Works such as “Who Lives Well in Rus'” are a real excursion into the 60s of the 19th century. The poem literally immerses the reader in the events of post-serfdom. A journey in search of a happy person in Russian Empire, exposes numerous problems society, paints an unvarnished picture of reality and makes you think about the future of a country that dares to live in a new way.
The history of the creation of Nekrasov's poem
The exact date when work on the poem began is unknown. But researchers of Nekrasov’s work drew attention to the fact that already in his first part he mentions the Poles who were exiled. This makes it possible to assume that the poet’s idea for the poem arose around 1860-1863, and Nikolai Alekseevich began writing it around 1863. Although the poet’s sketches could have been made earlier.
It is no secret that Nikolai Nekrasov spent a very long time collecting material for his new poetic work. The date on the manuscript after the first chapter is 1865. But this date means that work on the chapter “The Landowner” was completed this year.
It is known that starting in 1866, the first part of Nekrasov’s work tried to see the light of day. For four years, the author tried to publish his work and constantly fell under the discontent and harsh condemnation of censorship. Despite this, work on the poem continued.
The poet had to publish it gradually in the same Sovremennik magazine. So it was published for four years, and all these years the censor was dissatisfied. The poet himself was constantly subject to criticism and persecution. Therefore, he stopped his work for a while, and was able to start it again only in 1870. In this new period of its rise literary creativity he creates three more parts to this poem, which were written in different times:
✪ “The Last One” - 1872.
✪ “Peasant Woman” -1873.
✪ “A feast for the whole world” - 1876.
The poet wanted to write a few more chapters, but he was working on his poem at a time when he began to fall ill, so his illness prevented him from realizing these poetic plans. But still, realizing that he would soon die, Nikolai Alekseevich tried in his last part to finish it so that the whole poem had a logical completeness.
The plot of the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'”
In one of the volosts on a wide road there are seven men who live in neighboring villages. And they think about one question: who cares about them? native land life is good. And their conversation got so bad that it soon turned into an argument. It was getting late in the evening, but they could not resolve this dispute. And suddenly the men noticed that they had already walked a long distance, carried away by the conversation. Therefore, they decided not to return home, but to spend the night in the clearing. But the argument continued and led to a fight.
Because of such noise, a chick of a warbler falls out, which Pakhom saves, and for this the exemplary mother is ready to fulfill any desire of the men. Having received the magic tablecloth, the men decide to travel to find the answer to the question that interests them so much. Soon they meet a priest who changes the men’s opinion that he has a good and happy life. The heroes also end up at a rural fair.
They're trying to find happy people among the drunk, and it soon becomes clear that a peasant doesn’t need much to be happy: he has enough to eat and protects himself from troubles. And to find out about happiness, I advise the heroes to find Ermila Girin, whom everyone knows. And then the men learn his story, and then the master appears. But he also complains about his life.
At the end of the poem, the heroes try to look for happy people among women. They meet one peasant woman, Matryona. They help Korchagina in the field, and in return she tells them her story, where she says that a woman cannot have happiness. Women only suffer.
And now the peasants are already on the banks of the Volga. Then they heard a story about a prince who could not come to terms with the abolition of serfdom, and then a story about two sinners. The story of the sexton's son Grishka Dobrosklonov is also interesting.
You are also poor, You are also abundant, You are also powerful, You are also powerless, Mother Rus'! Saved in slavery, the heart is free - Gold, gold, the heart of the people! People's power, mighty power - a calm conscience, a tenacious truth!
Genre and unusual composition of the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'”
About what the composition is Nekrasov's poem, there are still debates between writers and critics. Most researchers of the literary work of Nikolai Nekrasov have come to the conclusion that the material should be arranged as follows: prologue and part one, then the chapter “Peasant Woman” should be placed, the content should be the chapter “Last One” and in conclusion - “Feast for the whole world”.
Evidence of this arrangement of chapters in the plot of the poem is that, for example, in the first part and in the subsequent chapter, the world is depicted when the peasants were not yet free, that is, this is the world that was a little earlier: old and outdated. The next Nekrasov part already shows how this old world is completely destroyed and dies.
But already in the last Nekrasov chapter the poet shows all the signs of what is beginning new life. The tone of the story changes dramatically and is now lighter, clearer, and more joyful. The reader feels that the poet, like his heroes, believe in the future. This aspiration towards a clear and bright future is especially felt in those moments when the poem appears main character- Grishka Dobrosklonov.
In this part, the poet completes the poem, so it is here that the denouement of the entire plot action takes place. And here is the answer to the question that was posed at the very beginning of the work about who, after all, lives well and freely, carefree and cheerfully in Rus'. It turns out that the most carefree, happy and cheerful person is Grishka, who is the protector of his people. In his beautiful and lyrical songs, he predicted happiness for his people.
But if you carefully read how the poem ends in its last part, you can pay attention to the strangeness of the narrative. The reader does not see the peasants returning to their homes, they do not stop traveling, and, in general, they do not even get to know Grisha. Therefore, a continuation may have been planned here.
Poetic composition also has its own characteristics. First of all, it is worth paying attention to the construction, which is based on the classical epic. The poem consists of separate chapters in which there is an independent plot, but there is no main character in the poem, since it tells about the people, as if it were an epic of the life of the entire people. All parts are connected into one thanks to those motives that run through the entire plot. For example, the motif of a long road along which peasants walk to find a happy person.
The fabulousness of the composition is easily visible in the work. The text contains many elements that can easily be attributed to folklore. Throughout the journey, the author inserts his lyrical digressions and elements that are completely irrelevant to the plot.
Analysis of Nekrasov’s poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'”
From the history of Russia it is known that in 1861 the most shameful phenomenon was abolished - serfdom. But such a reform caused unrest in society, and new problems soon arose. First of all, the question arose that even a free peasant, poor and destitute, cannot be happy. This problem interested Nikolai Nekrasov, and he decided to write a poem in which the issue of peasant happiness would be considered.
Despite the fact that the work is written in simple language and refers to folklore, it usually seems complex to the reader, since it touches on the most serious philosophical problems and questions. The author himself sought answers to most of the questions all his life. This is probably why writing the poem was so difficult for him, and he created it over the course of fourteen years. But unfortunately, the work was never finished.
The poet intended to write his poem in eight chapters, but due to illness he was able to write only four and they do not follow at all, as expected, one after another. Now the poem is presented in the form and in the sequence proposed by K. Chukovsky, who carefully studied Nekrasov’s archives for a long time.
Nikolai Nekrasov chose ordinary people as the heroes of the poem, so he also used vernacular vocabulary. For a long time, there were debates about who could still be considered the main characters of the poem. So, there were assumptions that these are heroes - men who walk around the country, trying to find a happy person. But other researchers still believed that it was Grishka Dobrosklonov. This question remains open today. But you can consider this poem as if the main character in it is all the common people.
There are no accurate and detailed descriptions of these men in the plot, their characters are also unclear, the author simply does not reveal or show them. But these men are united by one goal, for which they travel. It is also interesting that occasional persons in Nekrasov’s poem they are drawn by the author more clearly, accurately, in detail and vividly. The poet raises many problems that arose among the peasantry after the abolition of serfdom.
Nikolai Alekseevich shows that each hero in his poem has his own concept of happiness. For example, a rich person sees happiness in having financial well-being. And the peasant dreams that in his life there will be no grief and troubles, which usually await the peasant at every step. There are also heroes who are happy because they believe in the happiness of others. The language of Nekrasov’s poem is close to folk, therefore it contains huge amount vernacular.
