Leo Tolstoy is best known for his large-scale works. “War and Peace”, “Sunday”, “Anna Karenina” - these novels come to mind first. But among Tolstoy’s works there are also stories that are simple and truthful. One of them is “ Caucasian prisoner" The two main characters are Zhilin and Kostylin. A comparative description of these heroes is presented in the article.
History of creation
Before giving a comparative description of Zhilin and Kostylin, it is worth talking about how work on “Prisoner of the Caucasus” began. The idea for the work arose from the writer in his youth. The plot is based on the events that happened to Tolstoy during his service in the Caucasus. In 1853, Tolstoy almost was captured. How true artist, he stored this event in his memory, and later, returning to Yasnaya Polyana, transferred to paper. True, Tolstoy’s hero failed to avoid capture. Otherwise the plot wouldn't be so interesting.
The story was first published in 1872. The author himself highly valued his work and recalled it even in the treatise “What is Art?” Critics praised "Prisoner of the Caucasus." An important feature of the story is its simplicity of presentation, which is not characteristic of Tolstoy the novelist. Samuel Marshak called the work “an example of a short story for children.”
Plan
A comparative description of Zhilin and Kostylin in the article is given simultaneously with the presentation of the story. The author created two bright portraits. One belongs to the main character, the other to his antipode. There are a few more interesting images. But in literature lessons, students first of all make a comparative description of Zhilin and Kostylin. Why? The actions of these heroes illustrate the author's idea. One is brave and noble. The other is a coward and a traitor. We see a similar opposition in the works of other Russian writers, for example in The Captain's Daughter.
Let's draw up a plan for comparative characteristics of Zhilin and Kostylin:
- Appearance. Tatars. In captivity.
Letter from mother
Main character story - an officer named Zhilin. One day he receives a letter from his mother. She asks her son to come and say goodbye. Woman feels imminent death, and therefore hastily looks for a bride for him. At that time it was very dangerous in the Caucasus. Tatars (as all Muslims were called in the 19th century) were scurrying around everywhere. Zhilin was not supposed to leave the fortress without being accompanied by soldiers.
Kostylin
At that moment, when Zhilin was thinking about whether he should go alone, unaccompanied by soldiers, another officer rode up to him on a horse and offered to go together. The author gives a description of the main character: he was a short, strong man. When compiling a comparative description of Zhilin and Kostylin from “Prisoner of the Caucasus,” it is worth mentioning: the author gave his characters surnames that were not random, they correspond to their appearance. Zhilin is strong, sinewy. Kostylin is overweight, plump, clumsy.
So, the main character agrees to go. But on condition: do not leave under any circumstances. When asked whether the gun is loaded, Kostylin answers in the affirmative.
Tatars
A comparative description of Zhilin and Kostylin should be drawn up on the basis of the capture scene. The officers did not manage to move far from the fortress - the Tatars appeared. Kostylin at that moment drove a little further away. When he saw the Tatars approaching, he did not shoot, but rushed away. The main point in the comparative description of Zhilin and Kostylin from “Prisoner of the Caucasus” is behavior in a critical situation. The first one was never lost, he was brave. The second behaved cowardly, betraying his comrade.
Ransom
There were about thirty Tatars, and Zhilin, of course, was unable to resist them. However, he did not give up quickly. “I won’t give in alive,” that’s what he thought, and this thought perfectly reveals inner world hero of the story “Prisoner of the Caucasus”. The author gives the characteristics of Zhilin and Kostylin at the beginning of the work. But what happened next to the officer? What is the fate of the traitor who, having seen the Tatars, “ran towards the fortress with all his might”?
As has already been said, Zhilin was not tall, but he was brave. Despite the fact that he was left alone, he fought for a long time with the Tatars who attacked him. However, they won and took the prisoner to their village. They put him in stocks and took him to the barn.
In order to compose a complete description of the heroes Zhilin and Kostylin, you need to remember how the main character behaved in captivity. After all, later the officer who betrayed him will end up there.
The Tatars who captured Zhilin did not speak Russian - they called an interpreter. The Russian officer was brought to the main one - Abdul-Murat - and was told that he was now his master. He, with the help of an interpreter, put forward a demand: Zhilin will be released after three thousand coins are paid for him. But the prisoner did not have rich relatives, and he did not want to upset his mother. He immediately told the Tatars that he could not give more than five hundred rubles.
