Boris Nikolaevich Polevoy
"THE TALE ABOUT A REAL MAN"

Polevoy came to the front as a correspondent for the newspaper Pravda. He met with Alexei Maresyev (in the book he is Meresyev), preparing an article about the exploits of the guards pilots. Polevoy wrote down the pilot's story in a notebook, and wrote the story four years later, in 1946. It was published in magazines and read on the radio. This true story about the perseverance and courage of the Russian soldier, a man, a man with a capital letter.

The main characters of the story:

Alexey Meresyev - a fighter pilot, after a plane crash, he crawled through the winter forest for 18 days with injured legs. He lost his legs and was the only person in the world who flew with prosthetics.

Vorobiev Semyon- a regimental commissar who, even being near death, did not lose the will to live, “a real person.”

Grigory Gvozdev – Tank Lieutenant, Hero Soviet Union. During one of the battles he was burned in a tank.

Struchkov Pavel Ivanovich - Major, fighter pilot from the capital's air cover division.

Other characters:

Vasily Vasilievich - doctor, professor of medicine.

Stepan Ivanovich- sergeant major, sniper, Hero of the Soviet Union, “Siberian, hunter.”

Kukushkin Konstantin - pilot, “a quarrelsome and quarrelsome person.”

Klavdiya Mikhailovna - nurse in a Moscow hospital.

Anyuta (Anya)- medical student, Gvozdev’s beloved.

Zinochka- a nurse at a sanatorium, taught Meresyev to dance.

Naumov- Lieutenant, instructor Meresyeva.

Story plan:

1. A. Meresyev’s plane, shot down by the Germans, crashes in a snowy forest.

2. Miraculously, the surviving pilot with broken legs crawls to his own.

3. Meresyev is picked up by partisans and transported behind the front line.

4. The most terrible test is to be left without legs.

5. Willpower and perseverance helped to overcome a lot of challenges.

6. Long and difficult return to aviation.

7. Alexey achieved a return to the front, again fighting the Nazis.

“The Tale of a Real Man” is a story about the plight of the persistent and courageous Russian pilot Alexei Meresyev. He loved the sky very much; flying was like air for him, like wings for a bird. But one day, in one of the air battles, his plane was shot down by a German fighter on enemy territory. The pilot survived, but was seriously injured during the fall: his legs were broken. Alexey Meresyev decided to move towards the front, eighteen days and nights, without food, in winter, alone in snow captivity, overcoming suffering and pain, he crawled toward the sounds of guns, crawled to his own... Both legs were frozen, but he crawled. The partisans saved him from death (they even killed the last chicken for him, named Partizanka) and sent him to the hospital on an ambulance plane. The most terrible test for the surviving pilot was the doctors' diagnosis - amputation of his legs was necessary. There was no other way out. When he realized that his legs would have to be amputated, he cried into his pillow sobbing... Life lost its meaning for him. But everything was turned upside down by a meeting with wonderful person, Commissioner. The Commissioner revived in the pilot not only the desire to live, but also the confidence that he would be able to return to duty and continue to fly. And Meresyev began to train on prosthetics - he ran, jumped, even danced, overcoming terrible pain. He had to overcome a lot of challenges: learn to walk again, pass a commission and prove to himself and others that he was capable of becoming a pilot again. Having overcome all difficulties, the hero achieved his goal and regained his wings. None of the commission that issued permission to fly even guessed that in front of them there was a man without both legs. During his first flight, Alexey Meresyev cried in the sky...

Reading these terms, I, too, could barely restrain myself from tears, this book hooked me so much! I think it is no coincidence that the name of this pilot has become a legend; it is no coincidence that Boris Polevoy dedicated his book to him. I think its title - “The Tale of a Real Man” - is very correct. Meresyev is a real Russian man who managed to overcome enormous life difficulties, come out of all misfortunes as a winner. I think that the hero of this book can and should be followed as an example. Courage and bravery, love for the Motherland and one’s business are not within everyone’s strength. Having endured pain and suffering, Alexey was able to recover and sit at the controls of the plane. I admire this man. It was these people who, 72 years ago, defeated Hitler’s troops and liberated the world from fascism.
A little biography...
Alexey Petrovich Maresyev - Life and feat of a real person.

