The theme of the Motherland is traditional for Russian literature; every artist turns to it in his work. But, of course, the interpretation of this topic is different every time. It is determined by the personality of the author, his poetics, and the era, which always leaves its mark on the artist’s work.
The theme of the Motherland sounds especially poignant in critical times for the country. The dramatic history of Ancient Rus' gave rise to such works full of patriotism as “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”, “The Tale of the Destruction of the Russian Land”, “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu”, “Zadonshchina” and many others. Separated by centuries, they are all dedicated to the tragic events of ancient Russian history, full of sorrow and at the same time pride for their land, for its courageous defenders. The poetics of these works is unique. To a large extent, it is determined by the influence of folklore, and in many ways by the pagan worldview of the author. Hence the abundance of poetic images of nature, a close connection with which is felt, for example, in “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign,” vivid metaphors, epithets, hyperboles, and parallelisms. As a means of artistic expression, all this will be comprehended in literature later, but for now we can say that for the unknown author of the great monument, this is a natural way of storytelling, which he is not aware of as a literary device.
The same can be seen in “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu,” written already in the thirteenth century, in which the influence of folk songs, epics, and legends is very strong. Admiring the courage of the warriors defending the Russian land from the “filthy”, the author writes: “These are winged people, they do not know death..., riding on horses, they fight - one with a thousand, and two with ten thousand.”
The enlightened eighteenth century gives birth to a new literature. The idea of strengthening Russian statehood and sovereignty dominates poets as well. The theme of the Motherland in the works of V.K. Trediakovsky and M.V. Lomonosov sounds majestic and proud.
“It’s in vain to look at Russia through distant countries,” Trediakovsky glorifies its high nobility, pious faith, abundance and strength. His Fatherland for him is “the treasure of all good things.” These “Poems in Praise of Russia” are replete with Slavicisms:
All your people are Orthodox
And they are famous everywhere for their courage;
Children deserve such a mother,
Everywhere they are ready for you.
And suddenly: “Vivat Russia!” Another viva!” This Latinism is a trend of the new, Peter the Great era.
In Lomonosov's odes, the theme of the Motherland takes on an additional perspective. Glorifying Russia, “shining in the light,” the poet paints an image of the country in its real geographical outlines:
Look at the mountains above,
Look into your wide fields,
Where is the Volga, Dnieper, where the Ob flows...
According to Lomonosov, Russia is a “vast power”, covered with “everlasting snow” and deep forests, inspires poets, gives birth to “our own Platos and quick-witted Newtons.”
A. S. Pushkin, who in general moved away from classicism in his work, in this topic is close to the same sovereign view of Russia. In “Memoirs in Tsarskoe Selo” an image of a mighty country is born, which was “crowned with glory” “under the scepter of a great wife.” The ideological closeness to Lomonosov is reinforced here at the linguistic level. The poet organically uses Slavicisms, giving the poem a sublime character:
Be comforted, mother of cities Russia,
Behold the death of the stranger.
Today they are weighed down on their arrogant heights.
The avenging right hand of the creator.
But at the same time, Pushkin introduces into the theme of the Motherland a lyrical element that is not characteristic of classicism. In his poetry, the Motherland is also a “corner of the earth” - Mikhailovskoye, and his grandfather’s possessions - Petrovskoye and the oak groves of Tsarskoye Selo.
The lyrical beginning is clearly felt in the poems about the Motherland by M. Yu. Lermontov. The nature of the Russian village, “plunging the thought into some kind of vague dream,” dispels the spiritual anxieties of the lyrical hero.
Then the anxiety of my soul is humbled
Then the wrinkles on the forehead disperse,
And I can comprehend happiness on earth,
And in heaven I see God!..
Lermontov’s love for the Motherland is irrational, it is “strange love,” as the poet himself admits (“Motherland”). It cannot be explained by reason.
But I love - why don’t I know? -
Its steppes are coldly silent,
Her boundless forests sway,
Its river floods are like seas...
Later, F. I. Tyutchev would speak almost aphoristically about his similar feeling for the Fatherland:
You can't understand Russia with your mind,
A common arshin cannot be measured...
But there are other colors in Lermontov’s attitude towards the Motherland: love for its boundless forests and burnt stubble is combined in him with hatred for the country of slaves, the country of masters (“Farewell, unwashed Russia”).
This motif of love-hate will be developed in the works of N. A. Nekrasov:
Who lives without sadness and anger
He does not love his homeland.
But, of course, this statement does not exhaust the poet’s feeling for Russia. It is much more multifaceted: it also contains love for its boundless distances, for its open space, which he calls healing.
All the rye is all around, like a living steppe.
No castles, no seas, no mountains...
Thank you, dear side,
For your healing space!
Nekrasov’s feelings for the Motherland contain pain from the awareness of its wretchedness and at the same time deep hope and faith in its future. So, in the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” there are the lines:
You're miserable too
You are also abundant
You are mighty
You are also powerless
Mother Rus'!
And there are also these:
In a moment of despondency, O Motherland!
I fly forward with my thoughts
You are still destined to suffer a lot,
But you won't die, I know.
A similar feeling of love, bordering on hatred, is also revealed by A. A. Blok in his poems dedicated to Russia:
My Rus', my life, shall we suffer together?
Tsar, yes Siberia, yes Ermak, yes prison!
Eh, isn’t it time to separate and repent...
To a free heart what is your darkness for?
In another poem he exclaims: “O my Rus', my wife!” Such inconsistency is characteristic not only of Blok. It clearly expressed the duality of consciousness of the Russian intellectual, thinker and poet of the early twentieth century.
In the works of such poets as Yesenin and Tsvetaeva, familiar motifs of nineteenth-century poetry are heard, interpreted, of course, in a different historical context and different poetics. But just as sincere and deep is their feeling for the Motherland, suffering and proud, unhappy and great.
