Fortress
We live in a fort
We eat bread and drink water;
And how fierce enemies
They will come to us for pies,
Let's give the guests a feast:
Let's load the cannon with buckshot.
Soldier's song
Old people, my father.
Minor
The Belogorsk fortress was located forty miles from Orenburg. The road went along the steep bank of the Yaik. The river had not yet frozen, and its leaden waves sadly turned black in the monotonous banks covered with white snow. Behind them stretched the Kyrgyz steppes. I plunged into thoughts, mostly sad. Garrison life had little attraction for me. I tried to imagine Captain Mironov, my future boss, and imagined him as a stern, angry old man, who knew nothing except his service, and was ready to put me under arrest for bread and water for every trifle. Meanwhile, it began to get dark. We drove pretty quickly. “How far is it to the fortress?” – I asked my driver. “Not far,” he answered. “It’s already visible.” – I looked in all directions, expecting to see formidable bastions, towers and ramparts; but I saw nothing except a village surrounded by a log fence. On one side stood three or four haystacks, half-covered with snow; on the other, a crooked mill, with its popular wings lazily lowered. “Where is the fortress?” – I asked in surprise. “Yes, here it is,” answered the coachman, pointing to the village, and with that word we drove into it. At the gate I saw an old cast-iron cannon; the streets were cramped and crooked; The huts are low and mostly covered with straw. I ordered to go to the commandant, and a minute later the wagon stopped in front of a wooden house built on a high place, near the wooden church.
Nobody met me. I went into the hallway and opened the door to the hallway. An old invalid, sitting on a table, was sewing a blue patch onto the elbow of his green uniform. I told him to report me. “Come in, father,” answered the disabled man, “our houses.” I entered a clean room, decorated in an old-fashioned way. There was a cupboard with dishes in the corner; on the wall hung an officer's diploma behind glass and in a frame; Beside him were popular prints depicting the capture of Kistrin and Ochakov, as well as the choice of a bride and the burial of a cat. An old woman in a padded jacket and with a scarf on her head was sitting by the window. She was unwinding the threads, which were held, spread out in his arms, by a crooked old man in an officer's uniform. “What do you want, father?” – she asked, continuing her lesson. I replied that I had come to work and appeared on duty to the captain, and with this word I addressed the crooked old man, mistaking him for the commandant; but the hostess interrupted my speech. “Ivan Kuzmich is not at home,” she said, “he went to visit Father Gerasim; It doesn’t matter, father, I’m his owner. Please love and respect. Sit down, father." She called the girl and told her to call the policeman. The old man looked at me with curiosity with his lonely eye. “I dare to ask,” he said, “in which regiment did you deign to serve?” I satisfied his curiosity. “And I dare to ask,” he continued, “why did you deign to move from the guard to the garrison?” I answered that such was the will of the authorities. “Of course, for actions indecent to a guard officer,” continued the tireless questioner. “Stop lying about nonsense,” the captain’s wife told him, “you see, the young man is tired from the road; he has no time for you... (keep your arms straight...). And you, my father,” she continued, turning to me, “don’t be sad that you were relegated to our outback. You are not the first, you are not the last. He will endure it, he will fall in love. Alexey Ivanovich Shvabrin has been transferred to us for murder for five years now. God knows what sin befell him; As you can see, he went out of town with one lieutenant, and they took swords with them, and, well, they stabbed each other; and Alexey Ivanovich stabbed the lieutenant, and in front of two witnesses! What do you want me to do? There is no master of sin."
At that moment the constable, a young and stately Cossack, entered. “Maksimych! - the captain told him. “Give the mister officer an apartment, and a cleaner one.” “I’m listening, Vasilisa Yegorovna,” answered the constable. “Shouldn’t his honor be placed with Ivan Polezhaev?” “You’re lying, Maksimych,” said the captain’s wife, “Polezhaev’s place is already crowded; He’s my godfather and remembers that we are his bosses. Take the officer... what is your name and patronymic, my father? Pyotr Andreich?.. Take Pyotr Andreich to Semyon Kuzov. He, a swindler, let his horse into my garden. Well, Maksimych, is everything all right?”
“Everything, thank God, is quiet,” answered the Cossack, “only Corporal Prokhorov got into a fight in the bathhouse with Ustinya Negulina over a bunch of hot water.”
