Saltykov shchedrin history 1 city main characters. M.E

Heroes and problems of satire M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin in the novel "The History of a City"

Literature and library science

Saltykov Shchedrin in the novel The History of a City by M. Saltykov Shchedrin is rightfully considered the History of a City which he began to write in 1868 and finished in 1870. Censorship and some critics understood the History of a City as a satire relating exclusively to the past of Russia and mainly to the 18th century. The protagonist of the History of one city is a people whose generalized image is revealed more and more from chapter to chapter.

Heroes and problems of satire M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin in the novel "The History of a City"

M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin the great satirist of the 19th century. In his works he raised key topics, the eternal questions that all progressive mankind thought about.

The crowning achievement of M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin’s satire is rightfully considered to be The History of a City, which he began writing in 1868 and finished in 1870. The focus of the writer's attention is the city of Foolov, as well as the Foolovites inhabiting this city.

These images are deeply symbolic: the city of Shchedrin is not just the embodiment of human emptiness and idleness, but the embodiment of all tsarist Russia, its entire social and political structure. Released at the end of the 19th century, the work caused a great resonance not only in narrow literary circles but also in the wider public.

Censorship and some critics understood The History of a City as a satire referring exclusively to Russia's past and mainly to the 18th century. But this understanding of the work is not entirely correct. Shchedrin gives here satirical image the entire system of Russian autocracy, connecting and intertwining the past with the present. Its mayors are generalized caricatures in which one can recognize Russian tsars and grandees not only of the past, but also contemporary Shchedrin.

The protagonist of the "History of a City" is the people, the generalized image of which is revealed more and more from chapter to chapter. This happens as more and more mayors enter the course of the story. But the bearers of the supreme power of the city of Glupov themselves play very important role in the work. They are the personification of all vices, the bearers of "mortal sins".

Dementy Varlamovich Brudasty opens the procession of Foolov's mayors. This image incorporates the features of government despotism, stupidity and narrow-mindedness. Brodystoy has a mechanism in his head that produces only one word: "I will not tolerate it!". This is the shortest formula for an autocratic system.

Foolovites true "admirers" of the authorities, greet Brodasty with delight, they dream of the prosperity of the city. But their expectations were not justified, as life became much worse for them: “times have come dark and terrible.” However, Shchedrin ironically remarks, the Foolovites "were not carried away either by the revolutionary ideas that were fashionable at that time, or by the temptations presented by anarchy, but remained true to the love of the authorities."

The image of the head, which is in no way connected with the body, also appears in the description of another mayor, whom Shchedrin calls Pimple. Only he had a "stuffed head", once eaten by an official. That was the end of the inglorious activity of Pimple.

The broad procession of the mayors ends with a description of the activities of Ugryum-Burcheev, which is a satire on the organization of the so-called "military settlements" undertaken by Arakcheev at the request of Alexander I. The description is not so much satirical as grotesque. Gloomy-Grumbling acts according to the principle: “what I want, then I turn back”: “He has not yet made any orders, and everyone already understood that the end had come».

This mayor turned the city into a barracks, challenged nature itself: he decided to stop the river. But the river didn't budge. Such a confrontation reveals the very essence of the work: the river is an allegorical image of progressive Russia. This is a country moving forward, leaving aside the "garbage" and "rubbish" with which Ugryum-Gurcheev wanted to cut off its current, stop its flow.

But, in addition, the river symbolizes the people "as the embodiment of the idea of ​​democracy." This is the kind of people Shchedrin wanted to see in Russia - people capable of thinking and understanding the meaning of their existence. Around himself, he saw only "historical people", that is, real, not idealized. According to Shchedrin, these are “people, like everyone else, with the only caveat that their natural properties have been overgrown with a mass of superficial atoms ...”

These "atoms" - passivity, ignorance, bossiness, downtroddenness, gullibility, the ability to outbursts of blind rage and cruelty are depicted by the satirist in an extremely exaggerated form.

Shchedrin writes that a Foolovist is "a man whose head is pounded with amazing constancy and who, of course, cannot come to any other result than stunned." And only the reign of Grim-Grumbling led to the fact that even the “ordinary” stupidities, for all their downtroddenness, felt that “it is impossible to breathe further in this air.”

Thus, Saltykov-Shchedrin raises in his work important issues that are relevant at all times: the relationship between the people and power, the essence of the Russian character, the nature and causes state power, questions human psychology and so on. In addition, in the "History of a City" he expresses his social, civic ideal, which is expressed "on the contrary", by ridiculing the vices of Russian society and Russian power.

This article is dedicated to one of the greatest Russians writers of the 19th century - Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin. Consider the most famous of his novels and pay special attention to the summary. "The History of a City" (Saltykov-Shchedrin) is an incredibly topical, grotesque and original work, the purpose of which is to expose the vices of the people and government.

About the book

"The History of a City" is a novel that has become the pinnacle of Saltykov-Shchedrin's satirical talent. The work describes the history of the city of Glupov and its inhabitants, which is essentially a parody of the autocratic power in Russia. The first chapters of the novel were published in 1869 and immediately caused a storm of condemnation and criticism of the author. Many saw in the work disrespect for the Russian people, a mockery of their native history.

Let's try to understand how these accusations were justified by examining the summary. "The History of a City" (Saltykov-Shchedrin wrote the novel in just two years) is considered the crowning achievement of the writer's entire work, let's consider this work in more detail. And at the same time, you can find out why the novel remains topical to this day. Surprisingly, the vices relevant to the 19th century turned out to be so ineradicable that they have survived to this day.

Summary: "The history of one city" (Saltykov-Shchedrin). Chapter 1

This chapter contains an appeal by the chronicler-archivist to the reader, stylized as an old style of writing. Then the role of the narrator is alternately played by the author, publisher and commentator of the archive, where the records of the history of the Foolovites are kept. Here it is marked the main objective books - depict all the mayors of Glupov who have ever been appointed by the Russian government.

