Abstract
<jats:p>This article examines the specific functioning of the category of fear in the works of Leonid N. Andreyev as a dominant element of his artistic anthropology and expressionist poetics. Based on the stories The Abyss, The Red Laugh, and the novella The Seven Who Were Hanged, the study analyzes different levels of the representation of fear, ranging from ontological (biological) to metaphysical and social dimensions. Particular attention is paid to the conceptualization of fear as an existential phenomenon emerging in borderline situations. The author demonstrates that in Andreyev’s works fear serves as a crucial means of revealing the individual’s inner crisis, the tragedy of human existence, and the philosophical interpretation of life and death.</jats:p>