Authors

Fable is the oldest literary genre, fundamentally studied by the humanities, but, at the same time, its relevance in modern life is obvious, and the prospects for its development have not been sufficiently studied. Fable is an international genre, but it is deeply national. A comparative study of languages and cultures is especially promising if we take into consideration their common foundations. French and Russian fables (La Fontaine and Krylov) are a clear illustration of this thesis. Using the most common universal subjects, fabulists inevitably develop the most nationally specific features of their linguistic cultures. This is the deep dialectic of their creativity. Lafontaine and Krylov are one of the key figures in Russian and French linguocultures. Their archetypal influence on the further development of not only literary processes, but also the general cultural dialogue between France and Russia is very strong. The “healthy” spirit of these writers, their “common sense” in the highest sense of this phrase make their heritage highly relevant today, when both Russian and French cultures in some way are increasingly striving for so-called traditional values. The French and Russian fabulists with their creativity seem to build a positive perspective for the development of our cultures.