Guseva O. Sketch genre in Russian literature from the end of the XVIII to the beginning of the XXI century.

The object is the russian sketch prose from the end of the XVIII to the beginning of the XXI century. The aim of the thesis is to study the peculiarities of the sketch genre, genesis, formation and evolution in the course of history, define the major stages of its development, analyze the structural transformations in the system of communicative, ideological and discursive, artistic coordinates. The methods are historical-genetic, historical-functional, structural-functional. The complexity of the sketch study is conditioned by "hybrid", "boundary", "out of gender" form of its genre model. If we schematically demonstrate historical development of sketch, it becomes evident that its formation and establishment took place at the end of the XVIII century. Then, the XIX century was the time of the development and canonization of sketch (it was the second half of the century when the genre grew in its prime). Finally, the XX century became the period of "automatization" and uncreative compliance with realistic tradition. Besides, the authenticity directive of sketch in fiction works of Soviet writers contradicted the task of assertion of political slogans which was at variance with aesthetic nature of this genre and could not contribute to its successful development. Modernization of sketch took place at the beginning of the XXI century when it acquired new features and qualities which balanced on the edge of traditional genre destruction (essay style, confessionalism, autobiographical). The elements of sketch journalism can be found in many books of modern authors where authenticity and precision of real events description are combined with extensively used fiction. "Hybrid" genres of such kind are still scarcely investigated. Sketch is gradually disappearing from the proscenium of literary development, however, its resources may be implemented and claimed by the reader under new social and cultural conditions. The sphere is educational process.