Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, the main character of the novel by I. A. Goncharov, is a collective image of Russian landowners. It presents all the vices of noble society during the times of serfdom: not just laziness and idleness, but taking it for granted.
Ilya Ilyich all day long

He spends time in inaction: he doesn’t even have a government job, doesn’t go to the theater, doesn’t go to visit. It would seem that a person living such a useless life cannot be called anything other than a negative hero. But even at the beginning of the novel, Goncharov makes it clear to us that this is not so: Oblomov mentions Andrei Stolts, his childhood friend, who more than once helped out Ilya Ilyich and settled his affairs. If Oblomov had represented nothing of himself as a person, then with such a lifestyle he would hardly have maintained such a close friendship with Stolz.
What made the German take care of Oblomov and try to “save” him from “Oblomovism” even after so many years of futile attempts? The first part of the novel, the scene of Oblomov’s meeting with his “friends,” will help you figure this out. They all continue to visit Ilya Ilyich, but each for their own needs. They come, talk about their lives, and leave without listening to the owner of the hospitable house; So Volkov leaves, and Sudbinsky leaves. The writer Penkin leaves, trying to advertise his article, which undoubtedly caused success among society, but did not interest Oblomov at all. Alekseev leaves; he seems to be a grateful listener, but a listener without an opinion; a listener who cares not about Oblomov himself, not about the personality of the speaker, but about his presence. Tarantiev also leaves - he generally came to benefit from the kindness of Ilya Ilyich.
But at the same time, one can notice one feature of Oblomov - he not only receives guests, but also notices their shortcomings. Life in inaction made Oblomov reasonable and calm; he looks at everything from the outside and notices all the vices of his generation, which young people usually take for granted. Oblomov does not see the point in haste, he does not care about ranks and money; he knows how to reason and realistically assess the situation. Ilya Ilyich did not have a passion for reading, so he did not know how to talk beautifully and intelligently about politics or literature, but at the same time he subtly noticed the current state of affairs in society. Lying on the sofa became not only Oblomov’s vice, but also his salvation from the “rottenness” of society - having renounced the bustle of the world around him, Ilya Ilyich reached true values ​​in his thoughts.
But, alas, no matter how Oblomov talked about how to live, no matter how much he reproached himself for lying on the couch, he still could not motivate himself to take any action, and Oblomov’s ideas remained inside him. Therefore, Ilya Ilyich cannot be called a positive hero, just as he cannot be called a negative one.
Stolz, in contrast to Oblomov, is a man of action. He thinks narrowly and cynically, not allowing himself free thoughts and dreams. Stolz clearly thinks through the plan, evaluates his capabilities, and only then makes a decision and follows it. But he cannot be called a positive or negative hero. Both Stolz and Oblomov are two different types of people, a driving and thinking force who can support humanity only together. I believe that the essence of the novel “Oblomov” is not to eradicate “Oblomovism,” but to direct its strengths into the hands of the acting ones. During serfdom, “Oblomovism” was strong: the inaction and laziness of landowners who left work to the peasants and knew only fun in life. But now, I think, the big problem is the “Stolts”, people who are active, but are not able to think as deeply as Oblomov.
In society, both “Oblomovs” are important, capable of making the right decisions, and “Stolts”, who implement these decisions. And only with the equal presence of both is possible the improvement of society.

Essays on topics:

1. The name of the hero of the novel by Ivan Goncharov, Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, has become a household name. It has come to mean in Russian culture a person who is idle...
2. Revealing a character's character can occur in various ways. Often the author depicts his hero in certain circumstances and conditions, makes him go through...

The pinnacle of creativity of the talented Russian prose writer and critic of the 19th century Ivan Goncharov was the novel “Oblomov”, published in 1859 in the magazine “Otechestvennye zapiski”. Its epic scale of artistic exploration of the life of the Russian nobility of the mid-nineteenth century allowed this work to occupy one of the central places in Russian literature.

Characteristics of the main character

The main character of the novel is Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, a young (32-33 years old) Russian nobleman who idly and carefree lives on his estate. He has a pleasant appearance, the main feature of which is softness in all his features and the main expression of his soul.

His favorite pastime is lying apathetically on the couch and pointlessly spending time in empty thoughts and dreamy thoughts. Moreover, the complete absence of any action is his conscious choice, because he once had a position in the department and was waiting for advancement up the career ladder. But then he got bored with it and gave up everything, making his ideal a carefree life filled with sleepy peace and tranquility, like in childhood.

