The study analyzed some specifics of the reception of Russian literature in Galicia. Representing the integral part of the multinational culture of the Iberian Peninsula, subject to the main trends of its development, Galician literature, however, has always demonstrated its own unique characters, clearly highlighting the cultural identity and originality of this historical region of Spain. An unexpected interpretation of the image of Mikhail Lermontov in the novel by the great pioneer of Galician literature Rosalia de Castro “El caballero de las botas azules” and the original paraphrase of Nekrasov’s poem “The Forgotten Village” created by Ramon Cabanillas, the prominent Galician poet of the 20th century, allowed the author of the study to talk about revising the usual literary references and expanding the literary canon in the second half of the 19th century - the first third of the 20th century. The study shed light on the reasons why the interest in oeuvre of the two outstanding Russian writers emerged. The author also outlined the possible ways to get acquainted with their works. The material presented in the article allowed us to state that Russian literature acquired an original, sometimes unusual reflection in the mirror of the Galician culture. This fact still requires a detailed study.