Taras Bulba is a real person or not. Eldest son Ostap

Edition 1835. Part I

Edition 1842. Part I

The original author's version of the revised manuscript was transferred by the author to N. Ya. Prokopovich for the preparation of the 1842 edition, but differs from the latter. After Prokopovich’s death, the manuscript was acquired, among other Gogol manuscripts, by Count G. A. Kushelev-Bezborodko and donated by him to the Nizhyn Lyceum of Prince Bezborodko (see N. Gerbel, “On Gogol’s manuscripts belonging to the Lyceum of Prince Bezborodko,” “Time,” 1868, No. 4, pp. 606-614; cf. “Russian Antiquity” 1887, No. 3, pp. 711-712); in 1934, the manuscript was transferred from the library of the Nizhyn Pedagogical Institute to the manuscript department of the Library of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences in Kyiv.

Neither the 1842 edition nor the 1855 edition can be used as the basis for developing the canonical text of the story, since they are clogged with extraneous editorial corrections. The basis of the published text of the story (Gogol N.V. Complete works: [In 14 volumes] / USSR Academy of Sciences; Institute of Russian Literature (Pushkin. House). - [M.; L.]: Publishing House Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1937-1952) based on the text prepared for publication by Gogol himself in 1842, that is, the text of the autograph; the missing passages were taken from the clerk’s copy, where they were copied from the corrected copy of “Mirgorod” (in several cases the text was taken from “Mirgorod” without changes and thus can be checked directly against the edition of “Mirgorod”). Only in a few cases does the text deviate from the manuscript, correcting suspected errors or filling in omissions. According to the general principles of the publication (see the introductory article to volume I), neither the amendments made by N. Ya. Prokopovich on behalf of Gogol in the 1842 edition, nor the later (1851-1852) amendments of Gogol himself are introduced into the main text, applied in proofreading to the text of the 1842 edition, since the separation of Gogol’s corrections from non-Gogol’s cannot be made in this text with complete confidence and consistency.

Idioms

• “Turn around, son!”
• “I gave birth to you, I will kill you!”
• "There is life in the old dog yet?!"
• “Be patient, Cossack, and you will become an ataman!”
• “There is no bond holier than fellowship!”
• “What, son, did your Poles help you?”

Criticism of the story

Along with the general approval that critics met with Gogol's story, some aspects of the work were found unsuccessful. Thus, Gogol was repeatedly accused of the unhistorical nature of the story, the excessive glorification of the Cossacks, and the lack of historical context, which was noted by Mikhail Grabovsky, Vasily Gippius, Maxim Gorky and others. Critics believed that this could be explained by the fact that the writer did not have enough reliable information about the history of Ukraine. Gogol studied the history of his native land with great attention, but he drew information not only from rather meager chronicles, but also from folk tales, legends, as well as frankly mythological sources, such as “History of the Rus”, from which he obtained descriptions of the atrocities of the gentry and the atrocities of the Jews and the valor of the Cossacks. The story caused particular discontent among the Polish intelligentsia. The Poles were outraged that in Taras Bulba the Polish nation was presented as aggressive, bloodthirsty and cruel. Mikhail Grabowski, who had a good attitude towards Gogol himself, spoke negatively about Taras Bulba, as well as many other Polish critics and writers, such as Andrzej Kempinski, Michal Barmut, Julian Krzyzanowski. In Poland, there was a strong opinion about the story as anti-Polish, and partly such judgments were transferred to Gogol himself.

Antisemitism

The story was also criticized for anti-Semitism by some politicians, religious thinkers, and literary scholars. The leader of right-wing Zionism, Vladimir Jabotinsky, in his article “Russian Weasel” assessed the scene of the Jewish pogrom in the story “Taras Bulba” as follows: “ None of the great literature knows anything similar in terms of cruelty. This cannot even be called hatred or sympathy for the Cossack massacre of the Jews: this is worse, this is some kind of carefree, clear fun, not overshadowed even by the half-thought that the funny legs kicking in the air are the legs of living people, some amazingly whole, indecomposable contempt for the inferior race, not condescending to enmity". As literary critic Arkady Gornfeld noted, Jews are depicted by Gogol as petty thieves, traitors and ruthless extortionists, devoid of any human traits. In his opinion, Gogol’s images “ captured by the mediocre Judeophobia of the era"; Gogol’s anti-Semitism does not come from the realities of life, but from established and traditional theological ideas “ about the unknown world of Jewry"; the images of Jews are stereotyped and represent pure caricature. According to the thinker and historian Georgy Fedotov, “ Gogol gave a jubilant description of the Jewish pogrom in Taras Bulba", which indicates " about the well-known failures of his moral sense, but also about the strength of the national or chauvinistic tradition that stood behind him» .

The critic and literary critic D.I. Zaslavsky held a slightly different point of view. In the article “Jews in Russian Literature,” he also supports Jabotinsky’s reproach for the anti-Semitism of Russian literature, including in the list of anti-Semitic writers Pushkin, Gogol, Lermontov, Turgenev, Nekrasov, Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Saltykov-Shchedrin, Leskov, Chekhov. But at the same time he finds justification for Gogol’s anti-Semitism as follows: “There is no doubt, however, that in the dramatic struggle of the Ukrainian people in the 17th century for their homeland, the Jews showed neither understanding of this struggle nor sympathy for it. This was not their fault, this was their misfortune.” “The Jews of Taras Bulba are caricatures. But the caricature is not a lie. ... The talent of Jewish adaptability is vividly and aptly depicted in Gogol’s poem. And this, of course, does not flatter our pride, but we must admit that the Russian writer has captured some of our historical features with evil and aptness.” .

Film adaptations

In chronological order:

• “Taras Bulba” (1909) - the first attempt at a film adaptation of the story, a Russian silent film by Alexander Drankov
• “Taras Bulba” (1924) - German film based on the story Starring D. Duvan-Tartsov.

super movie.

do your homework, don't embarrass yourself)

Linen! As I understand it, the previous respondents did not advance beyond the school curriculum in this matter (((As far as I understand correctly, Gogol himself got everything mixed up...

Here are some interesting facts on this issue:

1) When did the events described in the story take place? Gogol, it seems, was confused about this himself, since he begins his story like this (I quote from the 1842 edition):
“Bulba was terribly stubborn. This was one of those characters that could only arise in the difficult 15th century in a semi-nomadic corner of Europe, when all of southern primitive Russia, abandoned by its princes, was devastated, burned to the ground by the indomitable raids of Mongol predators...”
So, Gogol dates the events to the 15th century - when indeed Muscovy was still an ulus of the Horde, and the lands of Ukraine were not at all “abandoned by their princes” and “devastated”, as he invents, but quite flourished as part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (about which Gogol nowhere does not mention a word). Until 1569, the Kiev region, Zaporozhye (then “Field”), Podolia, Volyn were part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

2) And then there is a contradiction: “The Polish kings, who found themselves, instead of appanage princes, rulers of these vast lands, although distant and weak, understood the importance of the Cossacks and the benefits of such a warlike guard life.”

