“Farewell…” was written by Valentin Rasputin in 1976, this time can rightfully be called the time of decline and ruin of the Soviet village. At that time, there was an active campaign to destroy “unpromising villages,” which caused deep concern among rural writers for traditions and a unique national way of life. village life, which was about to disappear under the influence of the city.

Thus, V.G. Rasputin based the plot of “Farewell to Matera” real story about the construction of a hydroelectric power station on the Angara River, as a result of which several surrounding villages were flooded. The residents of these places, willy-nilly, had to move to neighboring cities; the move for most rural residents turned out to be very painful and morally difficult.

But besides the problem of the extinction of the village, V. Rasputin in “Farewell…” raises a number of other problems. These are “eternal” problems of a moral nature: the relationship between generations, memory and oblivion, conscience, the search for the meaning of life.

V. Rasputin in his story shows the relationship between the morality of the people and their past and surrounding places, their small homeland. In the writer’s understanding, a person cannot truly live without a small homeland, because his native land gives a person much more than he is able to realize. And therefore, the separation of a person from his native land, roots, traditions for V. Rasputin is tantamount to the loss of conscience. The older characters of the story realize this, first of all, the main character, the old woman Daria.

This carrier centuries-old traditions unable to part forever with the place she lived in, because in the hut in which she lived her entire life long life, her grandfather and grandmother still lived. Her childhood passed within these old walls, joyful years motherhood and marriage, difficult times of war. It is no coincidence that the image of the house in the story is depicted as if spiritualized and alive. Other old people also remain faithful to their native Matera. V. Rasputin gives a colorful comparison of old people with old trees that they undertook to replant. The death of the seemingly completely healthy old man Yegor, which occurs in the first weeks after his departure from Matera, is very symbolic. The younger generation, living in the future, completely calmly leaves their native places.

Thus, Daria's son Pavel understands the suffering of his old mother, but he does not find time to help alleviate them (by fulfilling Daria's request to transport the graves of her relatives). And Daria’s grandson Andrei turns out to be completely indifferent to the grief of the older generation in his native place; he leaves for the construction of a platinum, as a result of which Matera will be destroyed. This is how the family disintegrates, which, according to the author of “Farewell…”, will logically be followed by the collapse of the people and the entire country. And therefore Matera can be considered not only the name of one village, but also the symbolic name of the country and the image of mother earth as a whole.

V. Rasputin wants to show that it is fundamentally wrong to achieve new goals (even such significant ones as the development of industry) at the cost of betraying one’s past, motivating this with the words of Daria: “Whoever has no memory, has no life.”
Thus, the story can be called a cry from the heart about the deepening of villages and people who were forcibly evicted from their homes. “Farewell to Matera” very clearly shows the great importance of traditions in the life of every person.

Time does not stand still. Society and life itself are constantly moving forward, making their own adjustments to already established rules. But this happens differently for everyone and not always in accordance with the laws of morality and conscience.

The story “Farewell to Matera” by V. Rasputin is an example of how new trends run counter to moral principles, how progress literally “absorbs” human souls. The work, which appeared in the mid-70s of the last century, touches on many important issues that have not lost their relevance today.

The history of the story

The second half of the 20th century became a time of change in the history of the country. And the achievements of the scientific and technical industry, which contributed to the transition to a more high degree development, often led to serious contradictions in society. One such example is the construction of a powerful power plant near the writer’s native village, Atalanka. As a result, it ended up in a flood zone. It would seem like such a trifle: to destroy a small village in order to bring considerable benefit to the whole country. But no one thought about the fate of its old residents. And the ecological balance was disrupted as a result of interference in the natural course of development of nature.

These events could not help but touch the soul of the writer, whose childhood and youth were spent in the outback, in direct connection with established traditions and foundations. Therefore, Rasputin’s story “Farewell to Matera” is also a bitter reflection on what the author himself had to endure.

Plot basis

The action begins in the spring, but the symbolic understanding of this time as the birth of a new life is not applicable in this case. On the contrary, it is at this moment that news of its imminent flooding spreads around the village.