Despite the fact that the work remained unfinished, it reflects the entire reality of what happened. This is a real literary gift for all lovers of poetry, history and literature.
History of creation
Nekrasov devoted many years of his life to working on the poem, which he called his “favorite brainchild.” “I decided,” said Nekrasov, “to present in a coherent story everything that I know about the people, everything that I happened to hear from their lips, and I started “Who Lives Well in Rus'.” This will be an epic of modern peasant life.” The writer saved material for the poem, as he admitted, “word by word for twenty years.” Death interrupted this gigantic work. The poem remained unfinished. Shortly before his death, the poet said: “The one thing I deeply regret is that I did not finish my poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'.” N. A. Nekrasov began work on the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” in the first half of the 60s of the 19th century. The mention of the exiled Poles in the first part, in the chapter “The Landowner,” suggests that work on the poem began no earlier than 1863. But sketches of the work could have appeared earlier, since Nekrasov had been collecting material for a long time. The manuscript of the first part of the poem is marked 1865, however, it is possible that this is the date of completion of work on this part.
Soon after finishing work on the first part, the prologue of the poem was published in the January 1866 issue of Sovremennik magazine. The printing lasted for four years and was accompanied, like all of Nekrasov’s publishing activities, by censorship persecution.
The writer began to continue working on the poem only in the 1870s, writing three more parts of the work: “The Last One” (1872), “Peasant Woman” (1873), “A Feast for the Whole World” (1876). The poet did not intend to limit himself to the written chapters; three or four more parts were planned. However, a developing illness interfered with the author's plans. Nekrasov, feeling the approach of death, tried to give some “completeness” to the last part, “A feast for the whole world.”
In the last lifetime edition“Poems” (-) the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” was published in the following sequence: “Prologue. Part one", "Last One", "Peasant Woman".
Plot and structure of the poem
Nekrasov assumed that the poem would have seven or eight parts, but managed to write only four, which, perhaps, did not follow one another.
Part one
The only one has no name. It was written shortly after the abolition of serfdom ().
Prologue
“In what year - count,
In what land - guess
On the sidewalk
Seven men came together..."
They got into an argument:
Who has fun?
Free in Rus'?
They offered six possible answers to this question:
- Novel: to the landowner
- Demyan: to the official
- Gubin brothers - Ivan and Mitrodor: to the merchant;
- Pakhom (old man): to the minister
The peasants decide not to return home until they find the correct answer. They find a self-assembled tablecloth that will feed them and set off.
Peasant woman (from the third part)
The last one (from the second part)
Feast - for the whole world (from the second part)
The chapter “A Feast for the Whole World” is a continuation of “The Last One.” This depicts a fundamentally different state of the world. This is already awakened and speaking at once folk Rus'. New heroes are drawn into the festive feast of spiritual awakening. The whole people sings songs of liberation, judges the past, evaluates the present, and begins to think about the future. Sometimes these songs are contrasting to each other. For example, the story “About the exemplary slave - Yakov the Faithful” and the legend “About two great sinners”. Yakov takes revenge on the master for all the bullying in a servile manner, committing suicide in front of his eyes. The robber Kudeyar atones for his sins, murders and violence not with humility, but with the murder of the villain - Pan Glukhovsky. Thus, popular morality justifies righteous anger against the oppressors and even violence against them
List of heroes
Temporarily obliged peasants who went to look for who was living happily and at ease in Rus'(Main characters)
- Novel
- Demyan
- Ivan and Metrodor Gubin
- Old Man Pakhom
Peasants and serfs
- Ermil Girin
- Yakim Nagoy
- Sidor
- Egorka Shutov
- Klim Lavin
- Agap Petrov
- Ipat - sensitive serf
- Yakov - a faithful slave
- Proshka
- Matryona
- Savely
Landowners
- Utyatin
- Obolt-Obolduev
- Prince Peremetev
- Glukhovskaya
Other heroes
- Altynnikov
- Vogel
- Shalashnikov
See also
Links
- Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov: textbook. allowance / Yarosl. state University named after P. G. Demidova and others; [author Art.] N.N. Paykov. - Yaroslavl: [b. i.], 2004. - 1 email. wholesale disk (CD-ROM)
From 1863 to 1877 Nekrasov created “Who Lives Well in Rus'.” The idea, characters, plot changed several times during the work. Most likely, the plan was not fully revealed: the author died in 1877. Despite this, “Who Lives Well in Rus'” as a folk poem is considered a completed work. It was supposed to have 8 parts, but only 4 were completed.
The poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” begins with the introduction of the characters. These heroes are seven men from the villages: Dyryavino, Zaplatovo, Gorelovo, Neurozhaika, Znobishino, Razutovo, Neelovo. They meet and start a conversation about who lives happily and well in Rus'. Each of the men has his own opinion. One believes that the landowner is happy, the other - that he is an official. Happy people are also called a merchant, a priest, a minister, a noble boyar, a tsar, or a peasant from the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'.” The heroes began to argue and lit a fire. It even came to a fight. However, they fail to come to an agreement.
Self-assembled tablecloth
Suddenly Pakhom completely unexpectedly caught the chick. The little warbler, his mother, asked the man to let the chick go free. She suggested for this where you can find a self-assembled tablecloth - very useful thing, which will certainly come in handy in long road. Thanks to her, the men did not lack food during the trip.
The priest's story
The work “Who Lives Well in Rus'” continues with the following events. The heroes decided to find out at any cost who lives happily and cheerfully in Rus'. They hit the road. First, on the way they met a priest. The men turned to him with a question about whether he lived happily. Then the pope talked about his life. He believes (in which the men could not but agree with him) that happiness is impossible without peace, honor, and wealth. Pop believes that if he had all this, he would be completely happy. However, he is obliged, day and night, in any weather, to go where he is told - to the dying, to the sick. Every time the priest has to see human grief and suffering. He sometimes even lacks the strength to take retribution for his service, since people tear the latter away from themselves. Once upon a time everything was completely different. The priest says that rich landowners generously rewarded him for funeral services, baptisms, and weddings. However, now the rich are far away, and the poor have no money. The priest also has no honor: the men do not respect him, as many folk songs testify to.
Wanderers go to the fair
Wanderers understand that this person cannot be called happy, as noted by the author of the work “Who Lives Well in Rus'.” The heroes set off again and find themselves along the road in the village of Kuzminskoye, at the fair. This village is dirty, although rich. There are a lot of establishments in it where residents indulge in drunkenness. They drink away their last money. For example, an old man had no money left to buy shoes for his granddaughter, since he drank everything away. All this is observed by wanderers from the work “Who Lives Well in Rus'” (Nekrasov).
Yakim Nagoy
They also notice fairground entertainment and fights and argue that a man is forced to drink: it helps him withstand hard work and eternal hardships. An example of this is Yakim Nagoy, a man from the village of Bosovo. He works himself to death and drinks until he is half to death. Yakim believes that if there were no drunkenness, there would be great sadness.
The wanderers continue their journey. In the work “Who Lives Well in Rus',” Nekrasov talks about how they want to find happy and cheerful people and promise to give these lucky people free water. Therefore, a variety of people try to pass themselves off as such - a former servant suffering from paralysis, who for many years licked the master's plates, exhausted workers, beggars. However, the travelers themselves understand that these people cannot be called happy.
