The article analyzes the evolution of A. V. Vampilov’s dramaturgy in contrast to the principles of the official Soviet aesthetics. These principles were manifested in the playwriting textbooks of the Vampilov era, as well as in the articles and speeches by theater critics. The article shows that with each new play it’s more and more of a challenge to incorporate Vampilov’s work into the framework of traditional theater. Furthermore, the author’s deliberate deviations from accepted dramatic conventions become more apparent.