Chapter 2

We continue to present a summary ("History of one city"). “About the origin of the Foolovites” - such a telling title is the second chapter. The narrative here is of an annalistic nature, the author talks about the life and life of the bunglers - this is how the inhabitants of Glupov used to be called. The prehistoric era described in the chapter seems fantastic and grotesquely absurd. And the peoples who lived here at that time appear completely narrow-minded and absurd.

In this part of the novel, the author clearly imitates the Tale of Igor's Campaign in the manner of presentation, which is also confirmed by the summary. “The History of a City” (“On the Root of the Origin of the Foolovists” in particular), thus, appears to be a very absurdist and satirical work.

Chapter 3

This part is a brief listing of all twenty-two of the mayors of Glupov with a few comments, which contains the main merits of each official and indicates the reason for the departure of each from life. For example, Lamvrokakis was eaten in bed by bedbugs, and Ferapontov was torn to pieces in the forest by dogs.

Chapter 4

The main narrative of the novel begins, as evidenced by the summary (“The History of a City”). "Organchik" - this is the title of Chapter 4 and the nickname of one of the most remarkable city governors that the Foolovites saw.

Brodystoy (Organchik) had a mechanism in his head instead of brains, capable of reproducing two words: “I will not tolerate” and “I will ruin”. The reign of this official could have been long and successful if one day his head had not disappeared. One morning, the clerk came in to report to Brudastom and saw only the body of the mayor, and the head was not observed on the spot. Unrest broke out in the city. It turned out that the watchmaker Baibakov tried to repair the organ that was in the head of the mayor, but could not and sent a letter to Vintelhalter with a request to send a new head. Fascinating, but with a share of absurdity, the events of this chapter unfold, which conveys its summary.

"The History of a City" (Organchik is one of the brightest and most revealing characters here) is not only a novel denouncing the political system, but also a parody of the rulers of Russia. Saltykov-Shchedrin draws a hero who is able to utter only two lines, but his right to power is not disputed. On the contrary, as soon as the head is brought, it is put into place, and the unrest in the city stops.

Chapter 5

Let's continue with the summary. "The History of a City" (Saltykov-Shchedrin) is a work that colorfully exposes the whole absurdity of the life of monarchic Russia. And the 5th chapter was no exception, it describes the struggle for power after the city was left without a ruler appointed from above.

Having taken possession of the treasury, Iraida Paleologova takes the place of the mayor. She orders all those dissatisfied with her rule to be seized and forced to recognize her authority. But another contender for power appears in Foolov, who manages to overthrow Iraida - Clementine de Bourbon.

But the reign of Clementine did not last long, a third contender for power appeared - Amalia Stockfish. She got the townspeople drunk, and they grabbed and put Clementine in a cage.

Then Nelka Lyadokhovskaya seized power, and behind her was Dunka the fat-footed, and with her Matryona the nostril.

This confusion with the authorities lasted seven days, until the town governor appointed by the authorities, Semyon Konstantinovich Dvoekurov, arrived in Foolov.

Chapter 6

Now the story of Dvoekurov’s reign will be summarized (“History of a City”, Saltykov-Shchedrin) chapter by chapter. This active city ruler issued a decree on compulsory use Foolovites bay leaves and mustard. The most significant thing that Dvoekourov did was a note that it was necessary to open an academy in Foolovo. The chronicle did not preserve any other data from his biography.

Chapter 7

The chapter describes six prosperous years in the life of the Foolovites: there were no fires, famine, diseases, or the fall of livestock. And all thanks to the reign of Petr Petrovich Ferdyshchenko.

But the satire knows no mercy for officials, which Saltykov-Shchedrin wields so skillfully. “The history of one city”, the summary of which we are considering, is not rich in happy times. And in the seventh year of the reign, everything changes. Ferdyshchenko fell in love with Alena Osipova, who refused him because she was married. Alena's husband, Mitka, having learned about this, rebelled against the authorities. Ferdyshchenko exiled him to Siberia for this. The whole city had to pay for Mitka's sins - famine set in. The Foolovites blamed Alena for this and threw her from the bell tower. After that, bread appeared in the city.

Chapter 8

The events included in the summary (“History of one city”) continue to develop. An excerpt (8th grade studies this point) from a book describing them is usually included in school curriculum. The point here is that the mayor fell in love again, but now with Domashka the Archer.

Now the city is overtaken by another disaster - a fire, from which it was possible to escape only thanks to the rain. The Foolovites blame the mayor for what happened and demand that he answer for all his sins. Ferdyshchenko publicly repents, but immediately writes a denunciation of the people who dared to oppose the authorities. Upon learning of this, all the inhabitants of the city were numb with fear.

Chapter 9

Topicality, malicious mockery and a desire to correct the unfortunate situation in the country are manifested in the novel written by Saltykov-Shchedrin (“The History of a City”). The brief summary gives an extra opportunity to be convinced of this. Ferdyshchenko decides to profit from pastures. He is convinced that from his appearance the grasses will become greener, and the flowers - more magnificent. His journey through the meadows begins, accompanied by drunkenness and intimidation of the Foolovites, which ends with the mayor's mouth twisting from overeating.

A new mayor is sent to Foolov - Vasilisk Semenovich Borodavkin.

Chapter 10

A brief summary will be devoted to the description of the new mayor. “The history of one city”, an excerpt (grade 8) of which is studied at school, can attract young readers just its satirical side.

The new mayor is distinguished by the fact that he is used to constantly shouting and thus getting his way. Slept with only one closed eye, while the second was watching everything. And he was a writer - he wrote a project about the army and navy, adding a line to it every day.

Wartkin at first fought for enlightenment, then he realized that bewilderment can be better than poly-wittedness, and began to fight against it. In 1798 he died.

Chapter 11

We continue to detail the summary ("History of one city"). Saltykov-Shchedrin, breaking the story into chapters, made each part of the novel a separate milestone in the history of Foolov. So, tired of the war associated with enlightenment, the Foolovites demanded that the city be completely freed from it. Therefore, the reform of the new mayor Mikaladze (a ban on issuing any laws and an end to the fight against education) pleased them. The only weakness of the new representative of power was the love of women. He died from exhaustion.

