Siberian as a variant of the Russian national character in the prose of V. Astafyev at the turn of the 1950s-1960s

The article explores the specificity of the Siberian character as presented and interpreted in the stories and novellas of V. Astafyev. The relevance of the research is driven by the contemporary literary studies' attention to the historiosophical component of the issues in Russian prose, the necessity to study the works of Russian literature of the 20th century in its evolution, most vivid manifestations, and evaluations. The aim of this research is to define the features of the Siberian character created by V. Astafyev in his stories and novellas as a variant of the Russian national character. Through biographical, historical-functional, and textological methods, Astafyev's stories "Civilian," "Siberian," novellas "Pass," "Starodub," and the writer's journalistic works are analyzed. Various views on the features of the Russian national character are examined. The analysis has revealed that in Astafyev's stories and novellas, a vivid image of a Siberian hero is portrayed, a brave warrior ready for selfsacrifice, tempered in the harsh conditions of Siberian life, hardworking, knowledgeable, and sensitive to nature. Astafyev's editing of his first story accentuated the Siberian origin of its main character. It is proven that Astafyev's Siberian embodies the inherent qualities of the Russian national character, complemented by qualities associated with the specific ethno-geographical circumstances of Siberia's history and modernity. Conclusions are drawn that Astafyev's Siberian character is a variant of the Russian national character, and it is indicated that in Astafyev's subsequent mature and late works, the writer pays increased attention to the fate of Siberian heroes.