Ermil Girin
The men once heard about a man named Ermil Girin. Nekrasov further tells his story, of course, but does not convey all the details. Yermil Girin - burgomaster, who was very respected, fair and honest man. He intended to one day buy the mill. The men lent him money without a receipt, they trusted him so much. However, a peasant revolt occurred. Now Yermil is in prison.
Obolt-Obolduev's story
Gavrila Obolt-Obolduev, one of the landowners, spoke about the fate of the nobles after They used to own a lot: serfs, villages, forests. On holidays, nobles could invite serfs into their homes to pray. But after that the master was no longer the full owner of the men. The wanderers knew very well how difficult life was during the times of serfdom. But it is also not difficult for them to understand that things became much harder for the nobles after the abolition of serfdom. And it’s not easier for men now. The wanderers realized that they would not be able to find a happy one among the men. So they decided to go to the women.
Life of Matryona Korchagina
The peasants were told that in one village there lived a peasant woman named Matryona Timofeevna Korchagina, whom everyone called lucky. They found her, and Matryona told the men about her life. Nekrasov continues this story “Who Lives Well in Rus'.”
A brief summary of this woman's life story is as follows. Her childhood was cloudless and happy. She had a hard-working family that didn't drink. The mother cared for and cherished her daughter. When Matryona grew up, she became a beauty. One day, a stove maker from another village, Philip Korchagin, wooed her. Matryona told how he persuaded her to marry him. This was the only bright memory of this woman in her entire life, which was hopeless and dreary, although her husband treated her well by peasant standards: he almost never beat her. However, he went to the city to earn money. Matryona lived in her father-in-law's house. Everyone here treated her badly. The only one who was kind to the peasant woman was very old grandfather Savely. He told her that he was sent to hard labor for the murder of the manager.
Soon Matryona gave birth to Demushka - a sweet and beautiful baby. She could not part with him for a minute. However, the woman had to work in the field, where her mother-in-law did not allow her to take the child. Grandfather Savely was watching the baby. One day he did not take care of Demushka, and the child was eaten by pigs. They came from the city to investigate, and they opened up the baby in front of the mother’s eyes. This was the hardest blow for Matryona.
Then five children were born to her, all boys. Matryona was a kind and caring mother. One day Fedot, one of the children, was tending sheep. One of them was carried away by a she-wolf. The shepherd was to blame for this and should have been punished with whips. Then Matryona begged her to be beaten instead of her son.
She also said that they once wanted to recruit her husband as a soldier, although this was a violation of the law. Then Matryona went to the city while pregnant. Here the woman met Elena Alexandrovna, the kind governor’s wife, who helped her, and Matryona’s husband was released.
The peasants considered Matryona a happy woman. However, after listening to her story, the men realized that she could not be called happy. There was too much suffering and troubles in her life. Matryona Timofeevna herself also says that a woman in Rus', especially a peasant woman, cannot be happy. Her lot is very hard.
Crazy landowner
Men-wanderers are on their way to the Volga. Here comes the mowing. People are busy with hard work. Suddenly an amazing scene: the mowers humiliate themselves and please the old master. It turned out that the landowner He could not understand what had already been abolished. Therefore, his relatives persuaded the men to behave as if it was still in effect. They were promised for this. The men agreed, but were deceived once again. When the old master died, the heirs gave them nothing.
The story of Jacob
Repeatedly along the way, wanderers listen folk songs- hungry, soldier and others, as well as different stories. They remembered, for example, the story of Yakov, the faithful slave. He always tried to please and appease the master, who humiliated and beat the slave. However, this led to Yakov loving him even more. The master's legs gave out in old age. Yakov continued to look after him as if he were his own child. But he received no gratitude for this. Grisha, a young guy, Jacob's nephew, wanted to marry a beauty - a serf girl. Out of jealousy, the old master sent Grisha as a recruit. Yakov fell into drunkenness from this grief, but then returned to the master and took revenge. He took him to the forest and hanged himself right in front of the master. Since his legs were paralyzed, he could not escape anywhere. The master sat all night under Yakov's corpse.
Grigory Dobrosklonov - people's defender
This and other stories make men think that they will not be able to find happy people. However, they learn about Grigory Dobrosklonov, a seminarian. This is the son of a sexton, who has seen the suffering and hopeless life of the people since childhood. He made a choice in his early youth, he decided that he would give his strength to fight for the happiness of his people. Gregory is educated and smart. He understands that Rus' is strong and will cope with all troubles. Gregory will have a glorious path in the future, a great name people's defender, "consumption and Siberia".
The men hear about this intercessor, but they do not yet understand that such people can make others happy. This will not happen soon.
Heroes of the poem
Nekrasov depicted various segments of the population. Simple peasants become the main characters of the work. They were freed by the reform of 1861. But their life did not change much after the abolition of serfdom. The same hard work, hopeless life. After the reform, peasants who had their own lands found themselves in an even more difficult situation.
The characteristics of the heroes of the work “Who Lives Well in Rus'” can be supplemented by the fact that the author created surprisingly reliable images of peasants. Their characters are very accurate, although contradictory. Not only kindness, strength and integrity of character are found in Russian people. They have preserved at the genetic level servility, servility, and readiness to submit to a despot and tyrant. The coming of Grigory Dobrosklonov, a new man, is a symbol of the fact that honest, noble, smart people appear among the downtrodden peasantry. May their fate be unenviable and difficult. Thanks to them, self-awareness will arise among the peasant masses, and people will finally be able to fight for happiness. This is exactly what the heroes and the author of the poem dream about. N.A. Nekrasov ("Who Lives Well in Rus'", "Russian Women", "Frost, and Other Works) are truly considered national poet, who was interested in the fate of the peasantry, its sufferings and problems. The poet could not remain indifferent to his difficult lot. Work by N.A. Nekrasov’s “Who Lives Well in Rus'” was written with such sympathy for the people that it still makes us sympathize with their fate in that difficult time.
Centuries change, but the name of the poet N. Nekrasov - this knight of the spirit - remains unforgettable. In his work, Nekrasov revealed many aspects of Russian life, spoke about the grief of the peasants, and made one feel that under the yoke of need and darkness there lurks yet undeveloped heroic forces.
The poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” is the core work of N.A. Nekrasov. It is about peasant truth, about “old” and “new”, about “slaves” and “free”, about “rebellion” and “patience”.
What is the history of the creation of the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'”? The 60s of the 19th century are characterized by increased political reaction. Nekrasov had to defend the Sovremennik magazine and the course that the publication followed. The struggle for the purity of the chosen direction required the activation of Nekrasov’s muse. One of the main lines that Nekrasov adhered to, and which met the tasks of that time, was popular, peasant. The work on the work “Who Lives Well in Rus'” is the main tribute to the peasant theme.
The creative tasks that Nekrasov faced when creating the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” should be considered in the focus of literary and public life 60-70s XIX century. After all, the poem was created not in one year, but more than ten years, and the moods that possessed Nekrasov in the early 60s changed, just as life itself changed. The writing of the poem began in 1863. By that time, Emperor Alexander II had already signed a manifesto on the abolition of serfdom.
Work on the poem was preceded by years of collecting creative material bit by bit. The author decided not just to write a work of art, but a work that is accessible and understandable ordinary people, sort of " folk book", which shows with utmost completeness an entire era in the life of the people.
