The article deals with similarity as a comparative sense and its representations in different comparative
constructions. The similarity of objects may stem from their essense or may be created by the language itself
- by the meaning or collocations of a comparative constant. The different meaning of a notion depends on the type
of comparison - figurative, logic, reference - and the type of construction - with a comparative conjunction or with a
comparative predicate. As a similarity in a narrow understanding of the term, the meaning of comparative constructions
with predicate similarity is analyzed.

The article deals with the evolution of the concept state represented in the literary works of the 18-
21 centuries. Five stages of the concept evolution were determined, and the characteristic cognitive procedures
for each of them were described. The author analyzes the changes in the semantic structures and the contextual
meanings of the words state, country, authority, and in addition the functional redistribution of the tokens of the
concept.

In the article the thesis about the growth of analitism in the grammar system of the Russian language
is explained with the activization of analytical forms of the tense and the mood with a linking verb to be. The categories
of tense, mood and person, which are represented by the forms of the linking verb, define the part of speech
called predicate noun that have a categorical meaning of a state. This hybrid part of speech has the mentioned
peculiarities of a verb, and also the adjective forms of the gender and the number.

Drivers of vehicles communicate via a variety of graphic signs and signals. Most of them are Russianlanguage
inscriptions. Other signs and signals belong to sign systems of different nature. The signs material and
the method of its making can determine the source of the message. The pragmatic analysis was used to assess the
appropriateness of the message. The location of the sign on the car indicates the supposed recipient. The studied
features of messages on cars provide a basis for the regulation of communication between drivers.

The article raises the problems of text effectiveness in advertising. Language game is effective means
of addressing information, since the subject of the language game can only be adequately understood by the addressee
who has been foreseen by the advertiser. The author analyses the most common examples of language
game used in advertisements of verbal and visual types and shows the effectiveness of their influence on the addressee.
Language game devices are examined both on the verbal level and on the level of visual image. The text
analysis based on language game is supported by the results of consumer preferences questionnaires which widen
the idea of effective communication in advertising when perlocutive effect is achieved by the correct use of original
means of addressing information, one of which is language game.

The category of identity in the Russian language involves two semantic variants: the identity object itself
and the identity of various objects. The semantics of identity of various items is represented in certain structural
and semantic variants, which are mentioned in the article and illustrated by examples. The author examines the
following values: the identity of actions of two and more persons, the identity of the subjects of action, the identity
of cognitive, intellectual operations of two and more persons, the identity of emotions, feelings, the identity of signs,
the value of unity, maximum proximity, interdependence.

The approach to semantic and functional analysis of euphemisms in the creation of N. Gogol from
the aesthetic views on the word is suggested in the article. The analysis of euphemisms shows that these linguistic
units in the Nights on a Farm near Dikánka by N. Gogol are aesthetically justified as they are applied: 1) to replace
exact names of frightening objects and happenings; 2) to avoid calling something unpleasant and disgusting by its
right name; 3) to express something that in the given time was considered indecent in the society; 4) to avoid direct
nomination in order not to offend either an interlocutor or a third person. Euphemisation in the poem Dead Souls is
due mainly to the category to indefiniteness.

The article investigates the problems of syntactic and lexical derivation of an evaluative adjective in its
attributive and predicative functions. It describes the word-building unit of adjectives - pragmemes, connotations
and functions as a forming mechanism of the objective factor of evaluation; and the word-building modification row
of the unit - as an expression of the subjective factor of evaluation.

The article deals with the mechanism of semantic combination of the religious, moral, and social principles
on the basis of the proverb A word must be believed, bread must be within limits, money must be counted.
Under the terms this proverb is considered to be the invariant in the open list of the proverbs. The description of the
mechanism is implemented on the basis of the presented composition scheme of the key words treated as structural
words. The occasional synonymisation of the key words in the sequence of the parts of the proverb exposes
the content of the notion of the Russian conciliar nature.

In the present article the author offers readers some material from the history of Russian surnames
with dialect origin, which existed in Chegorak village of Voronezh region. The analysis of the bases of such surnames
is a distinctive story, which contains various information describing this or that region. To do the research
of the areas history and to gather anthroponomical material of 18-19th centuries, the author used funds of State
archive of the Tambov region (population census of 1833, 1834, 1858, and a few remaining extracts from registers
of births of 18th and 19th centuries).