Chapter 12

Saltykov-Shchedrin (“The History of a City”) begins this section of the story with a description of difficult times for the Foolovites. The summary (an excerpt of this chapter is often given in school textbooks) tells that due to the constant change of power, or even the complete absence of the mayor, the city was ruled by quarters, which led the Fools to hunger and ruin.

Then the Frenchman du Chario was appointed to the city, who liked to eat pies with filling and have fun, but he was not interested in state affairs.

The Foolovites began to build a tower, the end of which was supposed to reach heaven, to worship Volos and Perun. Their language became similar to a mixture of monkey and human. The Foolovites began to consider themselves the wisest in the world.

An interesting summary of the "History of a City" chapter by chapter. Thus, the change in the Foolovites described in this part is reminiscent of the biblical stories about the city of Babylon.

The new mayor, Sadtilov, favorably accepted the decline in morals of the Foolovites, considering this a true enjoyment of life.

Chapter 13

The summary is coming to an end. The "History of a City" (Saltykov-Shchedrin) is divided into chapters so that the penultimate chapter becomes a description of the death of Foolov.

The ideas of the new city governor Ugryum-Burcheev about equality turn the city into a barracks, where any free-thinking is immediately punished. Such an arrangement of life leads to the disappearance of Foolov and the death of the Foolovites.

Chapter 14

How does Saltykov-Shchedrin end his story? The history of one city (a brief summary of the last chapter is presented below) has ended. In conclusion, the author presents a set of works of the mayors of the city of Glupov on how subordinates should be managed, what duties the supreme authority should perform, how to behave and look like a city governor.

M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin is the great satirist of the 19th century. In his works, he raised the most important topics, eternal questions that all progressive mankind thought about.

The crowning achievement of M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin’s satire is rightfully considered to be The History of a City, which he began writing in 1868 and finished in 1870. The focus of the writer is the city of Foolov, as well as the Foolovites inhabiting this city.

These images are deeply symbolic: the city of Shchedrin is not just the embodiment of human emptiness and idleness, but the embodiment of all of tsarist Russia, its entire social and political structure. Published at the end of the 19th century, the work caused a great resonance not only in narrow literary circles, but also in broad public ones.

Censorship and some critics understood The History of a City as a satire referring exclusively to Russia's past and mainly to the 18th century. But this understanding of the work is not entirely correct. Shchedrin here gives a satirical image of the entire system of Russian autocracy, connecting and intertwining the past with the present. Its mayors are generalized caricatures in which one can recognize Russian tsars and nobles not only of the past, but also of modern Shchedrin.

The protagonist of the "History of a City" is the people, the generalized image of which is revealed more and more from chapter to chapter. This happens as more and more mayors enter the course of the story. But the holders of the supreme power of the city of Glupov themselves play a very important role in the work. They are the personification of all vices, the bearers of "mortal sins".

Dementy Varlamovich Brudasty opens the procession of Foolov's mayors. This image incorporates the features of government despotism, stupidity and narrow-mindedness. Brodystoy has a mechanism in his head that produces only one word: "I will not tolerate it!". This is the shortest formula for an autocratic system.

The Foolovites are true "admirers" of the authorities, they greet Brodasty with delight, they dream of the prosperity of the city. But their expectations were not justified, as life became much worse for them: “times have come dark and terrible.” However, Shchedrin ironically remarks, the Foolovites "were not carried away either by the revolutionary ideas that were fashionable at that time, or by the temptations presented by anarchy, but remained true to the love of the authorities."

The image of the head, which is in no way connected with the body, also appears in the description of another mayor, whom Shchedrin calls Pimple. Only he had a "stuffed head", once eaten by an official. That was the end of the inglorious activity of Pimple.

The broad procession of the mayors ends with a description of the activities of Ugryum-Burcheev, which is a satire on the organization of the so-called "military settlements" undertaken by Arakcheev at the request of Alexander I. The description is not so much satirical as grotesque. Gloomy-Grumbling acts according to the principle: “what I want, then I turn back”: “He has not yet made any orders, and everyone already understood that the end had come.”

This mayor turned the city into a barracks, challenged nature itself: he decided to stop the river. But the river didn't budge. Such a confrontation reveals the very essence of the work: the river is an allegorical image of progressive Russia. This is a country moving forward, leaving aside the "garbage" and "rubbish" with which Ugryum-Gurcheev wanted to cut off its current, stop its flow.

But, in addition, the river symbolizes the people "as the embodiment of the idea of ​​democracy." This is the kind of people Shchedrin wanted to see in Russia - people capable of thinking and understanding the meaning of their existence. Around himself, he saw only "historical people", that is, real, not idealized. According to Shchedrin, these are “people, like everyone else, with the only caveat that their natural properties have been overgrown with a mass of superficial atoms ...”

These "atoms" - passivity, ignorance, bossiness, downtroddenness, gullibility, the ability to outbursts of blind rage and cruelty - are depicted by the satirist in an extremely exaggerated form.

Shchedrin writes that a Foolovist is "a man who is beaten in the head with amazing constancy and who, of course, cannot come to any other result than stunned." And only the reign of Grim-Grumbling led to the fact that even the “ordinary” stupidities, for all their downtroddenness, felt that “it is impossible to breathe further in this air.”

Thus, Saltykov-Shchedrin raises in his work important issues that are relevant at all times: the relationship between the people and power, the essence of the Russian character, the nature and causes of state power, questions of human psychology, and so on. In addition, in the "History of a City" he expresses his social, civic ideal, which is expressed "on the contrary", by ridiculing the vices of Russian society and Russian power.

As one of the researchers of M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin's work V.K. Kirpotin defined, “Shchedrin was not interested in the biographies of mayors. His attention was focused on the power that determined the life of the country and the nature of government. Power is explored by the satirist...

Sadtilov Erast Andreevich - Foolovsky mayor, state councilor. "Friend of Karamzin" (bears the name of one of the main characters of his " Poor Lisa"). “The tenderness and sensitivity of the heart” did not prevent him from “quite naturally disposing of state property” ...

