As regards the question of I.A. Goncharov’ religiosity (using the example of the novel "The precipice")

A problem of studying I.A. Goncharov's religiosity as a rule is not considered by specialists, because serious religious strivings were not characteristic of the writer, his faith in its basis was “infantile”, therefore, everything seems to be absolutely clear regarding the writer’s spiritual sphere. However, Goncharov's faith as part of his worldview, as a set of moral norms and attitudes, life imperatives - is explicitly and implicitly manifested in his work. The purpose of the article is to describe the functioning of religious motifs in the novel “The Precipice”, in which religious motives appeared most openly. The methods of the research are biographical and historico - literary. The results of the analysis show that religious crises were not characteristic of the personages of the novel. However, various kinds of faith, typical of the writer’s characters, are considered in the article. Particular attention is paid to religious motives in Goncharov’s describing the life drama of Vera and Babushka Berezhkova.