Problems of self-identification in memoir novels in early XX century Odessa

The article deals with three memoir novels devoted to the events in Odessa at the beginning of the XX century: Serebryaniy Gerb by K. Chukovskiy, Pyatero by V. Zhabotinsky, Victor Vavich by B. Zhitkov. The investigation focuses on the problems of social and national self-identification of the heroes and the authors and the issue of interactions between history, biography and fiction.