Paleologova Iraida Lukinichna is the first of the impostors who appeared after the confusion caused by the story with Brudas-tym-Organchik. She based her claims on her “historical” surname and on the fact that her late husband, a wine bailiff, once somewhere temporarily ...

In the work of Saltykov-Shchedrin, "The History of a City" (1869-1870) occupies one of the central places. This is a shining example political satire in which the very foundations of autocracy are subjected to uncompromising criticism, and every form of despotism,...

In 1870, after a series of publications of individual chapters, the work of Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin "The History of a City" was published. This event received a wide public outcry - the writer was accused of mocking the Russian people and denigrating facts Russian history. The genre of the work - satirical story denouncing the morals, the relationship between power and people in an autocratic society.

The story "The History of a City" is full of such devices as irony, grotesque, Aesopian language, allegory. All this allows the author, in separate episodes, bringing the described to the point of absurdity, to vividly depict the absolute obedience of the people to any arbitrary power. The vices of the society contemporary to the author have not been eliminated even today. After reading "The History of a City" in summary chapter by chapter you will get to know the most important points works that clearly demonstrate the satirical orientation of the story.

main characters

The main characters of the story are the mayors, each of whom managed to be remembered in some way in the history of the city of Glupov. Since the story describes a lot of portraits of mayors, it is worth dwelling on the most significant characters.

busty- shocked the inhabitants with his categoricalness, with his exclamations on any occasion, “I will ruin!” and "I will not stand it!".

Dvoekurov with his "great" reforms regarding bay leaves and mustard, seems completely harmless against the background of subsequent mayors.

Wartkin- fought with his own people "for enlightenment."

Ferdyshchenko– his greed and lust almost killed the townspeople.

Acne- the people were not ready for such a ruler as he was - people lived too well under him, not interfering in any affairs.

Gloomy-Grumbling- with all his idiocy, he managed not only to become a mayor, but also to destroy the entire city, trying to realize his crazy idea.

Other characters

If the main characters are the mayors, the secondary ones are the people with whom they interact. The common people are shown as a collective image. The author generally depicts him as obeying his ruler, ready to endure all oppression and various oddities of his power. They are shown by the author as a faceless mass that rebels only when there is a mass death of people around from hunger or fires.

From the publisher

"History of one city" tells about the city of Foolov, its history. The chapter "From the Publisher" in the voice of the author assures the reader that the "Chronicle" is genuine. He invites the reader to "catch the physiognomy of the city and follow how its history reflected the various changes that simultaneously took place in the higher spheres." The author emphasizes that the plot of the narrative is monotonous, "almost exclusively limited to the biographies of mayors."

Appeal to the reader from the last archivist-chronicler

In this chapter, the author sets himself the task of conveying a “touching correspondence” to the authorities of the city, “daring to the extent” of the people, “thanks to the extent possible”. The archivist tells that he will present the reader with the history of the government in the city of Glupovo of the mayors, one after the other replacing in the highest post. The narrators, four local chroniclers, recount in turn the "genuine" events taking place in the city from 1731 to 1825.

About the origin of the Foolovites

This chapter talks about prehistoric times, how ancient tribe bunglers defeated the neighboring tribes of onion-eaters, thick-eaters, walrus-eaters, frogs, kosobryukhy and so on. After the victory, the bunglers began to think about how to restore order in their new society, since things were not going well for them: either “The Volga was kneaded with oatmeal,” or “they dragged the calf to the bathhouse.” They decided they needed a ruler. To this end, the bunglers went to look for a prince who would rule them. However, all the princes to whom they addressed with this request refused, because no one wanted to rule stupid people. The princes, having “taught” with a rod, the bunglers were released in peace and with “honor”. Desperate, they turned to an innovative thief who managed to help find the prince. The prince agreed to manage them, but he did not begin to live with the bunglers - he sent an innovative thief as his deputy.

Golovotyapov renamed them “Stupid”, and the city, accordingly, became known as “Folupov”.
It was not at all difficult for the Novotor to manage the Foolovites - this people was distinguished by humility and unquestioning execution of orders from the authorities. However, this did not please their ruler, the newcomer wanted riots that could be pacified. The end of his reign was very sad: the thief-innovator stole so much that the prince could not stand it and sent him a noose. But the newcomer managed to get out of this situation - without waiting for the loop, he "killed himself with a cucumber."

Then other rulers, who were sent by the prince, began to appear in Foolov one by one. All of them - Odoevets, Orlovets, Kalyazin - turned out to be unscrupulous thieves even worse than an innovator. The prince was tired of such events, personally appeared in the city with a cry: "I'll screw it up!". With this cry, the countdown of "historical time" began.

Inventory to the mayors, at various times in the city of Foolov from the higher authorities appointed (1731 - 1826)

This chapter lists the names of the mayors of Glupov and briefly mentions their "achievements". It speaks of twenty-two rulers. So, for example, about one of the city governors in the document it is written as follows: “22) Intercept-Zalikhvatsky, Archangel Stratilatovich, Major. I will keep silent about this. He rode into Foolov on a white horse, burned the gymnasium and abolished the sciences. ”(The meaning of the chapter is not clear)

organ

The year 1762 was marked by the beginning of the reign of the mayor Dementy Varlamovich Brodasty. The Foolovites were surprised that their new ruler is sullen and says nothing but two phrases: "I will not tolerate it!" and "I'll break it!". They did not know what to think until the secret of Brodystoy was revealed: his head is completely empty. The clerk accidentally saw a terrible thing: the mayor's torso, as usual, was sitting at the table, but the head was separately lying on the table. And there was nothing in it at all. The townspeople did not know what to do now. They remembered Baibakov, the watchmaker and organ maker, who had recently visited Brudastom. After questioning Baibakov, the Foolovites found out that the head of the mayor was equipped with a musical organ, which played only two pieces: “I won’t stand it!” and "I'll break it!". The organ broke down, damp on the way. The master could not fix it on his own, so he ordered a new head in St. Petersburg, but the order was delayed for some reason.

