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The subject of the article is the intertextual connections between the literary texts of V. Shalamov and J. Brodsky. The paper analyzes scientific researches on the relationships of both writers, substantiates the likelihood of Brodsky’s actual acquaintance with Shalamov’s work. The aim of the article is to prove that the overlap between the various texts of Shalamov and Brodsky is not a random coincidence. It was established that three of Brodsky’s poems “Osenniy krik yastreba,” “Predstavleniye” and “Tikhotvoreniye moye, moye nemoye…” contain references to previously written poems by Shalamov. There were drawn several assumptions about the type of coordination between the artistic worlds of Brodsky and Shalamov. Brodsky refers to the legacy of Shalamov when broadcasting the substantive characteristics of the external and internal world that are fundamentally important for him. At the same time, Shalamov’s texts for Brodsky are only a small part of the national poetic tradition accumulated by him. Brodsky uses Shalamov’s poetic voice to emphasize awareness and continuity and to contrast his aesthetic position on the basis of this unity.

The importance of the work is determined by the place which I. Annensky occupies in Russian poetry and his unrelenting influence on generations of readers. The purpose of the work is to reveal the presence and linguistic ways of implementing the semantics of the Buddhist understanding of the world in the poetic heritage of I. Annensky. The material for the study is all original poems of the poet. The main methods are semantic, comparative and intertextual analysis. From the days of his study at the university, the poet was well acquainted with the basics of Buddhism and demonstrated obsession with it throughout his life. Several poems undoubtedly present semantic complexes that are directly referred to Buddhism, refurbishing its major provisions. The ways of translating Buddhist semantics are diverse and they are always organically interwoven into an artistic whole. The language of the poet is consistently focused on ambiguity, uncertainty and ambivalence, which is manifested at various text levels. The work lists the main language transformations used by the poet. It is illustrated on the example of the poem "", which mysteriousness steadily draws the attention of readers and researchers. The author shows that the poem realizes the Buddhist conception of the ratio of extremely small and infinitely large quantities, implying their identity. The authors draw a parallel between the lines of I. Annensky and W. Blake which implement identical Buddhist ideas. The conclusion outlines the prospects for a detailed analysis of other texts.

The present article deals with the semantic and functional characteristics of a zero sign, which represents a significant and apprehended absence of some symbol in the context, where it was or should be under the mandatory conditions for the existence of this environment. Its characteristics have not been properly described in scientific works, therefore the study, based on the methods of semantic, distributive and communicative analysis, survey and comparison of the features of different units, aimed at filling the gap in the interpretation of types of language units, seems to be a current matter of interest. The authors use the term zero sign to denote a unit that does not have an external form, performs special functions, and is actively represented in various cultural spheres. The article demonstrates the presence of a zero sign in the languages. Its registration is an indispensable condition for the correct interpretation of the context. The absence of anything can report as much information as its presence. A zero sign occupies a special place among the ways of transmitting information without material carriers. The study results ascertain that a zero sign plays an essential role in the extremely complex process of information transmission. In conclusion the authors give a range of applications which are related to the subsequent detailing of the means and methods of information transmission and the prospects for their purposeful use.

The present article deals with the meaningful and functional characteristics of the closed topics, that are the topics which are thought to be improper (taboo), and they are blocked in Russian, English and Chinese communication in a variety of ways. Their characteristics have not received a proper description in scientific works; therefore the study, based on the methods of semantic and communicative analysis, survey and comparison of the communication ways in different languages, aimed at filling the gap in probative identification of a list of closed topics, seems to be a current matter of interest. The authors use the term closedness and view it as an indicator of topic's irrelevance that manifests itself with various language means. The article demonstrates the presence of a commonly shared list of closed topics in the above mentioned cultures. The possibility of reference to such topics in conversation is regulated by communication format, purpose and the degree of contact's intimacy. The strategies of closed topic avoidance are marked with semantic replacement called mitigation and euphemism substitution. The study results ascertain that the closed topic list is shared by the Russian, English and Chinese cultures, but points to some differences in the way the conversations go. In conclusion the authors give a wide range of applications: from theoretical constructs that describe the mechanism of communication processes flow to the specific recommendations for optimizing communication in different spheres of human interaction.