- Ivan Ignatyich! - the captain said to the crooked old man. – Sort out Prokhorov and Ustinya, who is right and who is wrong. Punish both of them. Well, Maksimych, go with God. Pyotr Andreich, Maksimych will take you to your apartment.
I took my leave. The constable led me to a hut that stood on a high bank of the river, at the very edge of the fortress. Half of the hut was occupied by Semyon Kuzov’s family, the other was given to me. It consisted of one rather neat room, divided in two by a partition. Savelich began to manage it; I began to look out the narrow window. The sad steppe stretched out before me. Several huts stood diagonally; There were several chickens wandering around the street. The old woman, standing on the porch with a trough, called to the pigs, who answered her with friendly grunts. And this is where I was condemned to spend my youth! Longing took me; I walked away from the window and went to bed without dinner, despite the admonitions of Savelich, who repeated with contrition: “Lord, Master! he won’t eat anything! What will the lady say if the child falls ill?
The next morning, I had just begun to get dressed when the door opened, and a young officer of short stature, with a dark and distinctly ugly face, but extremely lively, came in to see me. “Excuse me,” he told me in French, “for coming to meet you without ceremony. Yesterday I learned about your arrival; The desire to finally see a human face took such hold of me that I could not stand it. You will understand this when you live here some more time.” I guessed that it was an officer who had been discharged from the Guards for the duel. We met immediately. Shvabrin was not very stupid. His conversation was witty and entertaining. With great gaiety, he described to me the commandant’s family, his society and the region where fate had brought me. I was laughing from the bottom of my heart when the same invalid who was mending his uniform in the commandant’s front room came in and called me to dine with them on behalf of Vasilisa Yegorovna. Shvabrin volunteered to go with me.
Approaching the commandant's house, we saw on the site about twenty old disabled people with long braids and triangular hats. They were lined up in front. The commandant stood in front, a vigorous and tall old man, wearing a cap and a Chinese robe. Seeing us, he came up to us, said a few kind words to me and began to command again. We stopped to look at the teaching; but he asked us to go to Vasilisa Yegorovna, promising to follow us. “And here,” he added, “there is nothing for you to see.”
Vasilisa Egorovna received us easily and cordially and treated me as if she had known her for a century. The invalid and Palashka were setting the table. “Why did my Ivan Kuzmich study like that today! - said the commandant. - Broadsword, call the master to dinner. Where is Masha?” - Then a girl of about eighteen came in, chubby, ruddy, with light brown hair, combed smoothly behind her ears, which were on fire. At first glance I didn't really like her. I looked at her with prejudice: Shvabrin described Masha, the captain’s daughter, to me as a complete fool. Marya Ivanovna sat down in the corner and began to sew. Meanwhile, cabbage soup was served. Vasilisa Yegorovna, not seeing her husband, sent Palashka for him a second time. “Tell the master: the guests are waiting, the cabbage soup will catch a cold; thank God, the teaching will not go away; will have time to shout." “The captain soon appeared, accompanied by a crooked old man. “What is this, my father? - his wife told him. “The food was served a long time ago, but you can’t get enough.” - “And you hear, Vasilisa Egorovna,” answered Ivan Kuzmich, “I was busy with service: teaching little soldiers.” - “And, that’s enough! - the captain objected. “Only glory that you teach soldiers: neither they are given service, nor do you know the sense of it.” I would sit at home and pray to God; it would be better that way. Dear guests, you are welcome to the table.”
We sat down to dinner. Vasilisa Egorovna did not stop talking for a minute and showered me with questions: who are my parents, are they alive, where do they live and what is their condition? Hearing that the priest has three hundred souls of peasants, “Isn’t it easy! - she said, - there are rich people in the world! And here, my father, we only have one girl, Palashka, but thank God, we live small. One problem: Masha; a girl of marriageable age, what is her dowry? a fine comb, a broom, and an altyn of money (God forgive me!), with which to go to the bathhouse. It’s good if there is a kind person; Otherwise you’ll sit as an eternal bride among the girls.” – I looked at Marya Ivanovna; she turned all red, and even tears dripped onto her plate. I felt sorry for her and hurried to change the conversation. “I heard,” I said rather inopportunely, “that the Bashkirs are going to attack your fortress.” - “From whom, father, did you deign to hear this?” – asked Ivan Kuzmich. “That’s what they told me in Orenburg,” I answered. “Nothing! - said the commandant. “We haven’t heard anything for a long time.” The Bashkirs are a scared people, and the Kyrgyz have also been taught a lesson. They probably won’t come at us; and if they get upset, I’ll give such a joke that I’ll calm it down for ten years.” “And you are not afraid,” I continued, turning to the captain, “to remain in a fortress exposed to such dangers?” “It’s a habit, my father,” she answered. “It’s been twenty years since we were transferred here from the regiment, and God forbid, how afraid I was of these damned infidels!” How I used to see lynx hats, and when I heard their squealing, would you believe it, my father, my heart would skip a beat! And now I’m so used to it that I won’t even move until they come to tell us that villains are prowling around the fortress.”