There was an anarchy, the ending of which was put by the unexpected appearance of two absolutely identical impostor rulers at the same time. They saw each other, "measured each other with their eyes," and the inhabitants, who watched this scene, silently slowly dispersed. A messenger who arrived from the province took both "mayors" with him, and anarchy began in Glupovo, which lasted a whole week.

The Tale of the Six Mayors (Picture of Foolovsky civil strife)

This time was very eventful in the field of city government - the city survived as many as six mayors. Residents watched the struggle of Iraida Lukinichna Paleologova, Klementinka de Bourbon, Amalia Karlovna Stockfish. The first assured that she was worthy of being a mayor due to the fact that her husband had been engaged in mayoral activities for some time, the second had her father, the third had once been a mayoral pompadour. In addition to those named, Nelka Lyadokhovskaya, Dunka the fat-footed and Matryonka the nostril also claimed power. There were no grounds for the latter to claim the role of city governors at all. Serious battles broke out in the city. The Foolovites drowned and threw their fellow citizens from the bell tower. The city is tired of anarchy. And then, finally, a new mayor appeared - Semyon Konstatinovich Dvoekurov.

The news about Dvokurov

The new ruler of the Dvoekurs ruled the Foolovs for eight years. He is noted as a person of advanced views. Dvokurov developed activities that became beneficial for the city. Under him, they began to engage in honey and brewing, he ordered that mustard be consumed in food and Bay leaf. His intentions included the establishment of the Academy in Foolov.

hungry city

Pyotr Petrovich Ferdyshchenko replaced Dvoekurov's board. The city lived for six years in prosperity and prosperity. But in the seventh year, the mayor fell in love with Alena Osipova, the wife of the coachman Mitka. However, Alenka did not share Pyotr Petrovich's feelings. Ferdyshchenko took all sorts of actions to make Alenka fall in love with him, even sent Mitka to Siberia. Alenka became supportive of the courtship of the mayor.

A drought began in Foolovo, followed by famine and human deaths. The Foolovites lost patience and sent a messenger to Ferdyshchenko, but the walker did not return. The petition was also not answered. Then the inhabitants rebelled and threw Alenka from the bell tower. A company of soldiers came to the city to suppress the riot.

thatched city

The next love interest of Pyotr Petrovich was the archer Domashka, whom he recaptured from the “optism”. Together with new love drought brought fires to the city. Pushkarskaya Sloboda burned down, then Bolotnaya and Negodnitsa. The Foolovites accused Ferdyshchenko of a new misfortune.

fantasy traveler

The new stupidity of Ferdyshchenko hardly brought a new disaster to the townspeople: he went on a journey through the city pasture, forcing the inhabitants to present themselves with food supplies. The journey ended three days later with the death of Ferdyshchenko from gluttony. The Foolovites were afraid that they would be accused of deliberately "feeding the brigadier." However, a week later, the fears of the townspeople dissipated - a new mayor arrived from the province. The decisive and active Borodavkin marked the beginning of the "golden age of Glupov." People began to live in full abundance.

Wars for enlightenment

Vasilisk Semenovich Borodavkin, the new mayor of Glupov, studied the history of the city, and decided that the only previous ruler worth emulating was Dvoekurov, and he was struck not even by the fact that his predecessor had paved the streets of the city and collected arrears, but by the fact that he was sowing mustard. Unfortunately, the people have already forgotten it and even stopped planting this culture. Wartkin decided to remember the old days, to resume sowing mustard and eating it. But the inhabitants stubbornly did not want to return to the past. The Foolovites rebelled on their knees. They were afraid that in the event that they obeyed Wartkin, in the future he would force them "whatever else there is an abomination." The mayor undertook a military campaign against the Streltsy Sloboda, "the source of all evil", in order to suppress the rebellion. The campaign lasted nine days and it is difficult to call it completely successful. In absolute darkness, their own fought with their own. The mayor suffered a betrayal by his supporters: one morning he discovered that more the soldiers were fired, they were replaced tin soldiers referring to a certain resolution. However, the mayor managed to survive by organizing a reserve of tin soldiers. He reached the settlement, but found no one there. Wartkin began to dismantle the houses by logs, which forced the settlement to surrender.
The future brought three more wars, which were also fought for "enlightenment". The first of the three subsequent wars was fought for explaining to the inhabitants of the city the benefits of stone foundations for houses, the second - because of the refusal of the inhabitants to grow Persian chamomile, and the third - against the establishment of an academy in the city.
The result of Borodavkin's rule was the impoverishment of the city. The mayor died at the moment when he once again decided to burn the city.

The era of dismissal from wars

In short, the subsequent events look like this: the city finally became impoverished under the next ruler, Captain Negodyaev, who replaced Borodavkin. Negodyaev was fired very soon for disagreeing with the imposition of the constitution. However, the chronicler considered this reason to be formal. The true reason was the fact that the mayor once served as a stoker, which to a certain extent was regarded as belonging to a democratic principle. And the wars for enlightenment and against it were not needed by the city, exhausted by battles. After Negodyaev's dismissal, "Circassian" Mikeladze took the reins of government into his own hands. However, his reign did not affect the situation in the city in any way: the mayor did not deal with Glupov at all, since all his thoughts were connected exclusively with the fair sex.

Benevolensky Theophylact Irinarkhovich became Mikeladze's successor. Speransky was a friend in the seminary of the new mayor, and from him, obviously, Benevolensky inherited a love for legislation. He wrote such laws: “Let every person have a contrite heart”, “Let every soul tremble” and “Let every cricket recognize the heart corresponding to its title.” However, Benevolensky did not have the right to write laws, he was forced to publish them secretly, and at night to scatter his works around the city. This did not last long - he was suspected of having links with Napoleon and fired.

Lieutenant Colonel Pryshch was appointed next. It was surprising that under him the city lived in abundance, harvests were huge, despite the fact that the mayor did not at all engage in his direct duties. The townspeople got suspicious again. And they were right in their suspicions: the leader of the nobility noticed that the head of the mayor exudes the smell of truffles. He attacked Pimple and ate the ruler's stuffed head.

