Krasyl'shchyk А. The Problem of literature "public service" in throwing light on Russian presymbolic and early symbolic aesthetic and literary criticism.

The objects of the analysis are the literary critical investigations by D. S. Merezhkovsky, Z.N. Hippius, A.L. Volynsky, V.Y. Brusov, V.V. Rosanov 1890-s - 1905 as well as by their closest former literary writers and older contemporaries (N.K. Mihailovsky, A.M. Skabichevsky). The aim is to study, how during the becoming and development the critics-symbolists a new concepts on social and cultural function of literature and specificity literary critics formed. The methods are system approach, typological and structurally functional methods. It is stated that in formulating new concepts of social and cultural function of literature the critics-symbolists remained faithful to their belief that literature plays special role in social life. However, instead of social aspect they stressed primarily the religions and philosophical ones making the same utilitary demands to the literary works and their creators: to expresc philosophical content (A.L. Volynsky), to incarnate "ideal" (V.V. Rosanov), religions andphilosophical principles (D.S. Merezhkovsky, Z.N. Hippius). Only in rewieus and critical papers by V.Y. Brusov was an attempt made to separate aesthetical from social, political and religions. The literary criticism of early symbolism made a courageous attempt to revailue old concepts on boundaries and tasks of literature and on essence of artistic creation. Application sphere is the training courses.