The Poles became the rulers of Ukraine only at the conclusion of the Union of 1569 (the creation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth), when in exchange for assistance in the liberation of Polotsk occupied by Ivan the Terrible, we gave the lands of Ukraine to the Poles. Then there was the Church Union of 1596 - after Boris Godunov bargained in 1589 from the Greeks for the right of the united Muscovite Horde religion to be called for the first time the “Russian Orthodox Church” - instead of the Russian Orthodox Church of Kyiv. As follows further from the text, the events of the story take place in the middle of the 17th century, and not at all in the 15th century and not even in the 16th.

3) From Gogol: “There was no craft that a Cossack did not know: to smoke wine, equip a cart, grind gunpowder, do blacksmithing and plumbing work and, in addition to that, go wild, drink and revel as only a Russian can, “All this was within his reach.”

At that time, there was no ethnic group “Russians”, but there was an ethnic group “Rusyns”, which meant only Ukrainians. As for the Russians (called Muscovites), in the 15th century there was a “prohibition” in Muscovy, so Gogol’s phrase “to walk recklessly, drink and revel as only a Russian can” is a fiction.

But this whole legend about Taras Bulba simultaneously hides a monstrous genocide over Belarus and Belarusians - the genocide of the war of 1654-1667, in which EVERY SECOND BELARUS died at the hands of the Moscow and Ukrainian occupiers.

There is no doubt that it is about this war that Gogol writes in the last chapter, where he attributes the atrocities of Colonel Bulba to the “Polish lands”, but in fact the Cossacks then engaged in genocide only in BELARUS, and not in Poland, where they did not reach:

“And Taras walked throughout Poland with his regiment, burned eighteen towns, near forty churches, and already reached Krakow.”

Gogol here calls our Belarus “All Poland,” because it was not in Poland, but precisely and only here, that the Cossacks of Khmelnitsky and Zolotarenko were engaged in robbery and genocide. And the words “already reached Krakow” should apparently be attributed to the occupation of Brest by the troops of the Cossacks and Muscovites - who massacred the entire local population there, including every baby.

“He beat up all the nobles a lot, plundered the richest lands and the best castles; the Cossacks unsealed and poured on the ground the centuries-old meads and wines that had been preserved safely in the master's cellars; They chopped up and burned the expensive cloth, clothes and utensils found in the storerooms. “Don't regret anything!” - only Taras repeated. The Cossacks did not respect black-browed panyankas, white-breasted, fair-faced girls; they could not escape at the very altars: Taras lit them along with the altars. More than one snow-white hands rose from the fiery flame to the heavens, accompanied by pitiful screams that would have made the dampest earth move and the steppe grass would have drooped to the ground in pity. But the cruel Cossacks did not listen to anything and, lifting their babies from the streets with spears, threw them into the flames.”

This was not in Poland, but on our territory of Belarus. During the war of 1654-67. The Cossack troops of Khmelnitsky and Zolotarenko never reached the territory of Poland. Together with the allied forces of the Muscovites of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, they exterminated 80% of the population of Eastern Belarus (Vitebsk, Mogilev, Gomel regions), 50% of the population of Central Belarus (Minsk region), about 30% of the population of Western Belarus (Brest and Grodno regions). The invaders did not reach Poland and Zhemoytia.

Just read the review. After that I didn't want to watch it.

300 Spartans?

A great film with a capital letter.. Not to say that it’s a masterpiece, but it’s a really worthwhile film.. the shooting is also worth noting, the footage is indescribable.. at the end it’s completely brutal.. bones are broken, executions..
in general 5

Do your homework yourself

The real character is based on Taras Fedorovich, who led an uprising in Ukraine in 1630.

Fedorovich (also Taras Tryasilo, Hassan Tarassa, Hassan Trassa) (d. ca. 1637) - hetman of the Zaporozhye unregistered Cossacks (since 1629), an active participant in the struggle for the liberation of Ukraine from the rule of Poland.

By origin - baptized Crimean Tatar. Participant in the Thirty Years' War of 1618-1648 as a mercenary on the side of the Habsburg Empire (fought in Silesia and Hungary), where he distinguished himself by significant cruelty towards the Protestant population.

In 1625-1629 - Korsun colonel.

From 1629 - hetman of the Zaporozhye Cossacks; in the same year he led the Cossack campaign to Crimea. In March 1630, he became the head of the peasant-Cossack uprising against Poland, caused by an attempt by the Polish military command to station Polish units in Cossack territories. In the battles of Korsun and Pereyaslav (battle of May 20, 1630, known as “Taras’ Night”), the rebels defeated the Polish army under the command of S. Konetspolsky and S. Lashch and in June 1630 forced Hetman Stanislav Konetspolsky to sign an agreement in Pereyaslav.

Dissatisfied with the agreement, Tryasilo was overthrown from the post of hetman and withdrew with the dissatisfied Cossacks to the Zaporozhye Sich, where he tried to raise a new uprising.

He took part in the Russian-Polish war of 1632-1634, which was fought for the Chernigov-Seversk and Smolensk lands. At the Cossack Rada in Kanev in the winter of 1634-1635. Shaky called for an uprising against gentry Poland; Later, with part of the Cossacks, he left for the Don.

In 1635, he negotiated with the Moscow government about the resettlement of 700 Cossacks to Sloboda Ukraine. In the spring of 1636, after returning from the Don, Tryasilo traveled to Moscow with a request for the transfer of part of the Ukrainian Cossacks to the service of the Moscow state. However, his proposal was rejected, since the Moscow government did not want to aggravate relations with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth after the unsuccessful Muscovite-Polish war of 1632-1634.

The further fate of Tresil is unknown; according to Cossack chronicles, he “lived with glory for nine years and died peacefully” in 1639. According to family legends, the Cossack elder family of Tarasevich (XVII - XVIII centuries) considered themselves descendants of Tryasil.

The leader of the Cossack uprising of 1638, Yakov Ostryanitsa, had previously participated in the uprising under the leadership of Taras Tryasilo.

The main feature of a work of art on a historical theme is that the author organically combines a story about events that actually took place with the author’s fiction. In this regard, N.V. Gogol’s story “Taras Bulba” is somewhat unusual: the historical events in it are not specified; moreover, when reading, it is sometimes quite difficult to determine at what time the actions take place - in the 15th, 16th or 17th centuries. In addition, none of the heroes is a historical figure, including Taras himself. Despite this, from the moment the work appeared, it has been classified as an epic story, sometimes called a novel. What is the strength and scale of “Taras Bulba”?

The history of the story

The writer’s appeal to the topic of the Cossacks was not accidental. A native of the Poltava province, since childhood he had heard a lot about the heroic feat of the people during the fight against numerous external invaders. Later, when Gogol began to write, he was particularly interested in such brave and devoted people as Taras Bulba. There were many of them in the Sich. Often former serfs became Cossacks - they found a home and comrades here.

N.V. Gogol studied many sources on this issue, including manuscripts of Ukrainian chronicles, historical studies by Boplan and Myshetsky. Not satisfied with what he read (in his opinion, they contained meager information, which was not enough to understand the soul of the people), Gogol turned to folklore. and the Dumas dedicated to them talked about the peculiarities of the characters, morals and life of the Cossacks. They gave the writer excellent “living” material, which became an excellent addition to scientific sources, and some storylines were included in the story in a revised form.