“Vasilisa Egorovna is a very brave lady,” Shvabrin remarked importantly. – Ivan Kuzmich can testify to this.
“Yes, hear you,” said Ivan Kuzmich, “the woman is not a timid woman.”
- And Marya Ivanovna? - I asked, - are you as brave as you?
– Is Masha brave? - answered her mother. - No, Masha is a coward. He still can’t hear the shot from a gun: it just vibrates. And just as two years ago Ivan Kuzmich decided to shoot from our cannon on my name day, so she, my dear, almost went to the next world out of fear. Since then we haven’t fired from the damned cannon.
We got up from the table. The captain and captain went to bed; and I went to Shvabrin, with whom I spent the whole evening.
Pushkin, having written this work, undoubtedly created a masterpiece that is successful even today. The story of valiant warriors defending the honor of the Motherland, despite all the twists of fate, always inspires respect.
You can fully experience the morals that reigned in Imperial Rus' by reading Pushkin's complete work or his short retelling. “The Captain's Daughter,” retold chapter by chapter, is an opportunity to significantly reduce the time that needs to be spent on reading. In addition, the reader gets to know the work without losing the original meaning of the story, which is an extremely important detail.
Chapter I - Sergeant of the Guard
You can learn about the most significant events from which this story originates by reading its brief retelling. “The Captain's Daughter” (Chapter 1) begins with a story about how the life of the parents of the main character, Pyotr Andreevich Grinev, turned out. It all started with the fact that Andrei Petrovich Grinev (the father of the main character), having retired as a prime minister, went to his Siberian village, where he married a poor noblewoman, Avdotya Vasilyevna. Despite the fact that 9 children were born in the family, all of them, except for the main character of the book, Pyotr Andreevich, died in infancy.
While still in his mother's womb, the child was enrolled by his father in the Semenovsky regiment as a sergeant, thanks to the goodwill of one influential relative who was a major in the prince's guard. The father hoped that if a girl was born, he would simply announce the death of the sergeant who did not show up for duty, and the issue would be resolved.
From the age of 5, Peter was given to be raised by the eager Savelich, who was granted his uncle for his sobriety. By the age of 12, the boy not only knew Russian literacy, but also learned to understand the dignity of greyhounds. Considering his son old enough to further master the sciences, his father assigned him a French teacher from Moscow, Monsieur Beaupre, who was kind, but had a weakness for women and wine. As a result of this, several girls complained about him to the mistress, and he was expelled in disgrace.
One day, the father of the main character of the book, re-reading the Court Calendar, which he wrote out annually, saw that his subordinates had risen to high ranks, and decided that Peter needed to be sent to serve. Despite the fact that his son was initially enrolled in the Semenovsky regiment in St. Petersburg, his father decided to send him to the army as an ordinary soldier in order to protect him from a wild life. Having written a covering letter to Peter, he sent him, accompanied by Savelich, to his friend Andrei Karlovich in Orenburg.
Already at the first stop in Simbirsk, when the guide went shopping, Peter, bored, went to the billiard room, where he met Ivan Ivanovich Zurin, who served with the rank of captain. After it turned out that the young man did not know how to play billiards, Zurin, promising to teach him, declared at the end of the game that Peter had lost and now owed him 100 rubles. Since Savelich had all the money, Zurin agreed to wait for the debt and took his new acquaintance to entertainment venues, getting him thoroughly drunk.
In the morning, Peter was visited by a messenger boy with a letter in which Zurin demanded his money. Frightened by this behavior of his ward, Savelich decided that he needed to be taken away from the tavern as quickly as possible. As soon as the horses were supplied, Peter set off towards Orenburg, without even saying goodbye to his “teacher”.
