The article is based on the literary works of N. Gogol, especially on his ethic and heroic novel «Taras Bulba». It analyzes its semantic and stylistic peculiarities. A special attention is paid to Gogol’s artistic principle – romantic realism. Due to this peculiarity concrete historic accuracy of a realistic writer is merged with high lyricism of a romantic poet. The comparative analysis of its expressive means and de-vices is based on the materials presented in literary editions of the novel «Taras Bulba» in 1835 and 1842.