(Old faithful servant Zakhar)

Oblomov is distinguished by his sincerity, gentleness and kindness; he has not even lost such a valuable moral quality as conscience. He is far from evil or bad deeds, but at the same time it is impossible to say with confidence that he is a positive hero. Goncharov painted the reader a terrible picture of Oblomov’s spiritual desolation and his moral decay. The old and faithful servant Zakhar is a mirror reflection of the character of his young master. He is just as lazy and sloppy, devoted to the depths of his soul to his master and also shares with him the philosophy of his life.

One of the main plot lines in the novel, which perfectly reveals the character of the main character, is Oblomov’s love relationship with Olga Ilyinskaya. The romantic feelings that suddenly flared up in Oblomov’s heart for this young and sweet person awaken in him an interest in spiritual life, he begins to take an interest in the art and mental demands of his time. Thus, a ray of hope arises that Oblomov can return to normal human life. Love reveals in him new, previously unknown traits of his character, inspires him and inspires him to a new life.

But in the end, the feeling of love for this pure and highly moral girl becomes a bright, but very short-lived flash in the measured and monotonous life of the lazy gentleman. The illusions that they can be together are dispelled very quickly, they are too different from Olga, he will never be able to become the one she wants to see next to her. There is a natural break in the relationship. In the process of choosing between a romantic date and a serene sleepy state in which he lived most of his adult life, Oblomov chooses his usual and favorite option of doing nothing. And only in the house of Agafya Pshenitsina, surrounded by such usual care and an idle, carefree life, does he find his ideal refuge, where his life quietly and imperceptibly ends.

The image of the main character in the work

After its release, the novel received close attention from both critics and readers. Based on the surname of the main character of this work (on the initiative of the famous literary critic Dobrolyubov), the whole concept of “Oblomovism” appeared, which subsequently acquired broad historical significance. It is described as a real disease of modern Russian society, when young and full of energy people of noble origin are busy with reflection and apathy, they are afraid to change anything in their lives and prefer lazy and idle vegetation instead of action and struggle for their happiness.

According to Dobrolyubov, the image of Oblomov is a symbol of serf society in Russia in the 19th century. The origins of his “disease” lie precisely in the serfdom, in the technical backwardness of the economy, in the process of exploitation and humiliation of forced peasant slaves. Goncharov revealed to the readers the entire path of development of Oblomov’s character and his complete moral degradation, which applies not only to one individual representative of the noble class, but to the entire nation as a whole. Oblomov’s path, sadly enough, is the path of most people who do not have a specific goal in life and are absolutely useless for society.

Even such noble and lofty feelings as friendship and love could not break this vicious circle of laziness and idleness, so one can only sympathize with Oblomov that he did not find the strength to cast off the shackles of sleep and live a new, full life.

Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov” was written during the period of transition of Russian society from outdated, home-building traditions and values ​​to new, educational views and ideas. This process became the most complex and difficult for representatives of the landowner social class, as it required an almost complete rejection of the usual way of life and was associated with the need to adapt to new, more dynamic and rapidly changing conditions. And if part of society easily adapted to the new circumstances, for others the process of transition turned out to be very difficult, since it was essentially opposed to the usual way of life of their parents, grandfathers and great-grandfathers. The representative of precisely such landowners, who failed to change with the world, adapting to it, in the novel is Ilya Ilyich Oblomov. According to the plot of the work, the hero was born in a village far from the capital of Russia - Oblomovka, where he received a classic landowner, house-building education, which formed many of the main character traits of Oblomov - weak-willedness, apathy, lack of initiative, laziness, reluctance to work and the expectation that someone will do everything for him. Excessive parental care, constant prohibitions, and the pacifying and lazy atmosphere of Oblomovka led to a deformation of the character of a curious and active boy, making him introverted, prone to escapism and unable to overcome even the most minor difficulties.

