On certain problems and methods of work with texts of oral history

The article is devoted to the methods of work with texts of oral history in total and has theoretic-methodological character. The author critically assesses spread in today historical science methods of work with the texts of oral history. The article concerns cultural contexts, in which memory and oblivion work carries on, as well as difficulties of intertwinement of individual and social memories. It considers oral history through the prism of narrative; the author compares different types of narrative analyses as well as while using the concept of a person’s life story tries to analyse the possibilities of applying psychological methods and techniques in the oral history. the author considers that only at such method a researcher receives possibilities to approach a responder’s personality with a toolkit of criticism though keeping the position of respect and trust, and a narrator stops being just an illustrator of these or those processes, opinions, ideologies, and becomes a true hero and an actor of his own history.