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Abstract: The purpose of the article is to show values of A. Gaidar’s heroes as a system and prove that its roots can be found in pre-revolutionary culture. Such approach helps to disclose deep connection of author’s works with Russian classical literature. The novel “Timur and his team” became the object for analysis as it has seriously influenced behavioral strategies of teens. The analysis of the work in the aspect of axiology helps to overcome ideological approach to estimating Gaidar’s art. Such guidelines as living in team, doing good things, saving world from injustice, labour as happiness are pointed out. Special accent is made on depicting episodes of Timur’s team help to the inhabitants of the village, the structure of such episodes is carefully studied. It is shown that help is being planned as a military operation, which results in actions being coordinated and swift, also pointed out methods, which helped Gaidar achieve dynamism, swiftness in these episodes: lack of detailed descriptions, the predominance of verbs, a vivid comparison, a curious ending. As a result work is presented not as exhausting, but hard and joyful occupation. Also several principles of creating Timur’s team members are characterised: the author uses telling surnames, gives his heroes a stable portrait feature, a special manner of speech. The main conclusion of the article is that Gaidar finds the origins of new soviet culture in old, pre-revolutionary culture, that’s why in his novel a lot of references to key works of Russian literature (e.g. to Gogol’s “Taras Bulba”, Pushkin’s “Capitain’s Daughter”) and art (Repin’s painting “Cossaks of Zaporozhye write a letter to the Turkish sultan) can be found, the usage of symbolic character images (ravine, garden, chapel with the pictures of hell) is marked. Gaidar brings back traditional values, which were abandoned in the era of revolutionary reorganisation of society, but fills them with new, actual for his time ideas. The conclusions of the article may be used in the practise of teaching in schools and universities.