Stories for children about the Motherland, about the native land, about the native land. Stories for reading at school, for family reading. Stories by Mikhail Prishvin, Konstantin Ushinsky, Ivan Shmelev, Ivan Turgenev.
My mother got up early, before the sun. One day I also got up before the sun to set a snare for quails at dawn. Mother treated me to tea with milk. This milk was boiled in a clay pot and always covered with a ruddy foam on top, and under this foam it was incredibly tasty, and it made tea wonderful.
This treat changed my life for the better: I started getting up before the sun to drink delicious tea with my mother. Little by little, I got so used to this morning getting up that I could no longer sleep through the sunrise.
Then in the city I got up early, and now I always write early, when the entire animal and plant world awakens and also begins to work in its own way.
And often, often I think: what if we rose with the sun for our work! How much health, joy, life and happiness would then come to people!
After tea I went hunting for quails, starlings, nightingales, grasshoppers, turtle doves, and butterflies. I didn’t have a gun then, and even now a gun is not necessary in my hunting.
My hunt was then and now - in finds. It was necessary to find something in nature that I had not yet seen, and perhaps no one had ever encountered this in their life...
My farm was large, there were countless paths.
My young friends! We are the masters of our nature, and for us it is a storehouse of the sun with great treasures of life. Not only do these treasures need to be protected, they must be opened and shown.
Fish need clean water - we will protect our reservoirs.
There are various valuable animals in the forests, steppes, and mountains - we will protect our forests, steppes, and mountains.
For fish - water, for birds - air, for animals - forest, steppe, mountains.
But a person needs a homeland. And protecting nature means protecting the homeland.
Our fatherland, our homeland is Mother Russia. We call Russia Fatherland because our fathers and grandfathers lived in it from time immemorial.
N.S. Leskov "The Enchanted Wanderer"
According to N.S.’s definition, a Russian person belongs. Leskova, “racial”, patriotic, consciousness. All the actions of the hero of the story “The Enchanted Wanderer,” Ivan Flyagin, are imbued with it. While being captured by the Tatars, he does not forget for a minute that he is Russian, and with all his soul strives to return to his homeland. Taking pity on the unfortunate old people, Ivan voluntarily joins the recruits. The hero's soul is inexhaustible, indestructible. He comes out of all life's trials with honor.
V.P. Astafiev
In one of his journalistic articles, writer V.P. Astafiev spoke about how he vacationed in a southern sanatorium. Plants collected from all over the world grew in the seaside park. But suddenly he saw three birch trees that miraculously took root in a foreign land. The author looked at these trees and remembered his village street. Love for your small homeland is a manifestation of true patriotism.
The legend of Pandora's box.
A woman discovered a strange box in her husband's house. She knew that this item was fraught with terrible danger, but her curiosity was so strong that she could not stand it and opened the lid. All sorts of troubles flew out of the box and scattered around the world. This myth sounds a warning to all of humanity: rash actions on the path of knowledge can lead to a disastrous ending.
M. Bulgakov "Heart of a Dog"
In M. Bulgakov's story, Professor Preobrazhensky turns a dog into a man. Scientists are driven by a thirst for knowledge, a desire to change nature. But sometimes progress turns into terrible consequences: a two-legged creature with a “dog’s heart” is not yet a person, because there is no soul in it, no love, honor, nobility.
N. Tolstoy. "War and Peace".
The problem is revealed through the example of the images of Kutuzov, Napoleon, Alexander I. A person who is aware of his responsibility to his homeland, people, and who knows how to understand them at the right moment is truly great. Such is Kutuzov, such are the ordinary people in the novel who carry out their duty without lofty phrases.
A. Kuprin. "Wonderful doctor."
A man, exhausted by poverty, is ready to commit suicide in despair, but the famous doctor Pirogov, who happens to be nearby, speaks to him. He helps the unfortunate man, and from that moment the life of the hero and his family changes in the most happy way. This story eloquently shows that the actions of one person can affect the destinies of other people.
And S. Turgenev. "Fathers and Sons".
A classic work that shows the problem of misunderstanding between the older and younger generations. Evgeny Bazarov feels like a stranger to both the elder Kirsanov and his parents. And, although by his own admission he loves them, his attitude brings them grief.
L. N. Tolstoy. Trilogy “Childhood”, “Adolescence”,
"Youth".
Striving to understand the world, to become an adult, Nikolenka Irtenev gradually gets to know the world, understands that much in it is imperfect, faces misunderstandings from her elders, and sometimes offends them (chapters “Classes”, “Natalya Savishna”)
K. G. Paustovsky “Telegram”.
The girl Nastya, living in Leningrad, receives a telegram that her mother is sick, but matters that seem important to her do not allow her to go to her mother. When she, realizing the magnitude of the possible loss, comes to the village, it turns out to be too late: her mother is no longer there...
V. G. Rasputin “French Lessons.”
The teacher Lydia Mikhailovna from the story by V. G. Rasputin taught the hero not only French lessons, but also lessons of kindness, empathy, and compassion. She showed the hero how important it is to be able to share someone else’s pain with a person, how important it is to understand another.
An example from history.
The teacher of the great Emperor Alexander II was the famous poet V. Zhukovsky. It was he who instilled in the future ruler a sense of justice, a desire to benefit his people, and a desire to carry out the reforms necessary for the state.
V. P. Astafiev. "A horse with a pink mane."
Difficult pre-war years of the Siberian village. The formation of the hero's personality under the influence of the kindness of his grandparents.
V. G. Rasputin “French Lessons”
L.N. Tolstoy “Childhood”, “Adolescence”, “Youth”
In the autobiographical trilogy, the main character, Nikolenka Irtenyev, comprehends the world of adults and tries to analyze her own and others’ actions.
Fazil Iskander “The Thirteenth Labor of Hercules”
An intelligent and competent teacher has a huge influence on the formation of a child's character.