What is genre originality poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'”? Literary experts identify this work by Nekrasov as an “epic poem.” This definition goes back to the opinion of Nekrasov’s contemporaries. An epic is a major work of fiction of an epic nature. The genre of “Who Lives Well in Rus'” is a lyric-epic work. It combines epic principles with lyrical and dramatic ones. The dramatic element generally permeates many of Nekrasov’s works; the poet’s passion for drama is reflected in his poetic work.
The compositional form of the work “Who Lives Well in Rus'” is quite unique. Composition is the construction, arrangement of all elements work of art. Compositionally, the poem is structured according to the laws of classical epic: it is a collection of relatively autonomous parts and chapters. The unifying motif is the motif of the road: seven men (seven is the most mysterious and magic number), they are trying to find an answer to a question that is essentially philosophical: who can live well in Rus'? Nekrasov does not lead us to some climactic moment in the poem, does not push us towards the final event and does not intensify the action. His task, as a major epic artist, is to reflect aspects of Russian life, to paint the image of the people, to show the diversity of people's roads, directions, paths. This creative work of Nekrasov is a large lyric-epic form. There are many characters involved and many storylines unfold.
The main idea of the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” is that the people deserve happiness and it makes sense to fight for happiness. The poet was sure of this, and with his entire work he presented evidence of this. The happiness of one individual is not enough, this is not a solution to the problem. The poem calls for thoughts about the embodiment of happiness for the whole people, about a “Feast for the whole world.”
The poem begins with a “Prologue”, in which the author tells how seven men from different villages met on a highway. A dispute arose between them about who life is better in Rus'. Each of those arguing expressed his opinion, and no one wanted to give in. As a result, the debaters decided to go on a journey to find out first-hand who lives in Rus' and how they live and to find out which of them was right in this dispute. From the warbler bird, the wanderers learned where the magic self-assembled tablecloth was located, which would feed and water them in long journey. Having found a self-assembled tablecloth and convinced of its magical abilities, seven men set off on a long journey.
In the chapters of the first part of the poem, seven wanderers met people from different classes on their way: a priest, peasants at a rural fair, a landowner, and asked them the question - how happy are they? Neither the priest nor the landowner thought that their life was full of happiness. They complained that after the abolition of serfdom, their life worsened. Fun reigned at the rural fair, but when the wanderers began to find out from the people leaving after the fair how happy each of them was, it turned out that only a few of them could be called truly happy.
In the chapters of the second part, united by the title “The Last One,” the wanderers meet the peasants of the village of Bolshie Vakhlaki, living in a rather strange situation. Despite the abolition of serfdom, they portrayed serfs in the presence of the landowner, as in the old days. The old landowner was sensitive to the reform of 1861 and his sons, fearing to be left without an inheritance, persuaded the peasants to play serfs until the old man died. At the end of this part of the poem it is said that after the death of the old prince, his heirs deceived the peasants and started a lawsuit with them, not wanting to give up valuable meadows.
After communicating with the Vakhlak men, the travelers decided to look for happy people among the women. In the chapters from the third part of the poem under common name“The peasant woman” they met with a resident of the village of Klin, Matryona Timofeevna Korchagina, who was popularly nicknamed “the governor’s wife.” Matryona Timofeevna told them without concealment her entire long-suffering life. At the end of her story, Matryona advised wanderers not to look for happy people among Russian women, telling them a parable that the keys to women's happiness are lost, and no one is able to find them.
The wandering of seven men, seeking happiness throughout Rus', continues, and they end up at a feast thrown by the residents of the village of Valakhchina. This part of the poem was called “A Feast for the Whole World.” At this feast, seven wanderers come to the realization that the question for which they went on a campaign across Rus' occupies not only them, but the entire Russian people.
IN last chapter the author of the poem gives the floor to the younger generation. One of the participants in the folk feast, the son of the parish sexton, Grigory Dobrosklonov, unable to sleep after heated arguments, goes to wander around his native expanses and the song “Rus” is born in his head, which became ideological ending poems:
"You and the wretched one,
You are also abundant
You're downtrodden
You are omnipotent
Mother Rus'!
Returning home and telling his brother this song, Grigory tries to fall asleep, but his imagination continues to work and is born new song. If the seven wanderers had been able to find out what this new song was about, they could have returned home with a light heart, for the goal of the journey would have been achieved, since Grisha’s new song was about the embodiment of people’s happiness.
Regarding the issues of the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus',” we can say the following: two levels of issues (conflict) emerge in the poem – socio-historical (the results of the peasant reform) – the conflict grows in the first part and persists in the second, and deep, philosophical (salt national character), which appears in the second and dominates the third part. Problems raised by Nekrasov in the poem
(the chains of slavery have been removed, but whether the peasant’s lot has been eased, whether the oppression of the peasants has stopped, whether the contradictions in society have been eliminated, whether the people are happy) - will not be resolved for a long period.
When analyzing N.A. Nekrasov’s poem “Who Lives Well in Rus',” it is important to say that the main poetic meter of this work is unrhymed iambic trimeter. Moreover, at the end of the line after the stressed syllable there are two unstressed syllables (dactylic clause). In some places in the work, Nekrasov also uses iambic tetrameter. This choice of poetic size was due to the need to present the text in a folklore style, but preserving the classical literary canons of that time. The folk songs included in the poem, as well as the songs of Grigory Dobrosklonov, are written using three-syllable meters.
Nekrasov strove to ensure that the language of the poem was understandable to ordinary Russian people. Therefore, he refused to use the vocabulary of classical poetry of that time, saturating the work with words of common speech: “village”, “breveshko”, “idle dance”, “fairground” and many others. This made it possible to make the poem understandable to any peasant.
In the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus',” Nekrasov uses numerous means artistic expression. These include such epithets as “red sun”, “black shadows”, “poor people”, “free heart”, “calm conscience”, “indestructible force”. There are also comparisons in the poem: “jumped out as if disheveled”, “yellow eyes burn like... fourteen candles!”, “like the men fell asleep like those killed,” “rainy clouds like milk cows.”
Metaphors found in the poem: “the earth lies”, “spring... friendly”, “the warbler is crying”, “a stormy village”, “the boyars are cypress-bearing”.
Metonymy - “the whole road became silent”, “the crowded square became silent”, “When a man... Belinsky and Gogol are carried away from the market.”
In the poem there was a place for such means of artistic expression as irony: “... a tale about a foolish landowner: he hiccups, I think!” and sarcasm: “The proud pig: itched about the master’s porch!”
There are also stylistic figures in the poem. These include appeals: “Well, uncle!”, “Wait!”, “Come, what you desire!..”, “Oh people, Russian people!” and exclamations: “Choo! horse snoring!”, “At least not this bread!”, “Eh! Eh!”, “At least swallow a feather!”
Folklore expressions - at the fair, apparently and invisibly.
The language of the poem is peculiar, decorated with sayings, sayings, dialects, “common” words: “mlada-mladashenka”, “tselkovenky”, “honk”.
I remember the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” because, despite the difficult times in which it was created and which it describes, a positive, life-affirming beginning is visible in it. The people deserve happiness - this is the main theorem proven by Nekrasov. The poem helps people understand, become better, fight for their happiness. Nekrasov is a thinker, a person with a unique social instinct. He touched the depths folk life, pulled out from its depths a scattering of original Russian characters. Nekrasov was able to show the fullness of human experiences. He sought to comprehend the full depth of human existence.
Nekrasov solved his creative problems in an unconventional way. His work is imbued with the ideas of humanism.