Historical basis of the story

“Taras Bulba” is a book about free people who inhabited the territory of the Dnieper region in the 16th and 17th centuries. Their center was the Zaporozhye Sich - its name is due to the fact that it was fortified on all sides with a fence of fallen trees - abatis. It had its own way of life and management. Subject to frequent attacks from Poles, Turks, and Lithuanians, the Cossacks had a very strong, well-trained army. They spent most of their time in battles and military campaigns, and the trophies they obtained became their main means of livelihood. It is no coincidence that the light rooms in the house where his wife lived alone include numerous signs of the owner’s camp life.

The year 1596 became fatal for the Ukrainian people, who were at that time under the rule of the Lithuanians and Poles. adopted a union on the unification under the authority of the Pope of Rome of two Christian religions: Orthodox and Catholic. The decision made further complicated the difficult relations between the Poles and the Cossacks, which resulted in open military confrontations. Gogol dedicated his story to this period.

Image of the Zaporozhye Sich

The main school for educating persistent, courageous warriors was a special way of life and management, and the teachers were experienced Cossacks who had repeatedly shown their valor in battle. One of them was Colonel Taras Bulba. His biography is a story about the formation of a true patriot, for whom the interests and freedom of the fatherland are above all.

It resembled a large republic based on the principles of humanism and equality. Koshevoy was chosen by a general decision, usually from among the most worthy. During the battle, the Cossacks had to unconditionally obey him, but in peacetime it was his responsibility to take care of the Cossacks.

In the Sich, everything was arranged to ensure the everyday life and military campaigns of its inhabitants: all kinds of workshops and forges worked, and cattle were raised. Ostap and Andriy will see all this when Taras Bulba brings them here.

The history of the short existence of the Zaporozhye Republic showed a new way of organizing people's lives, based on brotherhood, unity and freedom, and not on the oppression of the weak by the strong.

The main school for the Cossack is the military brotherhood

How the formation of young warriors took place can be judged by the example of the sons of Taras, Ostap and Andriy. They completed their studies at Bursa, after which their path lay in Zaporozhye. The father greets his sons after a long separation not with hugs and kisses, but with a fist test of their strength and dexterity.

The life of Taras Bulba was unpretentious, as evidenced by the feast in honor of the arrival of his sons (“bring... the whole ram, the goat... and more burners” - these are the words the old Cossack addresses to his wife) and sleep in the open air.

Ostap and Andriy had not even been at home for a day before they set off for the Sich, where the best comradeship in the world and glorious exploits for their homeland and religion awaited them. Their father was convinced that the only real school for them could be participation in combat battles.

Cossacks

Approaching the Sich, Taras and his sons saw a Cossack picturesquely sleeping in the middle of the road. He stretched out like a lion and attracted everyone's admiration. Wide trousers like the sea, a proudly thrown forelock (it was certainly left on a shaved head), a good horse - this is what a real Cossack looked like. It is no coincidence that the main character of the story appeals to his sons with a call to immediately change their “demonic” clothes (they came from Bursa in them) to something worthy of a Cossack. And they really were immediately transformed in morocco boots, wide trousers, scarlet Cossacks and lambskin hats. The image was completed with a Turkish pistol and a sharp saber. The young men riding on the glorious stallions evoked admiration and pride from their father.

The historical basis of the story “Taras Bulba” obliged the author to treat the Cossacks impartially. With all due respect to them and their valor, Gogol also truthfully says that at times their behavior caused condemnation and misunderstanding. This referred to the riotous and drunken life that they led in between battles, excessive cruelty (for the murder of a criminal they were buried in a grave with the victim alive) and a low cultural level.

The Power of Camaraderie

The main advantage of the Cossacks was that in a moment of danger they could quickly mobilize and act as a single army against the enemy. Their dedication, patriotism, courage and devotion to the common cause knew no bounds. In the story, Taras Bulba himself proved this more than once. The biography of other prominent warriors, including experienced Tovkach, Kukubenko, Pavel Gubenko, Mosiy Shilo and young Ostap, also emphasizes this.

Bulba said well about the unity and main purpose of the Cossacks in his speech on the eve of the decisive battle: “There are no bonds more holy than comradeship!” His speech is an expression of great wisdom and holy faith that he and his brethren are defending a just cause. At a difficult moment, Taras’s words encourage the Cossacks, remind them of their sacred duty to protect their comrades, always remember the Orthodox faith and devotion to their homeland. The worst thing for a Cossack was betrayal: this was not forgiven to anyone. Taras kills his own son after learning that because of his love for a beautiful Polish woman, he chose personal interests over public ones. So the bonds of brotherhood turned out to be more important than blood. The fact that this fact corresponded to reality is evidenced by the historical basis of the story.

Taras Bulba - the best representative of the Cossacks

A colonel with a stern character who has gone through a glorious battle path. A glorious chieftain and comrade who could support with an encouraging word and give good advice in difficult times. He possessed a burning hatred for the enemy who encroached on the Orthodox faith, and did not spare his own life for the sake of saving his homeland and his brothers in arms. Accustomed to a free life, he was content with an open field and was absolutely unpretentious in everyday life. This is how Gogol portrays the main character. He spent his whole life in battles and always found himself in the most dangerous place. Weapons, a smoking pipe and the glorious horse of Taras Bulba constituted his main wealth. At the same time, he could joke and joke around, he was happy with life.

The hero, disappointed in his youngest son, felt great pride in Ostap. Risking his life, Bulba came to the place of execution to see him for the last time. And when Ostap, who had steadfastly endured the mortal torment, called him at the last minute, he, in one word, which made the entire square tremble, expressed his pride, approval and support not only to his son, but to his spiritual comrade and comrade-in-arms. Until the end of his life, Taras will grieve for his son and take revenge for his death. The experience will add to his cruelty and hatred of the enemy, but will not break his will and fortitude.

The story does not contain the usual description of Taras Bulba for the hero, since this is not so important. The main thing is that he has the qualities that made it possible to survive during that cruel time.

Hyperbolization of Taras in the execution scene

The characterization of the hero is complemented by the description of his death, which is largely absurd. The hero is captured because he bends down to pick up a fallen pipe - he doesn’t even want to give it to the damned enemy. Here Taras resembles a folk hero: about three dozen people were able to defeat him with difficulty.

In the last scene, the author describes not the pain from the fire that the hero experienced, but his anxiety for the fate of his brothers floating down the river. At the moment of death, he behaves with dignity, remaining true to the main principles of partnership. The main thing is that he was sure that he had not lived his life in vain. This is exactly what a real Cossack was like.

The significance of the work today

The historical basis of the story “Taras Bulba” is the liberation struggle of the people against the invaders who encroached on their country and faith. Thanks to such strong-willed people as Taras Bulba, his son and comrades, they managed to defend independence and freedom more than once.

The work of N.V. Gogol and his heroes have become a model of masculinity and patriotism for many, so it will never lose its relevance and significance.

Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia

One of the prototypes of Taras Bulba is the ancestor of the famous traveler N. N. Miklouho-Maclay, who was born in Starodub at the beginning of the 17th century, Kureni Ataman of the Zaporozhian Army Okhrim Makukha, an associate of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, who had three sons: Nazar, Khoma (Foma) and Omelka (Emelyan ), Khoma (the prototype of Gogol's Ostap) died trying to deliver Nazar to his father, and Emelyan became the ancestor of Nikolai Miklouho-Maclay and his uncle Grigory Ilyich Mikloukha, who studied with Nikolai Gogol and told him the family legend. The prototype is also Ivan Gonta, who was mistakenly attributed to the murder of two sons from his Polish wife, although his wife is Russian and the story is fictitious.

