In 1866, the prologue of Nekrasov’s poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” appears in print. This work, published three years after the abolition of serfdom, immediately caused a wave of discussions. Leaving aside the political criticism of the poem, let’s focus on the main question: what is the meaning of the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'”?

Of course, part of the impetus for writing Nekrasov’s poem was the reform of 1863. Russia, which had lived for centuries on the labor of serfs, was reluctant to get used to the new system. Everyone was at a loss: the landowners,

And the serfs themselves, which Nekrasov masterfully portrays in his poem. The first ones simply did not know what to do now: accustomed to living exclusively on the labor of others, they were not adapted to independent life. They “sing to the landowner: Work!”, but he “thought to live like this forever” and is no longer ready to rebuild in a new way.

For some, such a reform is literally like death - the author shows this in the chapter “The Last One”. Prince Utyatin, its main character, has to be deceived until his death, claiming that serfdom is still in effect in Rus'.
Otherwise, the prince will have a blow - the shock will be too strong.

The peasants are also confused. Yes, some of them dreamed of freedom, but they soon become convinced that they received rights only on paper:

“You are kind, royal letter,

Yes, you are not written in front of us...”

The village of Vahalaki has been suing the former owners of the land, landowners, for its legal meadows on the Volga for years, but it is clear that the peasants will not see this land during their lifetime.

There is another type of peasant - those who were taken by surprise by the abolition of serfdom. They are accustomed to pleasing their landowner and treat him as an inevitable and necessary evil for life, moreover, they cannot imagine their life without him. “Have fun! / And I am the Utyatin princes / Serf - and that’s the whole story!” - that's the point of view they adhere to.

Such is the serf, proud of the fact that all his life he finished drinking and eating after his master. The faithful servant Yakov, who gave his entire life to the quarrelsome master, on the contrary, decides to rebel. But let's see how this rebellion is expressed - in taking one's own life in order to leave the landowner alone, helpless.

This, as it turned out, is effective revenge, but it will no longer help Yakov...

The meaning of “Who Lives Well in Rus',” according to Nekrasov’s plan, was precisely to depict the country immediately after the abolition of serfdom from various points of view. The poet wanted to show that the reform was carried out in many ways thoughtlessly and inconsistently, and brought with it not only the joy of liberation, but also all sorts of problems that needed to be solved. Poverty and lack of rights, a huge lack of education for the common people (the only school in the village is “packed to capacity”), the need for honest and intelligent people to occupy responsible positions - all this is spoken about in the poem in simple, popular language.

At the same time, it would be wrong to reduce the meaning of the work “Who Lives Well in Rus'” exclusively to consideration of the current political problems of Russia. No, when creating the poem, Nekrasov also put a different, philosophical meaning into it. It is expressed already in the very title of the poem: “Who lives well in Rus'.” And really, who? - this is the problem the author, and with him the reader, have to solve.

In their travels, the peasants will ask a variety of people, from the priest to the simple soldier, but none of their interlocutors will be able to boast of happiness. And this is to some extent natural, because each of the heroes of the poem is looking for his own, personal happiness, without thinking about the general, popular one. Even the honest burgomaster Yermil cannot stand it and, in an attempt to benefit his family, forgets about the truth.

Happiness, according to Nekrasov, can only be found by those who forget about the personal and take care of the happiness of their homeland, as Grisha Dobrosklonov does.

“In his last work, Nekrasov remained true to his idea: to arouse the sympathy of the upper classes of society for the common people, their needs and wants,” this is how the Russian critic Belinsky spoke about Nekrasov’s work. And indeed, this is the main meaning of the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” - not only to point out current problems, but to affirm the desire for universal happiness as the only possible path for the further development of the country.

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31. The greatest monument to Russian folk life of the 19th century. - the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” was created by Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov over fourteen years (1863-1876) and, unfortunately, remained unfinished. Death prevented the poet from finishing it. In his poem, Nekrasov recreates a true picture of life in post-reform Russia. The poet's main interest is the situation of the Russian peasant. The poem “To whom […]...
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Who can live well in Rus'? This question still worries many people, and this fact explains the increased attention to Nekrasov’s legendary poem. The author managed to raise a topic that has become eternal in Russia - the topic of asceticism, voluntary self-denial in the name of saving the fatherland. It is the service of a high goal that makes a Russian person happy, as the writer proved with the example of Grisha Dobrosklonov.