Zhilin understood: you cannot be timid with the Tatars. He spoke to them confidently, even with some challenge. Suddenly they brought Kostylin. It turned out that he was unable to escape. He, unlike the main character, behaved quietly and immediately wrote a letter home - he asked to send five thousand rubles. Zhilin also wrote, but the address indicated was incorrect. He was sure that he would escape sooner or later. At the same time, he demanded from the Tatars that they keep him together with his comrade. Even at such moments, he thought not only about himself, but also about the other prisoner, who, by the way, did not deserve it.
In comparative full description Zhilin and Kostylin must certainly say: the main character, unlike the second captured officer, was ready to fight to the last.
Captured
Zhilin is a man accustomed to fighting. He no longer wrote letters home; he realized that his mother, to whom he himself had previously sent money, could not collect even five hundred rubles. He hatched a plan to escape. In the essay “Comparative Characteristics of Zhilin and Kostylin” it is important to talk about how the officers behaved in captivity.
Kostylin was either sleeping or counting the days. He wrote another letter to his relatives. He was homesick, homesick, and didn’t even think about escaping. He was too cowardly to dare to take such a step.
Zhilin became bored, but he was “a master of all kinds of needlework.” I started making toys from clay. One day he made a doll and gave it to Dina, the daughter of his “master”. The girl was frightened at first, but over time she stopped being afraid of the Russian prisoner and even developed sympathy for him. Soon Zhilin made another doll out of clay for Dina. And she, as a sign of gratitude, brought him milk (the Tatars kept their prisoners on dry rations).
Dina began to bring Zhilin milk every day, and sometimes, if he was lucky, flat cakes or lamb. Soon the whole village learned that the Russian was a jack of all trades. One day Zhilin called Abdul to his place and ordered him to repair a broken watch, and he quickly completed the task.
People from nearby villages began to come to the captured Russian. Either fix the watch or fix the gun. Two months later, he began to understand a little the language of the inhabitants of the village. Once they turned to him with a request to cure a Tatar. Zhilin could no longer do this, but he whispered into the water and gave it to the sick man to drink. The Tatar, fortunately, recovered.
Old horseman
The inhabitants of the village fell in love with the Russian prisoner. The owner once admitted: “I would have let you go, but I gave my word and spent money on you.” The only thing Zhilin didn’t like was the old Tatar, who always wore a turban. The story of this man is very interesting. Once upon a time, the Russians ravaged the village and killed his entire family. Only one son survived, and even he went over to the side of the enemy. The old man found the traitor and killed him. He hated the Russians and more than once demanded that Zhilin be killed.
Preparing to escape
Zhilin made toys for Tatar children and observed the life of the village. But he did not accept his fate. But he knew that there was no one to pay the ransom for him. Zhilin little by little dug into the barn. Kostylin did not take part in this. He humbly waited for the money that his rich relatives were supposed to send him.
Zhilin did not even think of running away alone. He developed an escape plan, but would never have left the village without Kostylin. He refused to run for a long time. Kostylin was scared, and besides, he didn’t know the road. But there was no need to expect pity from the Tatars. One of them was killed by Russian soldiers.
Failed escape
Zhilin was dexterous and resilient. Kostylin – slow, clumsy. On a quiet summer night they finally decided to escape. We got out of the barn and went towards the fortress. But Kostylin stopped every now and then, sighed and groaned. If Zhilin had fled himself, he would not have fallen into the hands of the Tatars again. Kostylin began to complain and lament. In a word, he behaved completely differently than an officer should. Zhilin had to drag him on himself - he could not leave his comrade.
The fugitives were quickly overtaken by the Tatars. From now on, the chances of salvation became very small. Abdula promised Zhilin that he would kill them if he did not receive the ransom within two weeks. Now they were kept in prison, separately. The pads were not removed even for fresh air they didn't let me in.
Dina
There was very little space in the dungeon. There was no point in digging. Dina began to come to Zhilin: she brought flat cakes and cherries. And once she said: “They want to kill you.” Abdul's elders ordered him to destroy the prisoners, and in the Caucasus you are not supposed to contradict the elders. Zhilin asked the girl to bring him a long stick with which he could get out of the basement. But she refused - she was afraid of her father.
One day, Abdul’s daughter finally brought him a long pole. That day there was almost no one in the village, which she informed Zhilin about. Kostylin did not want to run, but helped his comrade get out of the basement. Zhilin said goodbye to him. Dina accompanied him to the outskirts of the village.
