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Abstract:

The article is devoted to the analysis of the facts of personal and creative activity of M.A. Sholokhov during the Great Patriotic War. The life invironment of the Cossacks contributed to the formation of the future writer’s moral qualities. The ethical values embodied in his works were truly guaranteed by his personal life. Readers saw in Sholokhov not only an outstanding literary master but also a true people’s intercessor. On the eve of the war, his books had already gained nationwide recognition. The most significant result of Sholokhov’s literary activity in the first months of the war was a series of nine war essays, based on his personal observations at the front, and allowing him to depict the war with factual accuracy. A landmark event in wartime literature was his essay “The Science of Hatred”. Considering the history of the novel «They Fought for the Motherland» and the reaction to it in the soldier’s environment, the author emphasizes that the text of the work of Sholokhov himself participated in the formation of the fighting spirit of his compatriots.

Keywords: M. Sholokhov, the Great Patriotic War, war journalism, “The Science of Hatred”, “They Fought for Their Motherland”.