The new work of the winner of the International Prize named after M. A. Sholokhov, Doctor of Philology, member of the Union of Writers of Russia, leading scientist of the Institute of World Literature of the Academy of Sciences of the Russian Federation N. M. Fedya is dedicated to Russian literature of the 20th century, which reflected the socialist way of life as an unfading phenomenon history of mankind. The author of many fundamental studies (“The Art of Comedy, or the World through Laughter.” “Literary Tale”, “Fallen Leaves (Russian Literature of the Late 20th Century)”, “The Paradox of Genius. The Life and Writings of Sholokhov” and others in this book writes about a difficult path literature, and after the collapse of the USSR - about its fragmentation, dullness and deadening. What trends have prevailed in it now? Will many of the creations of the last century become the property of the coming century? Will Russian literature preserve the root foundations of the spirituality and morality of the people? only before writers, but also before thinking contemporaries here and abroad.