At the center of the story - tragic fates its indigenous inhabitants: Daria, Nastasya, Katerina, “old crones” who dreamed of ending their lives here and sheltered the useless Bogodul (associations arise with the holy fool, the wanderer, the man of God). And then everything falls apart for them. Neither stories about a comfortable apartment in a new village on the banks of the Angara, nor fiery speeches of the young (Andrey, Daria’s grandson) that the country needs this, can convince them of the advisability of destruction home. The old women gather for a cup of tea every evening, as if they are trying to enjoy each other's company before parting. Say goodbye to every corner of nature, so dear to my heart. All this time, Daria is trying to restore her life, hers and her village’s, bit by bit, trying not to miss anything: after all, for her, “the whole truth is in memory.”

All this is majestically observed by the invisible Master: he is not able to save the island, and for him this is also a farewell to Matera.

Content last months the stay on the island of old-timers is complemented by a number of creepy events. The burning of Katerina's house by her own drunkard son. An unwanted move to Nastasya’s village and watching how a hut without a mistress immediately turned into an orphan. Finally, the outrages of the “officials” sent by the SES to destroy the cemetery, and the decisive opposition of the old women to them - where did the strength come from in protecting their native graves!

And the tragic ending: people in a boat caught in the fog, lost in the middle of the river, having lost their bearings in life. Among them is the son of the main character, Pavel, who was never able to tear his native place out of his heart. And the old women who remained on the island at the time of its flooding, and with them an innocent baby. Towering, unbroken - neither fire took it, nor an ax, nor even a modern chainsaw - foliage as proof of eternal life.

“Farewell to Matera”: problems

Simple plot. However, decades pass, and it still does not lose its relevance: after all, the author brings up very important questions related to the development of society. Here are the most important ones:

• Why was a person born, what answer should he give at the end of his life?
• How to maintain mutual understanding between generations?
• What are the advantages of the “rural” way of life over the “urban” one?
• Why is it impossible to live without memory (in the broad sense)?
• What kind of power should the government have so that it does not lose the trust of the people?

And also what threatens humanity with intervention in natural development nature? Could such actions be the beginning of the tragic end of his existence?

Questions that are initially quite complex and do not imply a clear answer are addressed by Rasputin. “Farewell to Matera” is his vision of problems, as well as an attempt to attract the attention of everyone living on Earth to them.

Daria Pinigina - the oldest resident of the village

A keeper of centuries-old traditions, faithful to the memory of her family, respectful of the places where her life passed - this is how the main character of the story is seen. My son and his family went to the village, one joy is their arrival once a week. The grandson for the most part does not understand and does not accept her beliefs, since he is a person of a different generation. As a result, lonely old women like herself become family people for her. She whiles away the time with them and shares her worries and thoughts.

The analysis of the work “Farewell to Matera” begins with the image of Daria. It helps to understand how important it is not to lose touch with the past. The main belief of the heroine is that without memory there is no life, since as a result one gets lost. moral principles the very existence of man. Thus, an unremarkable old woman becomes a measure of conscience for Rasputin and his readers. It is precisely such inconspicuous heroes, according to the author, who attract him most.

Scene of farewell to the house

An important point in understanding inner world Daria becomes an episode in which she “prepares” her home for death. The parallel between the decoration of a house that will be burned and the dead body is obvious. Rasputin includes in the work "Farewell to Matera" detailed description how the heroine “washes” and whitens it, decorates it with fresh fir - everything as it should be when saying goodbye to the deceased. She sees in her house living soul, addresses him as the most dear creature. She will never understand how a person (meaning Petrukha, her friend’s son) can with my own hands burn down the house in which he was born and lived.

Cemetery protection

Another key scene, without which an analysis of the work “Farewell to Matera” is impossible, is the destruction of graves in the local cemetery. No good intentions can explain such a barbaric act of the authorities, committed in front of the residents. To the pain of having to leave graves dear people for drowning, another one was added - to see how crosses are burned. So the old women with sticks had to stand up to protect them. But it was possible to “do this cleanup in the end” so that the residents would not see.