The inconsistency of Oblomov’s character in the novel “Oblomov”

The negative side of Oblomov’s character

In the novel, Ilya Ilyich does not decide anything on his own, hoping for help from the outside - Zakhar, who will bring him food or clothes, Stolz, who is able to solve the problems in Oblomovka, Tarantyev, who, although he will deceive, will himself figure out the situation that interests Oblomov, etc. The hero is not interested in real life, it causes him boredom and fatigue, while he finds true peace and satisfaction in the world of illusions he himself has invented. Spending all his days lying on the sofa, Oblomov makes unrealistic plans for the arrangement of Oblomovka and his happy family life, in many ways similar to the calm, monotonous atmosphere of his childhood. All his dreams are directed to the past, even the future that he imagines for himself - echoes of a distant past that can no longer be returned.

It would seem that a lazy, lumbering hero living in an untidy apartment cannot evoke sympathy and affection from the reader, especially against the backdrop of Ilya Ilyich’s active, purposeful friend, Stolz. However, Oblomov’s true essence is revealed gradually, which allows us to see all the versatility and inner unrealized potential of the hero. Even as a child, surrounded by quiet nature, the care and control of his parents, the sensitive, dreamy Ilya was deprived of the most important thing - knowledge of the world through its opposites - beauty and ugliness, victories and defeats, the need to do something and the joy of what was gained through one’s own labor. From an early age, the hero had everything he needed - helpful servants carried out orders at the first call, and his parents spoiled their son in every possible way. Finding himself outside his parents' nest, Oblomov, not ready for the real world, continues to expect that everyone around him will treat him as warmly and welcomingly as in his native Oblomovka. However, his hopes were destroyed already in the first days in the service, where no one cared about him, and everyone was only for themselves. Deprived of the will to live, the ability to fight for his place in the sun and perseverance, Oblomov, after an accidental mistake, leaves the service himself, fearing punishment from his superiors. The very first failure becomes the last for the hero - he no longer wants to move forward, hiding from the real, “cruel” world in his dreams.

Positive side of Oblomov’s character

The person who could pull Oblomov out of this passive state leading to personality degradation was Andrei Ivanovich Stolts. Perhaps Stolz is the only character in the novel who thoroughly saw not only the negative, but also the positive traits of Oblomov: sincerity, kindness, the ability to feel and understand the problems of another person, inner calm and simplicity. It was to Ilya Ilyich that Stolz came in difficult moments, when he needed support and understanding. Oblomov’s dove-like tenderness, sensuality and sincerity are also revealed during his relationship with Olga. Ilya Ilyich is the first to realize that he is not suitable for the active, purposeful Ilyinskaya, who does not want to devote herself to “Oblomov” values ​​- this reveals him as a subtle psychologist. Oblomov is ready to give up his own love, because he understands that he cannot give Olga the happiness she dreams of.

Oblomov’s character and fate are closely connected - his lack of will, inability to fight for his happiness, together with spiritual kindness and gentleness, lead to tragic consequences - fear of the difficulties and sorrows of reality, as well as the hero’s complete withdrawal into the pacifying, calm, wonderful world of illusions.

National character in the novel "Oblomov"

The image of Oblomov in Goncharov’s novel is a reflection of the national Russian character, its ambiguity and versatility. Ilya Ilyich is the same archetypal Emelya the fool on the stove, about whom the nanny told the hero in childhood. Like the character in the fairy tale, Oblomov believes in a miracle that should happen to him by itself: a supportive firebird or a kind sorceress will appear who will take him to the wonderful world of honey and milk rivers. And the chosen one of the sorceress should not be a bright, hard-working, active hero, but always “quiet, harmless”, “some kind of lazy person who is offended by everyone.”

Unquestioning faith in a miracle, in a fairy tale, in the possibility of the impossible is the main feature not only of Ilya Ilyich, but also of any Russian person raised on folk tales and legends. Finding itself on fertile soil, this faith becomes the basis of a person’s life, replacing reality with illusion, as happened with Ilya Ilyich: “his fairy tale is mixed with life, and he is unconsciously sad sometimes, why is a fairy tale not life, and why is life not a fairy tale.”

At the end of the novel, Oblomov, it would seem, finds that “Oblomov” happiness that he has long dreamed of - a calm, monotonous life without stress, a caring, kind wife, an organized life and a son. However, Ilya Ilyich does not return to the real world, he remains in his illusions, which become more important and significant for him than real happiness next to the woman who adores him. In fairy tales, the hero must pass three tests, after which he will be expected to fulfill all his desires, otherwise the hero will die. Ilya Ilyich does not pass a single test, giving in first to failure in the service, and then to the need to change for the sake of Olga. Describing Oblomov’s life, the author seems to be ironic about the hero’s excessive faith in an unrealizable miracle for which there is no need to fight.