On May 20, 1916, Alyosha Maresyev was born in Kamyshin, Saratov province. The boy's father died when he was only three years old and his mother, a cleaner at a factory, was left alone with three children. After receiving secondary education, Alexey Maresyev became a metal turner at a timber mill, although all his dreams were about heaven. The young guy submitted documents twice asking for enrollment in flight school and was rejected both times due to health problems. As a child, Alexey Petrovich suffered a severe form of malaria, which led to rheumatism. In 1934, on the instructions of the Komsomol district committee, Alexey Maresyev went to build Komsomolsk-on-Amur, while simultaneously attending classes at the local flying club. After serving in the army, to which Maresyev was drafted in 1937, he was finally sent to aviation school named after A.K. Serov in Bataysk, which he successfully graduated in 1940 with the rank junior lieutenant. This is how his flying biography began - and then there was the Great Patriotic War...
On April 4, 1942, Alexei Maresyev was shot down by a German fighter. For 18 days I crawled through the snow to reach my people. Due to severe wounds, both legs were amputated. However, despite his disability, the pilot returned to the skies and flew with prosthetics. In total, during the war he made 86 combat missions and shot down 11 enemy aircraft: four before being wounded and seven after. The hero died on May 18, 2001, an hour before the start of the gala evening dedicated to his 85th birthday.
Many monuments have been erected in memory of Alexei Maresyev; in many cities there are streets bearing his name.

Cinema also did not bypass him. Back in 1948, the film “The Tale of a Real Man” was shot. In 2005, the documentary film “The Fate of a Real Man” was created.

1. Commissioner Vorobyov- the commissioner who helped Alexei cope with self-acceptance.
2. Grisha Gvozdev- burnt tanker, neighbor in the hospital.
3. Olga- Alexei's fiancee.
4. Anna- medical school student.
5. Pavel Struchkov- Major, neighbor in the hospital.

Fall

1. Alexey Meresyev fell into “double pincers” when he went to storm the airfield together with Ili. Not wanting to be captured, the pilot tried to somehow get out of the danger zone, but a German shot down his plane. Alexei was thrown out of the cabin straight onto a fluffy spruce tree. This helped soften the fall.
2. When Meresyev woke up, a hungry and very skinny bear was walking near him. The pilot managed to escape with the help of a pistol, which had been in his pocket all this time. Alexey understood that he had to get to the Soviet soldiers at any cost. However, he could not move: the terrible burning pain in his feet did not allow him to take even a step. In addition, I felt terribly dizzy. Alexey recognized the field where the battle had taken place not long ago and saw the road to the forest. It was along this path that the pilot decided to move.
3. Meresyev was 35 kilometers from the front line, and no one could help him. He made great efforts to remove the high boots. However, it turned out that something had crushed his feet. In the middle of the Black Forest, he had no means of subsistence. Alexey decided to go anyway, even without feet.

The path to salvation

• Meresyev reached the ambulance company, but now it was not there. We managed to find only a German knife. Alexey did not know how to survive in the forest; he grew up in the Volga steppes and was never able to arrange an overnight stay. The pilot decided to rest in a young pine forest. When he looked around again, he was able to find a can of stew. Meresyev decided to save his supplies and eat only at lunch, while taking twenty thousand steps a day. They were given to Alexey with great difficulty;
• To somehow help himself move, he cut sticks from juniper. However, the going did not get any easier. By the third day, the pilot managed to find a homemade lighter in one of his pockets. Now he had a fire. While resting, he admired the photograph for a long time beautiful girl which he carried in his pocket. Suddenly the noise of engines was heard. Alexey had just hidden in the forest when German armored cars drove by. The noise of battle was heard all night;
• the road was covered in a snowstorm. Meresyev was almost unable to move independently. He put a long stick in front of him and pulled himself towards it. Two more days to go. The stew was over; we could only eat pine bark and moss. In a jar that was left over from supplies, Alexey boiled water and threw lingonberry leaves into it. The result was a kind of tea;
• After some time, the pilot saw a barricade that the partisans had built. German armored cars stood near it. It was this fight that he had recently heard. Meresyev tried to shout, but the partisans were too far away, they did not hear him. There was very little left to the front line.