Worship of mammon and repentance

In Glupov, a successor to the eaten Pimple appeared - State Councilor Ivanov. However, he soon died, because "he turned out to be so small in stature that he could not contain anything spacious."

He was replaced by the Viscount de Chario. This ruler did not know how to do anything except to have fun all the time, arrange masquerades. He “did not manage affairs and did not interfere in the administration. This last circumstance promised to prolong the well-being of the Foolovites without end ... ”But the emigrant, who allowed the inhabitants to convert to paganism, was ordered to be sent abroad. Interestingly, he turned out to be a special female.

The next person to appear in Glupovo was Erast Andreyevich Sadtilov, a state councilor. By the time of his appearance, the inhabitants of the city had already become absolute idolaters. They forgot God, plunging into depravity and laziness. They stopped working, sowing the fields, hoping for some kind of happiness, and as a result, famine came to the city. Sadtilov cared very little about this situation, since he was busy with balls. However, things soon changed. The wife of the pharmacist Pfeyer influenced Melancholov by pointing out true path of good. And the main people in the city were the wretched and holy fools, who in the era of idolatry found themselves on the sidelines of life.

The inhabitants of Foolov repented of their sins, but this was the end of the matter - the Foolovites did not start working. At night, the city beau monde gathered to read the works of the city of Strakhov. This soon became known to the higher authorities and Sadtilov had to say goodbye to the post of city governor.

Confirmation of repentance. Conclusion

The last mayor of Glupov was Ugryum-Burcheev. This man was a complete idiot - "the purest type of idiot," as the author writes. For himself he set sole purpose- to make the city of Nepreklonsk out of the city of Glupov, "eternally worthy of the memory of the Grand Duke Svyatoslav Igorevich." Nepreklonsk was supposed to look like this: city streets should be the same straight lines, houses and buildings should also be identical to each other, people too. Each house should become a "settled unit", which will be watched by him, Ugryum-Burcheeva, a spy. The townspeople called him "Satan" and experienced a vague fear of their ruler. As it turned out, not without reason: the mayor developed detailed plan and set about putting it into practice. He destroyed the city, leaving no stone unturned. Now the task was to build the city of his dreams. But the river violated these plans, it interfered. Gloomy-Grumbling started a real war with her, using all the garbage that remained as a result of the destruction of the city. However, the river did not give up, washing away all the dams and dams being built. Gloomy-Grumbling turned around and, leading the people, walked away from the river. He chose a new place for the construction of the city - a flat lowland, and began to build the city of his dreams. However, something went wrong. Unfortunately, it was not possible to find out what exactly prevented the construction, since records with the details of this story have not been preserved. The denouement became known: “... time stopped its run. Finally, the earth shook, the sun went dark... the Foolovites fell on their faces. Inscrutable horror appeared on all faces, seized all hearts. It has come…” What exactly came, the reader remains unknown. However, the fate of Ugryum-Burcheev is as follows: “the scoundrel instantly disappeared, as if dissolved in the air. History has stopped flowing."

supporting documents

At the end of the narration, "Supporting Documents" are published, which are the works of Borodavkin, Mikeladze and Benevolensky, written as a warning to other mayors.

Conclusion

A brief retelling of the "History of a City" clearly demonstrates not only the satirical direction of the story, but also ambiguously points to historical parallels. Images of mayors are written off from historical figures, many events also refer to palace coups. Full version story, of course, will provide an opportunity to get acquainted with the content of the work in detail.

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"History of a city". (“Life under the yoke of madness”) Shchedrin wrote, answering those who saw “historical satire” in “The History of a City”, that he “does not ridicule history at all, but a certain order of things”, that is, “the same the foundations of life that existed in the 18th century, but which still exist today. Fantastic "miracle world", recreated using the historical realities of the XVIII - early XIX centuries, the world that threatens the present, and even more so the future, is a deeply tragic world. And "mockery", or mockery, plays in Shchedrin's satire special role. “This is not even laughter, but a tragic situation.<...>Depicting life under the yoke of madness, I counted on arousing a bitter feeling in the reader, and by no means cheerfulness ”(from Saltykov’s letter to A.N. Pypin dated April 2, 1871).

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What is the "order of things", those "foundations of life" that are ridiculed in the "History of a City"? In "Appeal to the reader from the last archivist-chronicler" - Pavlushka Masloboinikov - this chronicler enthusiastically writes about the "touching correspondence" between the Foolovites and their superiors. The “publisher” (Shchedrin) in the preface reveals the meaning of such a “correspondence”: “all of them,” that is, Foolov’s mayors, “flog the townsfolk,” and the townsfolk “tremble” at the same time. "Section" - a sign of suppression and violence, a certain denominator, artistically summarizing the "miracles" of the administrative zeal of the mayors. "Awe" is also a sign, also a common denominator, this time - of the philistine "bosses' love." And the common denominator of both is a “touching correspondence”, in other words, a grotesque depiction of the relationship between the authorities (cutters) and the townsfolk (insects). Such is the political life of the city of Glupov at any moment of its history.

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The first chapter of the "History of one city" - "On the root of the origin of the Foolovites", following the "Appeal to the reader from the last archivist-chronicler" - is designed to show what determined just such a history of the city. In the chapter "On the Root of the Origin of the Foolovites," Shchedrin parodies the chronicler's story and the historian's presentation of it, but bases his understanding and assessment on a different source - oral folk art with his characteristic self-irony, "self-mockery". Yes, at famous connoisseurs and collectors of folklore I.Sakharov and V.Dal, he takes those mocking nicknames that were exchanged between residents of different Russian cities and towns: "goofballs" - Yegorievtsy, "walrus-eaters" - Arkhangelsk residents, "onion-eaters" - Arzamas, etc. Shchedrin knew and those anecdotes that are attributed to the "blind breeds" - the Poshekhons, who got lost in the three pines. N.M. Karamzin in the "History of the Russian State", using "The Tale of Bygone Years" as a source - ancient monument Russian chronicle, created in early XII century monk Kievo-Pechersky monastery Nestor, tells about the numerous tribes that lived in prehistoric times on the territory future Russia, naming glades, Radimichi, Vyatichi, Drevlyans and others. In the Nesterov Chronicle it is said about them: “... and there was no truth among them, and clan upon clan stood up, and they had strife, and began to fight with each other. And they said to themselves: "Let's look for a prince who would rule over us and judge by right." For: "Our land is great and plentiful, but there is no order in it." Nestor's story about the calling of the Varangian princes in 862 is repeated by Karamzin, drawing conclusions from it that correspond to his concept of the history of Russian statehood.