Plot

After graduating from the Kyiv Academy (Kyiv was part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1569 to 1654), his two sons, Ostap and Andriy, come to the old Cossack colonel Taras Bulba. Two stalwart young men, healthy and strong, whose faces have not yet been touched by a razor, are embarrassed to meet their father, who makes fun of their clothes as recent seminarians. The eldest, Ostap, cannot stand his father’s ridicule: “Even though you’re my dad, if you laugh, then, by God, I’ll beat you!” And father and son, instead of greeting each other after a long absence, seriously hit each other with blows. A pale, thin and kind mother tries to reason with her violent husband, who himself stops, glad that he has tested his son. Bulba wants to “greet” the younger one in the same way, but his mother is already hugging him, protecting him from his father.

On the occasion of the arrival of his sons, Taras Bulba convenes all the centurions and the entire regimental rank and announces his decision to send Ostap and Andriy to the Sich, because there is no better science for a young Cossack than the Zaporozhye Sich. At the sight of the young strength of his sons, the military spirit of Taras himself flares up, and he decides to go with them to introduce them to all his old comrades. The mother sits over her sleeping children all night, wanting the night to last as long as possible. In the morning, after the blessing, the mother, desperate with grief, is barely torn away from the children and taken to the hut.

Three horsemen ride in silence. Old Taras remembers his wild life, a tear freezes in his eyes, his gray head hangs down. Ostap, who has a stern and firm character, although hardened over the years of studying at the Bursa, retained his natural kindness and was touched by the tears of his poor mother. This alone confuses him and makes him lower his head thoughtfully. Andriy is also having a hard time saying goodbye to his mother and home, but his thoughts are occupied with memories of the beautiful Polish woman whom he met just before leaving Kyiv. Then Andriy managed to get into the beauty’s bedroom through the fireplace chimney; a knock on the door forced the Polish woman to hide the young Cossack under the bed. Tatarka, the lady's servant, as soon as the anxiety passed, took Andriy out into the garden, where he barely escaped from the awakened servants. He saw the beautiful Polish girl again in the church, soon she left - and now, with his eyes cast down into the mane of his horse, Andriy thinks about her.

After a long journey, the Sich meets Taras and his sons with his wild life - a sign of the Zaporozhye will. Cossacks do not like to waste time on military exercises, collecting military experience only in the heat of battle. Ostap and Andriy rush with all the ardor of young men into this riotous sea. But old Taras does not like an idle life - this is not the kind of activity he wants to prepare his sons for. Having met all his comrades, he is still figuring out how to rouse the Cossacks on a campaign, so as not to waste their Cossack prowess on a continuous feast and drunken fun. He persuades the Cossacks to re-elect the Koshevoy, who keeps peace with the enemies of the Cossacks. The new Koshevoy, under the pressure of the most militant Cossacks, and above all Taras, is trying to find a justification for a profitable campaign against Turkey, but under the influence of the Cossacks who arrived from Ukraine, who spoke about the oppression of the Polish lords and Jewish tenants over the people of Ukraine, the army unanimously decides to go to Poland, to avenge all the evil and disgrace of the Orthodox faith. Thus, the war takes on a people's liberation character.

And soon the entire Polish southwest becomes the prey of fear, the rumor running ahead: “Cossacks! The Cossacks have appeared! In one month, the young Cossacks matured in battle, and old Taras loves to see that both of his sons are among the first. The Cossack army is trying to take the city of Dubno, where there is a lot of treasury and wealthy inhabitants, but they encounter desperate resistance from the garrison and residents. The Cossacks are besieging the city and waiting for famine to begin. Having nothing to do, the Cossacks devastate the surrounding area, burning defenseless villages and unharvested grain. The young, especially the sons of Taras, do not like this life. Old Bulba calms them down, promising hot fights soon. One dark night, Andria is awakened from sleep by a strange creature that looks like a ghost. This is a Tatar, a servant of the same Polish woman with whom Andriy is in love. The Tatar woman whispers that the lady is in the city, she saw Andriy from the city rampart and asks him to come to her or at least give a piece of bread for his dying mother. Andriy loads the bags with bread, as much as he can carry, and the Tatar woman leads him along the underground passage to the city. Having met his beloved, he renounces his father and brother, comrades and homeland: “The homeland is what our soul seeks, what is dearer to it than anything else. My homeland is you.” Andriy remains with the lady to protect her until his last breath from his former comrades.

Polish troops, sent to reinforce the besieged, march into the city past drunken Cossacks, killing many while sleeping and capturing many. This event embitters the Cossacks, who decide to continue the siege to the end. Taras, searching for his missing son, receives terrible confirmation of Andriy's betrayal.

The Poles are organizing forays, but the Cossacks are still successfully repelling them. News comes from the Sich that, in the absence of the main force, the Tatars attacked the remaining Cossacks and captured them, seizing the treasury. The Cossack army near Dubno is divided in two - half goes to the rescue of the treasury and comrades, half remains to continue the siege. Taras, leading the siege army, makes a passionate speech in praise of comradeship.

The Poles learn about the weakening of the enemy and move out of the city for a decisive battle. Andriy is among them. Taras Bulba orders the Cossacks to lure him to the forest and there, meeting Andriy face to face, he kills his son, who even before his death utters one word - the name of the beautiful lady. Reinforcements arrive to the Poles, and they defeat the Cossacks. Ostap is captured, the wounded Taras, saved from pursuit, is brought to Sich.

Having recovered from his wounds, Taras persuades Yankel to secretly transport him to Warsaw to try to ransom Ostap there. Taras is present at the terrible execution of his son in the city square. Not a single groan escapes from Ostap’s chest under torture, only before death he cries out: “Father! where are you! Can you hear? - “I hear!” - Taras answers above the crowd. They rush to catch him, but Taras is already gone.

One hundred and twenty thousand Cossacks, including the regiment of Taras Bulba, rise up on a campaign against the Poles. Even the Cossacks themselves notice Taras’s excessive ferocity and cruelty towards the enemy. This is how he takes revenge for the death of his son. The defeated Polish hetman Nikolai Pototsky swears not to inflict any offense on the Cossack army in the future. Only Colonel Bulba does not agree to such a peace, assuring his comrades that the forgiven Poles will not keep their word. And he leads his regiment away. His prediction comes true - having gathered their strength, the Poles treacherously attack the Cossacks and defeat them.

And Taras walks throughout Poland with his regiment, continuing to avenge the death of Ostap and his comrades, mercilessly destroying all living things.

Five regiments under the leadership of that same Pototsky finally overtake the regiment of Taras, who was resting in an old collapsed fortress on the banks of the Dniester. The battle lasts four days. The surviving Cossacks make their way, but the old chieftain stops to look for his cradle in the grass, and the haiduks overtake him. They tie Taras to an oak tree with iron chains, nail his hands and lay a fire under him. Before his death, Taras manages to shout to his comrades to go down to the canoes, which he sees from above, and escape from pursuit along the river. And at the last terrible minute, the old ataman predicts the unification of the Russian lands, the destruction of their enemies and the victory of the Orthodox faith.

