The article presents the results of an analytical overview of scientific papers devoted to the study of discourse in a dynamic aspect. Such an overview is determined by the increasing attention to discourse not only as a system with stable features, but also as a procedural phenomenon that can change under the influence of external causes. The study of discourse from a historical perspective makes it possible to identify key socio-cultural factors influencing the transformation of textual realizations of discourse categories and features in a historical context, and to identify specific discourse features of a particular historical period. The overview showed that historical discoursology has already been applied in various fields, including advertising, politics, military sphere, art and other fields. The authors identify how the linguistic means necessary for the implementation of the communicative function of a text or genre change, as well as how the change in the functions of the text affects the choice of linguistic means. It is concluded that despite the wide range of research areas, not all types of discourses have received due attention from a historical perspective. In particular, the evolution of scientific communication remains poorly understood. Among the works devoted to the study of scientific discourse, there are works that either focus on the analysis of discourse features in synchrony, or emphasize a narrowly limited time period. In this regard, the study of scientific discourse in its dynamic development is of particular importance. The study of scientific discourse in a dynamic approach to its implementation can be useful and interesting in terms of identifying diachronic changes in scientific communication caused by the changing socio-cultural context.