Return
But this time there were some adventures. Zhilin was already approaching the fortress when he saw the Tatars. Fortunately, there were Cossacks nearby who rushed to his cry. Zhilin was saved. For a long time he told his comrades about what he had experienced during these months.
Kostylin returned a month later. They still paid five thousand rubles for it. They brought him in barely alive.
Kostylin – weak person. Unlike Zhilin, he is ready for any kind of humiliation, just not to fight. But he's not a scoundrel. During his first escape, he asks his comrade to leave him and not drag him along. But he refuses. Zhilin's principle: die, but not leave a friend in trouble.
Heroes are brought up in different conditions. The author says almost nothing about Zhilin’s family, but it is known that he is not rich and not noble. However, he is used to taking care not only of himself, but also of his mother. Kostylin is from a rich noble family. Probably someone always made decisions for him. He is not used to acting - he is used to going with the flow.
"Prisoner of the Caucasus" in cinema
The story has been filmed twice. For the first time in 1975. The second film based on the work of Leo Tolstoy was released in the mid-nineties. It was filmed by Sergei Bodrov Sr. However, in the 1995 film, the events take place during the First Chechen War.
Story by A.N. Tolstoy’s “Prisoner of the Caucasus” was written under the impression of real events in which the author became a participant while serving in the Caucasus in 1853. He was almost captured by the mountaineers and lost a comrade in a clash with them.
Later, returning to the events he experienced, the writer created the image of officer Zhilin, who found the strength to get out of Chechen captivity and managed to preserve human dignity in a difficult life situation.
The main character of the work Zhilin- a representative of the noble class, but from an impoverished family. There is no sense of lordship or arrogance in his character traits and behavior: he is easy to communicate, knows a lot, and calmly endures the hardships of military service.
Finding himself in captivity due to the indiscretion of his comrade Kostylin, Zhilin does not lose hope of release and, knowing well the customs of the highlanders, tries to find live contact with them: he repairs broken watches, makes toys for children, and behaves confidently during negotiations.
Kostylin is not as durable. He is morally crushed, dejected, almost falls into despair and unquestioningly fulfills the requirement to write home about a ransom from captivity.
Zhilin indicates the wrong address in his letter to his mother. He is convinced that he cannot make his loved ones worry and relies only on his own strength, convincing Kostylin to flee without waiting for a ransom.
The escape turns out to be unsuccessful, and this complicates the situation for the prisoners. They stop feeding them, put them in a hole and put them in stocks. Zhilin continues to fight for his liberation and tries to support his comrade, who is unable to independently withstand the current circumstances. Kostylin’s life comes down to waiting for a ransom - only in this he sees salvation and refuses to take any action to return home on his own. Kostylin ceases to be the master of his fate and completely, slavishly submits to the will of the mountaineers, who increase the ransom amount.
Zhilin is helped by Dina, a thirteen-year-old girl who has become attached to the Russian officer for his kindness and resilient disposition. The second escape, which Kostylin flatly refused, saves Zhilin from certain death.
Heroes are endowed speaking surnames. The author uses this technique to emphasize the resilience of his main character and the weakness of his comrade’s character. Serves the same purpose portrait characteristic: Zhilin is thin, fit, agile; Kostylin is so slow and heavy that he suffocates when walking. The contrast between the heroes is not striking, but serves to reveal the main idea of the work: Zhilin is free only because of his personal qualities. Kostylin's fate remains unknown, but the reader can assume that the broken man is unlikely to wait for deliverance.
Conclusions website
- Zhilin knows life well. He is not rich and can only rely on himself. Kostylin is gentle and well-to-do; In captivity, he immediately accepts the terms of the ransom.
- Zhilin is active, observant, and friendly even towards the mountaineers who captivated him. Kostylin is passive, depressed, withdrawn, incapable of difficult situation make your own decision.
- Zhilin is fit, easy to move, patiently endures pain and hunger. Kostylin is overweight, physically weak, and ill. His vitality not enough to get out of captivity without help from relatives.
- Zhilin is fighting for his life and does not lose his human dignity. Kostylin cannot cope with difficulties and, under conditions of captivity, degrades as a person.