And A. Goncharov “Oblomov”
The atmosphere of laziness, unwillingness to learn, to think disfigures the soul of little Ilya. In adulthood, these shortcomings prevented him from finding the meaning of life.
The lack of a goal in life and the habit of working have formed a “superfluous person,” a “reluctant egoist.”
The lack of a goal in life and the habit of working have formed a “superfluous person,” a “reluctant egoist.” Pechorin admits that he brings misfortune to everyone. Wrong upbringing disfigures the human personality.
A.S. Griboyedov "Woe from Wit"
Education and learning are fundamental aspects of human life. Chatsky, the main character of the comedy A.S., expressed his attitude towards them in monologues. Griboyedov "Woe from Wit". He criticized nobles who recruited “teachers of the regiment” for their children, but as a result of literacy, no one “knew or studied.” Chatsky himself had a mind “hungry for knowledge,” and therefore turned out to be unnecessary in the society of Moscow nobles. These are the flaws of improper upbringing.
B. Vasiliev “My horses are flying”
Dr. Jansen died saving children who had fallen into a sewer pit. The man, who was revered as a saint during his lifetime, was buried by the entire city.
Bulgakov "The Master and Margarita"
Margarita's self-sacrifice for her beloved.
V.P. Astafiev "Lyudochka"
In the episode with the dying man, when everyone left him, only Lyudochka felt sorry for him. And after his death, everyone only pretended that they felt sorry for him, everyone except Lyudochka. A verdict on a society in which people are deprived of human warmth.
M. Sholokhov “The Fate of Man”
The story tells about the tragic fate of a soldier who lost all his relatives during the war. One day he met an orphan boy and decided to call himself his father. This act suggests that love and the desire to do good give a person strength to live, strength to resist fate.
V. Hugo "Les Miserables"
The writer in the novel tells the story of a thief. After spending the night in the bishop's house, in the morning this thief stole silverware from him. But an hour later the police detained the criminal and took him to a house where he was given lodging for the night. The priest said that this man did not steal anything, that he took all the things with the owner’s permission. The thief, amazed by what he heard, in one minute experienced a true rebirth, and after that he became an honest man.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery "The Little Prince"
There is an example of fair power: “But he was very kind, and therefore gave only reasonable orders. “If I order my general to turn into a sea gull,” he used to say, “and if the general does not carry out the order, it will not be his fault, but mine.” .
A. I. Kuprin. "Garnet bracelet"
The author claims that nothing is permanent, everything is temporary, everything passes and goes away. Only music and love affirm true values on earth.
Fonvizin "Nedorosl"
They say that many noble children, having recognized themselves in the image of the slacker Mitrofanushka, experienced a true rebirth: they began to study diligently, read a lot and grew up as worthy sons of their homeland.
L. N. Tolstoy. "War and Peace"
I. Turgenev. "Notes of a Hunter"
People, having read bright, vivid stories about peasants, realized that it was immoral to own people like cattle. A broad movement for the abolition of serfdom began in the country.
Sholokhov "The Fate of Man"
After the war, many Soviet soldiers who were captured by the enemy were condemned as traitors to their homeland. M. Sholokhov's story “The Fate of a Man,” which shows the bitter fate of a soldier, forced society to take a different look at the tragic fate of prisoners of war. A law was passed on their rehabilitation.
A.S. Pushkin
Speaking about the role of the individual in history, we can recall the poetry of the great A. Pushkin. He influenced more than one generation with his gift. He saw and heard things that an ordinary person did not notice and did not understand. The poet spoke about the problems of spirituality in art and its high purpose in the poems “Prophet”, “Poet”, “I erected a monument to myself not made by hands”. Reading these works, you understand: talent is not only a gift, but also a heavy burden, a great responsibility. The poet himself was an example of civic behavior for subsequent generations.
V.M. Shukshin "Weird"
“Crank” is an absent-minded person who may seem ill-mannered. And what prompts him to do strange things are positive, selfish motives. The weirdo reflects on problems that concern humanity at all times: what is the meaning of life? What is good and evil? Who is “right, who is smarter” in this life? And with all his actions he proves that he is right, and not those who think
I. A. Goncharov "Oblomov"
This is the image of a person who only wanted. He wanted to change his life, he wanted to rebuild the life of the estate, he wanted to raise children... But he did not have the strength to make these desires come true, so his dreams remained dreams.
M. Gorky in the play “At the Lower Depths”.
Showed the drama of “former people” who have lost the strength to fight for themselves. They hope for something good, understand that they need to live better, but do nothing to change their fate. It is no coincidence that the play begins in a rooming house and ends there.
From the history
I. Bunin in the story “The Gentleman from San Francisco.”
Showed the fate of a man who served false values. Wealth was his god, and this god he worshiped. But when the American millionaire died, it turned out that true happiness passed the man by: he died without ever knowing what life was.
Yesenin. "Black man".
The poem “Black Man” is the cry of Yesenin’s dying soul, it is a requiem for the life left behind. Yesenin, like no one else, was able to tell what life does to a person.
Mayakovsky. "Listen."
Internal conviction in the correctness of his moral ideals separated Mayakovsky from other poets, from the usual flow of life. This isolation gave rise to a spiritual protest against the philistine environment, where there were no high spiritual ideals. The poem is a cry from the poet’s soul.
Zamyatin "Cave".
The hero comes into conflict with himself, a split occurs in his soul. His spiritual values are dying. He violates the commandment “Thou shalt not steal.”
V. Astafiev “The Tsar is a Fish.”
I. S. Turgenev "Fathers and Sons."
M. Bulgakov. "Dog's heart".
Professor Preobrazhensky transplants part of a human brain into the dog Sharik, turning a completely cute dog into the disgusting Polygraph Polygraphovich Sharikov. You cannot mindlessly interfere with nature!