Where has the conscience gone? And also - simple respect for people and their feelings? These are the questions asked by Rasputin (“Farewell to Matera,” by the way, is not the writer’s only work on this topic) and his heroes. The merit of the author is that he was able to convey to the reader a very important idea: any government reorganization must be correlated with the peculiarities way of life people, the characteristics of the human soul. This is where trust in each other and any relationship between people begins.

Generational connection: is it important?

Where do people like SES workers and Petrukha come from? And not all of its inhabitants feel the same way about the destruction of Matera as these five old women. Klavka, for example, is only rejoicing at the opportunity to move into a comfortable house.

Again, Daria’s words come to mind about what it means for a person to remember his roots, his ancestors, and the laws of morality. Old people leave, and with them the experience and knowledge accumulated over centuries disappears, modern world no one needs. Young people are always in a hurry somewhere, making grandiose plans that are very far from the way of life that their ancestors had. And if Pavel, Daria’s son, still feels uncomfortable in the village: he is burdened and new house built by someone “not for themselves,” and stupidly located buildings, and land on which nothing grows, then her grandson, Andrei, no longer understands at all what can keep a person on such an abandoned island as Matera. For him, the main thing is progress and the prospects that it opens up for people.

The connection between generations is a rather hackneyed topic. “Farewell to Matera,” using the example of one family, shows how lost it is: Daria sacredly honors her ancestors, her main concern is to transport the graves to the ground. Such a thought seems strange to Pavel, but still he does not dare to immediately refuse his mother. Although he will not fulfill the request: there are enough other problems. And the grandson doesn’t even understand why this is needed. So what can we say about those who are “just doing their job” to clean up the territory - what a word they made up! However, you cannot live in the future without remembering the past. That's why history is written. And they are stored so that mistakes are not repeated in the future. This is another important idea that the author is trying to convey to his contemporary.

Small homeland - what does it mean for a person?

Rasputin, as a person who grew up in a village, a Russian at heart, is also concerned about another question: will society lose its roots, which originate in his father’s home? For Daria and other old women, Matera is the place where their family originated, the traditions that have developed over centuries, the covenants given by their ancestors, the main one of which is to take care of the land-nurse. Unfortunately, young people easily leave their native places, and with them they lose their spiritual connection with their hearth. The analysis of the work leads to such sad reflections. Farewell to Matera can be the beginning of the loss of moral support that supports a person, and an example of this is Pavel, who finds himself in the finale between two banks.

The relationship between man and nature

The story begins with a description of the beauty of the island, untouched by civilization, which has preserved its primitiveness. Landscape sketches play a special role in conveying the author’s ideas. An analysis of the work “Farewell to Matera” makes it possible to understand that a person who has long considered himself the master of the world is deeply mistaken. Civilization can never prevail over what was created before it. The proof is the unbroken, mighty foliage that will protect the island until its death. He did not succumb to man, retaining his dominant principle.

The meaning of the story “Farewell to Matera”

Contents of one of best works V. Rasputin still sounds like a warning many years later. In order for life to continue and the connection with the past not to be lost, you must always remember your roots, that we are all children of the same mother earth. And everyone’s duty is to be on this earth not guests or temporary residents, but guardians of everything that has been accumulated by previous generations.

1. At the center of the story, undoubtedly, is the figure Daria Pinigina, an eighty-year-old woman who is in her right mind. That is why fellow villagers in any difficult situations go to her for advice. She is a kind of unspoken leader, whom old-timers follow and listen to her wise speeches.

Your roots

Old people, who have seen everything in their lifetime, have one desire - to be left alone, to be allowed to live last years on your own land. And die on it. And they are also very worried about the frivolous attitude towards the lives of children, the fact that they forget traditions, forget their roots. The next generation does not understand why their ancestors cling so much to this island, beyond which there is a big life.

Of course, benefit technical progress Old people also understand, but they are against people becoming as soulless as these very machines. And now man feels like the king of nature, and this is wrong. He's just a grain of sand.

