Realism and epic novel in Russian literature of the second half of the 19th century

The features of the Russian realism, its differences from Western European realism are considered in the article, the development of realism as a trend in the second half of the 19 th century is analyzed, together with the epic nature and essence of the Russian novel, its orientation towards breadth and omnitude of the ancient epos with preservation of national, Christian values at the heart of the genre.