The formation process of “hero of our time” in G. Sadulaev's book “Nikto ne viVOZit etu jizn” ("Nobody Handles This Life")

<jats:p>The aim of the research is to identify the features of the representation of the "hero of our time" image in G. Sadulaev's book "Nikto ne vyVOZit etu zhizn'" ("Nobody Handles This Life"). The article examines the path of forming national and civic identity under conditions of a socio-cultural and personal crisis caused by the loss of internal and external orientation points, when former moral constants cease to meet the challenges of modernity, and new ones have not yet received clear articulation. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that, for the first time, based on the material of G. Sadulaev's book "Nikto ne vyVOZit etu zhizn'" ("Nobody Handles This Life"), the unfolding of the contemporary hero's image is examined from the perspective of the Bildungsroman genre tradition. As a result of the study, it is established that the starting point in building the hero's new value paradigm is the beginning of the special military operation. The sense of aimlessness and worthlessness of existence, alongside existential horror in the face of reality, gives way to an understanding of the existential significance of what is happening. The protagonist's decision to go to the Donbas and become a volunteer appears as an ontological choice in favor of authentic values. Such a rebirth actualizes the archetype of the national character with its spiritual fortitude demonstrated in critical situations that threaten national identity.</jats:p>