In this article consider about the scientific contribution of Ch.Ch. Valikhanov to the Turkic epic studies, about his study of the epic culture of the Turks of Central Asia, Southern Siberia and the North Caucasus. The main place in it is devoted to the language, style and genre of the epic of the Turkic peoples, their poetic forms and their art of speech.

The purpose of the article is to reveal the views and methodological approaches of the scientist in the light of the current oral theory of Parry-Lord, to identify their prospects and productivity.

The practical value of the article comes from the scientific effectiveness of the works and ideas of the scientist in his analysis of oral poetic forms of folklore, stylistics and aesthetics.

The main method of Ch.Ch. Valikhanov is holistic, that is, a view "from within the tradition itself" in its living process. This method did not exclude the comparative-historical, typological, systematic method, the method of analysis and revealed great prospects in the scientific study of the oral epic of the Turkic nations.

 The main conclusion of this article is that the first professional orientalist, ethnographer, historian, linguist Ch.Ch. Valikhanov is the founder of classical Turkic epic studies, the first collector and original commentator of its best samples. He brilliantly foresaw many directions of modern topical oral theory and world folklore and deeply understood the unique nature of the ancient Steppe knowledge, the mighty oral epic of the Turks of the North Caucasus, Southern Siberia, Central and Central Asia. For the first time, this integral epic Turkic tradition is described by him in all the genre and species richness. The historical and ethnographic approach of the scientist to the analysis of the epic art of the Turkic peoples is of valuable practical importance for oral theory and the humanities.

            Keywords: poetic form, oral Parry-Lord theory, tradition, formula style, Turkic epic, Steppe knowledge, initial foundations.