The Cossacks escape from the chase, row their oars together and talk about their chieftain.

Gogol's work on "Taras..."

Gogol's work on Taras Bulba was preceded by a careful, in-depth study of historical sources. Among them should be named “Description of Ukraine” by Boplan, “The History of the Zaporozhye Cossacks” by Prince Semyon Ivanovich Myshetsky, handwritten lists of Ukrainian chronicles - Samovidets, Samuil Velichko, Grigory Grabyanka, etc. helping the artist to comprehend the spirit of folk life, characters, psychology of people. Among the sources that helped Gogol in his work on Taras Bulba, there was another, most important one: Ukrainian folk songs, especially historical songs and thoughts.

"Taras Bulba" has a long and complex creative history. It was first published in 1835 in the collection “Mirgorod”. In 1842, in the second volume of Gogol’s Works, the story “Taras Bulba” was published in a new, radically revised edition. Work on this work continued intermittently for nine years: from 1833 to 1842. Between the first and second editions of Taras Bulba, a number of intermediate editions of some chapters were written. Due to this, the second edition is more complete than the 1835 edition, despite some of Gogol’s claims due to many significant inconsistent edits and changes to the original text during editing and rewriting.

The original author's manuscript of "Taras Bulba", prepared by Gogol for the second edition, was found in the sixties of the 19th century. among the gifts of Count Kushelev-Bezborodko to the Nezhin Lyceum. This is the so-called Nezhin manuscript, entirely written by the hand of Nikolai Gogol, who made many changes in the fifth, sixth, seventh chapters, and revised the 8th and 10th.

Thanks to the fact that Count Kushelev-Bezborodko bought this original author’s manuscript from the Prokopovich family in 1858, it became possible to see the work in the form that suited the author himself. However, in subsequent editions “Taras Bulba” was reprinted not from the original manuscript, but from the 1842 edition, with only minor corrections. The first attempt to bring together and unite the author's originals of Gogol's manuscripts, the clerk's copies that differ from them, and the 1842 edition was made in the Complete Works of Gogol ([V 14 vol.] / USSR Academy of Sciences; Institute of Russian Literature (Pushkin House). - [M.; L.]: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1937-1952.).

Differences between the first and second edition

A number of significant changes and significant additions were made to the version for the publication of “Works” () compared to the original of 1835. In general, the 1842 version is more censored, partly by the author himself, partly by the publisher, in some places in violation of the original style of the original version of the work. At the same time, this version is more complete, and the historical and everyday background of the story has been significantly enriched - a more detailed description of the emergence of the Cossacks, the Zaporozhye army, the laws and customs of the Sich is given. The condensed story about the siege of Dubno is replaced by a detailed epic depiction of the battles and heroic exploits of the Cossacks. In the second edition, Andriy's love experiences are given more fully and the tragedy of his situation, caused by betrayal, is more deeply revealed.

The image of Taras Bulba was rethought. The place in the first edition where it is said that Taras “was a great hunter of raids and riots” was replaced in the second by the following: “Restless, he always considered himself the legitimate defender of Orthodoxy. He arbitrarily entered villages where they only complained about the harassment of tenants and the increase in new duties on smoke.” The calls for comradely solidarity in the fight against enemies and the speech about the greatness of the Russian people, put into the mouth of Taras in the second edition, finally complete the heroic image of a fighter for national freedom.

Edition 1835. Part I

Edition 1842. Part I

The original author's version of the revised manuscript was transferred by the author to N. Ya. Prokopovich for the preparation of the 1842 edition, but differs from the latter. After Prokopovich’s death, the manuscript was acquired, among other Gogol manuscripts, by Count G. A. Kushelev-Bezborodko and donated by him to the Nizhyn Lyceum of Prince Bezborodko (see N. Gerbel, “On Gogol’s manuscripts belonging to the Lyceum of Prince Bezborodko,” “Time,” 1868, No. 4, pp. 606-614; cf. “Russian Antiquity” 1887, No. 3, pp. 711-712); in 1934, the manuscript was transferred from the library of the Nizhyn Pedagogical Institute to the manuscript department of the Library of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences in Kyiv.

Neither the 1842 edition nor the 1855 edition can be used as the basis for developing the canonical text of the story, since they are clogged with extraneous editorial corrections. The basis of the published text of the story (Gogol N.V. Complete works: [In 14 volumes] / USSR Academy of Sciences; Institute of Russian Literature (Pushkin. House). - [M.; L.]: Publishing House Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1937-1952) based on the text prepared for publication by Gogol himself in 1842, that is, the text of the autograph; the missing passages were taken from the clerk’s copy, where they were copied from the corrected copy of “Mirgorod” (in several cases the text was taken from “Mirgorod” without changes and thus can be checked directly against the edition of “Mirgorod”). Only in a few cases does the text deviate from the manuscript, correcting suspected errors or filling in omissions. According to the general principles of the publication (see the introductory article to volume I), neither the amendments made by N. Ya. Prokopovich on behalf of Gogol in the 1842 edition, nor the later (1851-1852) amendments of Gogol himself are introduced into the main text, applied in proofreading to the text of the 1842 edition, since the separation of Gogol’s corrections from non-Gogol’s cannot be made in this text with complete confidence and consistency.

Idioms

• “Turn around, son!”
• “I gave birth to you, I will kill you!”
• "There is life in the old dog yet?!"
• “Be patient, Cossack, and you will become an ataman!”
• “There is no bond holier than fellowship!”
• “What, son, did your Poles help you?”

Criticism of the story

Along with the general approval that critics met with Gogol's story, some aspects of the work were found unsuccessful. Thus, Gogol was repeatedly accused of the unhistorical nature of the story, the excessive glorification of the Cossacks, and the lack of historical context, which was noted by Mikhail Grabovsky, Vasily Gippius, Maxim Gorky and others. Critics believed that this could be explained by the fact that the writer did not have enough reliable information about the history of Ukraine. Gogol studied the history of his native land with great attention, but he drew information not only from rather meager chronicles, but also from folk tales, legends, as well as frankly mythological sources, such as “History of the Rus”, from which he gleaned descriptions of the atrocities of the gentry and the atrocities of the Jews and the valor of the Cossacks. The story caused particular discontent among the Polish intelligentsia. The Poles were outraged that in Taras Bulba the Polish nation was presented as aggressive, bloodthirsty and cruel. Mikhail Grabowski, who had a good attitude towards Gogol himself, spoke negatively about Taras Bulba, as well as many other Polish critics and writers, such as Andrzej Kempinski, Michal Barmut, Julian Krzyzanowski. In Poland, there was a strong opinion about the story as anti-Polish, and partly such judgments were transferred to Gogol himself.