Hospitality

In the evening the lighter ran out of fuel. Alexey could no longer make tea and warm up in the evenings. Meresyev could no longer walk at all. Itchy pain in my feet made it impossible to move. He began to crawl east, encountering cranberries and an old hedgehog along the way, which he dined on.

However, they stopped holding hands. Alexey had to roll over to continue his journey. He woke up in the middle of a clearing, where he was picked up by residents of a recently destroyed village. They stayed in dugouts not far from here. There were no men in the village. Only women and old grandfather Michala. A wounded pilot was settled in his house.

Meresiego’s health did not improve for several days. His grandfather gave him a bath, but after that Alexei became very ill. A day later, they finally brought in the commander of the squadron in which the wounded man had once been. An ambulance plane was already waiting for him at the airport, transporting Alexei to a Moscow hospital.

Friends and hope

The professor of medicine commanded everything. He was outraged that a man who had been crawling from the German rear for 18 days was lying in the corridor. He ordered the wounded man to be transferred to the ward for the colonels. There were three more wounded people lying there. They were looked after by the kind and caring Klavdia Mikhailovna.

One of them is the hero of the Soviet Union, the terribly burned and mutilated tanker Grigory Gvozdev. All this time he was avenging the interrupted life of his mother and his beloved bride. He did not know the limits in his actions. The second month I was in complete apathy and just waiting for death.

A real person

1. Alexei's feet turned black, the professor tried to save them, but could not. I had to endure the difficult amputation of most of both legs. Meresyev read the letters from Olya’s mother and fiancée, but could not decide to confess. The pilot believed that the girl would not want to have anything to do with him.
2. Soon a fifth person appeared in the ward - Semyon Vorobyov. He knew how to find an approach to any person and never lost heart, although he experienced terrible pain.
3. The news has begun. The commissioner ensured that the tanker returned to normal life. He began corresponding with Anna. Semyon organized all this, but he was getting worse. Only Alexey could not give hope. Since childhood, Meresyev saw himself only as a pilot. This is his entire existence.
4. One day the commissioner decided to show his friend an article about the great pilot Valerian Karpov, who lost his foot, but was able to fly the plane and bring victories. Alexey objected, because he doesn’t have a single leg. However, the commissioner recalled that Meresyev still soviet man. The pilot believed in himself.
5. He did exercises for his legs and tried to regain his mobility. The tanker was worried that Anya would not like his face, disfigured by burns. Semyon got worse and died on May 1st.

New neighbor

Ivan Struchkov, whose injuries were damaged, was transferred to the ward. kneecaps. He was cynical about women. The commissioner was soon buried. Alexei was so impressed by this man that he himself decided to become the same.

Struchkov wanted to defeat Klavdia Mikhailovna. The whole chamber was ready to defend her, but she herself fought back. Meresyev received prosthetics and began to master them. Tanker Grisha met with Anyuta, but everything went coldly. He went to the front without telling the girl anything. Alexey wrote to Olga and asked her to get married.

Return to aviation

• Meresyev was discharged. During this time, he learned to dance and met Anya. She said that she was really very confused by Grisha’s scars, but now it’s difficult for her to think about them, because her feelings take over;
• a letter arrived from Olga. She said that they had been digging anti-tank ditches near Stalingrad for a month now. She was offended by Meresyev’s words; if not for the war, she would not have forgiven her. She also wrote that she was waiting for him in every possible way. Correspondence resumed;
• Meresyev was going to be denied a return to aviation, but he was able to prove to the military doctor that he could be useful. In Moscow they again wanted to reject his candidacy, but even here Alexey was able to show everything he was capable of. Meresyev was approved. He still had to go through flight school;
• no documents were needed there - many pilots were needed for Stalingrad. They only told me to put away the cane that the commissioner had given me. Alexey asked the shoemaker to make straps with which he fastened the prosthetics to the pedals;
• five months later he passed the exam. The head of the school was furious when he saw the cane and even wanted to break it, but he was stopped, saying that the pilot had no legs.