The old people are trying to instill in the youth a love for their land, but their messages are alien to the youth. It is clear from everything that the author himself is on the side of the old people, whom he sincerely pities, and is rooting for their fates. The author describes each of these heroes with great warmth. But the images of young people do not appear to us in the most favorable light for them. Compared to the older generation, they seem callous, sometimes soulless people who are in pursuit of entertainment and a beautiful life.

Encroachment on the sacred

Due to the launch of a hydroelectric power station, the authorities plan to flood the island. They plan to move the local residents to a new village, but the old people do not want to leave their homes and are delaying the move until the last minute. One day, Bogodul comes to the old woman Daria, where Sima and Nastasya are staying, and tells him that the village cemetery is being destroyed.

They go to where the workers are working, preparing the graveyard for flooding. They swung at the sacred, demolishing fences and crosses. Local residents are beside themselves with anger and drive the workers out of the cemetery. And then the crosses and fences are restored. For them, the memory of their relatives buried here is sacred.

First fire

Daria goes to the cemetery, but unexpectedly comes to the highest point of the area, from where the entire village is visible. And she is sad, gloomy thoughts overcome her. IN Once again Daria's son Pavel arrives on the island, who has already moved his entire family and wants to take his mother, but she is stubborn.

Meanwhile, old woman Nastasya and grandfather Yegor finally decide to leave for the city. Another elderly woman named Katerina is also preparing to move. Taking advantage of this, her son Petrukha sets fire own house. He wants to get money for it quickly. And then he suddenly disappears from the village. The unhappy woman finds shelter in Daria's house.

It's haymaking time. Time to leave

The time for haymaking comes, and the whole village gathers together again, last time for a common cause. Petrukha appears and gives his mother only 15 rubles for the house. Meanwhile, Daria's grandson Andrei arrives. He also seems to feel sorry for the island, but not to that extent. He believes that a hydroelectric power station is, of course, needed, and he himself dreams of a large construction project.

After haymaking, local residents They begin to remove their belongings and livestock from the island.

Petrukha sets fire to the houses of his fellow villagers at their request, and they pay him for it. Autumn is coming. Harvesting and haymaking are completed. Time to leave Matera. Daria goes to a rural cemetery, where she asks forgiveness from her relatives lying in the ground for something that she cannot prevent.

Yegor's wife bitterly tells the villagers that her husband died of homesickness. He's gone.

Chairman Vorontsov learns that there are still people on the island. Worried that he will be scolded by his superiors, he sails to the island to take out the remnants of the inhabitants, but finds himself in the fog and does not know where to move next.

Meanwhile, the old-timers hear the disturbing noise of a boat. This is where the story ends; the author does not tell what happened next, inviting the reader to decide the fate of her characters himself.

Rasputin first published the story “Farewell to Matera” in 1976. The story takes place in the 1960s. In the story, the author reveals themes of relationships between fathers and children, continuity of generations, the search for the meaning of life, issues of memory and oblivion. Rasputin contrasts people with the old and new era: those who cling to the traditions of the past, have a close connection with their small homeland, and those who are ready to burn huts and crosses for the sake of a new life.

Main characters

Pinigina Daria Vasilievna- a native resident of Matera, mother of Pavel, grandmother of Andrei. She was “the oldest of the old women,” “tall and lean” with a “stern, bloodless face.”

Pinigin Pavel– Daria’s second son, a fifty-year-old man, lives in a neighboring village with his wife Sophia. “I worked as a foreman on a collective farm, then as a supervisor.”

Other characters

Pinigin Andrey- grandson of Daria.

Bohodul- a stray “blessed” old man, “passed himself off as a Pole, loved Russian swearing,” lived in a barracks “like a cockroach.”

Sima- an old woman who came to Matera less than 10 years ago.

Catherine- one of the residents of Matera, Petrukha’s mother.

Petrukha- “dissolute” son of Catherine.

Nastya and Egor- old people, residents of Matera.

Vorontsov- Chairman of the village council and council in the new village.

Master of the Island, “royal foliage”.