“Who Lives Well in Rus'” is one of Nekrasov’s last works. When he wrote it, he was already seriously ill: he was struck by cancer. That's why it's not finished. It was collected bit by bit by the poet’s close friends and arranged the fragments in random order, barely catching the confused logic of the creator, broken by a fatal illness and endless pain. He was dying in agony and yet was able to answer the question posed at the very beginning: Who lives well in Rus'? He himself turned out to be lucky in a broad sense, because he faithfully and selflessly served the interests of the people. This service supported him in the fight against his fatal illness. Thus, the history of the poem began in the first half of the 60s of the 19th century, around 1863 (serfdom was abolished in 1861), and the first part was ready in 1865.

The book was published in fragments. The prologue was published in the January issue of Sovremennik in 1866. Later other chapters were published. All this time, the work attracted the attention of censors and was mercilessly criticized. In the 70s, the author wrote the main parts of the poem: “The Last One,” “The Peasant Woman,” “A Feast for the Whole World.” He planned to write much more, but due to the rapid development of the disease he was unable to and settled on “The Feast...”, where he expressed his main idea regarding the future of Russia. He believed that such holy people as Dobrosklonov would be able to help his homeland, mired in poverty and injustice. Despite the fierce attacks of reviewers, he found the strength to stand up for a just cause to the end.

Genre, kind, direction

N.A. Nekrasov called his creation “the epic of modern peasant life” and was precise in his formulation: the genre of the work is “Who can live well in Rus'?” - epic poem. That is, at the heart of the book, not one type of literature coexists, but two: lyricism and epic:

1. Epic component. There was a turning point in the history of the development of Russian society in the 1860s, when people learned to live in new conditions after the abolition of serfdom and other fundamental transformations of their usual way of life. This difficult historical period was described by the writer, reflecting the realities of that time without embellishment or falsehood. In addition, the poem has a clear linear plot and many original characters, which indicates the scale of the work, comparable only to a novel (epic genre). The book also incorporates folklore elements of heroic songs telling about the military campaigns of heroes against enemy camps. All these are generic signs of the epic.
2. Lyrical component. The work is written in verse - this is the main property of lyrics as a genre. The book also contains space for the author's digressions and typically poetic symbols, means of artistic expression, and features of the characters' confessions.

The direction within which the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” was written is realism. However, the author significantly expanded its boundaries, adding fantastic and folklore elements (prologue, opening, symbolism of numbers, fragments and heroes from folk legends). The poet chose the form of travel for his plan, as a metaphor for the search for truth and happiness that each of us carries out. Many researchers of Nekrasov’s work compare the plot structure with the structure of a folk epic.

Composition

The laws of the genre determined the composition and plot of the poem. Nekrasov finished writing the book in terrible agony, but still did not have time to finish it. This explains the chaotic composition and many branches from the plot, because the works were shaped and restored from drafts by his friends. In the last months of his life, he himself was unable to clearly adhere to the original concept of creation. Thus, the composition “Who Lives Well in Rus'?”, comparable only to the folk epic, is unique. It was developed as a result of the creative development of world literature, and not the direct borrowing of some well-known example.

1. Exposition (Prologue). The meeting of seven men - the heroes of the poem: “On a pillared path / Seven men came together.”
2. The plot is the characters' oath not to return home until they find the answer to their question.
3. The main part consists of many autonomous parts: the reader gets acquainted with a soldier, happy that he was not killed, a slave, proud of his privilege to eat from the master's bowls, a grandmother, whose garden yielded turnips to her delight... While the search for happiness stands still, depicts the slow but steady growth of national self-awareness, which the author wanted to show even more than the declared happiness in Rus'. From random episodes, a general picture of Rus' emerges: poor, drunk, but not hopeless, striving for a better life. In addition, the poem has several large and independent inserted episodes, some of which are even included in autonomous chapters (“The Last One,” “The Peasant Woman”).
4. Climax. The writer calls Grisha Dobrosklonov, a fighter for people's happiness, a happy person in Rus'.
5. Denouement. A serious illness prevented the author from completing his great plan. Even those chapters that he managed to write were sorted and designated by his proxies after his death. You must understand that the poem is not finished, it was written by a very sick person, therefore this work is the most complex and confusing of Nekrasov’s entire literary heritage.
6. The final chapter is called “A Feast for the Whole World.” All night long the peasants sing about the old and new times. Grisha Dobrosklonov sings kind and hopeful songs.

What is the poem about?

