In this diploma thesis, Boris Leonidovich Pasternak's novel Doctor Zhivago is presented and analyzed, particularly in relation to the elements of pacifism that occur in the novel through the symbolism of names, characters and their relationships as well as descriptions and symbolism of the exterior, primarily nature. Therefore, the elements presented in the paper are crucial for the identification and understanding of Pasternak's pacifist attitude as a response to the war disasters caused by the Russian revolution that can be used as a general term for the historical events preceding the birth of the Soviet Union. In order to fully understand the historical circumstances of the described period, history-defining events and their underlying ideologies (Communism and Marxism, the Revolution of 1905, the October Revolution, Stalinism) are briefly described, as well as the circumstances of Pasternak's life permanently changed by Soviet censorship after the publication of the anti-Soviet novel. Accordingly, the main hypothesis of this thesis is that the novel Doctor Zhivago, considered to be a masterpiece of the world literature, is deeply grounded in the pacifist attitudes of its author. As an echo of Pasternak's civil disobedience, Doctor Zhivago exists as a pro-humanistic and at the same time implicitly anti-war novel of Russian literature, whose timeless message can be recognized in the context of the contemporary political and economic circumstances.