The article examines Grigs short story Bear Hunter in the context of the bear narrative tradition. The bear narratives of Tumanyan, Bakunc, and Matevosyan are analyzed as different models of sovereignty struggle. Using Vladimir Nabokovs concept of artistic device, the article demonstrates how Grigs text transforms literary magic into propagandistic function. The appearance of wolves is particularly analyzed as a moment of artistic system deconstruction. It is concluded that Grigs story reveals the limitations of traditional artistic tradition under crisis conditions. The study contributes to understanding how literary language functions during periods of crisis and defeat, when symbols are stripped of their polysemy and literature is forced to seek its place on the boundary between magic and propaganda.

Keywordsbear narrative Grig Tumanyan Bakunts Matevosyan Nabokov artistic device.