Seven men met on the road and argued about who would live well in Rus'? The essence of the poem is that they looked for the answer to this question on the way, talking with representatives of different classes. The revelation of each of them is a separate story. So, the heroes went for a walk in order to resolve the dispute, but they only quarreled and started a fight. In the night forest, during a fight, a bird's chick fell from its nest, and one of the men picked it up. The interlocutors sat down by the fire and began to dream of also acquiring wings and everything necessary for their journey in search of the truth. The warbler bird turns out to be magical and, as a ransom for her chick, tells people how to find a self-assembled tablecloth that will provide them with food and clothing. They find her and feast, and during the feast they vow to find the answer to their question together, but until then not to see any of their relatives and not to return home.

On the road they meet a priest, a peasant woman, the showroom Petrushka, beggars, an overextended worker and a paralyzed former servant, an honest man Ermila Girin, the landowner Gavrila Obolt-Obolduev, the insane Posledysh-Utyatin and his family, the servant Yakov the faithful, God's wanderer Jonah Lyapushkin , but none of them were happy people. Each of them is associated with a story of suffering and misadventures full of genuine tragedy. The goal of the journey is achieved only when the wanderers stumbled upon seminarian Grisha Dobrosklonov, who is happy with his selfless service to his homeland. With good songs, he instills hope in the people, and this is where the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” ends. Nekrasov wanted to continue the story, but did not have time, but he gave his heroes a chance to gain faith in the future of Russia.

The main characters and their characteristics

About the heroes of “Who Lives Well in Rus'” we can say with confidence that they represent a complete system of images that organizes and structures the text. For example, the work emphasizes the unity of the seven wanderers. They do not show individuality or character; they express common features of national identity for all. These characters are a single whole; their dialogues, in fact, are collective speech, which originates from oral folk art. This feature makes Nekrasov’s poem similar to the Russian folklore tradition.

1. Seven wanderers represent former serfs “from adjacent villages - Zaplatova, Dyryavina, Razutov, Znobishina, Gorelova, Neelova, Neurozhaika and also.” They all put forward their versions of who should live well in Rus': a landowner, an official, a priest, a merchant, a noble boyar, a sovereign minister or a tsar. Their character is characterized by persistence: they all demonstrate a reluctance to take someone else's side. Strength, courage and the desire for truth are what unites them. They are passionate and easily angered, but their easygoing nature compensates for these shortcomings. Kindness and responsiveness make them pleasant interlocutors, even despite some meticulousness. Their character is harsh and harsh, but life did not spoil them with luxury: the former serfs always bent their backs working for the master, and after the reform no one bothered to provide them with a proper home. So they wandered around Rus' in search of truth and justice. The search itself characterizes them as serious, thoughtful and thorough people. The symbolic number “7” means a hint of luck that awaited them at the end of the journey.
2. Main character– Grisha Dobrosklonov, seminarian, son of a sexton. By nature he is a dreamer, a romantic, loves to compose songs and make people happy. In them he talks about the fate of Russia, about its misfortunes, and at the same time about its mighty strength, which will one day come out and crush injustice. Although he is an idealist, his character is strong, as are his convictions to devote his life to serving the truth. The character feels a calling to be the people's leader and singer of Rus'. He is happy to sacrifice himself to a high idea and help his homeland. However, the author hints that a difficult fate awaits him: prison, exile, hard labor. The authorities do not want to hear the voice of the people, they will try to silence them, and then Grisha will be doomed to torment. But Nekrasov makes it clear with all his might that happiness is a state of spiritual euphoria, and you can only know it by being inspired by a lofty idea.
3. Matrena Timofeevna Korchagina- the main character, a peasant woman, whom her neighbors call lucky because she begged her husband from the wife of the military leader (he, the only breadwinner of the family, was supposed to be recruited for 25 years). However, the woman's life story reveals not luck or fortune, but grief and humiliation. She experienced the loss of her only child, the anger of her mother-in-law, and everyday, exhausting work. Her fate is described in detail in an essay on our website, be sure to check it out.
4. Savely Korchagin- grandfather of Matryona’s husband, a real Russian hero. At one time, he killed a German manager who mercilessly mocked the peasants entrusted to him. For this, a strong and proud man paid with decades of hard labor. Upon his return, he was no longer good for anything; the years of imprisonment trampled his body, but did not break his will, because, as before, he stood up for justice. The hero always said about the Russian peasant: “And it bends, but does not break.” However, without knowing it, the grandfather turns out to be the executioner of his own great-grandson. He did not look after the child, and the pigs ate him.
5. Ermil Girin- a man of exceptional honesty, mayor in the estate of Prince Yurlov. When he needed to buy the mill, he stood in the square and asked people to chip in to help him. After the hero got back on his feet, he returned all the borrowed money to the people. For this he earned respect and honor. But he is unhappy, because he paid for his authority with freedom: after a peasant revolt, suspicion fell on him about his organization, and he was imprisoned.
6. Landowners in the poem“Who lives well in Rus'” are presented in abundance. The author portrays them objectively and even gives some images a positive character. For example, governor Elena Alexandrovna, who helped Matryona, appears as a people's benefactor. Also, with a touch of compassion, the writer portrays Gavrila Obolt-Obolduev, who also treated the peasants tolerably, even organized holidays for them, and with the abolition of serfdom, he lost ground under his feet: he was too accustomed to the old order. In contrast to these characters, the image of the Last-Duckling and his treacherous, calculating family was created. The relatives of the old, cruel serf owner decided to deceive him and persuaded the former slaves to participate in the performance in exchange for profitable territories. However, when the old man died, the rich heirs brazenly deceived the common people and drove him away with nothing. The apogee of noble insignificance is the landowner Polivanov, who beats his faithful servant and gives his son as a recruit for trying to marry his beloved girl. Thus, the writer is far from denigrating the nobility everywhere; he is trying to show both sides of the coin.
7. Serf Yakov- an indicative figure of a serf peasant, an antagonist of the hero Savely. Jacob absorbed the entire slavish essence of the oppressed class, overwhelmed by lawlessness and ignorance. When the master beats him and even sends his son to certain death, the servant humbly and resignedly endures the insult. His revenge was consistent with this humility: he hanged himself in the forest right in front of the master, who was crippled and could not get home without his help.
8. Jonah Lyapushkin- God's wanderer who told the men several stories about the life of people in Rus'. It tells about the epiphany of Ataman Kudeyara, who decided to atone for his sins by killing for good, and about the cunning of Gleb the elder, who violated the will of the late master and did not release the serfs on his orders.
9. Pop- a representative of the clergy who complains about the difficult life of a priest. The constant encounter with grief and poverty saddens the heart, not to mention the popular jokes addressed to his rank.

