THE GENRE OF THE SHORT STORY IN RUSSIAN AND UZBEK LITERATURES

The short story occupies a significant position in both Russian and Uzbek literary traditions, reflecting universal patterns of world literature alongside distinct national and cultural characteristics. This article examines the genre of the short story through a comparative analysis of Russian and Uzbek prose, focusing on its historical development, thematic orientation, narrative structure, and stylistic features. Special attention is paid to the evolution of the genre from oral and folkloric narrative forms to psychologically complex realist prose. The study highlights the role of the short story as a medium for representing the everyday life of the “little man,” moral dilemmas, and the interaction between the individual and society. The research identifies two dominant narrative models: the introspective, psychologically oriented Russian short story and the extroverted, ethically and collectively focused Uzbek short story, shaped by Eastern storytelling traditions. The article also explores contemporary transformations of the genre in the post-Soviet period, emphasizing processes of globalization, genre experimentation, and intercultural dialogue. The findings contribute to comparative literary studies by revealing both typological similarities and culturally specific features in the development of the short story as a literary genre.