viktor Pelevin in 2009 was informally awarded the honor of being considered a leading intellectual in Russia. The originality of his style lies in the fact that the writer used his unique interpretation of Buddhism and personal liberation. His works are multipolar, they include many subtexts. Victor Pelevin is considered a classic of postmodernism. His books have been translated into all languages ​​of the world, including Japanese and Chinese.

Novels - dystopias

Modern trends in Russian literature have also contributed to the development of the genre of the novel - dystopia, which is relevant during periods of changes in the social paradigm. The generic features of this genre are the representation of the surrounding reality not directly, but already perceived by the consciousness of the protagonist.

Moreover, the main idea of ​​such works is the conflict between the individual and a totalitarian society of the imperial type. According to its mission, such a novel is a book of warning. Among the works of this genre one can name the novels “2017” (author - O. Slavnikova), “Underground” by V. Makanin, “ZhD” by D. Bykov, “Moscow 2042” by V. Voinovich, “Empire V” by V. Pelevin.

Blogger literature

The problems of modern Russian literature are most fully covered in the genre of blogger works. This type literature has both common features with traditional literature, and significant differences. Like traditional literature, this genre performs cultural, educational, ideological, and relaxation functions.

But, unlike it, it has a communicative function and a socialization function. It is blogging literature that fulfills the mission of communication between participants literary process in Russia. Blogger literature performs functions inherent in journalism.

It is more dynamic than traditional literature, since it uses small genres (reviews, sketches, information notes, essays, short poems, short stories). It is characteristic that the blogger’s work, even after its publication, is not closed or complete. After all, any comment that follows is not a separate, but an organic part of the blog work. Among the most popular literary blogs on the Runet are the “Russian Book Community”, the “Discussing Books” community, the “What to Read?” community.

Conclusion

Modern Russian literature today is in the process of its creative development. Many of our contemporaries read the dynamic works of Boris Akunin, enjoy the subtle psychologism of Lyudmila Ulitskaya, follow the intricacies of fantasy plots by Vadim Panov, and try to feel the pulse of time in the works of Viktor Pelevin. Today we have the opportunity to assert that in our time, unique writers create unique literature.

Russian prose of the 21st century in criticism. Reflection, assessments, description methods Kolyadich Tatyana Mikhailovna

Introduction: criticism. General literary situation beginning of the 21st century

In presenting contemporary literature, we first need to define the time frame of this concept. If you ask a reader, critic, or literary critic about its boundaries, we will get the most contradictory answers. Some will attribute the modern period to the post-war decades, others to what is happening before our eyes, but these statements are united by a common feeling: a feeling of change. In the first case, they are associated with the Thaw, a turn from dogmatic literature to dynamic literature, filled with various events and characters, in the second we're talking about about those works that are created literally before our eyes, causing disputes of judgments and assessments.

In any case, one thing is clear: we need criteria for defining the concept “modern”. Let us highlight it according to its historical and public dates. This principle of periodization of cultural phenomena is explained by the fact that for a long time there was a practice of identifying individual stages of development national culture depending on certain social realities.

The years 1985 and 1991 are considered to be original starting points. The first date marked the beginning of the “perestroika period”, the second is associated with the formation of a new state in 1991, formally marking the birth of a new political, cultural and historical community, giving an incentive to the formation of a qualitatively different consciousness that determined the subsequent development of literature.

The development of culture was largely influenced by the signing of the “Press Law” by M. Gorbachev in June 1990, which abolished censorship in the country and indirectly contributed to the strengthening publishing activities. As a result, a number of works were published, created both in the metropolis and in the diaspora, but which did not enter the reader’s consciousness in a timely manner. They are called “returned literature”, “forbidden literature”, “desk literature”, including texts that were not published for censorship reasons, since they belonged to modern or avant-garde literature and were created at the beginning of the 20th century.

The period of the late 20th century was defined as transitional, but the specific designations of its beginning and end turned out to be different. In “Theory of Literature”, prepared by the team of IMLI. A.M. Gorky (T. IV. M., 2001), it is noted that the mid-1980s–1990s represent a holistic stage, which is characterized by “the beginning of the pluralistic development of domestic art.” The basis for its identification is also the change in the functions of literature: from didactic and edifying, it becomes narrative, telling about specific problems and openly entertaining the reader.

