The folklore of the peoples of Dagestan is distinguished by high artistic merit and diverse cognitive information. It has acquired special significance in recent years in connection with the increased interest of peoples in their historical and cultural origins, in ethnic traditions, as well as in connection with those ethnopolitical and ethnocultural processes of our time, which, as you know, are most intensively and ambiguously manifested in the Caucasus. The folklore monuments of the peoples of Dagestan vividly illustrate not only the closest interethnic ties within this region, but also the relationship and mutual influence with the oral and poetic creativity of other ethnic groups of the Caucasus: Abkhazians, Adygs (Adyghes, Kabardians, Circassians), Azerbaijanis, Armenians, Balkars and Karachais, Vainakhs (Chechens and Ingush), Georgians, Ossetians, Russians.The article deals with the issue of collecting, publishing and scientific analysis of one of the most developed and widespread areas of oral and poetic creativity of the peoples of Dagestan — non-ritual lyrics. Songs performed outside the rite belong precisely to that area of folklore, which among the peoples of Dagestan gives an uneven picture of development. The commonality of the poetic tradition and the figurative system of non-ritual lyrics does not exclude the originality of the oral poetry of a particular ethnic group, the presence of shades that highlight the originality of the folklore of the Avars, Dargins, Lezgins, Kumyks, Laks, etc.