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In enmity and internecine strife, - says the chronicler of Foolov, - the bunglers finally won, because other tribes did not know how to chop their heads. But, having won, the bunglers are doing all the same senseless deeds here. Then, on the advice of the elder Dobromysl, the bunglers decide to look for a prince. Only the third prince of those to whom the bunglers go agrees to “rule” and “push” them: “But how could you not live on your own, and you yourself, stupid, wished for bondage, then you will no longer be called bunglers, but Foolovites” . And “arrived in my own person to Foolov”, “shout: - I’ll screw up!” So for the first time this word-omen sounded, the word-symbol, with which "historical times began", the history of the city of Glupov began, in fact. And the Foolovites are called Foolovites because they exchanged their liberty for the princely power, which chose violence as the main instrument of its rule - cutting. This is the "root" of their origin.

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The real historical basis of the work The story of Glupov in the description of the "Glupovsky Chronicler" begins in 1731, when Anna Ioannovna, the niece of Peter I, entered the imperial throne, and ends in the years 1825 (the death of Alexander I and the Decembrist uprising) or 1826 (the coronation of Nicholas I). At the same time, the names of persons who actually existed and ruled in Russia are called (“temporary worker” under Empress Anna Ioannovna, Duke of Courland Biron, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna - “meek Elizabeth”, the all-powerful favorite of Catherine II, Prince Grigory Potemkin and others). And much more in this "Inventory" hinted at the real facts of Russian history.

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The real historical basis of the work of the Alternation of mayors in the "History ..." is not accidental. It serves, on the one hand, to achieve an ideological and artistic goal, and on the other hand, it is based on actual historical chronology. The reign of the first two - according to the "Inventory" - mayors falls on the years of the reign of Anna Ioannovna, the time of the so-called "Bironism", when the autocratic, cruel and immoral "temporary" Duke of Courland Ernst Johann Biron actually became the head of state. "Bironovshchina" as a characteristic embodiment of the system of political favoritism can be compared with "Arakcheevshchina" - the omnipotence under Alexander I Arakcheev - the organizer of the system of "military settlements" of peasant soldiers: "gloom-grumbling" in the last chapter of the "History of a City" is an undoubted pseudonym of "Arakcheevshchina ". With a satirical interpretation of these two eras in the history of Russia, Shchedrin begins and ends The History of a City as a satire on certain type political and social organization, not at all limited by the century that served as a "model" for such an organization.

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Organchik Dementy Varlamovich Brudasty" ("Organchik"), who "jumped" into the Foolov "municipia" in August 1762, that is, soon after the June coup that brought the wise and enlightened Catherine to power. The boss-loving Foolovites naturally rejoiced. even dangerous dreamers," who claimed that "under the new mayor, trade and<...>under the supervision of quarter guards<то есть полицейских!>sciences and arts will arise” “I had barely broken into the boundaries of the city pasture, when right there, on the very border, I crossed a lot of coachmen.” And the Foolovites had to "experience what bitter trials the most stubborn love of the authorities can be subjected to." And at the reception of the "bureaucratic archangels", that is, the city authorities, Brodysty, "flashing his eyes, said:" I will not tolerate it! and disappeared into the office. That is how those significant words sounded, that motive that will determine both the political and moral atmosphere of Foolov's unreasonable life. “Unheard-of activity suddenly boiled in all parts of the city.<...>They seize and catch, flog and flog, describe and sell.<...>A rumble and crackle rush from one end of the city to the other, and over all this hubbub, over all this confusion, like the cry of a bird of prey, the ominous reigns: “I will not tolerate it!” And hung over the city, "ominous and unaccountable fear" penetrated into the philistine hearts, caused by the insanely feverish activity of either a person or a clockwork doll.

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Organchik In a fever of general fear, an absurdly fantastic situation is brewing - Foolov's sedition (they said in a whisper that Brodysty was not at all a hail-head, but a werewolf sent to Foolov "out of frivolity"!) love of the bosses”): the daredevils “offered to fall on their knees without exception and ask for forgiveness” (in what?) - “What, if deemed necessary<вышней властью>so that in Foolov, for his sake, there would be just such, and not another, mayor? (The theme of Foolov's "sins" will appear more than once on the pages of the "History of a City"). The phantasmagoria of Foolov's life is growing: it is here that it is discovered that on the shoulders of Brudasty is not a head, but an empty box - "organ", the spoiled mechanism of which is not able to play even a simple melody, but filled with some kind of inhuman threat. The fantastic takes on hyperbolic dimensions - the mayor - "organ" suddenly doubles: two grotesque characters with a mechanical "musical" box-head, mounted on a human body, appear before the crowd rebellious in the name of love of the bosses. Another sacramental word flies out of the mouth of one of them with a deafening cry: !" Only one sound is capable of making the mechanism of the "Organchik", only one frightening motive to lose, and this motive is also doubled, intensified in the cry of a double suddenly appearing in front of the crowd: "I'll tear you apart!". Mechanical man-"organ", a soulless doll symbolizes the stupid mechanism of power. The comic of the situation acquires a tragic force in the grotesque.

