Abstract. The article compares the biographies of two writers of the
19th century – N.A. Nekrasov and A.N. Ostrovsky. The experience of such
comparison is used in Plutarch’s classic work «Comparative Biographies»,
where the spirit of time is revealed through the fates of famous historical
figures. The article discovers similarities and differences in the lives of both
writers, from childhood to the time when they have already become personalities and got recognition. It is noted that the role of V.G. Belinsky in the
formation of Nekrasov’s views was similar to the one of A.A. Grigoriev
for A.N. Ostrovsky. The analysis traces how the views of the two writers
are revealed in their texts. The author concludes that the biographies of
N.A. Nekrasov and A.N. Ostrovsky reflect two ways of understanding the
essence of being: revolutionary and organic.