The article presents an analysis of motives that permeate the narrative in the story by Ivan Shmelev “The Kulikovo Field.” The author identified a number of motives, which semantics and functioning is interpreted at subject-figurative, symbolic, thematic levels of the narrative. Special attention is paid to the phenomenon of transfiguration. It is proved that it became a core of the motif field of the story. The author believes that this motive is a mean of contamination, on the one hand, of the dominant motive of trial-overcome, on the other hand, of the complex of motives of fear, signs and lights. The interaction of the structural motifs of the way-meeting and cross is noted. The question is raised about the specifics of the philosophical and aesthetic position of the writer, about the specifics of his perception of the Orthodox doctrine. Novelty of research consists in the fact that the conceptual significance of biblical image of “shear” (“remainder”), that is, the teachings of Isaiah about the trials of the people, coming deliverance and the righteous for Shmelev is revealed for the first time. It appears that the implementation of these images constructed argument number in the story. Understanding the role of Sergius of Radonezh, whose feat was an example of asceticism and the revival of the moral sense of the people, reflects the number of historiosophical ideas of the writer, above all one of the fundamental positions of Shmelev’s anthropology: the historical transformation of Russia precedes the spiritual transformation of man. In this process the key role the writer takes of the intelligentsia, who should return to the Orthodox roots, recognising their new task.