Leo Tolstoy's story was received approvingly by the author's contemporaries. The popularity of the work is also indicated by the repeated reprinting of the work. And we, people of the 21st century, have a lot to learn from a talented writer. “Prisoner of the Caucasus” is a story about the moral choices made by people of different characters. In addition to the contrasting gallery of images in the work, the captivating nature of the Caucasus attracts attention. In this regard, we can talk about the ambiguity of the name. The main characters become prisoners of the Caucasus because they are captured by the mountaineers. But the heroes are also captured in the Caucasus itself.
At the center of the story are two images - and. What they have in common is that they are both Russian officers and belong to the nobility. And perhaps that's all they are similar to. The rest of the characterization comes down to the contrast between these characters.
Leo Tolstoy carefully develops the images of the main characters. There is meaning even in their surnames. Zhilin and Kostylin are incredibly “talking” surnames.
Zhilin comes from the word “vein”. Veins, as you know, are not so easy to pull out. Animal sinews are even used as a material in various crafts. A hero with such a surname is associated with a strong, “wiry” person. This is exactly how Leo Tolstoy wanted to portray Ivan Zhilin to us. Zhilin is also associated with the word “live”. The main character knows how to survive and fight for life. While in captivity, Zhilin does not give up, he takes root in the Tatar village, finds common language with a kind local girl Dina. It is she who later helps Russian officers escape from captivity.
Kostylin comes from the word “crutch”. This device is necessary for people with physical disabilities. The image of Kostylin combines both physical and spiritual illness. He is physically weak, overweight, fat man. But this is not what the author focuses on. External weakness is just a hint of spiritual impotence, lack of willpower. Kostylin always looks for support in someone and does not know how to make independent decisions. His only striking feature is selfishness, which leads to betrayal.
Zhilin always lives up to his name. He continues to fight even when there is almost no chance. He gives a good rebuff to the Tatars, although he has no weapons. And once captured, he does not resign himself to his fate, but continues to show his “wiryness.”
Kostylin also lives up to his name. Even having once betrayed his friend, he is not ashamed to lean on him. He climbs onto Zhilin's back during his escape, thereby reducing his chances of escaping the enemy.
Leo Tolstoy gives eloquent surnames to his main characters for a reason; there is a subtle hint at their human qualities.
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Zhilin and Kostylin
In the story “Prisoner of the Caucasus,” L. N. Tolstoy contrasts two heroes - officers of the Russian army Zhilin and Kostylin, who served in the Caucasus and were captured by the highlanders (who are called Tatars in the story).
Starting to read the story, we do not yet know the characters of the main characters, but only learn their last names, but we immediately get the feeling that the author likes Zhilin more than Kostylin. Zhilin is apparently a “wiry” man, strong, with a strong character, while Kostylin’s character is most likely “lame”. We assume that Kostylin is a dependent, indecisive person, in need of outside help. Further events this is confirmed.
Two officers were captured due to the fault of Kostylin, who was supposed to cover Zhilin, but instead got scared and ran away. Zhilin did not hold a grudge against his colleague, scold or curse him. This speaks of his generosity. In captivity they behaved differently. Kostylin, at the request of the mountaineers, immediately wrote a letter to his homeland asking for a ransom to be paid for him. And Zhilin deliberately indicated the wrong address on the letter, deciding that he would definitely escape from captivity. But, in addition to cunning, Zhilin shows both pride and courage: realizing that he can be killed if they don’t pay for him, he is still not afraid to tell them about it (“Being timid with them is worse”). And the Tatars respect him for this. When the issue of ransom is decided, Zhilin negotiates, dictates the terms, and at the same time takes care not only of himself, but also of Kostylin.
Unlike his friend, Zhilin does not hope for a miraculous rescue and does not sit idly by. He is an active person and constantly thinks about how to escape from captivity. This is the main difference between these two people. One of them is active, hard-working, believing that a way out of any situation can be found, and the second is a lump, a lazy person and a coward. Looking at how Zhilin makes dolls or weaves, the owner’s daughter Dina feels sympathy for him and begins to take care of him. And at night Zhilin digs a tunnel to escape.
When everything is ready to escape, Zhilin takes his comrade with him, he wants to save him too. He refuses and is timid, but Zhilin still persuades him to run away. The escape was unsuccessful, again because of Kostylin. Clumsy, whiny, he rubbed his feet with his boots. We are talking about saving lives, but he is uncomfortable going! Despite the fact that Kostylin was heavy, Zhilin put him on his shoulders and carried him for a long time. He could not leave his comrade in trouble.