The characters in the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” are diverse and allow us to paint a picture of the morals and life of that time.

Subject

• The main theme of the work is freedom- rests on the problem that the Russian peasant did not know what to do with it, and how to adapt to new realities. The national character is also “problematic”: people-thinkers, people-seekers of truth still drink, live in oblivion and empty talk. They are not able to squeeze slaves out of themselves until their poverty acquires at least the modest dignity of poverty, until they stop living in drunken illusions, until they realize their strength and pride, trampled upon by centuries of humiliating state of affairs that were sold, lost and bought.
• Happiness theme. The poet believes that a person can get the highest satisfaction from life only by helping other people. The real value of being is to feel needed by society, to bring goodness, love and justice into the world. Selfless and selfless service to a good cause fills every moment with sublime meaning, an idea, without which time loses its color, becomes dull from inaction or selfishness. Grisha Dobrosklonov is happy not because of his wealth or his position in the world, but because he is leading Russia and his people to a bright future.
• Homeland theme. Although Rus' appears in the eyes of readers as a poor and tortured, but still a beautiful country with a great future and a heroic past. Nekrasov feels sorry for his homeland, devoting himself entirely to its correction and improvement. For him, the homeland is the people, the people are his muse. All these concepts are closely intertwined in the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'.” The author's patriotism is especially clearly expressed at the end of the book, when the wanderers find a lucky man who lives in the interests of society. In the strong and patient Russian woman, in the justice and honor of the heroic peasant, in the sincere good-heartedness of the folk singer, the creator sees the true image of his state, full of dignity and spirituality.
• Theme of labor. Useful activity elevates Nekrasov's poor heroes above the vanity and depravity of the nobility. It is idleness that destroys the Russian master, turning him into a self-satisfied and arrogant nonentity. But the common people have skills and true virtue that are really important for society, without them there will be no Russia, but the country will manage without noble tyrants, revelers and greedy seekers of wealth. So the writer comes to the conclusion that the value of each citizen is determined only by his contribution to the common cause - the prosperity of the homeland.
• Mystical motive. Fantastic elements appear already in the Prologue and immerse the reader in the fabulous atmosphere of the epic, where one must follow the development of the idea, and not the realism of the circumstances. Seven eagle owls on seven trees - the magic number 7, which promises good luck. A raven praying to the devil is another mask of the devil, because the raven symbolizes death, grave decay and infernal forces. He is opposed by a good force in the form of a warbler bird, which equips the men for the journey. A self-assembled tablecloth is a poetic symbol of happiness and contentment. “The Wide Road” is a symbol of the open ending of the poem and the basis of the plot, because on both sides of the road travelers are presented with a multifaceted and authentic panorama of Russian life. The image of an unknown fish in unknown seas, which has absorbed “the keys to female happiness,” is symbolic. The crying she-wolf with bloody nipples also clearly demonstrates the difficult fate of the Russian peasant woman. One of the most striking images of the reform is the “great chain”, which, having broken, “split one end over the master, the other over the peasant!” The seven wanderers are a symbol of the entire people of Russia, restless, waiting for change and seeking happiness.

