In the article, the author focuses on the era and image of a contemporary in the novels by Zhumabay Shashtayuly “Zhangyryq” (“Echo”) and “Ayaz by”, draws attention to the artistic description of that period and their compositional structure. To determine the methods of using artistic components, specific examples are given in a scientific article.Having come to an artistic decision, the author in the article brings to the forefront the categories of time and space, trying to evaluate the images of heroes from today's point of view. In the process of analyzing the novels by Zhumabay Shashtayuly “Zhangyryq” and “Ayaz by”, taken as an object of research, the author considers the problem from various artistic aspects. He makes an effort to show the differences between the ideological and artistic positions of the Kazakh literature of the Soviet era and time after independence.The works taken as an object of study are analyzed by the author on the basis of the main categories of literary criticism - time and space.