The socio-historical conflict in the novels of Vladimir Makanin "Underground, or a Hero of Our Time" and "Asan"

The subject of the research is the artistic embodiment of the socio-historical conflict in Vladimir Makanin's novels "Underground, or the Hero of Our Time" and "Asan." The object of the research is the specificity and forms of manifestation of this conflict, determined by radical changes in Russian society at the end of the 20th – beginning of the 21st century. The author examines aspects of the theme in detail, such as the influence of historical cataclysms on the crisis of personal identity, the transformation of moral norms in the context of the Chechen war, and the emergence of existential discord in the post-Soviet period. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the multifaceted images of the main characters (Petrovich and Major Zhilin), whose fates and inner worlds become a field for the clash of personal self-determination with collapsing societal foundations. The research explores how social changes impact individual destinies and society as a whole, as well as how the right to self-determination conflicts with social norms. The methodology of the research is based on a comprehensive approach, including literary studies, comparative analysis, and historical-cultural analysis of the texts. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the comprehensive comparative analysis of two key novels by Makanin through the prism of socio-historical conflict, which allows for the identification of common and specific features in the artistic interpretation of the post-Soviet era. As a result, it concludes that V. Makanin creates multifaceted images of heroes whose fates are inextricably linked to historical cataclysms. It shows how radical socio-political changes shape the internal conflicts of characters and their interaction with the world, exposing the contradictory nature of the human soul in the context of an identity crisis. The author concludes that in "Underground," the conflict manifests through the marginalization and existential rebellion of the creative individual, while in "Asan," it is expressed through the transformation of morality and the mythologization of war, where the right to self-determination conflicts with social norms.