Issues

• In the epic poem, Nekrasov touched on a large number of pressing and topical issues of the time. The main problem in “Who can live well in Rus'?” - the problem of happiness, both socially and philosophically. It is connected with the social theme of the abolition of serfdom, which greatly changed (and not for the better) the traditional way of life of all segments of the population. It would seem that this is freedom, what else do people need? Isn't this happiness? However, in reality, it turned out that the people, who, due to long slavery, do not know how to live independently, found themselves thrown to the mercy of fate. A priest, a landowner, a peasant woman, Grisha Dobrosklonov and seven men are real Russian characters and destinies. The author described them based on his rich experience of communicating with people from the common people. The problems of the work are also taken from life: disorder and confusion after the reform to abolish serfdom really affected all classes. No one organized jobs or at least land plots for yesterday's slaves, no one provided the landowner with competent instructions and laws regulating his new relations with workers.
• The problem of alcoholism. The wanderers come to an unpleasant conclusion: life in Rus' is so difficult that without drunkenness the peasant will completely die. He needs oblivion and fog in order to somehow pull the burden of a hopeless existence and hard labor.
• The problem of social inequality. The landowners have been torturing the peasants with impunity for years, and Savelia has had her whole life ruined for killing such an oppressor. For deception, nothing will happen to the relatives of the Last One, and their servants will again be left with nothing.
• The philosophical problem of searching for truth, which each of us encounters, is allegorically expressed in the journey of seven wanderers who understand that without this discovery their lives become worthless.

Idea of ​​the work

A road fight between men is not an everyday quarrel, but an eternal, great dispute, in which all layers of Russian society of that time figure to one degree or another. All its main representatives (priest, landowner, merchant, official, tsar) are summoned to the peasant court. For the first time, men can and have the right to judge. For all the years of slavery and poverty, they are not looking for retribution, but for an answer: how to live? This expresses the meaning of Nekrasov’s poem “Who can live well in Rus'?” - growth of national self-awareness on the ruins of the old system. The author’s point of view is expressed by Grisha Dobrosklonov in his songs: “And fate, the companion of the Slav’s days, lightened your burden! You are still a slave in the family, but the mother of a free son!..” Despite the negative consequences of the reform of 1861, the creator believes that behind it lies a happy future for the fatherland. At the beginning of change it is always difficult, but this work will be rewarded a hundredfold.

The most important condition for further prosperity is overcoming internal slavery:

Enough! Finished with past settlement,
The settlement with the master has been completed!
The Russian people are gathering strength
And learns to be a citizen

Despite the fact that the poem is not finished, Nekrasov voiced the main idea. Already the first of the songs in “A Feast for the Whole World” gives an answer to the question posed in the title: “The share of the people, their happiness, light and freedom, above all!”

End

In the finale, the author expresses his point of view on the changes that have occurred in Russia in connection with the abolition of serfdom and, finally, sums up the results of the search: Grisha Dobrosklonov is recognized as the lucky one. It is he who is the bearer of Nekrasov’s opinion, and in his songs Nikolai Alekseevich’s true attitude to what he described is hidden. The poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” ends with a feast for the whole world in the literal sense of the word: this is the name of the last chapter, where the characters celebrate and rejoice at the happy completion of the search.

Conclusion

In Rus', it is good for Nekrasov’s hero Grisha Dobrosklonov, since he serves people, and, therefore, lives with meaning. Grisha is a fighter for truth, a prototype of a revolutionary. The conclusion that can be drawn based on the work is simple: the lucky one has been found, Rus' is embarking on the path of reform, the people are reaching through thorns to the title of citizen. The great meaning of the poem lies in this bright omen. It has been teaching people altruism and the ability to serve high ideals, rather than vulgar and passing cults, for centuries. From the point of view of literary excellence, the book is also of great importance: it is truly a folk epic, reflecting a controversial, complex, and at the same time the most important historical era.

