Abstract. The author argues that there is a particular type of myths in the history of Russian culture that generalise reality of personal life stories, especially those of the prominent 20th century artists. From that point of view, the “Vakhtangov’s myth” is very interesting as the unique role of Yevgeny Vakhtangov in the history of Russian culture can be explained by the fact that he remained the only figure in the history of Russian theatre, which is recognized and respected by representatives of different art schools and ideologies. His personality is positioned between the poles of feast and grotesque and his main innovation associates with the Theatre Studios phenomenon (a form of organising educational and creative activities, communication and socialising, which produced a special atmosphere for creativity but only to accompany everyday life of participants). The tragedy of his early death directly relates to winning respect of teachers, colleagues, and students.