Chapter II - Counselor
It is noteworthy that even a short retelling fully conveys the essence of the work written by Pushkin. “The Captain's Daughter” (Chapter 2) begins from the moment when Peter realizes the stupidity and recklessness of his behavior. He decides to make peace with Savelich, promising not to spend another penny without his knowledge.
We had to get to Orenburg through a snow-covered desert. After our heroes had covered most of the path, the coachman suggested turning the horses to their previous stop, as a snowstorm was approaching. Considering his fears unnecessary, Peter decided to continue the journey, just speeding up the horses in order to quickly get to the next stop. However, the storm began much earlier than they managed to get there.
Making their way through the snow drifts, they saw a road man in the snow who showed them the way to the nearest village. While they were driving, Peter fell asleep and had a terrible dream, as if, having arrived home, he found out that his father was dying. However, approaching the bed, instead of his father, he found a scary man there. Mother persuaded Peter to kiss his hand and receive a blessing, but he refused. Then the terrible man got out of bed, holding an ax in his hand, and the whole room was filled with corpses and blood. He was unable to see the dream through to the end, as he was awakened by Savelich, who reported that they had already arrived at the inn.
Having rested, Peter ordered to give them to yesterday's guide half a ruble, but after Savelich resisted, he did not dare to break the promise given to him and decided to give the guide his new hare sheepskin coat, despite all the dissatisfaction of his senior comrade.
Arriving in Orenburg, the young man went straight to the general, who looked like a real old man. Peter gave him a covering letter and his passport and was assigned to the Belgorod fortress under the command of Captain Mironov, who was supposed to teach him all the wisdom of war.
Analysis of the initial part of the story
Many will agree that one of the best creations that Pushkin created is “The Captain's Daughter”. A brief retelling of the work allows you to fully familiarize yourself with the story. At the same time, you will spend a minimum amount of time reading it.
What does the short retelling tell next? “The Captain’s Daughter” (Chapters 1 and 2) tells about how the gentleman’s son spent his comfortable childhood and youth, who begins to gradually comprehend the world through his own trial and error. Despite the fact that he does not yet have the proper life experience, the young man began to communicate with various people, recognizing their character traits, which are not always positive.
A brief retelling of the story “The Captain's Daughter” (Chapter 1) allows us to judge how much influence the parents had on their offspring, whose decisions were unquestioning and not subject to discussion. The second chapter shows the reader that the attitude towards people returns a hundredfold, because an ordinary sheepskin coat given to a poor man will in the future have a great influence on the fate of the main character.
Chapter III - Fortress
A brief retelling of the story “The Captain's Daughter” (Chapter 3) continues. Pyotr Grinev finally arrived at the Belgorod fortress, in which, however, he was greatly disappointed due to the lack of large-scale buildings. He saw only a small village, in the middle of which a cannon was installed. Since no one came out to meet him, he decided to ask the nearest old woman about where he needed to go, who, upon closer acquaintance, turned out to be the captain’s wife, Vasilisa Egorovna. She kindly received Peter and, calling the constable, ordered to give him a good room. The hut in which he was to live was located on a high bank of the river. He lived in it together with Semyon Kuzov, who occupied the other half.
Getting up in the morning, Peter was struck by the uniformity of existence in the place where he was to spend many days. However, at this time a young man knocked on his door, who turned out to be officer Shvabrin, discharged from the guard for a duel. The young people quickly became friends and decided to pay a visit to Captain Ivan Kuzmich, who was caught training soldiers. He invited the young people to stay for lunch and invited them to go to his house. There they were kindly met by Vasilisa Egorovna, who introduced them to her daughter Maria Ivanovna, about whom Peter had a negative first impression. You can get a full sense of how these young people's relationship began to form by reading just a short recap.
“The Captain's Daughter” - a chapter-by-chapter retelling of the work - allows you to significantly speed up the time you need to spend reading. Pyotr Grinev immediately became a good candidate for a husband for Maria’s parents, and they in every possible way encouraged the development of such relationships, which at the initial stage did not develop very smoothly.
Chapter IV - Duel
A brief retelling of Chapter 4 of “The Captain’s Daughter” begins from the moment Peter began to settle into the fortress and received an officer’s rank. In the captain's house he was now accepted as family, and with Marya Ivanovna he began strong friendly relations, strengthening every day against the background of mutual sympathy.