PART ONE
- Prologue
- Chapter 1. Pop
- Chapter 2. Rural fair
- Chapter 3. Drunken night
- Chapter 4. Happy
- Chapter 5. Landowner
THE LAST (From the second part)
- 1. “Petrovka. It's a hot time..."
- 2. “Our landowner is special:..”
- 3. “The wanderers followed Vlas;..”
PEASANT WOMAN (From the third part)
- Prologue
- Chapter 1. Before marriage
- Chapter 2. Songs
- Chapter 3. Savely, the Holy Russian hero
- Chapter 4. Demushka
- Chapter 5. She-Wolf
- Chapter 6. Difficult year
- Chapter 7. Governor's wife
- Chapter 8. The Woman's Parable
A Feast FOR THE WHOLE WORLD
- Introduction
- 1. Bitter times - bitter songs
- 1.1. Corvee
- 1.2. About the exemplary slave - Yakov the Faithful
- 2. Wanderers and pilgrims
- 2.1. About two great sinners
- 3. Old and new
- 3.1. Peasant sin
- 3.2. Hungry
- 3.3. Soldatskaya
- 4. Good time- good songs
- 4.1. Salty
- 4.2. Burlak
- 4.3. Rus
Part one
In what year - calculate
In what land - guess
On the sidewalk
Seven men came together:
Seven temporarily obliged,
A tightened province,
Terpigoreva County,
Empty parish,
From adjacent villages:
Zaplatova, Dyryaeva,
Razutova, Znobishina,
Gorelova, Neelova -
There is also a poor harvest,
They came together and argued:
Who has fun?
Free in Rus'?
Roman said: to the landowner,
Demyan said: to the official,
Luke said: ass.
To the fat-bellied merchant!-
The Gubin brothers said,
Ivan and Metrodor.
Old man Pakhom pushed
And he said, looking at the ground:
To the noble boyar,
To the sovereign minister.
And Prov said: to the king...
The guy's a bull: he'll get in trouble
What a whim in the head -
Stake her from there
You can’t knock them out: they resist,
Everyone stands on their own!
Is this the kind of argument they started?
What do passers-by think?
You know, the kids found the treasure
And they share among themselves...
Each one in his own way
Left the house before noon:
That path led to the forge,
He went to the village of Ivankovo
Call Father Prokofy
Baptize the child.
Groin honeycomb
Carried to the market in Velikoye,
And the two Gubina brothers
So easy with a halter
Catch a stubborn horse
They went to their own herd.
It's high time for everyone
Return on your own way -
They are walking side by side!
They walk as if they are being chased
Behind them are gray wolves,
What's next is quick.
They go - they reproach!
They scream and they won’t come to their senses!
But time doesn’t wait.
They didn’t notice the dispute
As the red sun set,
How evening came.
I'd probably kiss you all night
So they went - where, not knowing,
If only they met a woman,
Gnarled Durandiha,
She didn’t shout: “Reverends!
Where are you looking at night?
Have you decided to go?."
She asked, she laughed,
Whipped, witch, gelding
And she rode off at a gallop...
“Where?” - They looked at each other
Our men are here
They stand, silent, looking down...
The night has long since passed,
The stars lit up frequently
In the high skies
The moon has surfaced, the shadows are black,
The road was cut
To zealous walkers.
Oh shadows, black shadows!
Who won't you catch up with?
Who won't you overtake?
Only you, black shadows,
You can't catch - hug!
To the forest, to the path-path
Pakhom looked, remained silent,
I looked - my mind scattered
And finally he said:
"Well! goblin nice joke
He played a joke on us!
No way, after all, we are almost
We've gone thirty versts!
Now tossing and turning home -
We're tired, we won't make it
Let's sit down - there's nothing to do,
Let's rest until the sun!..”
Blaming the trouble on the devil,
Under the forest along the path
The men sat down.
They lit a fire and formed
Two people ran for vodka,
And the others as long as
The glass was made
The birch bark has been touched.
The vodka will soon arrive,
The snack has arrived -
The men are feasting!
They drank three kosushki,
We ate and argued
Again: who has fun living?
Free in Rus'?
Roman shouts: to the landowner,
Demyan shouts: to the official,
Luka shouts: ass;
Kupchina fat-bellied, -
The Gubin brothers are shouting,
Ivan and Mitrodor;
Pakhom shouts: to the brightest
To the noble boyar,
And Prov shouts: to the king!
It took more than before
Perky men,
They swear obscenely,
No wonder they grab it
In each other's hair...
Look - they've already grabbed hold of it!
Roman is pushing Pakhomushka,
Demyan pushes Luka.
And the two Gubina brothers
They iron the hefty Prov, -
And everyone shouts his own!
A booming echo woke up,
Let's go for a walk,
Let's go scream and shout
As if to tease
Stubborn men.
To the Tsar! - heard to the right,
To the left responds:
Ass! Ass! Ass!
The whole forest was in commotion
With flying birds
Swift-footed beasts
And creeping reptiles, -
And a groan, and a roar, and a roar!
First of all, little gray bunny
From a nearby bush
Suddenly he jumped out, as if disheveled,
And he ran away!
Small jackdaws follow him
Birch trees were raised at the top
A nasty, sharp squeak.
And then there’s the warbler
Tiny chick with fright
Fell from the nest;
The warbler chirps and cries
Where is the chick? - he won’t find it!
Then the old cuckoo
I woke up and thought
Someone to cuckoo;
Accepted ten times
Yes, I got lost every time
And started again...
Cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo!
The bread will begin to spike,
You'll choke on an ear of corn -
You won't cuckoo!
Seven eagle owls flew together,
Admiring the carnage
From seven big trees,
They're laughing, night owls!
And their eyes are yellow
They burn like burning wax
Fourteen candles!
And the raven, a smart bird
Arrived, sitting on a tree
Right by the fire,
Sits and prays to the devil,
To be slapped to death
Which one!
Cow with a bell
That I've been off since the evening
From the herd, I heard a little
Human voices -
She came to the fire and stared
Eyes on the men
I listened to crazy speeches
And began, my heart,
Moo, moo, moo!
The stupid cow moos
Small jackdaws squeak,
The boys are screaming,
And the echo echoes everyone.
He has only one concern -
Teasing honest people
Scare the boys and women!
Nobody saw him
And everyone has heard,
Without a body - but it lives,
Without a tongue - screams!
Owl - Zamoskvoretskaya
The princess is immediately mooing,
Flies over the peasants
Crashing on the ground,
It’s about the bushes with the wing...
The fox herself is cunning,
Out of womanish curiosity,
Snuck up on the men
I listened, I listened
And she walked away, thinking:
“And the devil won’t understand them!”
Indeed: the debaters themselves
They hardly knew, they remembered -
What are they making noise about...
Having bruised my sides quite a bit
To each other, we came to our senses
Finally, the peasants
They drank from a puddle,
Washed, freshened up,
Sleep began to tilt them...
Meanwhile, the tiny chick,
Little by little, half a seedling,
Flying low,
I got close to the fire.
Pakhomushka caught him,
He brought it to the fire and looked at it
And he said: “Little bird,
And the marigold is awesome!
I breathe and you roll off your palm,
If I sneeze, you'll roll into the fire,
If I click, you'll roll around dead
But still you, little bird,
Stronger than a man!
The wings will soon get stronger,
Bye bye! wherever you want
That's where you'll fly!
Oh, you little birdie!
Give us your wings
We'll fly around the whole kingdom,
Let's see, let's explore,
Let's ask and find out:
Who lives happily?
Is it at ease in Rus'?