A. Blok
The problem of a thoughtless, cruel person towards the natural world is reflected in many literary works. To fight it, we need to realize and see the harmony and beauty that reigns around us. The works of A. Blok will help with this. With what love he describes Russian nature in his poems! Immense distances, endless roads, deep rivers, blizzards and gray huts. This is Blok’s Russia in the poems “Rus” and “Autumn Day”. The poet's true, filial love for his native nature is transmitted to the reader. You come to the idea that nature is original, beautiful and needs our protection.
B. Vasiliev “Don’t shoot white swans”
V. Astafiev “Belogrudka”
In the story "Belogrudka" the children destroyed the brood of a white-breasted marten, and she, mad with grief, takes revenge on the entire world around her, exterminating poultry in two neighboring villages until she herself dies from a gunshot
Ch. Aitmatov “The Scaffold”
Man, with his own hands, destroys the colorful and populous world of nature. The writer warns that the senseless extermination of animals is a threat to earthly prosperity. The position of the “king” in relation to animals is fraught with tragedy.
A.S. Pushkin "Eugene Onegin"
In the novel by A.S. Pushkin’s “Eugene Onegin” the main character could not find spiritual harmony, cope with the “Russian blues”, also because he was indifferent to nature. And the “sweet ideal” of the author, Tatyana, felt like a part of nature (“She loved to warn the sunrise on the balcony…”) and therefore showed herself to be a spiritually strong person in a difficult life situation.
A.T. Tvardovsky “Forest in Autumn”
Reading Tvardovsky’s poem “Forest in Autumn”, you are imbued with the pristine beauty of the surrounding world and nature. You hear the noise of bright yellow foliage, the crack of a broken branch. You see a light jump of a squirrel. I would like not just to admire, but to try to preserve all this beauty for as long as possible.
L. N. Tolstoy "War and Peace"
Natasha Rostova, admiring the beauty of the night in Otradnoye, is ready to fly like a bird: she is inspired by what she sees. She enthusiastically tells Sonya about the wonderful night, about the feelings that overwhelm her soul. Andrei Bolkonsky also knows how to subtly sense the beauty of the surrounding nature. During a trip to Otradnoye, seeing an old oak tree, he compares himself with it, indulging in sad reflections that life has already ended for him. But the changes that subsequently occurred in the hero’s soul are associated with the beauty and grandeur of the mighty tree that blossomed under the rays of the sun.
V. I. Yurovskikh Vasily Ivanovich Yurovskikh
The writer Vasily Ivanovich Yurovskikh, in his stories, talks about the unique beauty and wealth of the Trans-Urals, about the natural connection of a village person with the natural world, which is why his story “Ivan’s Memory” is so touching. In this short work, Yurovskikh raises an important issue: the human impact on the environment. Ivan, the main character of the story, planted several willow bushes in a swamp that scared people and animals. Many years later. The nature around has changed: all sorts of birds began to settle in the bushes, a magpie began to build a nest every year and hatch magpies. No one wandered through the forest anymore, because the trail became a guide on how to find the right way. Near the bush you can hide from the heat, drink some water, and just relax. Ivan left a good memory of himself among people, and ennobled the surrounding nature.
M.Yu Lermontov “Hero of Our Time”
The close emotional connection between man and nature can be seen in Lermontov’s story “A Hero of Our Time.” The events in the life of the main character, Grigory Pechorin, are accompanied by changes in the state of nature in accordance with changes in his mood. Thus, considering the duel scene, the gradation of the states of the surrounding world and Pechorin’s feelings is obvious. If before the duel the sky seemed to him “fresh and blue” and the sun “brightly shining,” then after the duel, looking at Grushnitsky’s corpse, the heavenly body seemed “dim” to Grigory, and its rays “did not warm.” Nature is not only the experiences of the heroes, but is also one of the characters. The thunderstorm becomes the reason for a long meeting between Pechorin and Vera, and in one of the diary entries preceding the meeting with Princess Mary, Grigory notes that “the air of Kislovodsk is conducive to love.” With such an allegory, Lermontov not only more deeply and fully reflects the internal state of the heroes, but also denotes his own authorial presence by introducing nature as a character.
E. Zamyatina “We”
Turning to classical literature, I would like to cite as an example E. Zamyatin’s dystopian novel “We.” Refusing the natural beginning, the inhabitants of the United State become numbers, whose lives are determined by the framework of the Tablet of Hours. The beauty of native nature is replaced by perfectly proportional glass structures, and love is only possible with a pink card. The main character, D-503, is doomed to mathematically verified happiness, which is found, however, after the removal of fantasy. It seems to me that with such an allegory Zamyatin was trying to express the inextricability of the connection between nature and man.
S. Yesenin “Go away, my dear Rus'”
One of the central themes of the lyrics of the brightest poet of the 20th century S. Yesenin is the nature of his native land. In the poem “Go you, Rus', my dear,” the poet abandons paradise for the sake of his homeland, its flock is higher than eternal bliss, which, judging by other lyrics, he finds only on Russian soil. Thus, feelings of patriotism and love for nature are closely intertwined. The very awareness of their gradual weakening is the first step towards a natural, real peace that enriches the soul and body.
M. Prishvin “Ginseng”
This topic is brought to life by moral and ethical motives. Many writers and poets turned to her. In M. Prishvin’s story “Ginseng” the characters know how to remain silent and listen to silence. For the author, nature is life itself. Therefore, his rock cries, his stone has a heart. It is man who must do everything to ensure that nature exists and does not fall silent. Nowadays this is very important.
I.S. Turgenev "Notes of a Hunter"
I. S. Turgenev expressed his deep and tender love for nature in “Notes of a Hunter.” He did this with penetrating observation. The hero of the story “Kasyan” traveled halfway across the country from the Beautiful Mosque, happily learning and exploring new places. This man felt his inextricable connection with Mother Nature and dreamed that “every person” would live in contentment and justice. It wouldn't hurt us to learn from him.
