Abstract
The article examines the mythological substratum that is present in the entire novel trilogy. The identification of the folklore and mythological context gives a new understanding of the artistic and ideological content of the novels. One of the connecting principles of all three texts is the line of movement of the individual from the «hell» of self-betrayal through the «purity» of the «sleepy kingdom» to the «paradise» of enlightenment. After analyzing these novels, we saw a trend in the development of the writer's mythological thinking. In the «The Same Old Story» Goncharov not only refers to the European tradition, but also creates the mythology of St. Petersburg. Novel «Oblomov», which occupies an adjacent position in the trilogy, displays the features of world and Russian folklore. In the third and final novel «The Precipice», the author focuses more on Slavic mythology, comparing the characters with a wolf, a bird, a bear, and also includes the motif of snake fighting in the plot.
Keywords
Goncharov, mythological realism, mythologeme, archetype, folklore