Abstract: The subject of this research is the category of space – one of the intrinsic text categories that implies the meaning of location and spatial relations, and fulfills a plot-composing and semantic function. Essay is a peculiar genre, at the intersection documentary and fiction styles, which is an important factor affecting the analysis of the category of space. Examination of the category of space in essays is one of the relevant trends in linguistics. Essays of the prominent Soviet writer, photographer and journalist V. M. Peskov, which were recognized as the exemplary, serve as the material for this research. The categorical-textual approach towards studying V. M. Peskov's essays allowed determining the nuances of explication of the category of space in the genre of essay. Analysis of the specificity of the category of space in the genre of essay indicates the existence of objective and subjective space; namely the objective space holds the key place and plays a crucial role in text of the essay. In explication of the category of space are applied the direct spatial signifiers (spatial prepositions and toponyms), and indirect spatial signifiers. Texts of the essay simultaneously contain static and dynamic spaces: the author creates a static picture using existential verbs and statistical verbs of spatial location; the author describes local dynamics using the verbs of movement. The category of space is closely connected with the category of time and the category of theme; together they create a precise semantic division in accordance with the author's idea, as well help to give detailed description to the event and portray the character of the hero.

Abstract: The subject of this research is the category of tonality — one of the key text categories that reflects mentality of the author of the text. Essay, as a peculiar genre that functions at the intersection of publicistic and fiction styles, has its own typical range of tonality. Examination of the category of tonality in essays is a relevant  trend in the humanities. Well-known Soviet essays written by V. M. Peskov, which are considered exemplary, representative, and retain their relevance, served as the material for this work. The conducted analysis of V. M. Peskov’s essays reveals versatile means of explication of tonality and individual manner of the author. The novelty consists in observation that the texts of V. M. Peskov reflect the general tone of freedom and friendliness, the tone of conversation with the audience. His essays also reflect a clear authorial “Self”. Different essays mark different means of explication of tonality: in essays dedicated to nature, the author often applies metaphors, personifications, neutral words with positive connotations and words that express rational evaluation for imagery depiction of landscape with love for nature; in essays dedicated to people, the essayist often uses neutral lexicon with rational-evaluative or positive-evaluative connotations for creating image of the character; in essays dedicated to local culture, V. M. Peskov often applied emotionally expressive lexicon, words with suffixes of subjective evaluation, expressively syntactic constructs, special visual expressive means (personification, epithets, hyperbole, etc.) and colloquialism for admirable depiction of the local life and culture. Different techniques of explication of the category of tonality impose descriptiveness, attractiveness and influential power on the essay.