M. Bulgakov. "Fatal Eggs"
Professor Persikov accidentally breeds giant reptiles instead of large chickens that threaten civilization. Thoughtless interference in the life of nature can lead to such consequences.
Ch. Aitmatov “The Scaffold”
Ch. Aitmatov in his novel “The Scaffold” showed that the destruction of the natural world leads to dangerous human deformation. And this happens everywhere. What is happening in the Moyunkum savannah is a global problem, not a local one.
The closed model of the world in the novel by E.I. Zamyatin "We".
1) The appearance and principles of the United State. 2) The narrator, number D - 503, and his spiritual illness. 3) “The resistance of human nature.” In dystopias, the world based on the same premises is presented through the eyes of its inhabitant, an ordinary citizen, from the inside, in order to trace and show the feelings of a person undergoing the laws of an ideal state. The conflict between the individual and the totalitarian system becomes the driving force of any dystopia, allowing one to recognize dystopian features in the most diverse works at first glance... The society depicted in the novel has achieved material perfection and stopped in its development, plunging into a state of spiritual and social entropy.
A.P. Chekhov in the story "The Death of an Official"
B. Vasiliev “Not on the lists”
The works make us think about the questions that everyone strives to answer for themselves: what is behind a high moral choice - what are the forces of the human mind, soul, destiny, what helps a person resist, show amazing, amazing vitality, helps to live and die “like a human being”?
M. Sholokhov “The Fate of Man”
Despite the difficulties and trials that befell the protagonist Andrei Sokolov, he always remained true to himself and his homeland. Nothing broke his spiritual strength or eradicated his sense of duty.
A.S. Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter".
Pyotr Grinev is a man of honor, in any life situation he acts as his honor tells him. Even his ideological enemy, Pugachev, could appreciate the nobility of the hero. That is why he helped Grinev more than once.
L.N. Tolstoy “War and Peace”.
The Bolkonsky family is the personification of honor and nobility. Prince Andrei always put the laws of honor first and followed them, even if it required incredible effort, suffering, and pain.
Loss of spiritual values
B. Vasiliev "Wilderness"
The events of Boris Vasiliev’s story “Glukhoman” allow us to see how in today’s life the so-called “new Russians” strive to enrich themselves at any cost. Spiritual values have been lost because culture has disappeared from our lives. Society split, and the bank account became the measure of a person’s merit. Moral wilderness began to grow in the souls of people who had lost faith in goodness and justice.
A.S. Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter"
Shvabrin Alexey Ivanovich, hero of the story by A.S. Pushkin's "The Captain's Daughter" is a nobleman, but he is dishonest: having wooed Masha Mironova and received a refusal, he takes revenge by speaking ill of her; During a duel with Grinev, he stabs him in the back. The complete loss of ideas about honor also predetermines social betrayal: as soon as the Belogorsk fortress falls to Pugachev, Shvabrin goes over to the side of the rebels.
L.N. Tolstoy “War and Peace”.
Helen Kuragina deceives Pierre into marrying herself, then lies to him all the time, being his wife, disgraces him, makes him unhappy. The heroine uses lies to get rich and take a good position in society.
N.V. Gogol “The Inspector General”.
Khlestakov deceives officials, posing as an auditor. Trying to impress, he makes up many stories about his life in St. Petersburg. Moreover, he lies so delightfully that he himself begins to believe his stories, he feels important and significant.
D.S. Likhachev in “Letters about the good and the beautiful”
D.S. Likhachev in “Letters about the Good and the Beautiful” tells how indignant he felt when he learned that on the Borodino field in 1932 the cast-iron monument on Bagration’s grave was blown up. At the same time, someone left a giant inscription on the wall of the monastery, built on the site of the death of another hero, Tuchkov: “It’s enough to preserve the remnants of the slave past!” At the end of the 60s, the Travel Palace was demolished in Leningrad, which even during the war our soldiers tried to preserve and not destroy. Likhachev believes that “the loss of any cultural monument is irreparable: they are always individual.”
L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace"
A. S. Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter"
In the story “The Captain's Daughter,” his father’s instructions helped Pyotr Grinev, even in the most critical moments, to remain an honest person, true to himself and duty. Therefore, the hero evokes respect by his behavior.
N.V. Gogol "Dead Souls"
Following his father’s behest to “save a penny,” Chichikov devoted his entire life to hoarding, turning into a man without shame and conscience. Since his school years, he valued only money, so in his life he never had true friends, the family that the hero dreamed of.
L. Ulitskaya “Daughter of Bukhara”
Bukhara, the heroine of L. Ulitskaya’s story “Bukhara’s Daughter,” accomplished a maternal feat, devoting herself entirely to raising her daughter Mila, who had Down syndrome. Even being terminally ill, the mother thought through the entire future life of her daughter: she got a job, found her a new family, a husband, and only after that allowed herself to leave this life.
Zakrutkin V. A. “Mother of Man”
Maria, the heroine of Zakrutkin’s story “Mother of Man,” during the war, having lost her son and husband, took responsibility for her newly born child and for other people’s children, saved them, and became their Mother. And when the first Soviet soldiers entered the burnt farm, it seemed to Maria that she had given birth not only to her son, but to all the war-dispossessed children of the world. That's why she is the Mother of Man.
K.I. Chukovsky “Alive as Life”
K.I. Chukovsky in his book “Alive as Life” analyzes the state of the Russian language, our speech and comes to disappointing conclusions: we ourselves are distorting and mutilating our great and powerful language.
I.S. Turgenev
- Take care of our language, our beautiful Russian language, this treasure, this heritage passed on to us by our predecessors, among whom Pushkin again shines! Treat this powerful instrument with respect: in the hands of skilled people it is capable of performing miracles... Take care of the purity of the language as if it were a shrine!