Peter begins to become increasingly irritated by Shvabrin, however, since there was no other suitable interlocutor in the fortress, he continued to see him every day. One day, having heard a song composed by Peter, Shvabrin starts a squabble, as a result of which he imagines Maria as a fallen girl and challenges Peter to a duel. The young people decided to invite Lieutenant Ivan Kuzmich as a second. However, he not only refused, but also threatened to tell everything to the captain. Peter had difficulty in promising him to keep the future duel a secret. Despite this, on the day when the battle was supposed to take place, the young people were waylaid by Vasilisa Yegorovna, who, having taken away their swords, ordered them to make peace.
However, as it turned out, the skirmish did not end there. Maria Ivanovna told Peter that Shvabrin proposed to her several months before his arrival, and she refused him. That is why he tells unpleasant things about her person. The essence of this person can be examined in detail by reading a short retelling. “The Captain's Daughter” is a story in which people show, first of all, their true essence, which in normal times is hidden under the mask of visible goodwill.
Pyotr Grinev, not wanting to put up with this state of affairs, decides to punish the impudent man at all costs. The very next day after the conversation described above, a fight occurs between the former friends on the river bank, as a result of which the main character receives a blow with a sword in the chest, slightly below the shoulder.
Chapter V - Love
In this chapter, the reader can get acquainted with the love story, as far as a brief retelling allows. “The Captain's Daughter” is a work in which the main characters are not so much revolutionaries striving for power, but two young people who are sincerely in love with each other.
The fifth chapter begins from the moment Pyotr Grinev comes to his senses after being wounded just at the moment when the barber was bandaging him. Marya Ivanovna and Savelich did not leave his side until his health returned to normal. On one of these days, left alone with Peter, Mary dared to kiss him on the cheek. Peter, who had not previously hidden his feelings, proposed to her. Maria agreed, but they decided to wait and not tell their parents until the young man’s wound had completely healed.
Peter immediately wrote a letter to his parents in which he asked them to give him a blessing. Meanwhile, the wound began to heal, and the young man moved from the commandant’s house to his own apartment. Peter made peace with Shvabrin in the very first days, asking the kind commandant to release him from prison. Shvabrin, when released, admitted he was wrong and apologized.
Peter and Mary had already begun to make plans for their life together. They had no doubt that the girl’s parents would agree to the marriage, but the letter received from Peter’s father completely ruined their plans. He was categorically against this marriage, and Marya Ivanovna was against marriage without a blessing.
Staying in the commandant’s house after this news became a burden for Pyotr Grinev. The fact that Maria diligently avoided him drove the young man into despair. Sometimes he even thought that Savelich had told his father everything, which caused his displeasure, but the old servant refuted his assumptions by showing him an angry letter in which Andrei Petrovich Grinev threatened to subject him to the hardest work for not reporting what had happened on time. The good-natured old man tried to soften the anger of Andrei Petrovich Grinev, describing in his response letter not only the seriousness of Peter’s injury, but also the fact that he did not report it only because he was afraid to disturb the hostess, who fell ill after receiving this news.
Reading analysis
Having read the above text, the reader can be convinced that the entire meaning inherent in the work by Pushkin has been absorbed in this brief retelling. “The Captain's Daughter” (Chapters 1-5) completely reveals the world of the Russian Empire to the reader. For most people at that time, the concepts of honor and courage were inseparable, and Pyotr Andreevich Grinev mastered them to the fullest.
Despite the outbreak of love, the young people did not dare to disobey the will of their parents and tried, if possible, to stop communicating. It is safe to say that if it were not for the rebellion raised by Pugachev, their fate could have turned out completely differently.
Chapter VI - Pugachevism
The political and military situation in the Orenburg province was very unstable. After Ivan Kuzmich received a state letter informing about the escape of the Don Cossack Pugachev, the guards in the fortress became stricter. Rumors began to spread among the Cossacks, which could prompt them to revolt. That is why Ivan Kuzmich began to send scouts to them, informing him about the mood in their ranks.