If earlier the author’s immediate reaction to Soviet reality with its undoubted achievements was recorded, then, starting from the mid-80s, there is a maximum approximation to the life that is interesting to the reader: the success of a neighbor in business, the marriage of an ugly woman to socialite, receiving wealth from an unknown relative living in America. Suffice it to recall the quick and unambiguous success of D. Dontsova or the spread of numerous women's novels, similar to stories published in glossy magazines. Such formations as thriller, trash, horror, retro-detective, and fusion also developed.

First of all, the changes affected the issues and the type of hero. The opportunity to talk about taboo philosophical, religious and political issues, forbidden and marginal topics - army hazing, camp zones, repression, beggary, drug addiction, abortion, pedophilia - led to the emergence of new characters.

The authors began to record specific everyday reality, not only in its positive, but also negative manifestations, so that critics started talking about the sharply negative mood of certain texts. Such ordinary prose even seemed somewhat naive and uncomplicated. But at the same time, it demonstrated a change in thinking, the emergence of a different consciousness, which required not only a change in themes and heroes, but also a search for new linguistic means.

Then, instead of the clearly positive, advanced builder of socialism, a different hero appeared, devoid of any “assignment” and even clearly reduced. For example, in the works of S. Kaledin a cemetery watchman appeared, in T. Tolstoy - old people and children, in M. Kuraev, E. Popov, L. Petrushevskaya - ordinary people. Criticism started talking about new realism, the authors' frank use of elements of naturalism. Trying to fit them into the traditional paradigm, critics introduced the concept of the “marginal hero.”

In fact, to replace the concrete and true portrayal reality in certain historical circumstances (as it was supposed to be written in accordance with the Charter Soviet writers), elements of other stylistic systems came, for example, from postmodernism comes intertextuality, multi-style, playful relationships between the author and the hero, openness of the text for interpretation and options. And all these properties are used in the text dedicated to the depiction of a specific reality (works by D. Rubina and L. Ulitskaya). The restoration of tradition, the return of authors so different in style as A. Bely, B. Zaitsev, B. Pilnyak, A. Remizov, had a lot to do with it.

Thus, socialist realism as the leading principle of literature was actually abolished, and the period from 1917 to 1991. was declared the time of dominance of the communist formation and corresponding ideological guidelines.

In 1989 Vic. Erofeev announced the destruction of the paradigm socialist realism. The controversy surrounding the article made it possible to introduce the terms “other literature”, “new realism”, and post-realism. The most lengthy discussions are associated with the existence of postmodernism. The following is obvious: in literature there are various stylistic, genre and linguistic searches.

Externally, literature has become harsher and more naturalistic. For a number of years, V. Sorokin remained its informal leader, who de-aestheticized reality in the format of Sots Art. Today he is not the only author who writes in an openly shocking manner (let’s also mention the erotic texts of Viktor Erofeev, the war stories and novels of O. Pavlov, the autobiographical text of R.D. Gonzalez Gallego, who talks about the life of a disabled child in an orphanage).

It seemed that ample opportunities for creative exploration were opening up for the literary community. But it will take some time before literature learns to be diverse. Therefore, the period from 1985 to the beginning of the 21st century is called transitional.

As often happens in the history of culture, new period the development of Russian literature begins not directly from the beginning of the century, but from approximately 2002 and ends in 2008. Such a distinction is due to both literary and extra-literary factors: ended creative path individual artists (D. Balashova, Y. Davydova - in 2002, Ch. Aitmatova, A. Pristavkin, A. Solzhenitsyn - in 2008). Each of them is associated with its own direction in the literature: the development historical novel, a lyrical, autobiographical and philosophical story, a documentary narrative of modern times.

A galaxy of young people enters interesting writers and critics - Z. Prilepin, R. Senchin, S. Shargunov. Moreover, the very concept of “young” is shifting and in some cases means “beginner”, i.e. age criteria turn out to be relative, although sometimes they are taken into account.

