There are suggested the peculiarities of the tragic category evolution in the prose of M.A.Sholokhov, which combines specifically historical and universal semantics. It is the last one that stipulates the insolubility of the tragic conflict between the character and the society, nevertheless enriching the moral potential of the character and forming the catharsis situation for readers.

There is analysed the realization of the epic thinking peculiar for the culture of the 1930-1950s in the myth poetics of the Russian epic prose in the mentioned period. Mythical and poetic characteristics in this type of prose depend on the epic properties and purposes of the text. Mythical and poetic system of the narration is revealed in the recreation of the world picture, epic plot, compositional peculiarities, the final neomyth.