Category "beauty" in the interpretation of the 20th century classics (Yuriy Kazakov, Vasiliy Shukshin, Viktor Astafyev)

The article analyzes the conceptual understanding of the category “beauty” in the stories "Trali-Vali" by Yuriy Kazakov, "Alone" by Vasiliy Shukshin and "Whether Clear Day" by Viktor Astafyev. Restless spirit of these writers are not characterized by rapture with idyllic harmony of the world, so “beauty” is a clear aesthetic and ethical contradictions of social reality. Also in these texts this category correlates with the scale of the hero's talent and social environment that formed his personal culture and worldview. The creative spirit of Shukshin's freaks is not able to create something worthwhile. Mental outlook of Yu. Kazakov’s characters is marked by tragic mismatch with the world. According to the philosophy of V. Astafiev “beauty” in art is inseparable from Christian ethics. But in the story by V. Astafyev the basic category of aesthetics is closest to its original understanding as "positive universal value", which serves to console the afflicted. And the talent of Shukshin’s characters appears as mischievousness, an outlet in the monotonous peasant life.