Introduction. The article reveals the links between contemporary Russian literature and Turgenev’s artistic heritage, and questions the impact of Turgenev’s intertext on the work of the postmodern writer.

Materials and methods. Based on the stories of “Cyberpunk, Christmas Eve – 117. dir”, “Blue Lantern”, “Sleep” by Victor Pelevin, with the use of receptive and intertextual analysis, the author has made an attempt to define the functions of Turgenev’s intertext in the modern Russian literature.

Results. The study has derived the main characteristics of literary remake as one of the forms used by modern writers in their work with cultural heritage of classical literature. The author also suggested the idea of why Pelevin refers to classical pretext.

Discussion. By applying to classical intertext the modern Russian literature promotes marketing goals and extends the readership through the use of recognizable pretexts, and that leads to actualization and revitalization of classical texts. Future research shall be aimed at considering Turgenev’s intertext in the works of other contemporary writers.

Conclusion. While studying the story “Cyberpunk, or Christmas Eve – 117. dir” we made a logical conclusion that it is a remake of Turgenev’s short story “Mumu” that echoes the problems and main plot twists of the pretext, and, at the same time uses the chronotopos of the present time, namely, the 1990s. Pelevin’s story “The Blue Lantern” is also a sort of reimagining of Turgenev’s “Bezhin Lea” in the language of modern times. The problem of balance between dream and reality, as well as between living dream and dead dream, that appears in Turgenev’s mystical story “The Dream”, has not only been remade by Pelevin but continuously developed in his “Sleep” and some further works, such as “Chapaev and Void” (Buddha’s Little Finger). The article attempts to identify the reasons why the modern writer refers to Turgenev’s intertext.