2008 also became the year of summing up the results; the publication of early works by those authors whose main texts were published in the “transition period” took place, making it possible to imagine the evolution of their work: a collection of short stories and novellas by V. Sorokin “Swimming”, a one-volume set of plays by L. Ulitskaya “Russian” jam and more”, “Old stories of love” by D. Rubina. Some texts have not been published, others have been published for a long time, in small-circulation and provincial publications. Consequently, they came to the mass reader precisely in the 21st century.

The reader's opinion about the modern literary process is formed today under the influence of not only aesthetic, but also commercial factors. And here publishing policy plays an important role. The book has become a hot commodity, hence the slogans: “Hurry to make money on a bestseller!”, “Books are in fashion,” “It’s fashionable to read.”

If the publisher realizes that the demand for classic detective stories is falling, they are replaced with another variety, for example, retro detective stories. In 2008, B. Akunin’s “Quest” project dominated, where they first presented a computer game in a retro style, then a book was published based on a traditional adventure plot. True, instead of chapters there are levels, each with its own code, in order to proceed you need to solve all kinds of tests and logical riddles selected by the author. An intensely constructed plot, narrative features, and unusual characters attract the reader.

Nevertheless, the commercial factor turns publications into a literary show, where not only the text itself, but also extra-textual factors coexist on equal terms: the biography of the author, his image, the way the text is presented, the circumstances of creation. The Appendix provides relevant examples.

Speaking about a similar situation, A. Volos figuratively noted: “Noise is what keeps the book trade afloat”; “...The freedom of printing given to us is not a guarantee that bookstores will be filled with brilliant novels, stories and poems.”

Publishing policy boils down to the fact that literature becomes as branded as other forms of art. Literally several names begin to flash on the screen, in advertising leaflets, and on the mobile phone. For example, Dm., who held the top positions in the Book Review rankings for several weeks in 2007 with his book Metro 2033. Glukhovsky is invited by Newsweek magazine to evaluate the performance in the “Who goes where” section. The science fiction writer, as indicated in the caption under the photograph, expresses his attitude towards G. Marquez, who showed him “what incredible things, it turns out, can be done with language.” The play “What a Pity” is highly appreciated: “Fomenko is a master.”

Even reviews are published on the same books. Repetition leads to stagnation, new names practically do not appear, since they do not bring the desired profit; on the contrary, certain advertising funds need to be spent on them. Publishers openly take advantage of the achievements of other promoters; literary awards perform this function in the modern situation, which we will talk about in the special chapter “The Prize Process.”

Hence the remark of the author of the commentary on the “Bestseller” rating, published in the form of tables with the arrangement of the ten best works for the week in the “Book Review”, L. Shibanova: “As the week passed, Sergei Lukyanenko was knocked out of the top three by none other than Dmitry Brusnikin, whose new book, having barely appeared in the bestseller rankings, immediately ended up in second place. This event was preceded by a significant advertising campaign, which resulted in its inclusion in the top 10 bound art books.”

Repetition is caused by several factors. Based on the originals they produce clones, literary doubles, they were originally conceived as a parody of the source (a series of novels about Porri Gutter by A. Zhvalevsky and I. Mytko; Tanya Grotter by Dm. Yemets). The success of projects is also indicated by creative activity the authors themselves, A. Zhvalevsky presented his version of women's novels together with E. Pasternak (M+F). Playing with the name of the author or hero leads to the appearance of not only common pseudonyms (G. Oldie), but also the use of the names of classics (S. Oblomov).

The general serial design becomes a kind of support. It allows you to print Oksana Robski and Oksana NeRobkaya in the same format, to generate associative lines - the release of the “Red Line” series in Tsentrpoligraf. Nicknames and nicknames are invented, sometimes they come from website literature - Martha Ketro, Lena Lenina.

Consider the following form - a publishing project, when a commercially winning concept is developed and then authors are selected for it. One of the most successful projects of this kind was the series “Life wonderful people" And " Daily life", dating back to the 19th century. Within the framework of ZhZL, it turned out to be possible to place books of various genres - from biographical essays to novels. A distinctive feature, a peculiar “ business card"The series became not only the general design and internal structure, but also the presence in all editions of detailed notes and a serious bibliographic base, sometimes even increasing the overall popular level of the original book.

