The paper focuses on the problem of formation of Modem Greek literary standard. For several centuries, the main principle of Greek literary tradition was that of one language one etlmos. In spite and partly because of this, bilingual writers played an extremely important role in the creation of the standard. Bilingualism made it possible to transfer the achievements of other cultures to the Greek context, in the situation of permanent pressure of a strict, rigid, and conservative literary norm. 1'pological parallels to this can be found in the Russian literary tradition.