A worthy opponent

Meresyev was assigned to Cheslovov’s squadron. The time has come for the most important battle on Kursk Bulge. The single-engine dive bomber Yu-87, which he destroyed, seemed to Alexei too insignificant prey. He wanted more. From the letter he learned that Olga received the Order of the Red Star and is now commanding sappers. They were on equal terms, but he still didn’t want to talk about losing his legs - he needed a real opponent.

The victory over the Richthofen fighters, which included German aces, was the pinnacle. Alexey shot down three Fox-fulls, saved his wingman and received the rank of squadron commander. At the same time, Meresyev wrote to Olga and told him that both his legs had been amputated.

Reward

Polevoy went to the front as a correspondent for the newspaper Pravda. He talked with Maresyev - the prototype of his hero - and learned about his life. He wrote a story that was published in magazines and read on the radio. Maresyev heard one of these broadcasts and found Polevoy. It turned out that the pilot received the Hero of the Soviet Union and married Olga. They have a son. This was the life of a real person.

Essay on the Tale of a Real Man

Front-line correspondent for the Pravda newspaper Boris Polevoy knew the war firsthand. To him, who began his labor activity a textile factory technologist who helped Maxim Gorky enter journalism. And I was not mistaken. The inquisitive gaze of the writer examined “The Tale of a Real Man” among numerous front-line stories. Summary hers is the selfless return to duty of the ace pilot of the 580th Aviation Fighter Regiment, Alexei Maresyev.

Wound and amputation

The main character of the story is named by the writer in consonance with the real historical prototype - Alexei Meresyev. In the winter of 1942, during battles in the Demyanovsky district of the Novgorod region, a pilot was shot down in occupied territory.

His legs are injured. Thus, “The Tale of a Real Man” begins one of the most convincing stories about human fortitude in world literature. Knowing the map of the area, Meresyev crawls and tries to get to “his people” (he took 18 days to take this path from his historical prototype). Along the way, Alexey saw several corpses German soldiers, guessing that partisans were operating nearby. The boys noticed him first. Together with grandfather Mikhail, they brought the pilot to the village. Then a partisan plane delivered the wounded man behind the front line to a Red Army hospital. The doctors' verdict is harsh - the fighter pilot faces inevitable amputation of his legs. The severe wound was aggravated by infection and gangrene developed. Doctors are adamant: tissue necrosis will progress. Boris Polevoy begins his “Tale of a Real Man” with this premise. The summary of this work further tells about the operation performed and the deep internal crisis of the hero.

New incentive to life

Regimental Commissar Sergei Vorobyov ends up in the same room as the pilot. The Tale of a Real Man introduces the reader to this man, who knows how to mobilize and inspire people. The summary testifies to his stoic character, which allows him to endure inhuman pain, from which even medicines cannot save. The Commissioner knows what a pilot who has lost interest in life needs. He shows Alexey a clipping from an old newspaper. During the First World War, the Russian pilot Karpovich, having lost his leg and receiving prosthetics, nevertheless returned to flying. This example of the courage of a compatriot inspired Meresyev. He had a goal - to continue to fight the Nazis, preparing himself to carry out physical activity fighter pilot. The commissioner soon died from his wound. The death of this bright man confirmed Alexei in his decision.

Defeat fate

“The Tale of a Real Man” was written about the enormous willpower of a person who decided to do the seemingly impossible. The summary of the book introduces us to strong character Meresyeva: barely starting to walk on prosthetics, he asks nurse Zina to help him learn to dance. He trains intensely for two months and is offered to become an instructor. Alexey's dream - to join the ranks of combat pilots - has finally come true. How can one not recall Henri Remarque’s thought that fate is often defeated by calm courage that resists its vicissitudes! The denouement of the plot is the first fight between Alexey Meresyev and his partner, Alexander Petrov, in which main character story, he shot down two Messers, and then, having exhausted his fuel supply in a difficult battle, miraculously “reached” the plane to runway regimental airfield.