Conclusion

At the same time, the simplicity and complexity of Oblomov’s character, the ambiguity of the character himself, the analysis of his positive and negative sides, allow us to see in Ilya Ilyich the eternal image of an unrealized personality “out of his time” - an “extra person” who failed to find his own place in real life, and therefore left into the world of illusions. However, the reason for this, as Goncharov emphasizes, is not a fatal combination of circumstances or the difficult fate of the hero, but the incorrect upbringing of Oblomov, who is sensitive and gentle in character. Raised as a “houseplant,” Ilya Ilyich turned out to be unadapted to a reality that was harsh enough for his refined nature, replacing it with the world of his own dreams.

Work test

It is not at all by chance that Ivan Aleksandrovich Goncharov wrote his famous novel “Oblomov,” recognized by his contemporaries as a classic after its publication, a full ten years later. As he himself wrote about him, this novel is about “his” generation, about those barchuks who came to St. Petersburg “from kind mothers” and tried to make a career there. To really make a career, they had to change their attitude towards work. Ivan Alexandrovich himself went through this. However, many landed nobles remained idle in adult life. At the beginning of the 19th century this was not uncommon. For Goncharov, the artistic and holistic representation of a representative of a nobleman degenerating under the conditions of serfdom became the main idea of ​​the novel.

Ilya Ilyich Oblomov - a typical character at the beginning of the 19th century

Oblomov’s appearance, the very image of this local nobleman-idler, absorbed so many characteristic features that it became a household name. As the memoirs of contemporaries testify, in Goncharov’s time it even became an unwritten rule not to call a son “Ilya” if his father’s name was the same... The reason is that such people do not need to work to provide for themselves. They don’t have to serve, after all, capital and serfs already provide him with a certain weight in society. This is a landowner who owns 350 serfs, but is absolutely not interested in agriculture, which feeds him, and has no control over the thief-clerk who shamelessly robs him.

Expensive mahogany furniture is covered in dust. His entire existence is spent on the couch. It replaces his entire apartment: living room, kitchen, hallway, office. There are mice running around the apartment and there are bedbugs.

Appearance of the main character

The description of Oblomov's appearance indicates the special - satirical role of this image in Russian literature. His essence is that he continued the classical tradition of superfluous people in his Fatherland, following Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin and Lermontov’s Pechorin. Ilya Ilyich has an appearance that matches this lifestyle. He dresses his old, plump, but already loose body in a rather threadbare robe. His gaze is dreamy, his hands are motionless.

The main detail of Ilya Ilyich’s appearance

It is no coincidence that, repeatedly describing Oblomov’s appearance throughout the novel, Ivan Aleksandrovich Goncharov focuses attention precisely on his plump arms, with small hands, completely pampered. This artistic device - men's hands not busy with work - additionally emphasizes the passivity of the main character.

Oblomov's dreams never find their real continuation in business. They are his personal way of nurturing his laziness. And he is busy with them from the moment he wakes up: shown by Goncharov, for example, a day in the life of Ilya Ilyich, begins with an hour and a half of motionless daydreaming, naturally, without getting off the couch...

Positive traits of Oblomov

However, it should be admitted that Ilya Ilyich is kinder and more open. He is friendlier than the high-society dandy Onegin, or the fatalist Pechorin, who brings only trouble to those around him. He is not capable of quarreling with a person over a trifle, much less challenging him to a duel.

Goncharov describes the appearance of Ilya Ilyich Oblomov in full accordance with his lifestyle. And this landowner lives with his devoted servant Zakhar on the Vyborg side in a spacious four-room apartment. A plump, doughy 32-33-year-old balding brown-haired man with brown hair, a rather pleasant face and dreamy dark gray eyes. This is Oblomov’s appearance in the brief description that Goncharov presents to us at the beginning of his novel. This hereditary nobleman from a once famous family in the province came to St. Petersburg twelve years ago to pursue an bureaucratic career. He started with a rank. Then, due to negligence, he sent a letter to Arkhangelsk instead of Astrakhan and, frightened, quit.