Chapter 1

“And spring has come again” - “the last for Matera, for the island and the village that bear the same name.” Matera was created three hundred years ago.

Down the Angara, they began to build a dam for a power plant, because of which the water along the river was supposed to rise and soon flood Matera - all that remained was last summer, then everyone had to move.

Chapter 2

Old women Nastya and Sima often sat at Daria’s samovar. “Despite the years, the old woman Daria was still on her own two feet,” managing the household herself.

Nastasya, having lost her sons and daughter, lived with her husband Yegor. An apartment was already waiting for them in the city, but the old people were still delaying the move.

Sima arrived in Matera relatively recently; she had no one here except her grandson Kolya.

Chapter 3

The sanitary brigade was “cleaning up the area” at the cemetery - men removed crosses, bedside tables and fences from the graves in order to then burn them. The old women drove the brigade away and late at night put the crosses in place.

Chapter 4

The next day after the incident, Bogodul came to Daria. Talking to him, the woman shared that it would be better for her not to live to see everything that was happening. Walking then around the island, Daria recalled the past, thinking that although she had lived a “long and toilsome life,” she “didn’t understand anything about it.”

Chapter 5

In the evening, Pavel arrived, Daria’s second son, “the first was taken away by the war,” and the third “found death in a logging camp.” Daria couldn’t imagine how she would live in an apartment - without a garden, without a place for a cow and chickens, or her own bathhouse.

Chapter 6

“And when night came and Matera fell asleep, a small animal, slightly larger than a cat, unlike any other animal, jumped out from under the bank on the mill channel - the Master of the Island.” “No one had ever seen or met him, but here he knew everyone and knew everything.”

Chapter 7

It was time for Nastasya and Yegor to leave. The night before leaving, the woman did not sleep. In the morning the old people packed their things. Nastasya asked Daria to look after her cat. The old people took a long time to get ready - it was very difficult for them to leave native home, Matera.

Chapter 8

At night, one of the villagers, Petrukha, set fire to his hut. His mother, Katerina, moved her modest belongings to Daria in advance and began to live with the old woman.

“And while the hut was burning, the owner looked at the village. In the light of this generous conflagration, he clearly saw the faded lights above the still living huts,<…>noting in what order the fire will take them.”

Chapter 9

Arriving in Matera, Pavel did not stay here for long. When Ekaterina moved to Daria, he “became calmer,” since now his mother would have help.

Pavel “understood that it was necessary to move from Matera, but did not understand why it was necessary to move to this village, although it was richly constructed<…>Yes, it was put in such an inhumane and awkward manner.” “Paul was surprised, looking at Sonya, his wife”: how she entered new apartment– “as if it had always been here. I got used to it within a day." “Pavel understood well that his mother would not be used to this. This is someone else's paradise for her."

Chapter 10

After the fire, Petrukha disappeared somewhere. Catherine’s samovar burned down in a fire, without which the woman “was completely orphaned.” Katerina and Daria spent all their days talking; life was easier for them together.

Chapter 11

Haymaking has begun. “Half the village has returned to Matera.” Soon Petrukha arrived in a new suit - he received a lot of money for the burned estate, but gave only 25 rubles to his mother.

Chapter 12

Grandson Andrei came to Daria, younger son Pavel. Andrey worked at a factory, but quit and now wanted to go “to a big construction site.” Daria and Pavel found it difficult to understand their grandson, who reasoned: “Now the time is such that it is impossible to sit in one place.”

Chapter 13

Petrukha got ready for the construction site with Andrey. In mid-September, Vorontsov arrived and ordered “not to wait last day and gradually burn everything that is not absolutely necessary.”

Chapter 14

Daria, talking with her grandson, expressed that people now began to live too quickly: “I galloped in one direction, looked around, didn’t look back - in the other direction.” “Only you and you, Andryushka, will remember after me how exhausted you are.”

Chapter 15

Daria asked her son and grandson to move the graves of their relatives. It scared Andrei, it seemed creepy. Pavel promised to do this, but the next day he was summoned to the village for a long time. Soon Andrei also left.

