Abstract: The subject of this research is the description of the merchant house in the compositions of A. N. Ostrovsky of the pre-reforming period. The goal this work consists in establishment of the level of authenticity in description of the house and elements of the home interior in the early oeuvres of the playwright. Stereotype about the creative work of A. N. Ostrovsky as the literary pathfinder of the merchant class, formed during the playwright’s lifetime. His plays were perceived as the “image of life” of the tradespeople, which in the 1830-1850’s has existed in its own, hidden from the strangers’ eyes world. Even the very first works of Ostrovsky attracted the interest of the critics and audience. The acquaintance with the environment from inside, language, and artistic manner of Ostrovsky imparted his compositions with a specific believability. The comparison of description of the elements of the merchant house in the works of A. N. Ostrovsky with the similar facts from the memories of the representatives of this class allow establishing the level of authenticity in depiction of the realities of the merchants. The memoir heritage, which has records of the life of Moscow merchants of 1845-1860’s, is not quite large. The scientific novelty consists in the use of the dramaturgical compositions for examination of the real life of the merchant class. The relevance of the work lies in the fact that home interior can be viewed as a cultural code towards understanding not only of the characters of its dwellers in particular, but also social group which they belong to as a whole. The description of the house contains two parts: description of the interior and exterior. The research demonstrated that the plays do not depict the outside view of the merchant house. A. N. Ostrovsky just mentions the place of action. The memories of the merchant class representatives help to fulfill this gap in lack of information. As of the interior scenery, the comparative analysis of the works of A. N. Ostrovsky with the memoirs indicates the complete identity of the interiors pictured in the literary compositions and existed in reality.

Abstract: The subject of this research became the topic of deception in business and personal life of merchantry in the early works of A. N. Ostrovsky. The contemporaries perceived A. N. Ostrovsky’s plays as a satire on flaws and imperfections of merchantry. Through the efforts of literary criticism of the revolutionary-democratic character, and particularly N. A. Dobrolyubov, there has been formed a public opinion about Ostrovsky as a denunciator of the “nether world”. This “world” primarily meant merchantry which supported the traditions of “Domostroy”. The goal of this research is to clarify whether or not the dramaturge was right by condemning this flaw; and the magnitude of the scale of this phenomenon within merchantry environment. The author analyzed the content of the early compositions of A. N. Ostrovsky that described the daily life of the merchantry during the pre-reformation period. The illustrated in the plays data on the motives and ways of deception within the business and personal life were compared with the memories of the representatives of this social class about this period. The scientific novelty consists in the use of the dramaturgic compositions as a historical source for the study of manifestations of deception and swindling within the entrepreneurial activity, as well as within the personal life of merchantry. Almost all storylines of Ostrovsky’s early plays are based on one or another form of deception.  He chose the position of a satirist by revealing the imperfections of this social class, which reflected on the theatrical fate of his early works. This became one of the reasons for formation of a negative stereotype about the merchantry world.  The dramaturgy of A. N. Ostrovsky can be referred to as the historical sources for examination of the entrepreneurial activity and personal life of merchantry.