Speech genres in the literature of ancient Russia and the early Modern period

The article examines the problem of studying the Russian literature in terms of the systemic and successive character of its development. An approach is offered to the problem that is the study of oral speech and primary speech genres that constitute a basis for steady genre structures of Ancient Russia and the early modern period. Thus, the genre of solemn word that is based on speech genres of «praise» and «plea» is formed in the ancient Russian literature and continues to develop in N.V. Gogol's and F.M. Dostoevsky's works.