The phenomenon of politicians language personality is analyzed in the present paper from a perspective
of an anthropocentric approach. The author distinguishes the specificity of a political discourse, its axiological
nature determined by its main intention, the fight for power. The politicians language personality appears to be of a
multifaceted nature. The author analyzes axiological structures in which the subject, object or predicate of evaluation
is verbalized. The main speech roles in which the politician realizes his strategies and tactics are defined.

The grammatical semantics of the debitive sentences, which represent a special class of the mononuclear
sentences of the verbal formation with the main part, the independent infinitive, is being characterized in the
present article basing on the material of plays written by A. Ostrovskiy.
The main semantics of the sentences of the given type consists in the expressing of the meaning of necessity
which is complicated by the variant modal meanings in the concrete speech acts. The peculiarity of the mononuclear
debitive sentences consists in fact that the meaning of obligation or necessity does not have the explicit
means of the expression but is expressed on the basis of the implicit nomination. The mononuclear debitive sentences
in the plays written by A. Ostrovskiy represent the various invariants of the realization of the modal meaning
of necessity united in the three main types: the situational-providential necessity; the set necessity and the expedient
necessity.

The article describes the syntactic constructions with the value of prediction based on the Russian
proverbs. The classification of the basic types of predictions is presented: prediction as it is, prediction-advice,
prediction-caution, prediction-instruction. The basic syntactic means of expressing predictions are described: composite
conjunctionless sentence, complex sentence, simple sentence. The prediction is compared with other kinds
of speech acts in the sphere of prohibition. The article reveals the role of intonation and communicative intentions
of speaker in the prediction.

The article is devoted to aphorisms chosen from Suvorovs works: «Regimental establishment», «Sciences
of winning», his letters, notes, dispositions, correlations, reports.
Aphorisms and idioms play special role in the transfer of the authors and collective wisdom from generation to
generation. The basis of aphorisms is human life and its contradictions, and therefore topics of aphorisms are very
diverse. The author distinguishes groups of aphorisms by topic («strategy», «tactics», «education and training»,
«patriotism», «health»), analyzes their language, semantic dominants, figurative and expressive features.

This paper is devoted to understanding the origins of notion «linguistic norm» and analyzing its structure.
Rising attention to the category of «linguistic norm» in the culture of speech in the early 20th century was
due to several reasons. It was caused by changes in the social life of Russian society, by the doubts about the
ability to regulate language processes, by the awareness of need to establish relationships between the dichotomy
«system-norm».
Due to its heterogeneity, the category of «linguistic norm» can be fully understood only through an integrated
approach that includes consideration of the philosophical, extralinguistic and intralinguistic levels.
At the present stage of development of speech one observes expansion of the concept of «linguistic norm»,
which is interpreted not only as a model, but as a pragmatic category.

The paper deals with one of the aspects of logical-grammatical categories of negation, namely the
negative imperative form. The aim of this work is to describe and compare negative imperative forms in the Russian
and Latin languages. The material for this research was taken from Actus Apostolorum. The analysis of
the linguistic material shows that both Russian and Latin negative imperative forms represent in Bible prohibitive
behavioral standards, that are basic for Christian civilization.

The article deals with the question of the Russian literature's state at the turn of the 20th century and
A. Chekhov's and fiction writers' place in literary process. The author provides judgments of critics and publicists
about occurrence of the new literary talents that were not always correctly estimated by criticism, but, nevertheless,
made that literary school led by A. Checkhov. The article is also devoted to the formation of Chekhovian "artel" as it
was perceived by Mihaylovsky, Menshikov and other critics of the end of 1880-1900s years.

Some critical reviews of V. Benediktovs poetry, the gifted and original poet of the 19th century, are
considered in the given article. S. Shevyrevs enthusiastic review in which he declared that Benediktov was the
first who brought thought to Russian poetry caused F.V. Bulgarins polemic response. However, along with this
disputable thought S. Shevyrev revealed true spirituality of penitential lyrics of the novice poet and his judgment
is represented as justified and fair.

The article describes the characteristics of the mythopoetical structure of the final novel of B. Pasternak
Doctor Zhivago. The article demonstrates that the mythopoetical structure of the novel is not limited to
Christian themes which are also being transformed by the author. The article further analyzes the influence of the
Russian religious philosophy on the mythopoetical semantics of the novel. The mechanism of mythopoetical structure
presented by Pasternak is being created by means of attributing a general symbolic significance to specific
events and characters and also by secondary mythologization of literary-poetic and Christian themes. Mythopoetics
of the novel intends to recreate the concept of the authors native culture in its entirety (cultorological myth), which
is being portrayed in historical and mystical contests.

