"...bene velle ad invicem et velle bona..." : przyjaźń na kartach współczesnej literatury rosyjskiej

The following article is the attempt to describe one of the most universal phenomenon worldwide: friendship. The author concentrates on modern Russian literature which shows the mentioned relationship in different times of 20th and 21st centuries. Friendship is said to be the essential emotion among people although we have to distinguish it both from love and from family relations. It is also important to know how these feelings depend on sex, our age and the times we live. Russian writers tend to emphasize the great value of people’s meetings and dialogue especially in situations which are difficult for us: then the friendship turns out to be irreplaceable. In order to become close friends we need to trust each other, to like and look after each other. Help, conversations and the same interests are also essential. The frequency of physical contact is not as vital as in case of love but two or more people would like to come and see each other as often as they can. Russian novelists stress the importance of friendship especially in totalitarianism and, on the other hand, after the collapse of communism in the former USSR and transformations which take place in Russian Federation nowadays. The heroes of Russian history described in novels are the proof that life without friendship is very poor and boring. That is why we should always search for this phenomenon and look after it.