The article examines the intertextual strategy of S. Dovlatov and revealed a direct link of the Dovlatov text and pretext Gorky. The paper refutes the proposition that the main trend of intertextual presence in Dovlatov’s texts is related to his earlier works, and the intertext of later works seems to be weakening. As shown in the article, the domestic pretext - in this case Gorky intertext - continued to be present in Dovlatov’s American prose.