In the present paper the author analyzes articles by the writer and essayist Vladimir Korolenko about
Leo Tolstoy, considers the facts of biographies of both writers: personal meetings, correspondence. Korolenko appreciates
Tolstoy from different perspectives: as a critic, as a fan of the great talent of Tolstoy, and, finally, as an
antagonist of many Tolstoys ideas. The huge difference between the world views of these two writers is obvious in
the articles by Korolenko. The same articles reveal the similarities between writers. They both serve the cause of
truth. The value of these articles in not only in description of Tolstoy as controversial person, but also in the concept
and the creative method, and the views of Vladimir Korolenko, the great writer and publicist.

The article focuses on Zhukovskys translation of Thomas Campbells ballad Lord Ullins Daughter
(1809), which was written in 1833. Using the methodology of descriptive translation studies and its key concept
of translation norm to conduct a comparative analysis of the translation and its original, the author highlights
Zhukovskys translation strategy aimed at modifying the original in accordance with his own poetic system. This
strategy resulted in transforming both formal elements of Campbells ballad, its content and language, as well as in
introducing new motifs to the original.

The author of the article draws attention to the depiction of colour in the novel by a contemporary writer
Lyudmila Ulitskaya, and proves that the depiction of colour is of great importance since it explains the characters
personalities and predetermines several events in the story. The author classifies the characters with accordance
to description through their usage of a colour. The special attention is given to correlation of white and black, and
light classification of characters.

In the article the manner of writing of Fedor Abramov as a publicist is analyzed in the creation of a
literary portrait. In the course of the research it cleared out that the writer in his creative work touched upon almost
every genre variety: obituary, an aniversary article, a proper literary portrait, and the critical biographical essay.
Creating the portrait of famous persons, the author takes the places of the critic and the writer at once. In the article
the creation aim finds its realization - to defermine an artistic style, which is applied by Fedor Abramov in the genre
of the literary portrait. It combines the true-to-life image of the objective world, the desire of the penetration into the
depth of the inner world of a person and the attemp to understand each fate within the unchained connection with
the life of his time.
The same methods are used by Feodor Abramov in all cases, when he creates the image of his character.

This article is dealing with the problems of symbolic correlation between the image of the house and
the dream of a character, his pursuit of happiness and yearning for the ideal, in the selected works of American writers
of Romantic period. The author reveals some special traits of authors interpretation of a persons yearning for
the perfect and beautiful in the works of E.A. Poe and H. Melville. Basing on the quotations from the works of these
authors the symbolic correspondence between the image of the house and the dream of a perfect arrangement of
environment is endorsed. The article is also revealing the role of the image of the House in the national system of
personal and social well-being standards.

The memoires of Russian writers in exile represent the peculiar form of literary works, the special
stratum of culture. Not only the older generation of the emigrant writers, connected with Russian culture through
most of their lives, but also the literary youth turned their attention to Russian historical memory, expressing their involvement
in the history of their motherland. The article represents genre variations of memoirs in Russian emigrant
literature of the first wave, and their important features: the commitment to traditions of the Russian literature and
the presence of the authors self. The author of the article distinguishes genres of a literary portrait, an autobiography,
a diary, a letter, a genre of a voyage. These forms are very popular in Russian literature in exile, as writers
were striving to restore a losing connection of generations.

The subject of this article is the emotional impact of Sholokhov`s novel The Silent Don on the lyrical
perception of his contemporaries. The author presents several testimonies of Sholokhov`s contemporaries (film
directors, writers, poets, artists, composers and musicians) that prove that the author of The Silent Don was an
original and genuine lyricist, who had a powerful influence on his contemporaries` perceptional world view.

The great attention to the smallest creatures of nature can be called a distinctive feature of the creative
method of Viktor Astafyev. The writer skillfully creates real "portraits" of natural micro-worlds: plants, animals, birds
and insects. The author's interest in all and even the tiniest manifestations of life in the outer world is conditioned by
his peasant way of thinking. The article investigates the poetics of natural microcosms in Astafyev's creative work. It
is dedicated to identifying and characterizing means of expression used by the writer, such as personifications, epithets,
dialecticisms, rhythmic text and others. Also the evolution of this poetic is retraced from the first author's approaches
in his early works, up to strong charging the images of nature with social meanings in the latest prose.