“You wouldn’t even need wings,
If only we had some bread
Half a pound a day, -
And so we would Mother Rus'
They tried it on with their feet!”
Said the gloomy Prov.
“Yes, a bucket of vodka,” -
They added eagerly
Before vodka, the Gubin brothers,
Ivan and Metrodor.
“Yes, in the morning there would be cucumbers
Ten of salty ones,” -
The men were joking.
“And at noon it would be a jug
Cold kvass."
“And in the evening, have a cup of tea
Have some hot tea..."
While they were talking,
The warbler whirled and whirled
Above them: listened to everything
And she sat down by the fire.
Chiviknula, jumped up
And in a human voice
Pahomu says:
“Let the chick go free!
For a chick for a small one
I will give a large ransom."
“What will you give?”
- “I’ll give you some bread.”
Half a pound a day
I'll give you a bucket of vodka,
I'll give you some cucumbers in the morning,
And at noon, sour kvass,
And in the evening, tea!”
“And where, little birdie, -
The Gubin brothers asked,
You will find wine and bread
Are you like seven men?”
“If you find it, you will find it yourself,
And I, little birdie,
I'll tell you how to find it."
-"Tell!"
- “Walk through the forest,
Against pillar thirty
Just a mile away:
Come to the clearing,
They are standing in that clearing
Two old pine trees
Under these pine trees
The box is buried.
Get her, -
That magic box:
It contains a self-assembled tablecloth,
Whenever you wish,
He will feed you and give you something to drink!
Just say quietly:
"Hey! self-assembled tablecloth!
Treat the men!”
According to your wishes,
At my command,
Everything will appear immediately.
Now let the chick go!”
“Wait! we are poor people
We are going on a long journey, -
Pakhom answered her.
I see you are a smart bird,
Respect old clothes
Cast a spell on us!”
“So that the peasant Armenians
They were worn, they were not torn down!” -
Roman demanded.
“So that the linden bast shoes
They served and didn’t crash,”
Demyan demanded
“For the louse, vile flea
She didn’t breed in shirts,” -
Luka demanded.
“If only they wouldn’t spoil…” -
The Gubins demanded...
And the bird answered them:
“The tablecloth is all self-assembled
Repair, wash, dry
You will... Well, let me go...”
Opening your palm wide,
He released the chick with his groin.
He let it in - and the tiny chick,
Little by little, half a fathom,
Flying low,
Headed towards the hollow.
A warbler flew behind him
And on the fly she added:
“Look, mind you, one thing!
How much food can he bear?
Womb - then ask,
And you can ask for vodka
Exactly a bucket a day.
If you ask more,
And once and twice - it will come true
At your request,
And the third time there will be trouble!
And the warbler flew away
With your birth chick,
And the men in single file
We reached for the road
Look for pillar thirty.
Found! - They walk silently
Straightforward, straight forward
Through the dense forest,
Every step counts.
And how they measured the mile,
We saw a clearing -
They are standing in that clearing
Two old pine trees...
The peasants dug around
Got that box
Opened and found
That self-assembled tablecloth!
They found it and cried out at once:
“Hey, self-assembled tablecloth!
Treat the men!”
Lo and behold, the tablecloth unfolded,
Where did they come from?
Two hefty arms
They put a bucket of wine,
They piled up a mountain of bread,
And they hid again.
Why are there no cucumbers?
Why is there no hot tea?
Why is there no cold kvass?
Everything appeared suddenly...
The peasants got loose
They sat down by the tablecloth,
There's a feast here!
Kissing for joy
They promise each other
Don't fight in vain,
But the matter is really controversial
According to reason, according to God,
On the honor of the story -
Don't toss and turn in the houses,
Don't see any wives
Not with the little guys
Not with old people,
As long as the matter is moot
No solution will be found
Until they find out
No matter what for certain:
Who lives happily?
Free in Rus'?
Having made such a vow,
In the morning like dead
The men fell asleep...
Chapter 1. Pop
Wide path
Furnished with birch trees,
Stretches far
Sandy and deaf.
On the sides of the path
There are gentle hills
With fields, with hayfields,
And more often with an inconvenient
Abandoned land;
There are old villages,
There are new villages,
By the rivers, by the ponds...
Forests, floodplain meadows,
Russian streams and rivers
Good in spring.
But you, spring fields!
On your shoots the poor
Not fun to watch!
“It’s not for nothing that in the long winter
(Our wanderers interpret)
It snowed every day.
Spring has come - the snow has had its effect!
He is humble for the time being:
It flies - is silent, lies - is silent,
When he dies, then he roars.
Water - everywhere you look!
The fields are completely flooded
Carrying manure - there is no road,
And the time is not too early -
The month of May is coming!”
I don’t like the old ones either,
It’s even more painful for new ones
They should look at the villages.
Oh huts, new huts!
You are smart, let him build you up
Not an extra penny
And blood trouble!..
In the morning we met wanderers
All more people small:
His brother, a peasant-bast-worker,
Craftsmen, beggars,
Soldiers, coachmen.
From the beggars, from the soldiers
The strangers did not ask
How is it for them - is it easy or difficult?
Lives in Rus'?
Soldiers shave with an awl,
Soldiers warm themselves with smoke -
What happiness is there?
The day was already approaching evening,
They go along the road,
A priest is coming towards me.
The peasants took off their caps,
bowed low,
Lined up
And to the gelding Savras
They blocked the way.
The priest raised his head
He looked and asked with his eyes:
What do they want?
“I suppose! We are not robbers! -
Luke said to the priest.
(Luka is a squat guy
With a wide beard,
Stubborn, vocal and stupid.
Luke looks like a mill:
One is not a bird mill,
That, no matter how it flaps its wings,
Probably won't fly).
“We are sedate men,
Of those temporarily obliged,
A tightened province,
Terpigoreva County,
Empty parish,
Nearby villages:
Zaplatova, Dyryavina,
Razutova, Znobishina,
Gorelova; Neelova -
Bad harvest too.
Let's go on something important:
We have concerns
Is it such a concern?
Which of the houses did she survive?
She made us friends with work,
I stopped eating.
Give us the right word
To our peasant speech
Without laughter and without cunning,
According to conscience, according to reason,
To answer truthfully
Not so with your care
We'll go to someone else..."
“I give you my true word:
If you ask the matter,
Without laughter and without cunning,
In truth and in reason.
How should one answer?
Amen!.."
- "Thank you. Listen!
Walking the path,
We came together by chance
They came together and argued:
Who has fun?
Free in Rus'?
Roman said: to the landowner,
Demyan said: to the official,
And I said: ass.
Kupchina fat-bellied, -
The Gubin brothers said,
Ivan and Metrodor.
Pakhom said; to the most serene
To the noble boyar,
To the sovereign minister,
And Prov said: to the king...
The guy's a bull: he'll get in trouble
What a whim in the head -
Stake her from there
You can’t knock it out: no matter how much they argue,
We did not agree!
Having argued, we quarreled,
Having quarreled, they fought,
Having caught up, they changed their minds:
Don't go apart
Don't toss and turn in the houses,
Don't see your wives
Not with the little guys
Not with old people,
As long as our dispute
We won't find a solution
Until we find out
No matter what for certain:
Who likes to live happily?
Free in Rus'?
Tell us in a divine way:
Is the priest's life sweet?
How are you - at ease, happily
Are you living, honest father?
I looked down and thought,
Sitting in a cart, pop
And he said: “Orthodox!