His appearance certainly encourages the interlocutor to communicate. And it is not surprising that guests come to see him every day. Oblomov's appearance in the novel "Oblomov" cannot be called unattractive; it even to some extent expresses the remarkable mind of Ilya Ilyich. However, there is no practical tenacity or purposefulness in it. However, his face is expressive, it displays a continuous stream of thoughts. He speaks practical words and makes noble plans. The very description of Oblomov’s appearance leads the attentive reader to the conclusion that his spirituality is toothless, and his plans will never come true. They will be forgotten before they reach practical implementation. However, in their place will come new ideas, equally divorced from reality...

Oblomov's appearance is a mirror of degradation...

Let us note that even Oblomov’s appearance in the novel “Oblomov” could have been completely different if he had received a different home upbringing... After all, he was an energetic, inquisitive child, not prone to being overweight. As befits his age, he was interested in what was happening around him. However, the mother assigned vigilant nannies to the child, who did not allow him to take anything in his hands. Over time, Ilya Ilyich also perceived any work as the lot of the lower class, men.

Appearances of opposite characters: Stolz and Oblomov

Why would a physiognomist observer come to this conclusion? Yes, because, for example, Stolz’s appearance in the novel “Oblomov” is completely different: wiry, agile, dynamic. Andrei Ivanovich does not tend to dream; instead, he rather plans, analyzes, formulates a goal, and then works to achieve it... After all, Stolz, his friend from a young age, thinks rationally, having a legal education, as well as rich experience in service and communication with people.. His origin is not as noble as that of Ilya Ilyich. His father is a German who works as a clerk for landowners (in our current understanding, a classic hired manager), and his mother is a Russian woman who received a good liberal arts education. From childhood he knew that a career and position in society should be earned through hard work.

These two characters are diametrically opposed in the novel. Even the appearance of Oblomov and Stolz is completely different. Nothing similar, not a single similar feature - two completely different human types. The first is an excellent conversationalist, a man of an open soul, but a lazy person in the last incarnation of this flaw. The second is active, ready to help friends in trouble. In particular, he introduces his friend Ilya to a girl who can “cure” him of laziness - Olga Ilyinskaya. In addition, he restores order in Oblomovka’s landowner agriculture. And after Oblomov’s death, he adopts his son Andrei.

Differences in the way Goncharov presents the appearance of Stolz and Oblomov

In different ways we recognize the appearance traits that Oblomov and Stolz possess. The author shows the appearance of Ilya Ilyich in a classic way: from the words of the author talking about him. We learn the appearance of Andrei Stolts gradually, from the words of other characters in the novel. This is how we begin to understand that Andrey has a lean, wiry, muscular physique. His skin is dark, and his greenish eyes are expressive.

Oblomov and Stolz also have different attitudes towards love. The appearance of their chosen ones, as well as the relationships with them, are different between the two heroes of the novel. Oblomov gets his wife-mother Agafya Pshenitsyna - loving, caring, not bothersome. Stolz marries the educated Olga Ilyinskaya - his comrade-in-arms wife, his assistant wife.

It is not surprising that this man, unlike Oblomov, squanders his fortune.

Appearance and respect of people, are they related?

The appearance of Oblomov and Stolz is perceived differently by people. The weakling Oblomov, like honey, attracts flies, attracts the swindlers Mikhei Tarantiev and Ivan Mukhoyarov. He periodically feels bouts of apathy, feeling obvious discomfort from his passive position in life. The collected, far-sighted Stolz does not experience such loss of spirit. He loves life. With his insight and serious approach to life, he frightens scoundrels. It’s not for nothing that after meeting him, Mikhei Tarantiev “goes on the run.” For

Conclusion

Ilyich’s appearance fits perfectly into the concept of “an extra person, that is, an individual who cannot realize himself in society. The abilities that he possessed in his youth were subsequently ruined. First, through improper upbringing, and then through idleness. The previously bright little boy became flabby by the age of 32, lost interest in the life around him, and by the age of 40 he fell ill and died.

Ivan Goncharov described the type of nobleman-serf owner who has a rentier position in life (he regularly gets money from the work of other people, but Oblomov has no such desire to work himself.) It is quite obvious that people with such a position in life do not have a future.

At the same time, the energetic and purposeful commoner Andrei Stolts achieves obvious success in life and a position in society. His appearance is a reflection of his active nature.

