Abstract: The object of this research is the poems (“Erpeli” and “Chir-Yurt”) by A. I. Polezhaev. The authors explore the peculiarities of artistic presentation and interpretation of the image of the Muslim scholar and theologian, first imam of Dagestan and Chechnya, leader of the Caucasian highlanders – Imam Ghazi-Muhammad (Qazi-Mullah) in the poetry of A. I. Polezhaev. The relevance of this publication is caused by heightened interest and enormous controversy around the topic of the Caucasian War and its leading figures. It is noted the evolution of views on the liberation movement of highlanders headed by Ghazi-Muhammad can be traced on the works of A. I. Polezhaev. The article reveals Polezhaev’s perception of the activity of the imam as the manifestation of religious fanaticism. Herewith, A. I. Polezhaev describes the idealized image of Qazi Mullah in a hyperbolized form, objectively depicting his positive qualities. The novelty of this research lies in the fact that the analysis of the image of Imam Ghazi-Muhammad through literary works contributes to comprehension of the heroic concept of a real person in literature and profound understanding of the problem of historicism overall. The article leans on the contrastive method, which involves comparative analysis (subjective personal reflections and manifestations of the author are correlated with the historical facts).

Abstract: The subject of this article is ashug art, namely improv singers. The object of this research is one of the genre varieties of ashug poetry – the dialogue songs. Roll songs hold a special place in non-ritualistic lyrical songs. With the historical development of the people, the contest songs stand out of the folklore poetry and take the form of riddles and solutions. These songs become a favorite genre of the Lezgin ashugs. Special attention is given to the transformation of the genre of folk riddles in the songs of ashug improvisators. Analysis is conducted on ideological-thematic diversity, as well as artistic distinctness of ashugs’ compositions. It is concluded that the poetic contest and dialogue songs, common in non-ritualistic lyrical songs of the Lezgins, received further development in the works of ashugs and improv singers. In later period, these songs appear in works of the classics of Lezgin poetry. The author's main contribution to this research consists in the analysis of ideological-thematic content and structure of poetic contest, presence of the genre of riddles therein, and as well determination of discrepancies between ashug riddles and folk riddles.

Abstract: The subject of this research is the prose works of A. A. Beztuzhev-Marlinsky related to Dagestan folklore and ethnography. The author attempts to demonstrate the reflection and transformation of Dagestan folklore in the Russian literature using the writer’s work as an example. The power and distinctness of Marlinsky’s talent consists in application of various means of artistic representation, including folklore, and translates hem in his manner and style. Using the descriptive, comparative and hermeneutic methods of analysis the author characterizes the moments in Marlynsky’s prose associated with the Dagestan folklore motifs and even some artifacts of folk art. This allowed revealing the semantic and expressive-visual function of folklore and ethnography in prose works of the writer. The “Dagestan” compositions of Marlinsky serve as a vivid example of cross-pollination through interaction between Russian literature and Dagestan folklore back in the early XIX century. The writer’s interest to Dagestan folklore and ethnography contributed to delving into the history of North-Caucasian peoples, peculiarities of their worldview and customs unfamiliar to the Russian readers. The scientific novelty consists in comprehensive analysis of Marlinsky’s Dagestan novels, which contributed to determination of specificities of expressing folklore origins and the principles of authorial interpretation.