Peterburgskie povesti of N. Gogol, the way of interpretation (the opinions of Gogol?s work of art by V. Pozner, V. Rozanov, A. Belyj), short story Portret as a journey from the mythological chaos to the light, the role of art as a salvation bearer.

The author summarizes the existing interpretations of some important Gogol´s work of art. For Gogol´s work the ideas of V. Pozner, V. Rozanov, A. Belyj are considered to be dominant and the most relevant. The connecting element is their viewing of Gogol as a painter of outer forms and dead souls in living bodies.The author of the article tries to disclose these postulates in the short story cycle Peterburgskie povesti. By means of the short story Portret the author points at Gogol´s internal effort to find the way from wandering in the labyrinth, the journey from the ?mythological chaos? to ?the centre? and to ?the light?. For Gogol this way is presented by the art.Gogol discovers the correlation between the material world and the world of ideals and finds the key for understanding of human existence. Here, at least for a while Gogol loses his ?destructive power? and ceases to be the ?demon of Russian literature? as he is usully considered, especially by these above mentioned thinkers.