K.G. Paustovsky
- You can do wonders with the Russian language. There is nothing in life and in our consciousness that could not be conveyed in Russian words... There are no sounds, colors, images and thoughts - complex and simple - for which there would not be an exact expression in our language.
A. P. Chekhov “Death of an Official”
The official Chervyakov in A.P. Chekhov’s story “The Death of an Official” is infected to an incredible degree by the spirit of veneration: having sneezed and splashed the bald head of General Bryzzhalov, who was sitting in front of him (and he did not pay attention to it), the hero was so frightened that that after repeated humiliated requests to forgive him, he died of fear.
A. P. Chekhov “Thick and Thin”
The hero of Chekhov's story "Fat and Thin", the official Porfiry, met a school friend at the Nikolaevskaya railway station and learned that he was a privy councilor, i.e. moved up significantly higher in his career. In an instant, the “subtle” one turns into a servile creature, ready to humiliate himself and fawn.
A.S. Griboedov "Woe from Wit"
Molchalin, the negative character of the comedy, is sure that one should please not only “all people without exception,” but even “the janitor’s dog, so that it is affectionate.” The need to tirelessly please also gave birth to his romance with Sophia, the daughter of his master and benefactor Famusov. Maxim Petrovich, the “character” of the historical anecdote that Famusov tells for the edification of Chatsky, in order to earn the favor of the empress, turned into a jester, amusing her with absurd falls.
I. S. Turgenev. "Mu Mu"
The fate of the mute serf Gerasim and Tatiana is decided by the lady. A person has no rights. What could be more terrible?
I. S. Turgenev. "Notes of a Hunter"
In the story “Biryuk,” the main character, a forester nicknamed Biryuk, lives a miserable life, despite conscientiously fulfilling his duties. The social structure of life is unfair.
N. A. Nekrasov “Railway”
The poem talks about who built the railroad. These are workers who were subjected to merciless exploitation. The structure of life, where arbitrariness reigns, is worthy of condemnation. In the Poem “Reflections at the Front Entrance”: peasants came from distant villages with a petition to the nobleman, but they were not accepted and driven away. The authorities do not take into account the position of the people.
L. N. Tolstoy “After the Ball”
The division of Russia into two parts, rich and poor, is shown. The social world is unfair to the weak.
N. Ostrovsky “Thunderstorm”
There can be nothing holy or right in a world ruled by tyranny, wild and insane.
V.V. Mayakovsky
I. S. Turgenev “Notes of a Hunter”
Everyone’s personality is important for the development of the state, but talented people are not always able to develop their abilities for the benefit of society. For example, in “Notes of a Hunter” by I.S. Turgenev there are people whose talents the country does not need. Yakov (“The Singers”) gets drunk in a tavern. Truth-seeker Mitya (“Odnodvorets Ovsyannikov”) stands up for the serfs. Forester Biryuk carries out his service responsibly, but lives in poverty. Such people turned out to be unnecessary. They even laugh at them. It's not fair.
A.I. Solzhenitsyn "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich"
Despite the terrible details of camp life and the unjust structure of society, Solzhenitsyn's works are optimistic in spirit. The writer proved that even in the last degree of humiliation it is possible to preserve a person within oneself.
A. S. Pushkin “Eugene Onegin”
A person who is not accustomed to working does not find a worthy place in the life of society.
M. Yu. Lermontov “Hero of Our Time”
Pechorin says that he felt strength in his soul, but did not know what to apply it to. Society is such that there is no worthy place for an extraordinary person in it.
And A. Goncharov. "Oblomov"
Ilya Oblomov, a kind and talented person, was unable to overcome himself and reveal his best traits. The reason is the lack of high goals in the life of society.
A.M. Gorky
Many heroes of M. Gorky's stories talk about the meaning of life. The old gypsy Makar Chudra wondered why people worked. The heroes of the story “On the Salt” found themselves in the same dead end. There are wheelbarrows around them, salt dust that eats away their eyes. However, no one became embittered. Good feelings arise in the souls of even such oppressed people. The meaning of life, according to Gorky, is work. Everyone will start working conscientiously - you'll see, and together we will become richer and better. After all, “the wisdom of life is always deeper and more extensive than the wisdom of people.”
M. I. Weller “The Novel of Education”
The meaning of life is for those who themselves dedicate their activities for the sake of a cause that they consider necessary. The “Novel of Education” by M. I. Weller, one of the most published modern Russian writers, makes you think about this. Indeed, there have always been many purposeful people, and now they live among us.
L. N. Tolstoy. "War and Peace"
I. S. Turgenev “Fathers and Sons”
Even the failures and disappointments of an exceptionally talented person are significant for society. For example, in the novel “Fathers and Sons,” Yevgeny Bazarov, a fighter for democracy, called himself an unnecessary person for Russia. However, his views anticipate the emergence of people capable of greater deeds and noble deeds.
V. Bykov “Sotnikov”
The problem of moral choice: what is better - to save your life at the cost of betrayal (as the hero of the story Rybak does) or to die not as a hero (no one will know about Sotnikov’s heroic death), but to die with dignity. Sotnikov makes a difficult moral choice: he dies while maintaining his human appearance.
M. M. Prishvin “Pantry of the Sun”
During the Great Patriotic War, Mitrasha and Nastya were left without parents. But hard work helped young children not only survive, but also earn the respect of their fellow villagers.
A. P. Platonov “In a beautiful and furious world”
Machinist Maltsev is completely devoted to work, his favorite profession. During a thunderstorm, he became blind, but his friend’s devotion and love for his chosen profession performed a miracle: he, having boarded his favorite locomotive, regained his sight.
A. I. Solzhenitsyn “Matryonin’s Dvor”
The main character has been accustomed to working all her life, helping other people, and although she has not acquired any benefits, she remains a pure soul, a righteous woman.
