Abstract: The subject of this article is the key methods of constructing the past applied by Valentin Pikul in chronological novel “The Favorite”: theatricality technique, actualization of male and female beginnings of the main characters, adventurous beginning that includes special chronotope, creation of mystical atmosphere, introduction of the motifs of meeting and partings, and “modernization” of history – the approach of parallel description of the plot of the XVIII century as a storyline of the time of a reader. The goal is to demonstrate the origin of techniques within the depths of Pukil’s writing methods that are in demand by modern cinematography and brought to life in multiple TV series; and how the enlightening content of historical compositions of the XVIII century, particularly the “Memoirs of Catherine the Great” are replaced by the entertaining presentation. The use of cultural-historical, comparative-historical, and structural methods allow determining the main semantic bonds of the novel and genesis of these phenomena, as well as draw parallels with the indicated realias in the modern mass literature. In the course of comprehensive analysis of the novel “The Favorite”, the conclusion is made on the intentional fictionalization of the historical material by V. Pikul: externally –  through convergence of the novel with theatrical staging via using compositional techniques; and internally –  through the techniques of mass literature writing, creation of adventurous chronotope, diminishment of the heroic beginning of historical characters to the behavioral level of typical characters of the romantic novel, introduction of the element of scandal, mystery and adventure. For the first time, the novel is examined through the prism of the time of its creation – the era of post-Perestroika, and the tradition the author leans upon: country-style and “youth” prose. The acquired conclusions directly relate to the modern situation, work of screenwriters on historical material, which was significantly simplified for the mass literature audience.

Abstract: The goal of this article lies in examination of the “The Story of Tsarevich Chlor” by Catherine II from the perspective of interaction of the two ideological-stylistic elements – pastorality and courtliness, as well as analysis of context of the tale concentrated around settling the dispute between the old and new authors, which was brought into the mainstream by the French writers of the XVII – XVIII centuries. The subject of this article is the Russian-French relations reflected in the writings of Catherine II; the empress’ attempt to determine the role of the Russian culture and language in the world. Using the comparative-historical method, the author analyzes the The Story of Tsarevich Chlor”, which is compared to the “Map of Tendre” by  Madeleine de Scudéry, and genetically links with some remarks of the empress presented in the “Antidote”. The research results demonstrate that Catherine II not only juxtaposed the Western European and Russian cultures, but also showed the interaction of one with another preserving the peculiarities and distinctness of the Russian lore depicted in its language. The novelty of this study consists in the comparison of the empress’ “The Story of Tsarevich Chlor” with the courtly novel of M. de Scudéry and determination of their genetic link. The conclusion allow to see the interaction of courtly and pastoral elements in the works of Catherine II from a different perspective.