Abstract: The philosophical thought of Zen Buddhism is widely used in the work of Victor Pelevin, it becomes an integral element of his early works. The most important and typical feature of Zen Buddhism is the use of "koan" to understand the philosophical thought of Zen Buddhism. The original meaning of the word "koan" is a judicial document of the ancient Chinese government. Later, the term "koan" was borrowed by Zen Buddhism, and its content is usually a story about a Zen master, a dialogue between the master and his disciples, questions and hints from the master. This article examines the implementation of koans in V. Pelevin's novel Chapaev and the Void. The object of the study is the poetics of V. Pelevin's work, the subject of the study is the koan and its implementation in the writer's prose. Within the framework of this work, comparative typological, cultural-historical, structural-poetic methods are combined. The theoretical and methodological basis of the research is the works on the methodology of intertextuality, religious studies and narratology. The novelty of the work lies in the fact that it shows and analyzes the process of artistic realization of Zen Buddhist koans in Victor Pelevin's prose. Existing studies have focused more on the interpretation of the concept and philosophical thought of Zen Buddhism in Pelevin's works, they do not study the implementation and adaptation of Zen Buddhist koans in the writer's prose, and ideological differences between different Zen schools are also ignored. It is shown that these koans are realized in V. Pelevin's novel Chapaev and the Void through dialogue and the behavior of the characters. The plot of the novel follows the sequence of the enlightenment process in the koan of Zen master Qingyuan Xingxi. The Zen practice experience of the protagonist Peter the Void is a constantly improving game, and the standard of evaluation in the game is the degree of understanding of the koan.