It’s a sin to grumble against God,
I bear my cross with patience,
I’m living... but how? Listen!
I'll tell you the truth, the truth,
And you have a peasant mind
Be smart!”
- “Start!”
“What do you think is happiness?
Peace, wealth, honor -
Isn’t that right, dear friends?”
They said: so...
"Now let's see, brothers,
What is butt peace like?
I have to admit, I should start
Almost from birth itself,
How to get a diploma
To the priest's son,
At what cost to Popovich
The priesthood is bought
Let's better keep quiet!
…………………
………………..
Our roads are difficult,
Our parish is large.
Sick, dying,
Born into the world
They don’t choose time:
In reaping and haymaking,
In the dead of autumn night,
In winter, in severe frosts,
And in the spring flood -
Go wherever you are called!
You go unconditionally.
And even if only the bones
Alone broke, -
No! gets wet every time,
The soul will hurt.
Don't believe it, Orthodox Christians,
There is a limit to habit:
No heart can bear
Without any trepidation
Death rattle
Funeral lament
Orphan's sadness!
Amen!.. Now think,
What is the peace of the butt?”
The peasants thought little
Giving the priest a rest,
They said with a bow:
“What else can you tell us?”
"Now let's see, brothers,
What is the honor of a priest?
The task is delicate
Wouldn't it anger you?
Tell me, Orthodox,
Who do you call
Foal breed?
Chur! respond to demand!
The peasants hesitated
They are silent - and the priest is silent...
“Who are you afraid of meeting?
Walking the path?
Chur! respond to demand!
They creak, shift,
They are silent! “Who are you writing about?
You are joker fairy tales,
And the songs are obscene
And all sorts of blasphemy?
Mother-priest, sedate,
Popov's innocent daughter,
Every seminarian -
How do you honor?
To catch whom, like a gelding,
Shout: ho-ho-ho?.”
The boys looked down
They are silent - and the priest is silent...
The peasants thought
And pop with a wide hat
I waved it in my face
Yes, I looked at the sky.
In the spring, when the grandchildren are small,
With the ruddy sun-grandfather
The clouds are playing:
Here's the right side
One continuous cloud
Covered - clouded,
It got dark and cried:
Rows of gray threads
They hung to the ground.
And closer, above the peasants,
From small, torn,
Happy clouds
The red sun laughs
Like a girl from the sheaves.
But the cloud has moved,
Under the hat is covered,
Be in heavy rain.
And the right side
Already bright and joyful,
There the rain stops.
It's not rain, it's a miracle of God:
There with golden threads
Hanging skeins...
“Not ourselves... by parents
That’s how we…” - Gubin brothers
They finally said.
And others echoed:
“Not on your own, but on your parents!”
And the priest said: “Amen!
Sorry, Orthodox!
Not in judging your neighbor,
And at your request
I told you the truth.
Such is the honor of a priest
In the peasantry. And the landowners..."
“You are past them, landowners!
We know them!
"Now let's see, brothers,
Where does the wealth come from?
Is Popovskoe coming? ..
At a time not far away
Russian Empire
Noble estates
It was full.
And the landowners lived there,
Famous owners
There are none now!
Been fruitful and multiply
And they let us live.
What weddings were played there,
That children were born
On free bread!
Although often tough,
However, willing
Those were the gentlemen
They did not shy away from the arrival:
They got married here
Our children were baptized
They came to us to repent,
We performed the funeral service for them.
And if it did happen,
That a landowner lived in the city,
That's probably how I'll die
Came to the village.
If he dies accidentally,
And then he will punish you firmly
Bury him in the parish.
Look, to the village temple
On a mourning chariot
Six horse heirs
The dead man is being transported -
Good correction for the butt,
For the laity, a holiday is a holiday...
But now it’s not the same!
Like the tribe of Judah,
The landowners dispersed
Across distant foreign lands
And native to Rus'.
Now there's no time for pride
Lie in native possession
Next to fathers, grandfathers,
And there are many properties
Let's go to the profiteers.
Oh sleek bones
Russian, noble!
Where are you not buried?
In what land are you not?
Then, the article... schismatics...
I'm not a sinner, I haven't lived
Nothing from the schismatics.
Fortunately, there was no need:
In my parish there are
Living in Orthodoxy
Two thirds of the parishioners.
And there are such volosts,
Where there are almost all schismatics,
So what about the butt?
Everything in the world is changeable,
The world itself will pass away...
Laws used to be strict
To the schismatics, they softened,
And with them the priest
The income has come.
The landowners moved away
They don't live in estates
And die in old age
They don't come to us anymore.
Rich landowners
Pious old ladies,
Which died out
Who have settled down
Near monasteries.
Nobody wears a cassock now
He won’t give you your butt!
No one will embroider air...
Live with only peasants.
Collect worldly hryvnias;
Yes, pies on holidays,
Yes, holy eggs.
The peasant himself needs
And I would be glad to give it, but there’s nothing...
And then not everyone
And the peasant's penny is sweet.
Our benefits are meager,
Sands, swamps, mosses,
The little beast goes from hand to mouth,
Bread will be born on its own,
And if it gets better
The damp earth is the nurse,
So a new problem:
There is nowhere to go with the bread!
There's a need, you'll sell it
For sheer trifle,
And there is a crop failure!
Then pay through the nose,
Sell the cattle.
Pray, Orthodox Christians!
Great trouble threatens
And this year:
The winter was fierce
Spring is rainy
It should have been sowing long ago,
And there is water in the fields!
Have mercy, Lord!
Send a cool rainbow
To our heavens!
(Taking off his hat, the shepherd crosses himself,
And the listeners too.)
Our villages are poor,
And the peasants in them are sick
Yes, women are sad,
Nurses, drinkers,
Slaves, pilgrims
And eternal workers,
Lord give them strength!
With so much work for pennies
Life is hard!
It happens to the sick
You will come: not dying,
The peasant family is scary
At that hour when she has to
Lose your breadwinner!
Give a farewell message to the deceased
And support in the remaining
You try your best
The spirit is cheerful! And here to you
The old woman, the mother of the dead man,
Look, he's reaching out with the bony one,
Calloused hand.
The soul will turn over,
How they jingle in this little hand
Two copper coins!
Of course, it's a clean thing -
I demand retribution
If you don’t take it, there’s nothing to live with,
Yes a word of comfort
Freezes on the tongue
And as if offended
You will go home... Amen..."
Finished the speech - and the gelding
Pop lightly whipped.
The peasants parted
bowed low,
The horse trudged slowly.
And six comrades,
It's like we agreed
They attacked with reproaches,
With selected large swearing
For poor Luka.
“What did you take? stubborn head!
Country club!
That's where the argument gets into!
Nobles bells -
The priests live like princes.
They're going under the sky
Popov's tower,
The priest's fiefdom is buzzing -
Loud bells -
For the whole God's world.
For three years I, little ones,
He lived with the priest as a worker,
Raspberries are not life!
Popova porridge - with butter,
Popov pie - with filling,
Popov's cabbage soup - with smelt!
Popov's wife is fat,
The priest's daughter is white,
Popov's horse is fat,
The priest's bee is well-fed,
How the bell rings!
Well, here's what you've praised
A priest's life!
Why were you yelling and showing off?
Getting into a fight, anathema?
Wasn't that what I was thinking of taking?
What's a beard like a shovel?
Like a goat with a beard
I walked around the world before,
Than the forefather Adam,
And he is considered a fool
And now he’s a goat!..”
