The article deals with the functioning of zoonyms in comparative constructions in Sasha Cherny’s poetry. The use of different types of comparative constructions is analyzed statistically according to the formal classification. Distinctive features of comparative constructions with zoonyms are revealed on the basis of the idea of a four-component comparison model, in which the most prominent feature is the predominance of constructions with a nonrecoverable comparison criterion, that is, an implicit connotative meaning that links the comparison object and the comparison standard. The result of this usage is a powerful, picturesque imagery, inherent in the individual style of Sasha Cherny.

The article describes the variability of special units that belong to the denotative class wind and their gradual stabilization in the formation of terminological systems (17th - 19th centuries). The author analyzes the choice of linguistic expression of the forming scientific and professional knowledge that is represented by the number of lexical variants. As a results, the ways of sign representation of separate special denominations are defined. Such denominations form a scientific periphery of the denotative class wind.

The article presents the description of the Russian particles as a tool of reflection for communication processes in the speech sphere. It is established that the particles are not only representatives of the complex of qualifying-modal meanings, but also reflectors of the processes of intensification, semantic compression, semantic complexity, constructive simplification, model parsing. It is proved that the Russian particles as auxiliary elements of the language with multi-layer semantics are productive and pragmatically oriented communicative signs that facilitate and optimize the process of speech interaction of subjects.

The article discusses the problem of transition from unique objects to generalizations while analyzing works of fiction. First, we reveal violations in the logic of this transition which are typical for modern research. Then we demonstrate how world philology arrived at the idea of the legitimacy of linguistic study of fictional texts in the 2nd half of the 20th century. We characterize factors which influenced this process and methodological difficulties in overcoming the gap between а) sentence linguistics and text linguistics; b) studies of “superindividual”, e.g. linguistic, objects and inimitable examples, e.g. fictional texts. In conclusion, we formulate methodological prerequisites for the elimination of the research problems listed at the beginning of the article.

This article deals with the whole set of theoretical problems connected with the classification principles of abbreviated words in the Russian language. The subject of the analysis was the abbreviations-neologisms motivated by borrowings (such as скейт ← скейтборд). The author shows that words like скейт are included in formal-semantic relationships with other lexical units, which makes them full-fledged elements of the Russian word-formation system. The conclusion of the study is based on a comprehensive study of the continuous samples of abbreviations from two dictionaries of the neologisms of the 21st century. As a result of the linguistic material analysis, three productive classes of the analyzed type abbreviations are established in the article, according to with reduced beginning (байк ← аквабайк), end (боулинг ← боулинг-клуб) and middle (Инет ← Интернет) components.

The article deals with the history of studying the cycle-forming principles of “Poems in prose” written by I. Turgenev. The possible problematic points are analyzed. These problems might be explained by the fact that researchers have paid their attention only to the Russian edition first published in magazine “Herald of Europe” without taking into account other publications finalized and edited by the author himself, which was the case with French lifetime edition, for example. The study sums up the results of cycle-forming problem study in the Russian edition of “Poems in prose”. As a new approach to this problem, a new version of cycle-forming principle is suggested. It says about relative freedom of readers’ perception with the firm tendency to teleologic. On one hand, it is explained by the author’s appeal published in the first edition in the Russian magazine and, on the other, by the orientation to the special type of readers, titles’ tradition and even the so-called fake chronological principle that distinguishes the Russian edition.

Both German playwrights F. Klinger and F. Schiller, who started in the art paradigm of “Sturm und Drang”, twice addressed the motive of “antagonistic brothers”, typical for the literature trend. Using four dramas as examples, the article traces a gradual weakening of the initial impulse of “Sturm und Drang”, a constant revision of aesthetical and worldview dominant ideas. Being younger, Schiller immediately modifies extreme subjectivity of early Klinger and later they both reassess their philosophical and aesthetical judgments. It turns out that the conflict between the brothers in Klinger’s “The twins” appears as a biological opposition of strength and weakness, in Schiller’s “The Robbers” as an ideological opposition of good and evil, idealism and realism, in Klinger’s “The False Players” as a domestic quarrel of two criminals and in Schiller’s “The Bride of Messina” as the determined by fate, equally idealized two forces of nature inspired by “Weimar classicism”.

