Abstract
The article discusses the position of Russian and Ukrainian critical thought about the origin and development of the neorealism of the early twentieth century. For the analysis of selected works of Russian literary critics and writers E. Koltonovskoy, P. Kogan, M. Voloshin, E. Zamyatin, V. Keldish and others. Widely used controversial positions I. Franko, Lesia Ukrainka the development of realism in the early twentieth century. As a practical proof of neorealism elected comparative analysis of short stories I. Shmelev and V. Pidmogylnogo.