The article considers the main problems of the spiritual life in Russia at the beginning of the twentieth century. In the works by A. Blok and A. Bely, who were perceived by contemporaries as the prophets of the new century, a generalizing image of time, of a disastrous epoch was created. The poets act not only as exponents of time, but also as participants in his-torical processes as participants in the country's suffering. The author of the article emphasizes that the key issue that concerned these thinkers was the question of the historical fate and future role of Russia.
culture; civilization; the collapse of humanism; new man; crisis; creativity of life; transformation of the world; symbolism; symbolism; life and being, the image of the epoch; the fate of Russia.