Ключевое слово: «russian language.»

This study explores the role of animal imagery in English and Russian proverbs and sayings, aiming to reveal cultural similarities and differences between these two linguistic traditions. The research examines the origins of proverbs, the semantic connotations of zoonymic components, and the ways in which animal names reflect national mentality. By analysing over 50 proverbs and sayings, the paper identifies three main types of cross linguistic correspondences: 1) identical lexical and semantic matches; 2) equivalent meanings expressed through different animal images; 3) culture specific expressions without direct counterparts. The findings demonstrate that while both languages share a common human experience reflected in folk wisdom, they also exhibit distinct patterns of metaphorical thinking, particularly in the emotional colouring and frequency of animal references. The study contributes to intercultural communication and comparative linguistics by highlighting how language encodes cultural values and worldviews.