The historicism of the Sholokhov epic

The article considers the category of “historicism” in the works of M.A. Sholokhov. Despite the ambiguity of defining this category in modern science, the author proceeds from the fact that, in relation to fiction, historicism is a general methodological principle that avoids fractional analysis of the historical and literary process, exploring literature as a whole, a continuous process but not a particular phenomenon. Sholokhov lacked a theoretically formalized historiosophical concept of his own, nevertheless that did not prevent him from forming his own vision of the historical process realized through the text. The ideas most precious for the writer, were embodied aesthetically and revealed through the characters’ actions. Although Sholokhov avoided the unfolded images of real historical figures, he managed to recreate the atmosphere of 1910s - 1930s through fictional characters. The author of the article focuses on the fact that the artistic image as a revelation determines for Sholokhov, the artist and historian, the direction he follows in the future. For Sholokhov, just as for A.S. Pushkin, the “prose of life” is in trifles, that is the basis for ultimately defining history as a process.