THE ARMENIAN THEME IN S. DOVLATOV’S STORY “ONCE WE LIVED IN THE MOUNTAINS”AND THE SPECIFICS OF THE AUTHOR’S STYLE

Key words: literary anecdote genre, Armenian origin, Armenian traditions and realities, Dovlatov the storyteller, Dovlatov the writer The literary anecdote genre that Dovlatov invented, in which the author assumes the role of narrator, is an example of his innovation. The author's distinct writing style is also very ineteresting. S. Dovlatov developed an interest in the Armenian topic as a result of his friendship with Hrant Matevosyan, an Armenian writer and philosopher. The novel “Once we lived in the mountains” by S. Dovlatov tells the story of Armenians by blood who, for whatever reason, lost their strong bond with their mountains. S. Dovlatov began to define himself as a third Jew, a third Armenian, and a third Russian. The story is characterized by its conciseness and capacity. The author begins with a description of daily life before moving on to a philosophical generalization. The composition of the story is circular: all the plot lines come down to the same – the opening and final phrase: “Once we lived in the mountains.” S. Dovlatov died in 1990 in New York. He was buried in the Armenian part of the Jewish cemetery.