Ch. Aitmatov Novel “Mother Field”
The leitmotif of the novel is the spiritual responsiveness of hardworking rural women. Aliman, no matter what happens, has been working since dawn on the farm, in the melon patch, in the greenhouse. She feeds the country, the people! And the writer does not see anything higher than this share, this honor.
A.P. Chekhov. The story "Ionych"
N. Tolstoy. "War and Peace"
A person who is aware of his responsibility to his homeland and people, and who knows how to understand them at the right moment, is truly great. Such is Kutuzov, such are the ordinary people in the novel who carry out their duty without lofty phrases.
F. M. Dostoevsky. "Crime and Punishment"
Rodion Raskolnikov creates his theory: the world is divided into those “who have the right” and “trembling creatures.” According to his theory, a person is capable of creating history, like Mohammed and Napoleon. They commit atrocities in the name of “great goals.” Raskolnikov's theory fails. In fact, true freedom lies in subordinating one's aspirations to the interests of society, in the ability to make the right moral choice.
V. Bykov “Obelisk”
The problem of freedom can be seen especially clearly in V. Bykov’s story “Obelisk”. Teacher Frost had a choice to stay alive or die along with his students. He always taught them goodness and justice. He had to choose death, but he remained a morally free person.
A.M. Gorky "At the Bottom"
Is there a way in the world to break free from the vicious circle of life's worries and desires? M. Gorky tried to answer this question in his play “At the Lower Depths.” In addition, the writer posed another pressing question: can one who has humbled himself be considered a free person? Thus, the contradiction between the slave's truth and individual freedom is an eternal problem.
A. Ostrovsky “Thunderstorm”
Opposition to evil and tyranny attracted special attention of Russian writers of the 19th century. The oppressive power of evil is shown in A. N. Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm”. A young, gifted woman, Katerina, is a strong person. She found the strength to challenge tyranny. The conflict between the environment of the “dark kingdom” and the bright spiritual world, unfortunately, ended tragically.
A. I. Solzhenitsyn “Gulag Archipelago”
Pictures of abuse, cruel treatment of political prisoners.
A.A. Akhmatova's Poem "Requiem"
This work is about the repeated arrests of her husband and son; the poem was written under the influence of numerous meetings with mothers and relatives of prisoners in the Cross, a St. Petersburg prison.
N. Nekrasov “In the trenches of Stalingrad”
In Nekrasov’s story there is a terrible truth about the heroism of those people who in a totalitarian state were always considered “cogs” in the huge body of the state machine. The writer mercilessly condemned those who calmly sent people to their deaths, who shot people for a lost sapper shovel, who kept people in fear.
V. Soloukhin
The secret of comprehending beauty, according to the famous publicist V. Soloukhin, lies in admiring life and nature. The beauty scattered in the world will enrich us spiritually if we learn to contemplate it. The author is sure that you need to stop in front of her, “without thinking about time,” only then will she “invite you as an interlocutor.”
K. Paustovsky
The great Russian writer K. Paustovsky wrote that “you need to immerse yourself in nature, as if you plunged your face into a pile of rain-wet leaves and felt their luxurious coolness, their smell, their breath. Simply put, nature must be loved, and this love will find the right ways to express itself with the greatest strength.”
Yu. Gribov
The modern publicist and writer Yu. Gribov argued that “beauty lives in the heart of every person and it is very important to awaken it, not to let it die without waking up.”
V. Rasputin “Deadline”
Children who had come from the city gathered at the bedside of their dying mother. Before her death, the mother seems to go to the place of judgment. She sees that there is no previous mutual understanding between her and the children, the children are separated, they have forgotten about the moral lessons they received in childhood. Anna passes away from life, difficult and simple, with dignity, and her children still have time to live. The story ends tragically. Hurrying about some of their business, the children leave their mother to die alone. Unable to bear such a terrible blow, she dies that same night. Rasputin reproaches the children of the collective farmer for insincerity, moral coldness, forgetfulness and vanity.
K. G. Paustovsky “Telegram”
K. G. Paustovsky's story “Telegram” is not a banal story about a lonely old woman and an inattentive daughter. Paustovsky shows that Nastya is not soulless: she sympathizes with Timofeev, spends a lot of time organizing his exhibition. How could it happen that Nastya, who cares about others, shows inattention to her own mother? It turns out that it is one thing to be passionate about work, to do it with all your heart, to give it all your strength, physical and mental, and another thing to remember about your loved ones, about your mother - the most sacred being in the world, not limiting yourself only to money transfers and short notes. Nastya failed to achieve harmony between worries about those “distant” and love for the person closest to her. This is the tragedy of her situation, this is the reason for the feeling of irreparable guilt, the unbearable heaviness that visits her after the death of her mother and which will settle in her soul forever.
F. M. Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment"
The main character of the work, Rodion Raskolnikov, did many good deeds. He is a kind person by nature who takes other people’s pain hard and always helps people. So Raskolnikov saves children from the fire, gives his last money to the Marmeladovs, tries to protect a drunken girl from men pestering her, worries about his sister Dunya, tries to prevent her marriage with Luzhin in order to protect her from humiliation, loves and pities his mother, tries not to bother her with his problems. But Raskolnikov’s trouble is that he chose a completely inappropriate means to achieve such global goals. Unlike Raskolnikov, Sonya does truly beautiful things. She sacrifices herself for the sake of her loved ones because she loves them. Yes, Sonya is a harlot, but she did not have the opportunity to quickly earn money honestly, and her family was dying of hunger. This woman destroys herself, but her soul remains pure, because she believes in God and tries to do good to everyone, loving and compassionate in a Christian way.
Sonya's most beautiful act is saving Raskolnikov...
Sonya Marmeladova's whole life is self-sacrifice. With the power of her love, she elevates Raskolnikov to herself, helps him overcome his sin and resurrect. The actions of Sonya Marmeladova express all the beauty of human action.