Antisemitism

The story was also criticized for anti-Semitism by some politicians, religious thinkers, and literary scholars. The leader of right-wing Zionism, Vladimir Jabotinsky, in his article “Russian Weasel”, assessed the scene of the Jewish pogrom in the story “Taras Bulba” as follows: “ None of the great literature knows anything similar in terms of cruelty. This cannot even be called hatred or sympathy for the Cossack massacre of the Jews: this is worse, this is some kind of carefree, clear fun, not overshadowed even by the half-thought that the funny legs kicking in the air are the legs of living people, some amazingly whole, indecomposable contempt for the inferior race, not condescending to enmity". As literary critic Arkady Gornfeld noted, Jews are depicted by Gogol as petty thieves, traitors and ruthless extortionists, devoid of any human traits. In his opinion, Gogol’s images “ captured by the mediocre Judeophobia of the era"; Gogol’s anti-Semitism does not come from the realities of life, but from established and traditional theological ideas “ about the unknown world of Jewry"; the images of Jews are stereotyped and represent pure caricature. According to the thinker and historian Georgy Fedotov, “ Gogol gave a jubilant description of the Jewish pogrom in Taras Bulba", which indicates " about the well-known failures of his moral sense, but also about the strength of the national or chauvinistic tradition that stood behind him» .

The critic and literary critic D.I. Zaslavsky held a slightly different point of view. In the article “Jews in Russian Literature,” he also supports Jabotinsky’s reproach for the anti-Semitism of Russian literature, including in the list of anti-Semitic writers Pushkin, Gogol, Lermontov, Turgenev, Nekrasov, Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Saltykov-Shchedrin, Leskov, Chekhov. But at the same time he finds justification for Gogol’s anti-Semitism as follows: “There is no doubt, however, that in the dramatic struggle of the Ukrainian people in the 17th century for their homeland, the Jews showed neither understanding of this struggle nor sympathy for it. This was not their fault, this was their misfortune.” “The Jews of Taras Bulba are caricatures. But the caricature is not a lie. ... The talent of Jewish adaptability is vividly and aptly depicted in Gogol’s poem. And this, of course, does not flatter our pride, but we must admit that the Russian writer has captured some of our historical features with evil and aptness.” .

Film adaptations

In chronological order:

- Well, honey? No, brother, my pink beauty, and their name is Dunyasha... - But, looking at Rostov’s face, Ilyin fell silent. He saw that his hero and commander was in a completely different way of thinking.
Rostov looked back angrily at Ilyin and, without answering him, quickly walked towards the village.
“I’ll show them, I’ll give them a hard time, the robbers!” - he said to himself.
Alpatych, at a swimming pace, so as not to run, barely caught up with Rostov at a trot.
– What decision did you decide to make? - he said, catching up with him.
Rostov stopped and, clenching his fists, suddenly moved menacingly towards Alpatych.
- Solution? What's the solution? Old bastard! - he shouted at him. -What were you watching? A? Men are rebelling, but you can’t cope? You yourself are a traitor. I know you, I’ll skin you all... - And, as if afraid to waste his reserve of ardor in vain, he left Alpatych and quickly walked forward. Alpatych, suppressing the feeling of insult, kept up with Rostov at a floating pace and continued to communicate his thoughts to him. He said that the men were stubborn, that at the moment it was unwise to oppose them without having a military command, that it would not be better to send for a command first.
“I’ll give them a military command... I’ll fight them,” Nikolai said senselessly, suffocating from unreasonable animal anger and the need to vent this anger. Not realizing what he would do, unconsciously, with a quick, decisive step, he moved towards the crowd. And the closer he moved to her, the more Alpatych felt that his unreasonable act could produce good results. The men of the crowd felt the same, looking at his fast and firm gait and decisive, frowning face.
After the hussars entered the village and Rostov went to the princess, there was confusion and discord in the crowd. Some men began to say that these newcomers were Russians and how they would not be offended by the fact that they did not let the young lady out. Drone was of the same opinion; but as soon as he expressed it, Karp and other men attacked the former headman.
- How many years have you been eating the world? - Karp shouted at him. - It’s all the same to you! You dig up the little jar, take it away, do you want to destroy our houses or not?
- It was said that there should be order, no one should leave the house, so as not to take out any blue gunpowder - that’s all it is! - shouted another.
“There was a line for your son, and you probably regretted your hunger,” the little old man suddenly spoke quickly, attacking Dron, “and you shaved my Vanka.” Oh, we're going to die!
- Then we’ll die!
“I am not a refuser from the world,” said Dron.
- He’s not a refusenik, he’s grown a belly!..
Two long men had their say. As soon as Rostov, accompanied by Ilyin, Lavrushka and Alpatych, approached the crowd, Karp, putting his fingers behind his sash, slightly smiling, came forward. The drone, on the contrary, entered the back rows, and the crowd moved closer together.
- Hey! Who is your headman here? - Rostov shouted, quickly approaching the crowd.
- The headman then? What do you need?.. – asked Karp. But before he could finish speaking, his hat flew off and his head snapped to the side from a strong blow.
- Hats off, traitors! - Rostov’s full-blooded voice shouted. -Where is the headman? – he shouted in a frantic voice.
“The headman, the headman is calling... Dron Zakharych, you,” submissive voices were heard here and there, and hats began to be taken off their heads.
“We can’t rebel, we keep order,” said Karp, and several voices from behind at the same moment suddenly spoke:
- How the old people grumbled, there are a lot of you bosses...
- Talk?.. Riot!.. Robbers! Traitors! - Rostov screamed senselessly, in a voice that was not his own, grabbing Karp by the yurot. - Knit him, knit him! - he shouted, although there was no one to knit him except Lavrushka and Alpatych.
Lavrushka, however, ran up to Karp and grabbed his hands from behind.
– Will you order our people to call from under the mountain? - he shouted.
Alpatych turned to the men, calling two of them by name to mate Karp. The men obediently emerged from the crowd and began to loosen their belts.
- Where is the headman? - Rostov shouted.
The drone, with a frowning and pale face, emerged from the crowd.
-Are you the headman? Knit, Lavrushka! - Rostov shouted, as if this order could not meet with obstacles. And indeed, two more men began to tie Dron, who, as if helping them, took off the kushan and gave it to them.
“And you all listen to me,” Rostov turned to the men: “Now march home, and so that I don’t hear your voice.”
“Well, we didn’t do any harm.” That means we are just being stupid. They just made nonsense... I told you there was a mess,” voices were heard reproaching each other.
“I told you so,” said Alpatych, coming into his own. - This is not good, guys!
“Our stupidity, Yakov Alpatych,” answered the voices, and the crowd immediately began to disperse and scatter throughout the village.
The two tied men were taken to the manor's courtyard. Two drunk men followed them.
- Oh, I’ll look at you! - said one of them, turning to Karp.
“Is it possible to talk to gentlemen like that?” What did you think?
“Fool,” confirmed the other, “really, a fool!”
Two hours later the carts stood in the courtyard of Bogucharov’s house. The men were briskly carrying out and placing the master's things on the carts, and Dron, at the request of Princess Marya, was released from the locker where he had been locked, standing in the courtyard, giving orders to the men.
“Don’t put it in such a bad way,” said one of the men, a tall man with a round, smiling face, taking the box from the maid’s hands. - It also costs money. Why do you throw it like that or half a rope - and it will rub. I don't like it that way. And so that everything is fair, according to the law. Just like that, under the matting and covering it with hay, that’s what’s important. Love!
“Look for books, books,” said another man, who was taking out Prince Andrei’s library cabinets. - Don't cling! It's heavy, guys, the books are great!
- Yes, they wrote, they didn’t walk! – the tall, round-faced man said with a significant wink, pointing to the thick lexicons lying on top.