They were caught, put in stocks on their feet and put in deep hole. It would seem that there is no salvation. But thanks to Dina, Zhilin still managed to escape. But Kostylin refused to run this time, he resigned himself to his fate, and his condition did not allow him. This is how it happens: the one who sets a goal, believes in it and does everything to achieve it, wins. And those who have no will, who are weak in spirit, lose their strength.
Zhilin managed to take root in a hostile environment, and this helped him get out of captivity. Such an incident would unsettle another person and force him to go home, but Zhilin is not like that. He remained to serve in the Caucasus. And a month later they gave a ransom for Kostylin, and he was released barely alive. Tolstoy did not say what happened to him next. He probably didn’t consider it necessary to even mention the fate of this worthless person.
"Prisoner of the Caucasus" is a story that is sometimes called a story. He wrote it and tells us about a Russian officer who was captured by the highlanders. The story was first published in the magazine "Zarya" in 1872. He is one of the most popular works the great Russian writer, which went through many reprints. The title of the story is a reference to Pushkin's poem of the same name. In this article we will produce Zhilin and Kostylin. These are the two main characters, the contrast of whose personalities forms the basis of the work. See below for a description of Zhilin and Kostylin.
The beginning of the story
The narrative is based in part on a real event that occurred during Tolstoy's service in the Caucasus (50s of the 19th century). He wrote in his diary in June 1853 that he was almost captured, but behaved well in this case, although and overly sensitive. Lev Nikolaevich, together with his friend, once miraculously escaped pursuit. Lieutenant Tolstoy also had to rescue his comrades from captivity.
Ransom letters written by two officers
The story takes place during the period of Zhilin, an officer serving in the navy. His mother sends her son a letter asking him to visit her, and he leaves the fortress along with the convoy. On the way, he overtakes him along with Kostylin and comes across mounted “Tatars” (that is, Muslim mountaineers).
They shoot the horse, and the officer himself is taken prisoner (his comrade escapes). Zilina is taken to a mountain village, after which he is sold to Abdul-Murat. “How did Zhilin and Kostylin meet after that?” - you ask. It turned out that Abdul-Murat was already in captivity by that time Kostylin, a colleague of Zhilin, who was also captured by the Tatars. Abdul-Murat forces Russian officers to write letters home in order to receive a ransom for them. Zhilin indicates the wrong address on the envelope, realizing that the mother will not be able to collect the required amount in any case.
Zhilin and Kostylin in captivity
Kostylin and Zhilin live in a barn; they put pads on their feet during the day. Zhilin fell in love with local children, especially Dina, the 13-year-old daughter of Abdul-Murat, for whom he made dolls. While walking around the surrounding area and the village, this officer wonders how he can escape to the Russian fortress. He digs in the barn at night. Dina sometimes brings him pieces of lamb or flatbread.
Escape of two officers
When Zhilin learns that the inhabitants of this village are alarmed by the death of a fellow villager who died in battle with the Russians, he finally decides to escape. Together with Kostylin, the officer crawls into a tunnel at night. They want to get to the forest, and then to the fortress. But due to the fact that the corpulent Kostylin was clumsy, they did not have time to carry out their plans; the Tatars noticed the young people and brought them back. They are now put in a pit and the stocks are no longer removed at night. Dina sometimes continues to bring food to the officer.
Zilina's second escape
Realizing that their enslavers are afraid that the Russians may soon come, and therefore may kill their captives, Zhilin, at nightfall, one day asks Dina to get a long stick. With her help, he climbs out of the hole. Soggy and sick, Kostylin remains inside. He tries, including with the help of the girl, to knock the lock off the blocks, but he fails. At dawn, having made his way through the forest, Zhilin goes out to the Russian troops. Kostylin is subsequently redeemed from captivity by his comrades, whose health has been undermined to the extreme.
Characteristics of the main characters ("Prisoner of the Caucasus", Tolstoy)
Zhilin and Kostylin are Russian officers. They both participate in the war for Zilina, a letter comes from his mother, in which she asks her son to visit her before his death to say goodbye. Without thinking twice, he hits the road. But it was dangerous to travel alone, since at any time he could be captured and killed by the Tatars. We went in a group, and therefore very slowly. Then Zhilin and Kostylin decide to go forward alone. Zhilin was prudent and careful. Having made sure that Kostylin’s gun was loaded and that he had a saber in the scabbard, Zhilin decided to see if the Tatars were visible by climbing the mountain. Climbing higher, he noticed his enemies. The Tatars were very close, and therefore they saw Zhilin.
