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Abstract:

This article explores the literary evolution of the theme of prisoners of war in the works of Mikhail Sholokhov, focusing on two texts created in different historical periods: the essay “The Science of Hatred” (1942) and the short story “The Fate of a Man” (1956). Despite the lack of surviving drafts linking the two, both texts display a notable degree of narrative and semantic affinity, allowing for the identification of a common structural foundation and an analysis of how the author’s creative vision transforms over time. Particular attention is paid to the shift in narrative tone—from the mobilizing agitational and journalistic expression of “The Science of Hatred”, with its emphasis on the naturalistic depiction of camp suffering, to the humanistic outlook in “The Fate of a Man”, where traumatic war experience is overcome through moral resilience, compassion, and the assertion of an ordinary man’s right to love and happiness. The analysis draws on primary texts as well as supplementary sources, including Sholokhov’s wartime notebook (1941), his authorial commentaries, and relevant historical and biographical materials. The article also addresses the fate of Soviet prisoners of war and the repressive policies they faced upon return from Nazi prison, shedding light on Sholokhov’s ethical position as both writer and citizen and offering a deeper understanding of his literary reflection on the consequences of the Great Patriotic War.

Keywords: Mikhail Sholokhov, “The Science of Hatred”, “The Fate of a Man”, the theme of prisoners of War, the Great Patriotic War, textual criticism, narrative transformation.