Of course, the poem would not be so valuable if it only taught lessons in history and literature. She gives life lessons, and this is her most important property. The moral of the work “Who Lives Well in Rus'” is that it is necessary to work for the good of your homeland, not to scold it, but to help it with deeds, because it is easier to push around with a word, but not everyone can and really wants to change something. This is happiness - to be in your place, to be needed not only by yourself, but also by the people. Only together can we achieve significant results, only together can we overcome the problems and hardships of this overcoming. Grisha Dobrosklonov tried to unite and unite people with his songs so that they would face change shoulder to shoulder. This is its holy purpose, and everyone has it; it is important not to be lazy to go out on the road and look for it, as the seven wanderers did.

Criticism

The reviewers were attentive to Nekrasov’s work, because he himself was an important person in literary circles and had enormous authority. Entire monographs were devoted to his phenomenal civic lyricism with a detailed analysis of the creative methodology and ideological and thematic originality of his poetry. For example, here is how the writer S.A. spoke about his style. Andreevsky:

He brought the anapest, abandoned on Olympus, out of oblivion and for many years made this heavy but flexible meter as common as the airy and melodious iambic had remained from the time of Pushkin to Nekrasov. This rhythm, favored by the poet, reminiscent of the rotational movement of a barrel organ, allowed him to stay on the boundaries of poetry and prose, joke around with the crowd, speak smoothly and vulgarly, insert a funny and cruel joke, express bitter truths and imperceptibly, slowing down the beat, with more solemn words, move into floridity.

Korney Chukovsky spoke with inspiration about Nikolai Alekseevich’s careful preparation for work, citing this example of writing as a standard:

Nekrasov himself constantly “visited Russian huts,” thanks to which both soldier and peasant speech became thoroughly known to him from childhood: not only from books, but also in practice, he studied the common language and from a young age became a great connoisseur of folk poetic images and folk forms thinking, folk aesthetics.

The poet's death came as a surprise and a blow to many of his friends and colleagues. As you know, F.M. spoke at his funeral. Dostoevsky with a heartfelt speech inspired by impressions from a poem he recently read. In particular, among other things, he said:

He, indeed, was highly original and, indeed, came with a “new word.”

First of all, his poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” became a “new word”. No one before him had understood so deeply the peasant, simple, everyday grief. His colleague in his speech noted that Nekrasov was dear to him precisely because he bowed “to the people’s truth with all his being, which he testified to in his best creations.” However, Fyodor Mikhailovich did not support his radical views on the reorganization of Russia, however, like many thinkers of that time. Therefore, criticism reacted to the publication violently, and in some cases, aggressively. In this situation, the honor of his friend was defended by the famous reviewer, master of words Vissarion Belinsky:

N. Nekrasov in his last work remained true to his idea: to arouse the sympathy of the upper classes of society for the common people, their needs and requirements.

Quite caustically, recalling, apparently, professional disagreements, I. S. Turgenev spoke about the work:

Nekrasov's poems, collected into one focus, are burned.

The liberal writer was not a supporter of his former editor and openly expressed his doubts about his talent as an artist:

In the white thread stitched, seasoned with all sorts of absurdities, painfully hatched fabrications of the mournful muse of Mr. Nekrasov - there is not even a penny of her poetry.”

He truly was a man of very high nobility of soul and a man of great intelligence. And as a poet he is, of course, superior to all poets.

Interesting? Save it on your wall!

Nekrasov’s entire poem is a flaring up, gradually gaining strength, worldly gathering. For Nekrasov, it is important that the peasantry not only thought about the meaning of life, but also set out on a difficult and long path of truth-seeking.
The “Prologue” begins the action. Seven peasants argue about “who lives happily and freely in Rus'.” The men do not yet understand that the question of who is happier - the priest, the landowner, the merchant, the official or the tsar - reveals the limitations of their idea of ​​​​happiness, which comes down to material security. A meeting with a priest makes men think about a lot:

Well, here's what you've praised
Popov's life.

Starting from the chapter “Happy”, a turn is planned in the direction of the search for a happy person. On their own initiative, the “lucky ones” from the lower classes begin to approach the wanderers. Stories are heard - confessions of courtyard people, clergy, soldiers, stonemasons, hunters. Of course, these “lucky ones” are such that the wanderers, seeing the empty bucket, exclaim with bitter irony:

Hey, man's happiness!
Leaky with patches,
Humpbacked with calluses,
Go home!

But at the end of the chapter there is a story about a happy man - Ermil Girin. The story about him begins with a description of his litigation with the merchant Altynnikov. Yermil is conscientious. Let us remember how he paid off the peasants for the debt collected in the market square:

All day with my money open
Yermil walked around, asking questions,
Whose ruble? I didn’t find it.