The “Everyday Life” series is distinguished by a slightly different approach - a general design under which quite different publications are united - from serious analytical works to popular science. The commonality of the series is emphasized by the original design and carefully selected illustrative series, as well as the goal of introducing the reader to unknown pages of the past.

Publishers of the 90s could not ignore this experience, but transformed it, offering the reader several series of fantastic prose and fantasy (“Serpent Gorynych”). This experience then spread to other genres. Let's name the popular series “Ironic Detective”, published by the publishing house “Phantom Press”. Initially, it consisted of books by I. Khmelevskaya, then they were supplemented by works by other authors, written in a completely different tone, but adjusted to the general format through the efforts of the editors.

This process is symptomatic, because the publisher, who brings a book to the market and maintains demand for it, wants to receive a text that is maximally adapted to the requirements of the market.

Strengthened literary prizes as a criterion for selecting texts. It seems that the “Let’s read together” principle is being consistently implemented. Thus, in 2008, the “Big Book” posted on its website texts by authors included in the long list. Interest is also maintained by the constant publication of materials about future winners in Literaturnaya Gazeta and Book Review, in special sections. Previously, when S. Gandlevsky positioned “Russian Booker” in “Itogi” this way, it was considered some kind of challenge.

Since the distribution system is not debugged, the task of introducing the provincial reader to new products is carried out by the laureates’ trips and speeches. Discussions of the results of the award year in special journals (for example, in “Questions of Literature”) and publication of award materials in collections have the same function (a special one-volume book was published for the fifteenth anniversary of the A. Bely Prize).

The critic actively influences the literary process. In addition to traditional literary, artistic and journalistic magazines, reviews began to be published in professional and glossy publications and “exhibited” online.

The reader is bombarded with a stream of various information, entered not only through text format (publications in various media: reviews, interviews, announcements), but also through the Internet, advertising in the subway, television commercials, TV programs. Indirect advertising is the appearance of the book's author on magazine covers.

All noted factors should be considered presentational, helping to distinguish the author from the general literary stream. Today the circulation is 5,000 copies. But a new author rarely publishes more than 1,500 copies, which makes him virtually unnoticed in the market, or “widely known in narrow circles.”

Trends in modern prose

The fixation of concrete reality led to a sharper division of literature into mass (entertainment) and elite. Let us note again that this phenomenon was in no way new, only the content of the concept changed. Mass literature has always existed, only it looked different, initially suggesting clichés, predetermined themes and characters. Suffice it to remember that the literature of socialist realism adapted to the reader, developing simplified plot schemes; heroes were divided into positive and negative, advanced workers and enemies. Images of heroic intelligence officers, fighters against evil, and police officers appeared (works by V. Astafiev, V. Kozhevnikov, Yu. Semenov).

In part, a similar trend has continued (the works of Vas. Golovachev and the images of knights of light, fighters for national ideas). IN women's prose folklore clichés were used (most often the tale of Cinderella - the motif of a persecuted stepdaughter). But at the same time, another reality was also recorded, the world of clerks (works by S. Minaev), show business and social beauties (O. Robski). The extent to which these texts relate to literature can be revealed in the process of specific analysis; such an understanding of the process is just beginning.

In the meantime, it has become obvious that the problem has expanded. It led not only to a sharp demarcation of literature into mass and elite, but also to the identification of three groups of works as dominant in the reader’s perception: detective stories, science fiction, and women’s prose.

An interesting point of view is expressed by O. and V. Novikov, who believe that modern literature should even learn from mass literature, which actively exploits three components: “sex”, “fear”, “death”. “Trivial literature exploits the basic human feelings, “getting” the reader emotionally. Elite literature tends toward self-expression and narcissism. Ambitiousness does not allow us to understand that the reader is looking for a simple expression of emotions in intelligible language with a clearly organized plot. Therefore, writers find themselves far from the people who are looking for a reflection of reality or outright entertainment in their texts” (“Star”. 2007. No. 9).

Let us add that closeness to the reader leads to leveling the position of the author and the reader. The writer ceases to be the ruler of thoughts, does not strive to express his own views, worldview, tries to be no more difficult than his reader, replicating both other authors and himself; predetermination and cliché are his unique calling cards.

