The article examines the features of the humanistic principle presented in the work of the Russian-speaking Balkar prose writer Boris Chipchikov, using the example of the story «Fish Spawning in the Moonlight». The metaphysical component is another significant feature of all the author’s genres. The plot of the story revolves around the tragic history of the deportation of the Balkar people. Through the use of artistic means, the author forms not only a historical and philosophical concept, but also a moral one, according to which the most important thing in the world of people is faith and love for humanity. The main character of the story, Mariam, embodies the best human qualities: nobility, generosity, mercy, and intelligence. The author presents a realistic portrait of a member of the upper class, most of whom were the embodiment of advanced thinking, education, and culture. Chipchikov explores the evolution of social and political destruction in society as a result of revolutionary transformations, the Second World War; different historical milestones with dissimilar political regimes merge into a common metaphor of darkness, evil – ancient, repeated in the context of the story. The plot traces the genesis of evil, which is actualized through symbols, for example, the image of a cave. The symbolism of the subtext clarifies its semantic content: if «many» were repressed after the revolution, then «everyone» was repressed after the war, and the entire nation was trapped in a metaphorical cave. Through the system of artistic means, the author reveals the origin of evil: the main character carries the embryo of a future war after the revolutionary purges, so that the deportation of an entire nation would take place a quarter of a century later, because the «pregnancy» caused by evil produces an «evil» child. Thus, the author concludes that the origins of evil are global, and the responsibility for the violence that occurs lies with every nation, with all nations, and hypothetically with all of humanity. To represent the main artistic idea, the author uses a complex of expressive techniques, including symbols, metaphors, contrasting images and colors, and the use of binary oppositions. The article employs methods of comparative-historical, structural, and literary analysis. The results obtained can be used to develop special courses, write the history of modern Russian-language North Caucasian literature, and the multi-ethnic history of modern Russian literature.