After a very short period of time, Pugachev’s army began to gain strength, he even wrote a message to Ivan Kuzmich, in which he said that he would soon come to capture his fortress and invited everyone to come over to his side. The unrest was also intensified by the fact that the neighboring Nizhneozersk fortress was taken by Pugachev, and all the commandants who did not submit to him were hanged.
After this message, Ivan Kuzmich insisted that Maria be sent to her godmother in Orenburg under the protection of stone walls and cannons while the remaining people defended the fortress. The girl, who learned about her father’s decision, was extremely upset, and Peter, who saw this, returned after everyone had left to say goodbye to his beloved, promising never to forget her.
Chapter VII - Attack
The events discussed in this chapter are fully described by a brief retelling. “The Captain's Daughter” is a story that shows all the mental torment of the main character, torn between his homeland and his beloved, who is in danger.
The chapter begins with Peter unable to sleep the night before the battle. The news that Pugachev had surrounded the fortress and Maria Ivanovna did not have time to leave it took him by surprise. He hastily joined the people who were preparing to defend the building. Some of the soldiers deserted, and when Pugachev sent the last warning to the defenders of the fortress, there were very few of them left. Ivan Kuzmich ordered his wife and daughter to hide from the battlefield. Despite the fact that the defense of the fortress was heroic, Pugachev captured it without much difficulty, since the forces were unequal.
The face of the rebel taking the oath in the square seemed vaguely familiar to Peter, but he could not remember exactly where he had seen him. He immediately executed everyone who did not want to submit to the leader. The main character was most amazed when he saw Shvabrin in the crowd of traitors, who was trying his best to send Peter to the gallows.
Our hero, who was already standing in the noose, was saved by a lucky chance in the form of old man Savelich, who threw himself at Pugachev’s feet and asked for mercy for the master. The rebel pardoned the young man and, as it turned out, not in vain. It was Pugachev who was the very guide who led Peter and Savelich out of the snowstorm, and it was to him that the young man gave his hare sheepskin coat. However, Peter, who had not yet recovered from the first shock, was in for something new: Vasilisa Egorovna, stripped naked, ran out into the square, cursing the invaders, and when she saw her husband killed by Pugachev, she showered him with curses, in response to which he ordered her execution, and the young Cossack hit her saber to the head.
Chapter XIII - Uninvited Guest
You can fully feel the full degree of despair that gripped the main character by reading Pushkin’s complete work or his short retelling. “The Captain's Daughter” chapter by chapter (Pushkin) allows you to significantly speed up the reading time without losing the meaning of the story. This chapter begins with the following moment: Peter stands in the square and watches as the surviving people continued to swear allegiance to Pugachev. After this, the area is empty. Most of all, Pyotr Grinev was worried about the unknown fate of Maria Ivanovna. Inspecting her room, plundered by robbers, he discovered the maid Pasha, who reported that Marya Ivanovna had fled to the priest, where Pugachev was having dinner at that very moment.
Peter immediately went to her house and, having lured the priest, found out that in order to save Mary from the robbers, she called the girl her sick niece. A little reassured, Peter returned home, but was immediately summoned to an appointment with Pugachev. He was still sitting at the priest's side along with his closest officers. Pugachev, like Peter, was amazed at the vicissitudes of fate, which again brought their paths together, because, giving a sheepskin coat to his guide, Peter could not even think that one day he would save his life.
Pugachev asked again whether Peter would swear allegiance to him, but he refused and asked to be released to Orenburg. Since the rebel was in a good mood and was extremely pleased with Peter's honesty, he allowed him to leave the next day.
Chapter IX - Separation
In this chapter, the reader can become familiar with the robbery that Pugachev committed in Rus'. Even a short retelling conveys his actions fully. “The Captain's Daughter” is one of the first works that reveals the essence of that era. It shows without embellishment the robbery and devastation that reigned in the cities captured by the gangs of the self-proclaimed sovereign.
The ninth chapter begins with the fact that in the morning Pyotr Grinev comes to the square again. The people hanged the day before are still hanging in nooses, and the commandant’s body was simply carried to the side and covered with matting.
At this time, Pugachev, to the beat of drums, goes out into the street along with all his entourage, in whose ranks Shvabrin stood. Calling Peter to him, he allowed him to leave for Orenburg and announce to the governor that the generals there should prepare for his arrival and surrender in order to avoid bloodshed.