In contrast to elitist literature are books written by those who consider it their duty to “make their mark” in literature. It becomes prestigious, fashionable, glamorous to publish a book. That is why all the so-called stars strive to publish their book, declaring that they are the ones who wrote it. S. Minaev organizes his activities in the publishing field (in the producing format).

Frankly taking advantage of the situation, O. Robski founded his own publishing house, rightly believing that if a book is a commodity and can sell well, then this trend should be supported. In October 2007, together with the online store OZON.ru, the star of glamorous literature began a new joint project"Test of the pen." Having entered the site, any visitor to the store’s website found a page for the information and entertainment project “MAGAZINE”, got the opportunity to read the first chapter of O. Robski’s new book and become its co-author. To do this, it was necessary to read the text, come up with your own version of the further development of events and send a continuation of the novel when the literature ceased to have a clearly biased and didactic character, turning to a specific reader. Focusing on specific problems led to a special presentation of events and a focus on narrative.

The narration began to be conducted in the first person, a direct account of events is introduced (sometimes using improperly direct speech, wedged into the author’s description of the characters’ speech, which contributes to the dynamics of the narrative). Often only the plot matters; the content itself is frankly entertaining.

The focus of this manual is an analysis of the literary five-year period, the period from approximately 2002 to 2008, when a new paradigm of the literary process began to take shape. Under the influence of market relations, a book becomes a commodity that must be consumed, that is, read. To read, the reader must take time to read. In addition, he must notice and see the book; for this, certain steps are taken. If a balance is not maintained between aesthetic and temporal factors, the book turns out to be too relevant and topical, designed for one-time consumption. V. Makanin expressed himself curiously: “...Belonging to one’s time should be partial, incomplete, and belonging to aesthetics should be the highest.”

In response to the needs of this reader, in a number of texts, in contrast to ephemeral works, the conventions, metaphorical and philosophical components have intensified. It became more free to turn to the culture of the past, building texts on a mythoethical component. Although the open shockingness of some authors (V. Pelevin, I. Stogoff, V. Sorokin) has already ceased to be perceived as an extraordinary phenomenon.

The dynamic development of literature in the 21st century has shown that writers are actively mastering the dominant and popular format. The destruction of the paradigm of socialist realism led to the revival of the traditions of realism (towards the naturalistic component) and at the same time to the strengthening of the role of convention and metaphor (the development of fantastic forms and dystopia).

The direct fixation of the everyday component led to the development of action, trash and glamor. The focus on direct naming, without translation, indicated new trends: other spheres of reality, a harsh and pragmatic reality with violence and unambiguous characters, were at the center. At the same time, by contrast, there is an interest in glossy life, a narrow circle of people who belong to show business.

There is also an active introduction of the documentary component into the narrative. The boundaries between an event and its description blur when memoirs begin to write about the very recent past. Travelogues appear - books about travel, where one’s own observations follow in a continuous flow in the form of a stream of consciousness.

The main problem remains the same as in the previous decade: literature ceases to be narrative and begins to resemble an essay, reportage, chronicle. There is also no writer’s idea, the author’s own thoughts, reasoning, which leads to standardization of the text, the disappearance of the individual picture of the world, and this means the absence of one’s own methods of expression.

However, the situation does not seem gloomy and pessimistic. The ongoing deheroization of literature determines the need to search for the ideal and new methods of expressing reality. Such searches are discussed in the manual in order to identify that original beginning, which nevertheless is necessarily preserved in the literature. Hence the description of specific relationships in a dystopian format, historical prose, family saga, political novel - works by Dm. Bykova (Zh.D.), O. Slavnikova (“2017”); A. Ivanova (“Heart of Parma”, “Gold of Rebellion”), L. Ulitskaya (“Daniel Stein”), V. Aksenova (“Rare Earths”).

The role of criticism changes accordingly. The status of “rulers of thoughts” is gradually moving from thick magazines to glossy newspapers. Evaluation of the literary process does not only occur in traditional reviews, essays, columns, or surveys. Various events become active “participants” in this process: presentations, meetings of authors with readers, exhibitions, Internet projects.