Introduction. The article is devoted to the study of the influence of Volkov’s early story “Under the Horse” on the poetics of his later works – the story “At the End of the Path” and the novel “Sinking into Darkness”. The purpose of the research is to determine what the genetic generality of Volkov’s works “Under the Horse”, “At the End of the Path” and “Sinking into Darkness” becomes apparent in. Materials and methods. The study was based on the materials of the first published in 2001, after the author’s death, story “Under the Horse” and the other more well-known works of Volkov (the story “At the End of the Path” and the novel “Sinking into Darkness”). The comparative and biographical methods were used. Results, discussion. The genetic generality of Volkov’s stories “Under the Horse”, “At the End of the Path” and the autobiographical novel “Sinking into Darkness” detected the whole complex of intersections, textual and plot adoptions, the proximity of works’ problematic. In addition to structural and textual intersections the works are connected with each other by the common autobiographical basis and the unity of the lyric subject. Conclusion. The unpublished in Volkov’s lifetime story “Under the Horse”, which was a basis for the story “At the End of the Path” and the novel “Sinking into Darkness” has no independent artistic value. The story is of interest for the textual study of author’s later works, it is important as the first experience of Volkov’s appeal to the theme of the prison camp, as an early experience with a large epic form.