After that, he turned to the people and said that Shvabrin was now appointed commandant of the fortress, he must obey unquestioningly. Peter was horrified, realizing that Maria Ivanovna remained in the hands of a traitor who was angry with her, but so far he could not do anything.
Having made this statement, Pugachev was about to leave, but Savelich approached him with a list of stolen things. The leader, angry, drove him away, however, when Peter said goodbye to Marya Ivanovna, whom he already considered his wife, and he and Savelich moved a sufficient distance away from the fortress, they were caught up by a constable who gave them a horse and a fur coat. He also said that he was also carrying half of the money from their benefactor, which he lost on the road. Despite the fact that neither Peter nor Savelich believed his words, they still gratefully accepted the gift and set off towards Orenburg.
Analysis
The central part of the story allows us to conclude that the life of Pyotr Andreevich Grinev was constantly in danger due to his carelessness. After you analyze the shortest retelling, “The Captain’s Daughter” will no longer be presented as an amusement story, but as a work that should guide young people on the right path and protect them from reckless actions. This is what happened to Pyotr Grinev, who, thanks to his kind and honest disposition, was able to win the respect of even such an unprincipled person as Pugachev.
Chapter X - Siege of the City
After Peter finally arrived in Orenburg, he spoke at a special military meeting about how things were going in Pugachev’s army and the Belgorod fortress, and called for immediately sending troops to disperse the rioters, but his opinion was not supported. It was decided, for the benefit of the safety of the city residents, to withstand the siege, repelling enemy attacks, but the city was completely unprepared for it. Prices immediately rose to the maximum level, there was not enough food for everyone, and famine was brewing in Orenburg.
During this time, Pyotr Andreevich repeatedly made forays among the enemies, exchanging fire with Pugachev’s assistants, but the advantage was almost always on their side, since neither horses nor people experienced a shortage of food. On one of these forays, Peter caught up with a lagging Cossack and was about to kill him, when he recognized him as a police officer who had brought him a horse and a sheepskin coat when he and Savelich were leaving the Belgorod fortress. He, in turn, gave him a letter from Marya Ivanovna, which said that Shvabrin was forcing her to marry and, if she refused, would send her straight to Pugachev. She asked him for 3 days to think and begged Pyotr Andreevich to make every effort to save her, since besides him she no longer had close people. The young man immediately went to the governor of Orenburg, to whom he told about the state of affairs and asked to give him soldiers, promising to release the Belgorod fortress and Maria Ivanovna with them, but the governor refused him.
Chapter XI - Rebellious Freedom
Upset by the governor’s refusal, Peter returned to his apartment and asked Savelich to give him part of the hidden money, and to use the rest without hesitation for his own needs. He was preparing to go alone to the Belgorod fortress to save Marya Ivanovna. Despite such a generous gift, Savelich decided to follow him. On the way, they were stopped by Pugachev’s patrolmen, and, despite the fact that Peter managed to slip past them, he could not leave Savelich in their hands and returned back, after which he was also tied up and taken to Pugachev for interrogation.
Left alone with him, Peter asked to release the orphan girl whom Shvabrin was holding captive and demanding that she marry him. The angry Pugachev decided to personally go to the fortress and free the hostage.
Chapter XII - Orphan
When Pugachev drove up to the commandant's house, Shvabrin saw that Peter had arrived with him, he was scared, for a long time he did not want to show the girl to them, citing the fact that she was sick and in delirium tremens, and also that he would not allow strangers to enter the house. to his wife.
However, Pugachev quickly curbed his ardor, declaring that as long as he was the sovereign, everything would be as he decided. Approaching the room where Marya Ivanovna was kept, Shvabrin made another attempt to prevent visitors from visiting her, declaring that he could not find the key, but Pugachev simply knocked down the doors.
A sad sight greeted their eyes. Marya Ivanovna, pale and disheveled, was sitting in a simple peasant dress on the floor, and next to her lay a piece of bread and water. It turned out that the girl was not going to give Shvabrin her consent to the marriage, and his deception greatly angered Pugachev, who, however, being in a complacent mood, decided to pardon him this time. Peter, who once again risked resorting to Pugachev’s mercy, asked to be released with Marya Ivanovna on all four sides and, having received approval, began to prepare for the road. And Maria went to say goodbye to her murdered parents.