Chapter 16

Gradually, people began to “evacuate small animals from the village,” and buildings were burned. “Everyone was in a hurry to move out, to get away from the dangerous island. And the village stood deserted, bare, deaf.” Soon Daria took Sima and Kolya to her place.

Chapter 17

A fellow villager said that Petrukha “is engaged in burning abandoned houses” for money. “Katerina, having come to terms with the loss of her hut, could not forgive Petrukha for burning strangers’.”

Chapter 18

Pavel, taking the cow Mike, wanted to immediately take his mother, but Daria firmly refused. In the evening, the woman went to the cemetery - Pavel never moved the graves - to his father and mother, to his son. She thought that “who knows the truth about a person, why does he live? For the sake of life itself, for the sake of the children, so that the children leave the children, and the children’s children leave the children, or for the sake of something else? "

Chapter 19

“Matera, the island and the village, could not be imagined without larch on the cattle.” “The Royal Foliage” “eternally, powerfully and imperiously stood on a hillock half a mile from the village, noticeable from almost everywhere and known to everyone.” “And as long as he stands, Matera will stand.” Old people treated the tree with respect and fear.

“And then the day came when strangers approached him.” The men were unable to cut down or burn the old tree; not even a chainsaw could take it. In the end, the workers left the larch alone.

Chapter 20

Daria, despite the fact that her hut was to be burned very soon, whitewashed the house. In the morning I lit the stove and cleaned the house. “She was tidying up and felt how she was thinning out, being exhausted with all her strength - and the less there was to do, the less she had left.”

Chapter 21

The next day Nastya returned to Matera. The woman said that her husband Yegor died.

Chapter 22

After the huts were burned, the old women moved to the barracks. Having learned about this, Vorontsov was outraged and forced Pavel and Petrukha to urgently go pick up the women. The men left in the middle of the night and wandered for a long time in thick fog.

...At night Bogodul opened the doors of the barracks. “The fog rolled in and a distant melancholy howl was heard - it was the Master’s farewell voice.” “From somewhere, as if from below, came the faint, barely discernible noise of an engine.”

Conclusion

In the story “Farewell to Matera” V. G. Rasputin, as a representative literary direction « village prose», Special attention devotes time to descriptions of the nature of the island and conveys the mood of the characters through landscapes. The author introduces characters of folklore origin into the work - the Master of the Island and Bogodul, symbolizing the old, passing world, which the old people continue to hold on to.

In 1981, the story was filmed (directed by L. Shepitko, E. Klimov) under the title “Farewell.”

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“Farewell to Matera” - Matera and Telikovka. The pathos of the story. What are we saying goodbye to? Small Motherland. A house is a symbol of moral, family, and social foundations. Fog. Shake. Author's position. Daria's Testaments. Writer's creativity. The main questions of the story. Symbolic images stories. The language of the story. Old Man Bogodul. The owner of the island. Questions for discussing the story. Let's analyze the story. Character system. Burners. What does home mean to us?

“Valentin Rasputin “French Lessons”” - Lidia Mikhailovna plays for money with the main character. Main character. From the history of the creation of the story. What feelings does the hero experience when he finds himself in the regional center? After university he worked as a correspondent for Soviet Youth. All neat, smart, beautiful both in clothes and appearance. Valentin Rasputin "French Lessons". Valentin Grigorievich Rasputin. Born on March 15, 1937 in the village of Ust-Uda, Irkutsk region.

“Valentin Grigorievich Rasputin” - The birthplace of the writer. Valentin Rasputin. V.G. Rasputin. “...I am sure: a writer begins in childhood from the impressions with which he is imbued precisely then.” V. Rasputin. Biography and books. Writer in Optina Pustyn. At the grave of Vasily Belov's mother. Daughter, wife and mother of a writer. The history of the creation of the story “French Lessons”. Artist B. Alimov. Photo by A. Zabolotsky, 1982. Valentin Grigorievich Rasputin. Parents: Nina Ivanovna and Grigory Nikitich.

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