The article analyzes the literary features of the essay, published in the newspaper “Russkoe Bogatstvo”. This essay is being examined in order to find out particularities of special Korolenko’s essay methods. The author of the article highlights such literary features as fiction images-symbols, typification, attention to the details. The author has come to the conclusion, that there were combined combined the elements of different genres: necrologue, the journalistic genre of the portrait in the newspaper and the artistic genre of the literary portrait, built in the form of the ancient Greek encomion. Korolenko, using the artistic images conveys to the reader his thoughts in the conditions of strict censorship. He convinces a reader of the significant role of the journalist G.B. Iollos for the Russian public and the correctness of his ethical concept – the need to respect the rights and freedoms of any person, regardless of religion and origin.