In this book, the story “The Nose” appears from an unexpected side. Ksana Blank analyzes numerous examples of Gogol's language play, primarily the deformation of idioms and the actualization of their literal meanings, and draws a parallel between the “destruction of the integrity of the human body” and the violation of the integrity of phraseological meanings. This allows the author to consider the language game as the engine of the story’s plot, and the Russian language as its hero. The book also provides an overview of interpretations of the story from the moment of its publication to the present day and shows its connection with the era of modernism - the work of Shostakovich, Kharms, Kafka and Dali. The book is intended not only for philologists, but also for everyone interested in the work of N.V. Gogol and classical Russian literature in general. The publishing layout of the book is saved in PDF A4 format.