Conclusions

Experts are unanimous: “The Tale of a Real Man” is a documentary. Its brief content repeats the milestones in the biography of the real hero. Pilot Alexey Maresyev, having actually lost his legs, continued to fight. In total, he shot down 11 enemy fighters during the war. 4 - before injury and 7 - after. He also had a famous battle that ended with two Messers shot down. Boris Polevoy’s book turned him into a people’s idol, brought him respect, and opened up broad life prospects.

a brief retelling of the Tale of a Real Man and short biography Boris Polevoy

1. The Tale of a Real Man - Summary
   Field Year written: 1946 Genre: story
   A story about a real person

   Alexey Meresyev's plane was shot down over the forest. Left without ammunition, he tried to escape from the German convoy. The downed plane broke into pieces and fell into the trees. Having regained consciousness, the pilot thought that the Germans were nearby, but it turned out to be a bear. Alexey repelled the predator's attack attempt with a shot. The bear was killed and the pilot lost consciousness.
   When he woke up, Alexey felt pain in his legs. He didn't have a map with him, but he remembered the route by heart. Alexey lost consciousness again from pain. When he woke up, he pulled off the high boots from his feet and wrapped his crushed feet with scraps of a scarf. It became easier that way. The fighter moved very slowly. Exhausted and tired, Alexey went out to a clearing where he saw the corpses of the Germans. He realized that the partisans were nearby and began to scream. Nobody responded. Losing his voice, but without losing hope, the pilot listened and heard the sounds of cannonade. From last bit of strength he moved in the direction of the sounds. Crawling he reached the village. There were no people there. Despite his fatigue, Alexey crawled forward. He lost track of time. Every movement was very difficult for him.
   The pilot crawled to a clearing in the forest, where he heard a whisper behind the trees. They spoke Russian. This made Alexei happy, but the pain sobered him up. He didn't know who was hiding behind the trees, so he pulled out a pistol. These were boys. Having made sure that the downed pilot was his own, one of them went for help, and the second remained near the fighter. Grandfather Mikhailo came and together with the guys transported the pilot to the village. They came to the dugout local residents and brought food for Alexei. After some time, the grandfather left.
   Through his sleep, Alexey heard the sound of an airplane engine, and then the voice of Andrei Dektyarenko. The squadron commander did not immediately recognize the fighter and was very glad that Alexey was alive. Meresyev ended up in the hospital.
   During his rounds, the head of the hospital saw Meresyev lying on the bed on landing. Having learned that this was a pilot who had been getting out of enemy lines for a long time, he ordered Meresyev to be transferred to the ward and honestly admitted that Alexei had gangrene. Alexey was gloomy. He was threatened with amputation, but the doctors were in no hurry. They tried to save the pilot's legs. A new patient appeared in the ward - regimental commissar Sergei Vorobyov. He turned out to be a cheerful person, despite the pain, from which even strong doses of medication could no longer save him.
   The doctor announced to Alexey that amputation was inevitable. After the operation, Alexei became withdrawn. The Commissioner shows Meresyev an article about the pilot Karpovich, who invented a prosthesis in order to stay in the army. This inspired Alexey, and he began to regain his strength. The commissioner died. For Alexei, he was an example of a real person.
   The first steps with prosthetics were difficult, but Alexey forced himself to practice walking. Meresyev was sent to a sanatorium for further treatment. He increased the load. Alexey begged his sister Zinochka to teach him to dance. It was very difficult. Overcoming the pain, Alexey spun in a dance.
   After the hospital, he asked to be sent to a training school. The front needed pilots. Alexey did not immediately get into flight school. After the first training, his instructor was shocked by the news that the student was flying without legs. After two months of training, Meresyev was offered to remain at the school as an instructor. The chief of staff gave Alexey enthusiastic recommendations, and the pilot went to retraining school.
   Alexey Meresyev and Alexander Petrov were placed at the disposal of the regiment commander. In the battle, Alexey shot down two German planes, and miraculously survived. He ran out of fuel, but, not wanting to abandon the car, he made it to the airfield. High level Alexei’s professionalism delighted his colleagues and even the commander of the neighboring regiment.