Traits of national character in the image
I. I. Oblomova

In 1859, one of the most remarkable works of I. A. Goncharov, “Oblomov,” was published. This novel was received ambiguously by readers: some praised it and read it, others scolded it and expressed all sorts of disdain. The critics also disagreed; each gave his own assessment of the novel and did not want to agree with someone else’s. But meanwhile the novel sold out, and soon all of St. Petersburg knew and discussed “Oblomov.”

The work stirred up a new wave in the ocean that was raging in Russia at that time: whether to have a true Russian character and way of life or to try to imitate a foreign style. People agreed that, indeed, Goncharov cast Oblomov in too unattractive a light.
What are Traits of national character in the image of Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, around which there were so many disputes and discussions? The main character of the novel is a slow, unusually lazy person. He was never in a hurry, liked to put things off, and was in no hurry to do today what could be done tomorrow. His favorite pastime was sleeping; eating came second. Ilya Ilyich woke up at lunchtime, and only extraordinary events could pull him out of his comfortable bed. Oblomov spent his entire day in inaction and peace, he did not go anywhere, was not interested in anything, and his measured, drawn-out life would have flowed from day to day, if not for his acquaintances and friends who occasionally visited him.

Traits of national character in the image of Oblomov Goncharov, exaggerating a little, showed it unusually accurately. Let us at least remember Oblomov’s spiritual qualities. According to the author of the novel, Ilya Ilyich had a pure heart, to which all sorts of dirt did not stick, and a soul as transparent as crystal. Oblomov was a very kind, gentle person. His house was always open to visitors: both close friends and ordinary acquaintances. Ilya Ilyich’s bread and salt also knew no bounds; he never refused people, even those unpleasant to him: Oblomov always treated Tarantiev, although it was very difficult. assume that they were close acquaintances..

It is these qualities that have distinguished the Russian people from time immemorial. Foreigners traveling around Russia were always amazed by the breadth of the soul of Russians, their generosity, kindness and openness.

In Oblomov there is another amazing feature inherent in all Russian people, without exception, - this is the hope of “maybe”. Who among us has never used this magic word? Ilya Ilyich hopes that perhaps the matter of moving to another apartment will be settled by itself, perhaps the headman himself will improve Oblomovka’s financial situation.

Where do these come from? National Character Traits in the Russian character? Goncharov gives the answer to this question in the chapter “Oblomov’s Dream,” which, it seems to me, is the key to the entire novel. From childhood, Ilya Ilyich was brought up in conditions where it was easier to say a few words than to do the deed himself. As a child, Ilya Ilyich observed nature and tried to do something with his own hands, but his parents carefully protected him from any work and from making independent decisions. All his life, Ilya Ilyich felt hidden powers within himself, but could not release them and use them for the good of Russia or at least for his own good. In Oblomov, the stereotype of a happy life is firmly established - peace, renunciation of all activities. For Ilya Ilyich, a cozy robe and a soft feather bed become symbols of happiness.

Oblomov could not stand the test of his sincere, ardent love for Olga Ilyinskaya. At first, when their attraction to each other flared up into passion, Ilya Ilyich changed greatly for the better: he forgot about his dressing gown, his afternoon nap... Oblomov began to often appear in society, dress smartly, often met with Olga, and it seemed that he had changed forever , the former life is buried. But as soon as a serious situation arose that required decisive action from Ilya Ilyich (it was necessary to propose to Olga, rent a new apartment, put things in order on the estate, etc.), Oblomov did not find the strength to fulfill his plans and sank again: stopped seeing Olga, returned to his old friends - a robe and a sofa, began to sleep during the day again and finally moved to the Vyborg side, where he hid from society, like a hermit.

Moving to the Vyborg side and meeting Agafya Pshenitsyna played a tragic role in Oblomov’s fate: he completely sank, and nothing, not even friendship with Stolz and love for Olga, could pull him out of the hole where Ilya Ilyich fell.

After reading “Oblomov”* I thought for a long time about the Russian character, compared myself, my relatives and acquaintances with the hero of the novel and, I must admit, I was surprised to find very similar features in everyone. Oblomov lives in every Russian people to one degree or another. There are many positive and many negative traits in the character of Ilya Ilyich; “his image reflects the typical Russian national character, although not without some exaggerations. And for a very long time Russian people will suffer from their inherent contemplation, which results in fruitless daydreaming, but I want to believe that, despite all the vicissitudes of fate, they will carry through the years their open, kind heart and soul, pure as crystal.