Abstract: The object of the study is the novel "The Last Day" by the Lebanese writer Mikhail Naimy. The subject of the study was the "dialectic of the soul" and "stream of consciousness", that is, techniques for describing the human condition borrowed from Leo Tolstoy masterpieces. For one day, the soul of Musa al-Askari overcomes severe suffering, it dies and is reborn in a new form. A small person turns into a strong personality. Psychological techniques for describing borderline human states, taken from Fyodor Dostoevsky, also helped the Lebanese writer to reveal the depths of the hero's personality. The scientific novelty of the article is that the Russian writers' techniques are found in the little-studied Arabic novel "The Last Day" that is an illustration of the Russian literature influence on Arab culture. For the first time in Russian literary study, this novel is analyzed from the "dialectic of the soul" perspective. The research was conducted on the basis of historical, literary, comparative methods, using scientific methods of observation and description, analysis and synthesis. As a result, it is noted that the novel narrative is organized according to the psychological realism, in which there is a psychological analysis passed through the stream of consciousness, an internal monologue and the dialectic of the soul. The authors conclude that Naimy took a humanistic approach and a special psychological manner of narration from Russian literature, including Tolstoy and Dostoevsky's works, to convincingly prove that a person is a fine–tuned mechanism, that kindness will save the world, and the secret of happiness lies in serving people. The practical significance of the research is that its results develop the topic of cultural ties between Lebanon and Russia. The article contributes to the development of Arabic literature, which remains poorly studied by Russian literary study.

Abstract: The subject of the study is the genre of "rihla", that is, the Oriental person pilgrimage to various countries. The authors are interested in the elements of this style and their application in the novel "Azazel" by the Egyptian writer Youssef Zeidan. The main character, traveling along the Nile, Sinai and Asia Minor, learns the world around him. Through the eyes of a young man, Alexandria, Jerusalem, Damascus and other great cities of the early Middle Ages and their sights are described. Being in the midst of historical events, a young Egyptian acquires skills of a doctor. He witnesses the murder of a female philosopher Hypatia by Christian fanatics. Fleeing from painful memories, the healer flees Africa in search of true Christianity to the homeland of Jesus, where he becomes a monk Hypa. Mentors help him cope with doubts, advising him to write down everything he has experienced. This is how Gipa's guide to the countries of Africa and Asia is born, at the same time the confession of a reasonable person tempted by passions. The methods of historical and systemic analysis used make it possible to compare the lives of worshippers of the Hellenic gods and the first Christians. The author concludes that due to the traditional genre of "rihla" for Arabic literature, that is, the spiritual wanderings of the hero, Zeidan creates a reliable multifaceted picture of the life of people of the fifth century AD and tries to reveal the essence of the personality of the monk Hipa against the background of historical realities and characters. The format of diaries filled with experiences helps to delve into the inner world of the pilgrim and fully reveal the psychology of the pilgrim. This genre, in addition to cognitive and entertainment functions, has acquired historical and psychological features.