Rostov, not wanting to impose his acquaintance on the princess, did not go to her, but remained in the village, waiting for her to leave. Having waited for Princess Marya's carriages to leave the house, Rostov sat on horseback and accompanied her on horseback to the path occupied by our troops, twelve miles from Bogucharov. In Yankov, at the inn, he said goodbye to her respectfully, allowing himself to kiss her hand for the first time.
“Aren’t you ashamed,” he answered Princess Marya, blushing, to the expression of gratitude for her salvation (as she called his action), “every police officer would have done the same.” If only we had to fight with the peasants, we would not have allowed the enemy so far away,” he said, ashamed of something and trying to change the conversation. “I’m only happy that I had the opportunity to meet you.” Farewell, princess, I wish you happiness and consolation and wish to meet you under happier conditions. If you don't want to make me blush, please don't thank me.
But the princess, if she did not thank him in more words, thanked him with the whole expression of her face, beaming with gratitude and tenderness. She couldn't believe him, that she had nothing to thank him for. On the contrary, what was certain for her was that if he had not existed, she would probably have died from both the rebels and the French; that, in order to save her, he exposed himself to the most obvious and terrible dangers; and what was even more certain was that he was a man with a high and noble soul, who knew how to understand her situation and grief. His kind and honest eyes with tears appearing on them, while she herself, crying, talked to him about her loss, did not leave her imagination.
When she said goodbye to him and was left alone, Princess Marya suddenly felt tears in her eyes, and here, not for the first time, she was presented with a strange question: does she love him?
On the way further to Moscow, despite the fact that the princess’s situation was not happy, Dunyasha, who was riding with her in the carriage, more than once noticed that the princess, leaning out of the carriage window, was smiling joyfully and sadly at something.
“Well, what if I loved him? - thought Princess Marya.
Ashamed as she was to admit to herself that she was the first to love a man who, perhaps, would never love her, she consoled herself with the thought that no one would ever know this and that it would not be her fault if she remained with no one for the rest of her life. speaking of loving the one she loved for the first and last time.
Sometimes she remembered his views, his participation, his words, and it seemed to her that happiness was not impossible. And then Dunyasha noticed that she was smiling and looking out the carriage window.
“And he had to come to Bogucharovo, and at that very moment! - thought Princess Marya. “And his sister should have refused Prince Andrei!” “And in all this, Princess Marya saw the will of Providence.
The impression made on Rostov by Princess Marya was very pleasant. When he remembered about her, he became cheerful, and when his comrades, having learned about his adventure in Bogucharovo, joked to him that, having gone for hay, he picked up one of the richest brides in Russia, Rostov became angry. He was angry precisely because the thought of marrying the meek Princess Marya, who was pleasant to him and with a huge fortune, came into his head more than once against his will. For himself personally, Nikolai could not wish for a better wife than Princess Marya: marrying her would make the countess - his mother - happy, and would improve his father’s affairs; and even - Nikolai felt it - would have made Princess Marya happy. But Sonya? And this word? And this is why Rostov got angry when they joked about Princess Bolkonskaya.

