Cultural codes in epic works of Belarusian literature at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries

The article is devoted to the consideration of cultural codes in Belarusian prose at the turn of the 20th-21st centuries. Research objectives: to justify the use of the term cultural code as a literary concept; using the example of different types of codes to show the features of interpretation of a literary work. The subject of the research is spatial, character, action, animalistic, floristic, color codes in the epic works of Vladimar Gnilomedov, Kastus Tsvirka, Vikror Kazko, Ales Navarich, Andreji Fedorenko. It is noted that the cultural code as a semiotic unit, which is the bearer of deep historical and cultural meanings through which social, economic, geopolitical, cultural features, the specifics of the national worldview, behavior patterns of representatives of a certain nation or the population of the country as a whole are manifested, is considered in literary studies within the framework of semiotic approach. Methods (historical-literary, structural, semantic) and methodological basis of the study are the works of M. Epstein, Y. Kristeva, V. Khalipov, I. Shved and others. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that for the first time the features of the use of cultural codes in the epic works of modern writers are analyzed. Conclusions are drawn that among the cultural codes found in Belarusian prose, emphasizing national markings, are “partisan forest”, “kuzhal”, “cornflower”, “Belarusian partisan”, “volkolak”, “tolokak”, etc. Practical area application of the results of the work is seen in the possibility of using this material for a deep understanding and study of such academic disciplines as “History of Literature of the CIS Countries”, “History of Belarusian Literature”, university historical and literary courses, during independent research work of students, when writing coursework and theses.