The article analyzes similes as a key element of the idiostyle of the Tajik writer Sadriddin Aini and examines how they are rendered in the Russian translation of the novel *Dokhunda*. It is noted that similes in a literary text serve not only an expressive and descriptive function but also act as a vital means of characterizing figures, conveying emotional states, and reflecting social contexts and cultural realities. In Aini’s idiostyle, comparative constructions serve as vehicles for a national worldview and artistic uniqueness. The study draws upon an extensive theoretical framework and takes into account the distinction between "similarity" and "identity" as manifested in the semantics and logic of poetic comparisons. It identifies a typology of comparisons within the original text and analyzes the transformations they undergo during translation into Russian. Attention is given to the primary strategies for translating similes: preservation and adaptation. O. Erberg’s translation serves to demonstrate that the choice between these strategies is determined by the context, the function of the simile, and the culture-specific nature of the imagery. The analysis shows that translating similes is a creative process requiring a delicate balance between fidelity to the original and adaptation to the target culture.
comparative literature; comparative studies; interliterary connections; stylistic coloring
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