Throughout his life, Yermil refutes the initial ideas of wanderers about the essence of human happiness. It would seem that he has “everything that is needed for happiness: peace of mind, money, and honor.” But at a critical moment in his life, Yermil sacrifices this “happiness” for the sake of the people’s truth and ends up in prison. Gradually, the ideal of an ascetic, a fighter for the people's interests, is born in the minds of the peasants. In the part “The Landowner,” the wanderers treat the masters with obvious irony. They understand that noble “honor” is worth little.

No, you are not noble to us,
Give me your peasant's word.

Yesterday’s “slaves” took on the task of solving problems that had long been considered a noble privilege. The nobility saw its historical destiny in caring about the fate of the Fatherland. And then suddenly the men took over this single mission from the nobility and became citizens of Russia:

The landowner is not without bitterness
Said: “Put on your hats,
Sit down, gentlemen!”

In the last part of the poem, a new hero appears: Grisha Dobrosklonov - a Russian intellectual who knows that people's happiness can only be achieved as a result of a nationwide struggle for the “Unflogged province, Ungutted volost, Izbytkovo village.”

The army rises -
Uncountable,
The strength in her will affect
Indestructible!

The fifth chapter of the last part ends with words expressing the ideological pathos of the entire work: “If only our wanderers could be under their own roof, // If only they could know what was happening to Grisha.” These lines seem to answer the question posed in the title of the poem. A happy person in Rus' is one who firmly knows that he must “live for the happiness of his wretched and dark native corner.”

The ideological meaning of stories about sinners (based on the poem by N. A. Nekrasov “Who Lives Well in Rus'”)

It is not dull obedience—Friendly strength is needed. There are three chapters in the poem by N. A. Nekrasov: “About the exemplary slave - Yakov the faithful,” “About two great sinners,” “Peasant sin” - united by the theme of sin. The author himself considered these parts of the work very important and vigorously objected to the censor’s banning of the story “About the exemplary slave - Yakov the Faithful.” This is what Nekrasov wrote to the head of the press department V.V. Grigoriev: “... made some sacrifices to the censor Lebedev, excluding a soldier and two songs, but I cannot throw out the story about Yakov, which he demanded under the threat of arresting the book - the poem will lose its meaning."

This chapter shows two images - Mr. Polivanov and his faithful servant Yakov. The landowner was “greedy, stingy... he was... cruel to the peasants...”. Despite this, Yakov “had only... joy: to groom, take care of, please the master,” and without seeing any gratitude from the owner (“In the teeth of the exemplary slave, the faithful Yakov, I blew with my heel as I walked.” ). Yakov forgave his master everything:

People of servile rank

Real dogs sometimes:

The heavier the punishment,

That's why gentlemen are dearer to them.

The only thing he couldn’t stand was when the master gave his nephew as a recruit, seeing him as a rival. The author shows that the conflict that exists between the landowner and the peasant cannot be resolved peacefully:

No matter how much my uncle asked for his nephew,

The rival's master became a recruit.

The landowner's arbitrariness is so cruel that even Yakov, slavishly devoted to his master, having lost his human dignity, decides to take revenge. Revenge is cruel, terrible:

Yakov jumped onto a tall pine tree,

The reins at the top strengthened it,

He crossed himself, looked at the sun,

He put his head in a noose and lowered his legs!..

Yakov did not “dirty his hands with murder,” but committed suicide in front of the distraught gentleman. Such a protest made the landowner realize his sin:

The master returned home, lamenting:

“I am a sinner, a sinner! Execute me!

The chapter “About Two Great Sinners” talks about two sinners: the robber Kudeyar and Pan Glukhovsky. Kudeyar was the leader of twelve robbers, together they “shed a lot of blood of honest Christians.” But “suddenly the Lord awakened the Conscience of the fierce robber.”

Hearing the pleas for forgiveness, God showed the way to salvation: with the knife with which he killed, cut off the centuries-old oak tree. Years later, Pan Glukhovsky meets Kudeyar at this oak tree. Having heard the old man's story,“Mr. chuckled:

Rescue

I haven't had tea for a long time,

In the world I honor only a woman,

Gold, honor and wine.

You need to live, old man, in my opinion:

How many slaves do I destroy?

I torment, torture and hang,

I wish I could see how I sleep!

The hermit, overcome with anger, kills the master. What made the robber, who repented of his previous murders, take up the knife again? His anger was born of sympathy for the peasants of Pan Glukhovsky, who are forced to endure the bullying of their owner. The theme of cruel treatment of peasants is heard again. But the solution to this problem is different. Having killed the master, Kudeyar receives forgiveness:

Just now pan bloody

I fell my head on the saddle,

A huge tree collapsed,

The echo shook the whole forest.

