A combination of folk and written traditions in the works of Magomed Atabiev: poetics and problematics

The aim of this study is to identify the distinctive features of the creative style of the Balkar writer Magomed Atabiev, who transitioned from a folk singer to a prose writer. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that it is the first one to reveal the complex of poetic techniques used by M. Atabiev in writing short stories and novellas, his predilection for folklore genres, and simultaneously his adherence to the Karachay-Balkar written tradition, which constitutes the uniqueness of the author’s work. It should be emphasized that the works of the Balkar writer Magomed Atabiev have not received sufficient attention in existing studies by Karachay-Balkar literary scholars and critics; at best, his name is mentioned among “second-tier” prose writers. This was due to the fact that the writer was unable to publish his major works during his lifetime, and they remained unknown to both readers and literary scholars for a long time. This article for the first time traces M. Atabiev’s development as a writer, the evolution of his literary mastery from one work to another, noting that the author began his creative journey as a folk singer – zhyrchy. As a result of studying a large amount of factual material, it was possible to identify the specifics of the artistic world created by M. Atabiev over more than fifty years. He demonstrated a new perspective on the realities of mountain society through the prism of national discourse, encompassing ethical norms, as well as the socio-economic conditions of its existence during specific historical periods.