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Wartkin "Contained ... in himself" a lot of crying. In his essay “Thoughts on city governors’ unanimity, as well as on city governors’ autocracy and other things”, not so much even his “ideals” were reflected, but the everyday life of his communication with the townsfolk, each of whom, in his opinion, “is always to blame for something ":" Speech should be jerky, a look promising further orders, the gait is uneven, as if convulsive. And although he complained that his hands were tied, and secretly composed a charter “on the non-restriction of city governors by laws,” in fact he was not shy about anything and, waging wars “for enlightenment”, went on a campaign against the townsfolk, ruining houses and settlements. Borodavkin Vasilisk Semenovich - the type of mayor, "whose legs were ready to run at any time to no one knows where."

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Borodavkin For all the fantasticness of individual details (Borodavkin's army consisted of tin soldiers, whose faces were filled with blood at the right time), these episodes had a very real historical basis: the forced introduction of potatoes, starting from the time of Catherine. What were the "troubles" in converting to the potato "faith" can be seen from the official report on the Vyatka province, probably known to Saltykov who served there: "To bring the crowd into some confusion, the governor ordered a volley of 46 guns to be fired. 30 people were thrown to the ground. " The peasants did not persist any longer, "convinced, - as stated in the same document, - in favor of the government's measures for the cultivation of this vegetable." Let us compare with this what was said in Wartkin's essay: "... It may also happen that the crowd, as if frozen in its rudeness and inveterateness, becomes stagnant in bitterness. Then it is necessary to fire."

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characteristics of fools. The Foolovites are the inhabitants of the city, the image of which first appeared in the early 1860s. in the writer's essays "Stupid and Foolovites" and "Folupov's Debauchery", banned by censorship. The Foolovites, as Shchedrin explained in a polemic with critics of the book, are “a historical people,” that is, real, not idealized, “people, like all others, with the only caveat that their natural properties have been overgrown with a mass of superficial atoms ... Therefore there is no talk of real "properties", but there is ... only about superficial atoms. These "atoms" - passivity, ignorance, "loving the bosses", downtroddenness, gullibility, the ability to outbursts of blind rage and cruelty - are depicted by the satirist in an extremely exaggerated form. Foolovets - "a man who is hammered with amazing constancy and who, of course, cannot come to any other result than stunned." The manifestation of other "properties" has the most tragic consequences for their owners.

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“He was terrible” In 1810, Alexander I put forward the idea of ​​a special form of quartering troops, the so-called “military settlements”, which Arakcheev, then chairman of the Department of Military Affairs of the State Council, immediately began to implement Russian Empire. However, the main activities of Arakcheev, with the active participation of the king himself, in organizing "military settlements" unfolded after 1815. As a result of this reform of the army, a whole socio-political system took shape in ten years, capturing a significant part of the territory of Russia and up to several hundred thousand peasants (“military settlers”). Remaining peasants, they had to work on their field plot, but at the same time they became soldiers, subject, together with their families, to the strictest discipline, regulated to the smallest detail not only by the military, but also by the labor and domestic regime. In this case, life itself presented something so insane that Shchedrin had only to insert this fantastic "project" into the satirical frame of "The History of a City." The Foolovists had to go through one more "repentance" - immeasurably more terrible. The terrible figure of Grim-Burcheev directly and immediately evoked in the minds of readers the appearance and, in particular, the activity of Alexander's "temporary worker", the almighty A.A. Arakcheev.

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Moody-Grumbling Among the elements that made up the nature of Grim-Grumbling, there were no traces of any emotions: everything human was replaced in him by "inflexibility, acting with the regularity of the most distinct mechanism." Again, before us is a doll, a mechanism "programmed" only for a straight line, brought to the point of absurdity, to nakedness. Such a perversion of the very essence, the very nature of human nature is, at the same time, the complete realization of the idea of ​​autocracy in its utterly purified form from any moving form, iridescent with numerous shades and colors of life. The portrait of Grim-Grumbling, preserved in the city archive, is the face (mask) of such power: “The purest type of idiot rises before the eyes of the viewer, who has made some kind of gloomy decision and swore an oath to carry it out.” "Ka-za-r-rmy!" - this is the short, final, exhaustive formula of the gloomy-grumbling ideal. Stunning in its barracks simplicity and inhumanity, gloomy-burcheev’s “dystopia” is such an idea of ​​​​the ideal of a social structure that aims not to achieve the fullness of human existence, but, on the contrary, its humiliating simplification.

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The Interception-Zalikhvatsky Chronicle, maintained by four archivists, breaks off in 1825. This year, “someone” comes who turns out to be “more terrible” than Ugryum-Burcheev, and just then, as it is said in the preface “From the Publisher”, “apparently, even for archivists literary activity no longer available." The symbol of the “historical impasse” that occurred in 1825 (or 1826) was to be the Interception-Zalikhvatsky Archangel Stratilatovich, a major, about whom the “Inventory to the mayors” only says: “I will keep silent about this. He rode into Foolov on a white horse, burned the gymnasium and abolished the sciences. Is this sinister figure not a deeply hidden allegorical allusion to the coming of a new, “ahistorical” era or a historical dead end after the defeat of the Decembrist uprising and the accession of Nicholas I? The Aesopian language of Shchedrin is so rich that unambiguous interpretations are impossible here, for they distort deep meanings his satires, although such a comparison suggests itself.

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End of story. What is "it"? Some researchers of Shchedrin's work believed that "it" symbolizes the expression of popular anger, the anger of the "ashamed" Foolovites - an uprising, a revolution. This assumption is based on the fact that the Foolovites, when the “cup overflowed”, after secret night meetings, probably took some action for the sake of their release. However, it seems beyond doubt that Shchedrin quite deliberately leaves the question unanswered: what are these actions and what did they lead to? It is “after this” that the mysterious “it” appears to the “stupefied crowd”. In any case, it is obvious that "it" affects not only the mayor Ugryum-Burcheev, but also the Foolovites themselves. "It" appears as retribution, as a verdict on Foolov's story in general.

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CONCLUSION "The history of one city" by Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin (1826-1889) was called by his contemporaries "a libel on the history of the Russian state". This book remains relevant in our time, being, in fact, not a merciless verdict on "Russian reality", but a ruthless surgical operation that reveals and heals the "ulcers" of society.

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