A tree fell and a moose rolled over

The monk is off the burden of sins!..

The repentant sinner found his salvation by taking the path of intercession for the people.

The hero of the story “Peasant Sins” is the same: the master (“ammiral-widower”) and the peasant (his servant, Gleb). But here the master already committed a good deed before his death, signing a free document for all his peasants:

“From chain-links to freedom

Eight thousand souls are being released!”

But Gleb, seduced by the promises of an heir, “ruined” eight thousand souls of peasants: he allowed the will to be burned.

This chapter discusses the topic of peasant sin. Headman Gleb, for his own benefit, betrays his own fellow countrymen, dooming them to slavery:

For decades, until recently

Eight thousand souls were secured by the villain,

With family, with tribe; what a lot of people!

What a lot of people! Drop a stone into the water!

And this sin - the sin of betraying the interests of the people among the peasants themselves - turns out to be the most serious. The author shows that there will be no “freedom”, the people will “toil forever” as long as there are traitors among them and as long as the peasants tolerate them:

Oh man! Man! You are the most sinful of all

And for that you will suffer forever!

N.A. Nekrasov, trying to answer the question of how to throw off the chains of slavery and oppression, turns to the Orthodox religion, attributing to Christian ethics completely different features than the official church. The author does not call to forgive enemies, to live in fear and obedience, but blesses the great anger of man, born of compassion and sympathy for the oppressed. Having examined the internal unity of all three chapters, one can see the central problem of the poem: the peasants’ path to freedom and happiness. These chapters contain the main idea that the author wanted to convey to the reader: it is necessary to fight for freedom and rights.

THE MEANING OF THE TITLE OF THE POEM N.A. NEKRASOV “WHO LIVES WELL IN RUSSIA”

Nekrasov’s entire poem is a flaming, gradually gaining strength, worldly gathering. For Nekrasov, it is important that the peasantry not only thought about the meaning of life, but also set out on a difficult and long path of truth-seeking.

The Prologue sets up the action. Seven peasants argue about “who lives happily and freely in Rus'.” The men do not yet understand that the question of who is happier - the priest, the landowner, the merchant, the official or the tsar - reveals the limitations of their idea of ​​​​happiness, which comes down to material security. A meeting with a priest makes men think about a lot:

Well, here's Popov's vaunted life.

Starting from the chapter “Happy”, a turn is planned in the direction of the search for a happy person. On their own initiative, the “lucky” ones from the lower classes begin to approach the wanderers. Stories are heard - confessions of courtyard people, clergy, soldiers, stonemasons, hunters. Of course, these “lucky ones” are such that the wanderers, seeing the empty bucket, exclaim with bitter irony:

Hey, man's happiness! Leaky with patches, Humpbacked with calluses, Go home!

But at the end of the chapter there is a story about a happy man - Ermil Girin. The story about him begins with a description of his litigation with the merchant Altynnikov. Yermil is conscientious. Let us remember how he paid off the peasants for the debt collected in the market square:

All day long Yermil walked around with his purse open, asking, Whose ruble is it? I didn’t find it.

Throughout his life, Yermil refutes the initial ideas of wanderers about the essence of human happiness. It would seem that he has “everything that is needed for happiness: peace of mind, money, and honor.” But at a critical moment in his life, Yermil sacrifices this “happiness” for the sake of the people’s truth and ends up in prison. Gradually, the ideal of an ascetic, a fighter for the people's interests, is born in the minds of the peasants. In the part “The Landowner,” the wanderers treat the masters with obvious irony. They understand that noble “honor” is worth little.

No, you are not a noble to us, give us the word of a peasant.

Yesterday's "slaves" took on the solution of problems that since ancient times were considered a noble privilege. The nobility saw its historical destiny in caring about the fate of the Fatherland. And then suddenly the men took over this single mission from the nobility and became citizens of Russia:

The landowner, not without bitterness, said: “Put on your hats, sit down, gentlemen!”

In the last part of the poem, a new hero appears: Grisha Dob-rosklonov - a Russian intellectual who knows that people's happiness can only be achieved as a result of a nationwide struggle for the “Unflogged province, Ungutted volost, Izbytkovo village.”

The army is rising - Innumerable, The strength in it will be indestructible!

The fifth chapter of the last part ends with words expressing the ideological pathos of the entire work: “If only our wanderers could be under their own roof, // If only they could know what was happening to Grisha.” These lines seem to answer the question posed in the title of the poem. A happy person in Rus' is one who firmly knows that he must “live for the happiness of his wretched and dark native corner.”