L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace"
Pierre Bezukhov is one of the writer’s favorite heroes. Being at odds with his wife, feeling disgusted by the life in the world that they lead, worrying after his duel with Dolokhov, Pierre involuntarily asks eternal, but such important questions for him: “What is bad? What well? Why live, and what am I?” And when one of the smartest Masonic figures calls on him to change his life and purify himself by serving good, to benefit his neighbor, Pierre sincerely believed “in the possibility of the brotherhood of people united with the goal of supporting each other on the path of virtue.” And Pierre does everything to achieve this goal. what he considers necessary: donates money to the brotherhood, establishes schools, hospitals and shelters, tries to make the life of peasant women with small children easier. His actions are always in harmony with his conscience, and the feeling of rightness gives him confidence in life.
Pontius Pilate sent the innocent Yeshua to execution. For the rest of his life, the procurator was tormented by his conscience; he could not forgive himself for his cowardice. The hero received peace only when Yeshua himself forgave him and said that there was no execution.
F. M. Dostoevsky “Crime and Punishment.”
Raskolnikov killed the old pawnbroker to prove to himself that he was a “superior” being. But after the crime, his conscience torments him, a persecution mania develops, and the hero distances himself from his loved ones. At the end of the novel, he repents of the murder and takes the path of spiritual healing.
M. Sholokhov’s “The Fate of Man”
M. Sholokhov has a wonderful story “The Fate of a Man.” It tells about the tragic fate of a soldier who, during the war,
lost all my relatives. One day he met an orphan boy and decided to call himself his father. This act shows that love and desire
doing good gives a person strength to live, strength to resist fate.
L.N. Tolstoy “War and Peace”.
The Kuragin family are greedy, selfish, vile people. In pursuit of money and power, they are capable of any immoral acts. So, for example, Helen tricks Pierre into marrying her and takes advantage of his wealth, bringing him a lot of suffering and humiliation.
N.V. Gogol “Dead Souls”.
Plyushkin subordinated his entire life to hoarding. And if at first this was dictated by frugality, then his desire to save crossed all boundaries, he saved on the essentials, lived, limiting himself in everything, and even broke off relations with his daughter, fearing that she would lay claim to his “riches.”
The role of flowers
I.A. Goncharov “Oblomov”.
Oblomov in love gave Olga Ilyinskaya a branch of lilac. Lilac became a symbol of the hero’s spiritual transformation: he became active, cheerful, and cheerful when he fell in love with Olga.
M. Bulgakov “The Master and Margarita”.
Thanks to the bright yellow flowers in Margarita’s hands, the Master saw her in the gray crowd. The heroes fell in love with each other at first sight and carried their feeling through many trials.
M. Gorky.
The writer recalled that he learned a lot from books. He did not have the opportunity to receive an education, so it was in books that he gained knowledge, an understanding of the world, and knowledge about the laws of literature.
A.S. Pushkin “Eugene Onegin”.
Tatyana Larina grew up reading romance novels. Books made her dreamy and romantic. She created for herself an ideal lover, the hero of her novel, whom she dreamed of meeting in real life.
In this collection of arguments, we focused our attention on all the most problematic aspects of the “Motherland” semantic block. Many texts for preparing for the Unified State Exam raise relevant problems. All literary examples are available for download in table form, link at the end of the article.
The French philosopher J. J. Rousseau said: “Everyone’s duty is to love their Motherland, to be incorruptible and courageous, to remain faithful to it even at the cost of their lives.” What is love for the Motherland really? In the modern world, not every person can give himself an exact answer: does he love his homeland or just thinks that he loves. People rarely think about their duty to the Fatherland, paying more attention to pressing everyday problems. In my opinion, a person who loves his Motherland will be faithful to it throughout his life and is ready to defend it at any moment.
M. A. Sholokhov shows us a man who passionately loves his homeland in the story “The Fate of Man.” The main character of the work is Andrei Sokolov, a typical representative of the “Soviet” people.
Sokolov fought and wanted to survive for the sake of his family, but when he returned home he learned that his entire family had died. Despite the terrible grief that befell him, Sokolov did not break and continued to fight the enemy. An inner core helps him maintain his fortitude - a sense of duty to the Motherland. Sokolov shows the amazing strength of the Russian man: when he was called to the camp commandant to be shot, he walked, preparing to die with dignity, to maintain strength of spirit. Sokolov refused to drink German weapons for the victory, remaining faithful to his homeland. Sholokhov describes the patriotism of Andrei Sokolov and other Russian soldiers who were captured, who, despite all the trials that befell them, did not disgrace the rank of a Russian soldier, and remained faithful to the Motherland. In response to the Germans' demand to name the officers, not a single soldier betrayed his comrades.
Just like Andrei Sokolov, Taras Bulba, the main character of N.V. Gogol’s work “Taras Bulba,” passionately loves his homeland and remains faithful to it until the end of his life. We see Taras’s ardent love for the Motherland and his comrades, his readiness to be devoted to it even at the cost of his life. Taras is characterized by amazing fortitude: he does not forgive his son for betraying his homeland, killing him. At the same time, his attitude towards his other son, Ostap, is most clearly manifested in the scene of the execution by the Poles of captured Cossacks, who, despite all the torture, remained faithful to the Fatherland and did not want to become traitors. The courage of Taras, who supported his son, is also striking, although if he had been captured by the Poles, he could have shared the fate of Ostap. We understand that Taras admires his Motherland, he is ready to die for it. Taras Bulba is ready to give his life for his Motherland at any moment.
Thus, we can conclude that a feeling of love for the Motherland should be inherent in every person. It is necessary to passionately love your Motherland throughout your life, without deviating from your convictions. Undoubtedly, loyalty to the Fatherland is most clearly manifested in difficult times by the readiness to defend the Motherland, however, in everyday life it is necessary to remember one’s duty to the Fatherland.