Luke stood, kept silent,
I was afraid they wouldn't hit me
Comrades, stand by.
It came to be so,
Yes, to the happiness of the peasant
The road is bent -
The face is priestly stern
Appeared on the hill...
Chapter 2. RURAL FAIR
No wonder our wanderers
They scolded the wet one,
Cold spring.
The peasant needs spring
And early and friendly,
And here - even a wolf howl!
The sun does not warm the earth,
And the clouds are rainy,
Like milk cows
They're walking across the sky.
The snow has gone and the greenery
Not a grass, not a leaf!
The water is not removed
The earth doesn't dress
Green bright velvet
And like a dead man without a shroud,
Lies under a cloudy sky
Sad and naked.
I feel sorry for the poor peasant
And I’m even more sorry for the cattle;
Having fed meager supplies,
The owner of the twig
He drove her into the meadows,
What should I take there? Chernekhonko!
Only on Nikola Veshny
The weather has cleared up
Green fresh grass
The cattle feasted.
It's a hot day. Under the birch trees
The peasants are making their way
They chatter among themselves:
“We’re going through one village,
Let's go another - empty!
And today is a holiday,
Where have the people gone?”
They are walking through the village - on the street
Some guys are small,
There are old women in the houses,
Or even completely locked
Lockable gates.
Castle - a faithful dog:
Doesn't bark, doesn't bite,
But he doesn’t let me into the house!
We passed the village and saw
Mirror in green frame:
The edges are full of ponds.
Swallows are flying over the pond;
Some mosquitoes
Agile and skinny
Leaping, as if on dry land,
They walk on the water.
Along the banks, in the broom,
The corncrakes are creaking.
On a long, shaky raft
Thick blanket with roller
Stands like a plucked haystack,
Tucking the hem.
On the same raft
A duck sleeps with her ducklings...
Chu! horse snoring!
The peasants looked at once
And we saw over the water
Two heads: a peasant's,
Curly and dark,
With an earring (the sun was blinking
On that white earring),
The other is horse
With a rope, five fathoms.
The man takes the rope in his mouth,
The man swims and the horse swims,
The man neighed - and the horse neighed.
They're swimming and screaming! Under the woman
Under the small ducklings
The raft moves freely.
I caught up with the horse - grab it by the withers!
He jumped up and rode out into the meadow
Child: white body,
And the neck is like tar;
Water flows in streams
From the horse and from the rider.
“What do you have in your village?
Neither old nor small,
How did all the people die out?
- “We went to the village of Kuzminskoye,
Today there is a fair
And the temple holiday."
- “How far is Kuzminskoye?”
“Let it be three miles.”
“Let's go to the village of Kuzminskoye,
Let's watch the fair!" -
The men decided
And you thought to yourself:
"Isn't that where he's hiding?
Who lives happily?”
Kuzminskoe rich,
And what's more, it's dirty
Trading village.
It stretches along the slope,
Then he descends into the ravine,
And then back to the hill
How can there not be dirt here?
There are two ancient churches in it,
One Old Believer
Another Orthodox
House with the inscription: school,
Empty, packed tightly,
A hut with one window,
With the image of a paramedic,
Drawing blood.
There is a dirty hotel
Decorated with a sign
(With a big nosed teapot
Tray in the hands of the bearer,
And small cups
Like a goose with goslings,
That kettle is surrounded)
There are permanent shops
Like a district
Gostiny Dvor…
Strangers came to the square:
There are a lot of different goods
And apparently-invisibly
To the people! Isn't it fun?
It seems there is no godfather,
And, as if in front of icons,
Men without hats.
Such a side thing!
Look where they go
Peasant shliks:
In addition to the wine warehouse,
Taverns, restaurants,
A dozen damask shops,
Three inns,
Yes, “Rensky cellar”,
Yes, a couple of taverns,
Eleven zucchinis:
Set for the holiday
Tents in the village.
Each has five carriers;
The carriers are young guys,
Trained, mature,
And they can’t keep up with everything,
Can't cope with change!
Look what's stretched out
Peasant hands, with hats,
With scarves, with mittens.
Oh, Orthodox thirst,
How great are you!
Just to shower my darling,
And there they will get the hats,
When the market leaves.
Over the drunken heads
The spring sun is shining...
Intoxicatingly, vociferously, festively,
Colorful, red all around!
The guys' pants are corduroy,
Striped vests,
Shirts of all colors;
The women are wearing red dresses,
The girls have braids with ribbons,
The winches are floating!
And there are still some tricks,
Dressed like a metropolitan -
And it expands and sulks
Hoop hem!
If you step in, they will dress up!
At ease, newfangled women,
Fishing gear for you
Wear under skirts!
Looking at the smart women,
The Old Believers are furious
Tovarke says:
“Be hungry! be hungry!
Marvel at how the seedlings are soaked,
That the spring flood is worse
It's up to Petrov!
Since women began
Dress up in red calico, -
The forests don't rise
At least not this bread!”
“Why are the calicoes red?
Have you done something wrong here, mother?
I can't imagine!
“And those French calicoes -
Painted with dog blood!
Well... do you understand now?”
They were jostling around the horse,
Along the hill where they are piled up
Roe deer, rakes, harrows,
Hooks, trolley machines,
Rims, axes.
Trade was brisk there,
With God, with jokes,
With a healthy, loud laugh,
And how can you not laugh?
The guy is kind of tiny
I went and tried the rims:
I bent one - I don’t like it,
He bent the other one, strained,
How will the rim straighten out?
Click on the guy's forehead!
A man roars under the rim
"Elm club"
Scolds the fighter.
Another came with different
Wooden crafts -
And he dumped the whole cart!
Drunk! The axle broke
And he began to do it -
The ax broke! Changed my mind
A man with an ax
Scolds him, reproaches him,
As if it does the job:
“You scoundrel, not an axe!
Empty service, nothing
And he didn’t serve that one.
All your life you bowed,
But I was never affectionate!”
The wanderers went to the shops:
They admire handkerchiefs,
Ivanovo chintz,
Harnesses, new shoes,
A product of the Kimryaks.
At that shoe shop
The strangers laugh again:
There are goat shoes here
Grandfather traded with granddaughter
I asked about the price five times,
He turned it over in his hands and looked around:
The product is first class!
“Well, uncle! two two hryvnia
Pay, or get lost!”
The merchant told him.
“Wait!” Admiring
An old man with a tiny shoe,
This is what he says:
I feel sorry for my granddaughter! Hanged herself
On the neck, fidget:
Buy a hotel, grandpa,
Buy it! - Silk head
The face is tickled, caressed,
Kisses the old man.
Wait, barefoot crawler
Wait, spinning top! Goats
I'll buy some boots...
Vavilushka boasted,
Both old and young
He promised me gifts,
And he drank himself to a penny!
How my eyes are shameless
Will I show it to my family?...
I don’t care about my son-in-law, and my daughter will remain silent,
The wife doesn't care, let her grumble!
I’m sorry for my granddaughter!...” - I went again
About my granddaughter! Killing himself!..
The people have gathered, listening,
Don't laugh, feel sorry;
Happen, work, bread,
They would help him
And take out two two-kopeck pieces -
So you will be left with nothing.
Yes, there was a man here
Pavlusha Veretennikov
(What kind, rank,
The men didn't know
However, they called him “master”.
He was very good at making jokes,
He wore a red shirt,
Cloth girl,
Grease Boots;
Sang Russian songs smoothly