Abstract
<jats:p>This article examines the phenomenon of literary criticism as an aesthetic category and provides a comprehensive analysis of its role in the formation and development of national artistic thinking. Literary criticism is defined as a specific form of intellectual and aesthetic activity that reveals the internal laws of literature through the evaluation of the ideological content and formalstylistic features of a literary work. The study explores the stages of emergence, formation, and maturity of Kyrgyz literary criticism within a historical and aesthetic context, highlighting the transition of critical consciousness from folk aesthetic perceptions to a professional level. A comparative analysis of the development of literary criticism during the Soviet and post-Soviet periods is conducted, emphasizing the impact of ideological constraints and aesthetic freedom on critical thought. The critic’s aesthetic ideal, authorial position, poetic language, methods of artistic analysis, and evaluation criteria are identified as key components of literary criticism. The article also addresses the influence of literary criticism on public consciousness, the interrelation between tradition and innovation in national literature, and their role in artistic development. In conclusion, literary criticism is regarded as a significant spiritual and intellectual factor that deepens artistic and aesthetic thinking and determines the directions of literary development.</jats:p>