This brave officer thought that if he managed to run to the gun (which Kostylin had), the officers would be saved. He shouted to his comrade. But the cowardly Kostylin ran away, fearing for his own skin. He committed a vile act. In the way Zhilin and Kostylin met, one can see fate’s mockery of the latter. After all, both were captured in the end, and here they met again. The chief of the Muslim mountaineers said that they had to pay a ransom of 5,000 rubles, and then they would be released. Kostylin immediately wrote a letter home asking for money. And Zhilin answered the mountaineers that if they killed him, they would receive nothing at all, and told them to wait. He deliberately sent his letter to a different address, because the officer felt sorry for his mother, who was seriously ill, and there was no such money in the family. Apart from his mother, Zhilin had no other relatives.
Comparative characteristics Zhilin and Kostylin can be supplemented by pointing out how these heroes spent their time in captivity. Zhilin decided that he could and should escape. He dug a tunnel at night, and during the day he made dolls for Dina, who brought food in return.
Kostylin was idle all day and slept at night. And then the time came when preparations for the escape were completed. The two officers fled. They severely abraded their legs on the stones, and Zilina had to carry the weakened Kostylin. Because of this they were captured. This time the officers were put in a hole, but Dina took out a stick and helped her friend escape. Kostylin was afraid to flee again and stayed with the mountaineers. Zhilin managed to reach his own people. Kostylin was bought out only a month later.
As you can see, Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy shows in his story “Prisoner of the Caucasus” the courage and courage of Zhilin and the weakness, cowardice and laziness of his comrade. The comparative characteristics of Zhilin and Kostylin are opposite, but are built on contrast. To better convey his idea, the author uses a number of techniques. Read about them further.
Analysis of the title of the story "Prisoner of the Caucasus"
It is interesting to analyze the very title of the story - "Prisoner of the Caucasus." Zhilin and Kostylin are two heroes, but the name is given in the singular. Tolstoy may have wanted to show by this that true hero There can only be a person who does not give up in the face of difficulties that arise, but actively acts. Passive people become a burden to others in life, not striving for anything and not developing in any way. The author thus shows that not everything in our lives directly depends on circumstances, and each person is the creator of his own destiny.
Names of the main characters
Pay attention also to the names of the heroes, which were not taken by chance by the author, which should also be noted when compiling comparative characteristics of Zhilin and Kostylin. Starting to read this work, we don’t yet know the characters of the main characters, but only find out their last names. But we immediately get the feeling that Lev Nikolaevich sympathizes more with Zhilin than with Kostylin. The latter, we think, has a “lame” character, while Zhilin is a strong, “wiry” man with a strong character. Kostylin needs help from outsiders; he is indecisive and dependent. Further events confirm our guesses. The meanings of these rhyming surnames are completely different. Thus, Zhilin is described as a small man, agile and strong. On the contrary, Kostylin is heavy-set, difficult to lift, passive. Throughout the entire work, all he does is prevent his friend from realizing his plans.
Conclusion
Thus, these two characters are opposite, as evidenced by the author’s description of Zhilin and Kostylin. The main difference between these two officers is that one is a hard-working, active person who believes that a way out of any situation can be found, and the second is a coward, a lazy person, a lump. Zhilin managed to take root in a hostile environment, which helped this officer escape from captivity. Such an incident would unsettle another person, but this officer is not like that. He did not go home after the end of the story, but remained to serve in the Caucasus. And Kostylin, barely alive, was released from captivity for a ransom. Tolstoy did not say what happened to him next. He probably didn't consider it necessary to even mention future fate such a worthless person in his work "Prisoner of the Caucasus". Zhilin and Kostylin - different people, and therefore their fates are different, despite the same life circumstances. This is precisely the idea that Leo Tolstoy wanted to convey to us.
Samuel Marshak noted that the work “Prisoner of the Caucasus” (Tolstoy) is the crown of all books for reading and said that in all world literature it is impossible to find a more perfect example of a story, a short story for children's reading. Description of Zhilin and Kostylin, their characters helps in education younger generation, personality development, since it shows how to behave in difficult situations. The fate of Zhilin and Kostylin is very instructive.