<p>Based on the material of the epistolary of the 90s of the 19<sup>th</sup> century, N.S. Leskov's perception of the oxymoron characteristic "sick talent" in relation to his personality and creativity is comprehended; the volume of semantics of the word "talent" in the writer's mental and linguistic complex is analyzed as one of the means of broadcasting the concept of "Giftedness".</p>