2. Alexey Meresyev's plane was shot down over the forest. Left without ammunition, he tried to escape from the German convoy. The downed plane broke into pieces and fell into the trees. Having regained consciousness, the pilot thought that the Germans were nearby, but it turned out to be a bear. Alexey repelled the predator's attack attempt with a shot. The bear was killed and the pilot lost consciousness. When he woke up, Alexey felt pain in his legs. He didn't have a map with him, but he remembered the route by heart. Alexey lost consciousness again from pain. When he woke up, he pulled off the high boots from his feet and wrapped his crushed feet with scraps of a scarf. It became easier that way. The fighter moved very slowly. Exhausted and tired, Alexey went out to a clearing where he saw the corpses of the Germans. He realized that the partisans were nearby and began to scream. Nobody responded. Losing his voice, but without losing hope, the pilot listened and heard the sounds of cannonade. With the last of his strength, he moved in the direction of the sounds. Crawling he reached the village. There were no people there. Despite his fatigue, Alexey crawled forward. He lost track of time. Every movement was very difficult for him. The pilot crawled to a clearing in the forest, where he heard a whisper behind the trees. They spoke Russian. This made Alexei happy, but the pain sobered him up. He didn't know who was hiding behind the trees, so he pulled out a pistol. These were boys. Having made sure that the downed pilot was his own, one of them went for help, and the second remained near the fighter. Grandfather Mikhailo came and together with the guys transported the pilot to the village. Local residents came to the dugout and brought food for Alexey. After some time, the grandfather left. Through his sleep, Alexey heard the sound of an airplane engine, and then the voice of Andrei Dektyarenko. The squadron commander did not immediately recognize the fighter and was very glad that Alexey was alive. Meresyev ended up in the hospital. During his rounds, the head of the hospital saw Meresyev lying on a bed on the landing. Having learned that this was a pilot who had been getting out of enemy lines for a long time, he ordered Meresyev to be transferred to the ward and honestly admitted that Alexei had gangrene. Alexey was gloomy. He was threatened with amputation, but the doctors were in no hurry. They tried to save the pilot's legs. A new patient appeared in the ward - regimental commissar Sergei Vorobyov. He turned out to be a cheerful person, despite the pain, from which even strong doses of medication could no longer save him. The doctor announced to Alexey that amputation was inevitable. After the operation, Alexei became withdrawn. The Commissioner shows Meresyev an article about the pilot Karpovich, who invented a prosthesis in order to stay in the army. This inspired Alexey, and he began to regain his strength. The commissioner died. For Alexei, he was an example of a real person. The first steps with prosthetics were difficult, but Alexey forced himself to practice walking. Meresyev was sent to a sanatorium for further treatment. He increased the load. Alexey begged his sister Zinochka to teach him to dance. It was very difficult. Overcoming the pain, Alexey spun in a dance. After the hospital, he asked to be sent to a training school. The front needed pilots. Alexey did not immediately get into flight school. After the first training, his instructor was shocked by the news that the student was flying without legs. After two months of training, Meresyev was offered to remain at the school as an instructor. The chief of staff gave Alexey enthusiastic recommendations, and the pilot went to retraining school. Alexey Meresyev and Alexander Petrov were placed at the disposal of the regiment commander. In the battle, Alexey shot down two German planes, and miraculously survived. He ran out of fuel, but, not wanting to abandon the car, he made it to the airfield. Alexey’s high level of professionalism delighted his colleagues and even the commander of the neighboring regiment.
3. He lost his legs and was flying.
4. Brief biography. During the Great Patriotic War Boris Polevoy (real name Kampov Boris Nikolaevich) was born on March 17 (4), 1908 in Moscow, in the family of a lawyer.