The article analyzes the interpretations of Amir Timur’s image in 20thcentury Russian and Uzbek prose. The works of Maxim Gorky “Tales of Italy”and Asqad Mukhtar “Men insonga qulluq qiladurmen” (“I bow to humanity”) are examined. The image of Timur in Gorky’s prose serves as an allegory of destructive power and despotic power, symbolizing universal laws of history. In Asqad Mukhtar’s prose, Timur, on the contrary, appears as a national leader who combines military power, state wisdom, and the idea of justice. Comparative analysis reveals both common features of the philosophical understanding of power and individual destiny, and opposing emphases due to national and cultural traditions. The image of Timur becomes a point of intersection between two literary traditions, where the universal and the national converge in a complex dialogue of cultures.