THE CONCEPT OF HISTORICAL DETECTIVE IN MODERN LITERATURE

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the concept of historical detective in modern literary criticism. The article interprets that the historical detective story is a literary genre in which events, characters and plot unfold in a historical context. The scientific works of Ukrainian and foreign researchers on the formation and development of the historical detective as a literary genre are described and analyzed. Based on this, it is revealed that it combines research and study of events of past eras with complex detective stories. The analysis of interaction of history and detective literature is carried out. It considers how this genre introduces historical facts into the artistic text and interacts with modernity. It is established that the historical detective turns out to be not only an interesting literary genre, but also an important source for the study of the cultural, historical and social context of the era in which it unfolds. Attention is drawn to the possibility of “historization” of detective literature. It is shown that the detective is a tool that helps the author to comprehend the state of society through the disclosure of a crime. It is characterized that the historical detective story always contains an element of passeism and is prone to escapism. It is noted that studies include the analysis of structural elements of the historical detective, such as the plot, characters (detective, society), atmosphere, historical or pseudo-historical materials (diaries, letters, newspaper notes) and the identification of approaches to the definition of this genre. It is demonstrated that historical detectives mainly distinguish two periods: Soviet and pre-war. It is noted that the historical detective is not a simple combination of “detective” and “history”, as events are described clearly and correctly. The role of development of cultural and educational potential of readers in the process of reading historical detectives is characterized. The expediency and prospects of acquaintance of the young generation with the genre of historical detective were emphasized, which will contribute to the active study of the past and the development of their historical consciousness. The influence of the detective on the perception of the past in modern society is outlined and new prospects for research in this direction are determined.