Keyword: «author's position»

Based on a comparative analysis of V. Fedorov's short story «The Season of the Beast» (1996) with the novel of the same name (2014), the role of minor characters and their function in revealing the main theme and idea of this work is determined. Innovation and traditions in Fedorov are revealed.

The article raises the problem of the negative impact of a decrease in the quality of historical education of schoolchildren on the study of literature, analyzes the typical mistakes of participants in state certification related to this, and considers possible ways to solve the problem.