The article discusses the literary fate of M. A. Tarlovsky, his place in the Russian poetry, as well as some peculiarities of his perception of the characters of the comedy «Auditor».
The article researches how Khlestakov’s image that has become a household name has impacted the oeuvre of the later play writers. The images of the so-called Khlestakov-like characters are considered in the works of Gogol himself, of Sukhovo-Kobylin, Saltykov-Shchedrin, Ostrovsky.
