The article deals with the most famous classification palettes of biographies, models of biographical research in the Ukrainian, Russian and foreign historiographical traditions, analyzes their genre–types of diversity. Attention is drawn to the fact that a great deal of scientific work of a specifically historical nature coexists with an extremely weak theoretical reflection on their foundations, which makes this aspect relevant for research. The new surge in biographical and biographical practice that has been observed since the early 2000s is associated with a rethinking of previous historical knowledge, a shift of research emphasis from «history of elites» to personalities of «background», a turn to historical anthropology, microlevels access to interdisciplinary techniques in the study of biographical information.

Classification of biographical studies of J. Levy, V. Popik, T. Popova, G. Silnitsky, O. Kharitonenko, models of biographies of S. Ikonnikov and others are presented scientists. Interpretations in the scientific literature of such terms as «biography», «scientific biography», «intellectual biography», «historical biography», «literary biography» are covered. It is noted that contemporary biographies tend to fit into the context of collective, individual (personal) history and ego–history.

Evidence of the departure of practitioners from classical / traditional / dry biography (as a set of human life facts, presented mainly in chronological order to innovative biographical models, such as, for example «internal biography», «existential biography», «evolution soul», «private biography», «professional biography» and more.

It is started that within the different types of literature the following genre varieties of biographies are distinguished: 1) reference literature – biographical article; 2) scientific literature – monograph, biographical article, materials for biography (preprint), bibliography; 3) journalism – biographical essay (historical, relevant; formal, literally elaboration), problematic essay, portrait essay (varieties – household, psychological, moral and instructive, political, literally, scientific, cultural, judicial, jubilee), obituary, interview, reportage, investigation, editorial letter, photo album; 4) fiction – novel, story, essay, screenplay; 5) memoir literature – diaries, memoirs, letters; 6) religious literature (liturgical) – life (hagiorgraphy), martyrologist; 7) documentary – lists of persons, records, records in metric books and official documents.

It is established that the considered variants of biographies in pure form are extremely rare and accordingly, do not exclude combinations. Therefore, different types of biographies only form the basis of building a model that is able to reflect the key parameters of the individual in the variety of his biographical manifestations.

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