The article is devoted to the study of literary and cultural traditions in Simonov’s poem “In a dream, I saw a wedding…” The source of the work is defined to be the Lermontov’s poem “The Beggar”. A comparative analysis revealed that Simonov keeps composition in two parts, but refuses the direct allegory. Also revealed is the second source of the poem - a folklore plot about the return of the husband to the wedding of his wife. It’s established the Soviet poet used the plot of sources, but changed their assessment, equally not accepting Lermontov’s and folklore axiology. His own system of values is based on extreme maximalism, uncompromising and strong feelings. But these features, close to romanticism, are combined with realistic detail, colloquial style and the psychological complexity of the lyric hero.

The article presents the analysis of the image of the North in the journalism of Jack London. On the material of seven newspaper-journalistic publications of the American writer, which are essays (feature stories), revealed are thematic dominants, features of style, the arsenal of the artistic means, utilized by the author, determined is the role of the author in the creation of the image of the North that unites the works. As a result of the conducted investigations, the author comes to the conclusion that the image of the North is revealed in the essays as historically real and metaphorical space, and the connection of publicist and descriptive-metaphorical vision causes the special features of formation of the artistic style of the writer.

The article deals with the image of grape in K. Vaginov’s prose. The author focuses mainly on its biblical component, which sets significant semantic projections in the writer’s texts. However, much of irony, the complex correlation of the poetic and the everyday, the tragic and the comic make the image of grapes and a number of adjacent images of wine, wine grower, Jesus Christ, etc. extremely rich and metaphorical. The author concludes that behind the increased semantic density of the image stands the modernist tradition of the Silver age, which dictates the absolute subjectivity, inner conflict and relativism of the literary work.

The article is dedicated to the question of the phenomenon of continuous developing of the main idea which unites the Lermontov’s prose - the problem of treason in love and overcoming it. The author states that necessity to solve the problem forces Lermontov to move in his prosaic writings from one work to another: from “Vadim” to “Princess Ligovskaya”, “The hero of our time”, “Shtoss”. In the article, the transition from “Princess Ligovskaya” to “Princess Mary” is being explained based on the analyses of biographic facts in Lermontov’s life and on artistic reasons.

The purpose of this work is to identify the types and functions of a dialogue as one of the main means of artistry in V. Veresaev’s novel “The Deadlock”, dedicated to the post-revolutionary events in the South of Russia. Scenes captured by Veresaev, are correlated with similar sketches in essays and notes of I. Shmelev and M. Gorky. The particular attention is drawn to the author’s presentation of the spiritual state and worldview of the Russian intelligentsia and the folk in the critical era.

The article discusses the issue of changing the writing style in the works of N. Teffi in the 1940s. Particular attention is paid to the concept of love, since it is love that finds distorted forms in the emigre environment of the mid-20th century. In the article, on the basis of the textological method, the analysis of the views of the researchers of the writer’s work is given. The focus becomes the collection of stories “All About Love”. A comparative analysis is applied to the works of A. Kuprin and I. Bunin. The author seeks to trace the process of degradation of the spirit in a foreign land. According to the results of the study, conclusions are made about the origins and consequences of the destructive power of time and stupidity. Proposed is the view on the causes of a qualitative change in Teffi’s humor.

On the example of children’ personal diaries in the 20th century, the article deals with one of the most important directions of modern humanity sciences connected with particularities of the genre of a personal diary the status of which is still being discussed. The article contains points of view of different researchers on this problem. Special attention is paid to diaries of the children of the families of M. Tsvetaeva and S. Efron and children’s diaries of the war period which allow understanding a complicated life of Russia in 1930-40s: personal documents in this case become historical ones. Their analysis was carried out under the slogan of Y. Tyunyanov “…to make holes in the document” to clarify it. The analysis of the diaries showed the role of the author’s intention in creating a diary text: in spite of the age differences in the life of its authors there is a moral carcase connected with their ethic images. Our approach will be interesting for specialists who work in the field of peculiarities of documentary literary genres.