Having taken command of the armies, Kutuzov remembered Prince Andrei and sent him an order to come to the main apartment.
Prince Andrei arrived in Tsarevo Zaimishche on the very day and at the very time of the day when Kutuzov made the first review of the troops. Prince Andrei stopped in the village at the priest’s house, where the commander-in-chief’s carriage stood, and sat on a bench at the gate, waiting for His Serene Highness, as everyone now called Kutuzov. On the field outside the village one could hear either the sounds of regimental music or the roar of a huge number of voices shouting “hurray!” to the new commander-in-chief. Right there at the gate, ten steps from Prince Andrei, taking advantage of the prince’s absence and the beautiful weather, stood two orderlies, a courier and a butler. Blackish, overgrown with mustaches and sideburns, the little hussar lieutenant colonel rode up to the gate and, looking at Prince Andrei, asked: is His Serene Highness standing here and will he be there soon?
Prince Andrei said that he did not belong to the headquarters of His Serene Highness and was also a visitor. The hussar lieutenant colonel turned to the smart orderly, and the orderly of the commander-in-chief said to him with that special contempt with which the orderlies of the commander-in-chief speak to officers:
- What, my lord? It must be now. You that?
The hussar lieutenant colonel grinned into his mustache in the tone of the orderly, got off his horse, gave it to the messenger and approached Bolkonsky, bowing slightly to him. Bolkonsky stood aside on the bench. The hussar lieutenant colonel sat down next to him.
– Are you also waiting for the commander-in-chief? - the hussar lieutenant colonel spoke. “Govog”yat, it’s accessible to everyone, thank God. Otherwise, there’s trouble with the sausage makers! It’s not until recently that Yeg “molov” settled in the Germans. Now, maybe it will be possible to speak in Russian. Otherwise, who knows what they were doing. Everyone retreated, everyone retreated. Have you done the hike? - he asked.
“I had the pleasure,” answered Prince Andrei, “not only to participate in the retreat, but also to lose in this retreat everything that was dear to me, not to mention the estates and home... of my father, who died of grief.” I am from Smolensk.
- Eh?.. Are you Prince Bolkonsky? It’s great to meet: Lieutenant Colonel Denisov, better known as Vaska,” said Denisov, shaking Prince Andrei’s hand and peering into Bolkonsky’s face with especially kind attention. “Yes, I heard,” he said with sympathy and, after a short silence, continued : – That’s the Scythian war. It’s all good, but not for those who take the rap with their own sides. And you are Prince Andgey Bolkonsky? - He shook his head. “It’s very hell, prince, it’s very hell to meet you,” he added again with a sad smile, shaking his hand.
Prince Andrei knew Denisov from Natasha's stories about her first groom. This memory, both sweet and painful, now transported him to those painful sensations that he had not thought about for a long time, but which were still in his soul. Recently, so many other and such serious impressions as leaving Smolensk, his arrival in Bald Mountains, the recent death of his father - so many sensations were experienced by him that these memories had not come to him for a long time and, when they came, had no effect on him. him with the same strength. And for Denisov, the series of memories that Bolkonsky’s name evoked was a distant, poetic past, when, after dinner and Natasha’s singing, he, without knowing how, proposed to a fifteen-year-old girl. He smiled at the memories of that time and his love for Natasha and immediately moved on to what was now passionately and exclusively occupying him. This was the campaign plan he came up with while serving in the outposts during the retreat. He presented this plan to Barclay de Tolly and now intended to present it to Kutuzov. The plan was based on the fact that the French line of operations was too extended and that instead of, or at the same time, acting from the front, blocking the way for the French, it was necessary to act on their messages. He began to explain his plan to Prince Andrei.
“They can’t hold this entire line.” This is impossible, I answer that they are pg"og"vu; give me five hundred people, I will kill them, it’s veg! One system is pag “Tisan.”
Denisov stood up and, making gestures, outlined his plan to Bolkonsky. In the middle of his presentation, the cries of the army, more awkward, more widespread and merging with music and songs, were heard at the place of review. There was stomping and screaming in the village.
“He’s coming himself,” shouted a Cossack standing at the gate, “he’s coming!” Bolkonsky and Denisov moved towards the gate, at which stood a group of soldiers (an honor guard), and saw Kutuzov moving along the street, riding a low bay horse. A huge retinue of generals rode behind him. Barclay rode almost alongside; a crowd of officers ran behind them and around them and shouted “Hurray!”
The adjutants galloped ahead of him into the courtyard. Kutuzov, impatiently pushing his horse, which was ambling under his weight, and constantly nodding his head, put his hand to the cavalry guard’s bad-looking cap (with a red band and without a visor) that he was wearing. Having approached the honor guard of fine grenadiers, mostly cavaliers, who saluted him, he silently looked at them for a minute with a commanding stubborn gaze and turned to the crowd of generals and officers standing around him. His face suddenly took on a subtle expression; he raised his shoulders with a gesture of bewilderment.
- And with such fellows, keep retreating and retreating! - he said. “Well, goodbye, general,” he added and started his horse through the gate past Prince Andrei and Denisov.
- Hooray! hooray! hooray! - they shouted from behind him.
Since Prince Andrei had not seen him, Kutuzov had grown even fatter, flabby, and swollen with fat. But the familiar white eye, and the wound, and the expression of fatigue in his face and figure were the same. He was dressed in a uniform frock coat (a whip hung on a thin belt over his shoulder) and a white cavalry guard cap. He, heavily blurring and swaying, sat on his cheerful horse.
“Whew... whew... whew...” he whistled barely audibly as he drove into the yard. His face expressed the joy of calming a man intending to rest after the mission. He took his left leg out of the stirrup, falling with his whole body and wincing from the effort, he lifted it with difficulty onto the saddle, leaned his elbow on his knee, grunted and went down into the arms of the Cossacks and adjutants who were supporting him.
He recovered, looked around with his narrowed eyes and, glancing at Prince Andrei, apparently not recognizing him, walked with his diving gait towards the porch.
“Whew... whew... whew,” he whistled and again looked back at Prince Andrei. The impression of Prince Andrei's face only after a few seconds (as often happens with old people) became associated with the memory of his personality.
“Oh, hello, prince, hello, darling, let’s go...” he said tiredly, looking around, and heavily entered the porch, creaking under his weight. He unbuttoned and sat down on a bench on the porch.
- Well, what about father?
“Yesterday I received news of his death,” Prince Andrei said briefly.
Kutuzov looked at Prince Andrei with frightened open eyes, then took off his cap and crossed himself: “The kingdom of heaven to him! May God's will be over us all! He sighed heavily, with all his chest, and was silent. “I loved and respected him and I sympathize with you with all my heart.” He hugged Prince Andrei, pressed him to his fat chest and did not let him go for a long time. When he released him, Prince Andrei saw that Kutuzov’s swollen lips were trembling and there were tears in his eyes. He sighed and grabbed the bench with both hands to stand up.
“Come on, let’s come to me and talk,” he said; but at this time Denisov, just as little timid in front of his superiors as he was in front of the enemy, despite the fact that the adjutants at the porch stopped him in angry whispers, boldly, knocking his spurs on the steps, entered the porch. Kutuzov, leaving his hands resting on the bench, looked displeased at Denisov. Denisov, having identified himself, announced that he had to inform his lordship of a matter of great importance for the good of the fatherland. Kutuzov began to look at Denisov with a tired look and with an annoyed gesture, taking his hands and folding them on his stomach, he repeated: “For the good of the fatherland? Well, what is it? Speak." Denisov blushed like a girl (it was so strange to see the color on that mustachioed, old and drunken face), and boldly began to outline his plan for cutting the enemy’s operational line between Smolensk and Vyazma. Denisov lived in these parts and knew the area well. His plan seemed undoubtedly good, especially from the power of conviction that was in his words. Kutuzov looked at his feet and occasionally glanced at the courtyard of the neighboring hut, as if he was expecting something unpleasant from there. A general with a briefcase under his arm actually appeared from the hut he was looking at during Denisov’s speech.
- What? – Kutuzov said in the middle of Denisov’s presentation. - Ready?
“Ready, your lordship,” said the general. Kutuzov shook his head, as if saying: “How can one person manage all this,” and continued to listen to Denisov.
“I give my honest, noble word to the Hussian officer,” said Denisov, “that I have confirmed Napoleon’s message.
- How are you doing, Kirill Andreevich Denisov, chief quartermaster? - Kutuzov interrupted him.
- Uncle of one, your lordship.
- ABOUT! “We were friends,” Kutuzov said cheerfully. “Okay, okay, darling, stay here at headquarters, we’ll talk tomorrow.” - Nodding his head to Denisov, he turned away and extended his hand to the papers that Konovnitsyn brought him.
“Would your lordship please welcome you to the rooms,” the general on duty said in a dissatisfied voice, “we need to consider the plans and sign some papers.” “The adjutant who came out of the door reported that everything was ready in the apartment. But Kutuzov, apparently, wanted to enter the rooms already free. He winced...
“No, tell me to serve, my dear, here’s a table, I’ll take a look,” he said. “Don’t leave,” he added, turning to Prince Andrei. Prince Andrei remained on the porch, listening to the general on duty.
During the report, outside the front door, Prince Andrei heard a woman’s whispering and the crunching of a woman’s silk dress. Several times, looking in that direction, he noticed behind the door, in a pink dress and a purple silk scarf on her head, a plump, rosy-cheeked and beautiful woman with a dish, who was obviously waiting for the commander to enter. Kutuzov's adjutant explained to Prince Andrei in a whisper that it was the mistress of the house, the priest, who intended to serve bread and salt to his lordship. Her husband met His Serene Highness with a cross in the church, she is at home... “Very pretty,” the adjutant added with a smile. Kutuzov looked back at these words. Kutuzov listened to the report of the general on duty (the main subject of which was criticism of the position under Tsarev Zaimishche) just as he listened to Denisov, just as he listened to the debate of the Austerlitz Military Council seven years ago. He apparently listened only because he had ears, which, despite the fact that there was a sea rope in one of them, could not help but hear; but it was obvious that nothing that the general on duty could tell him could not only surprise or interest him, but that he knew in advance everything that they would tell him, and listened to all of it only because he had to listen, as he had to listen singing prayer service. Everything Denisov said was practical and smart. What the general on duty said was even more sensible and smarter, but it was obvious that Kutuzov despised both knowledge and intelligence and knew something else that was supposed to solve the matter - something else, independent of intelligence and knowledge. Prince Andrei carefully watched the expression on the commander-in-chief's face, and the only expression that he could notice in him was an expression of boredom, curiosity about what the woman's whispering behind the door meant, and a desire to maintain decency. It was obvious that Kutuzov despised intelligence, and knowledge, and even the patriotic feeling that Denisov showed, but he did not despise intelligence, not feeling, not knowledge (because he did not try to show them), but he despised them with something else. He despised them with his old age, his experience of life. One order that Kutuzov made on his own in this report related to the looting of Russian troops. At the end of the report, the reder on duty presented his Serene Highness with a document for his signature about penalties from the army commanders at the request of the landowner for cut green oats.
Kutuzov smacked his lips and shook his head after listening to this matter.
- Into the stove... into the fire! And once and for all I tell you, my dear,” he said, “all these things are on fire.” Let them mow bread and burn wood for their health. I don’t order this and I don’t allow it, but I can’t exact it either. It is impossible without this. They chop wood and the chips fly. – He looked again at the paper. - Oh, German neatness! – he said, shaking his head.