Chapter XIII - Arrest
A brief retelling of the story “The Captain's Daughter” allows us to assess the strength of Pugachev’s influence at that time. Thanks to the safe conduct that he issued to Pyotr Grinev, he and Maria passed through all the oncoming posts without any problems until they were captured by the sovereign’s soldiers, who mistook him for an enemy. Imagine Peter’s surprise when it turned out that the commander of the soldiers turned out to be Ivan Ivanovich Zurin, the same one to whom he lost 100 rubles in billiards. They decided to send Maria along with Savelich to Peter's parents. The young man himself had to stay and continue with Zurin the campaign against the robber Pugachev. Maria immediately agreed with his proposal, and old Savelich, being stubborn, agreed to accompany her and take care of her as his future mistress.
Peter began his duties in Zurin’s regiment and even received his first leave, which he planned to spend with his loved ones. But suddenly Zurin appeared at his apartment with a letter in which he ordered to arrest Peter, wherever he was, and to transfer him for investigation in the Pugachev case.
Despite the fact that the young man’s conscience was clear, and he was not afraid of being accused of a crime, the thought that he would not see his family and Maria for several more months poisoned his existence.
Chapter XIV - Judgment
A brief retelling of the work “The Captain's Daughter” (Chapter 14) continues with the fact that Peter was taken to Kazan, completely destroyed by Pugachev, in custody. He was chained as a criminal and the very next day they began to interrogate him with the participation of a commission. Peter indignantly rejected all the accusations and told the commission his version of the events that happened.
Despite the fact that the judges began to gain confidence in Peter’s story, after the speech of Shvabrin, who was also arrested and told the commission about Peter’s espionage activities for the benefit of Pugachev, his affairs, already unimportant, deteriorated significantly. Peter was taken to a cell and was no longer called in for interrogation.
The rumor of his arrest struck the entire family, who were imbued with sincere love for Marya Ivanovna. Andrei Petrovich Grinev received a letter from his relative in which he reported that the evidence of his son’s treason against the Motherland turned out to be too thorough, but thanks to his influence, it was decided to replace the execution with exile to Siberia.
Despite the fact that Peter’s relatives were inconsolable, Marya Ivanovna did not lose her presence of mind and decided to go to St. Petersburg in order to seek help from the most influential people. She arrived in Sofia and, stopping near the royal court, told one young lady her story, asking the empress to put in a good word for her. Despite the fact that at first the young lady did not believe her story, the more Maria Ivanovna told her the details, the more favorable the lady became towards her, promising to put in a good word for her before the empress.
As soon as the girl returned to her room, which she was renting, a carriage was brought to the house, and the chamberlain announced that the empress was demanding her to the court. Appearing in front of the empress, the girl recognized her as the same lady with whom she had recently spoken and asked for help, she gave her a letter to her future father-in-law and said that Peter would be completely acquitted. To celebrate, Marya Ivanovna immediately went to the village, not staying in St. Petersburg for a single day.
Let's sum it up
Many will agree that one of the best works that Pushkin wrote is “The Captain's Daughter.” A brief retelling of the previous chapters fully shows the hopelessness of the protagonist’s situation. Having managed to avoid most of the dangers and deliver his beloved to a safe place, under the protection of his parents, Pyotr Grinev finds himself in a very difficult situation, as a result of which he may be recognized as a traitor to the Motherland and even executed.
If it were not for the dedication of the young girl, who was not afraid to appear before the queen asking for mercy, the current situation for Pyotr Grinev would not have ended in the best way.
Epilogue
Reading a brief retelling of the story “The Captain's Daughter” chapter by chapter, we were able to fully understand the atmosphere of that time.
Despite the fact that the notes of Pyotr Andreevich Grinev end there, it is known that he was completely acquitted and released, was present at the execution of Pugachev and still married Maria Ivanovna, with whom he lived happily until his death, carefully keeping the queen’s letter sent to him to my father.
The whole essence of the story is conveyed regardless of whether you read the whole story or just a short retelling of it. "The Captain's Daughter", conveyed chapter by chapter, allows us to examine in detail how the life of the main character turned out, without prejudice to the meaning of the story. The selfless young man did not bow under the blows of fate, enduring with due courage all the misfortunes that befell him.
Without a doubt, the whole meaning that Pushkin put into his creation can be fully conveyed even in a very short retelling. “The Captain's Daughter” still remains a work that makes people proud. These are the heroes who faithfully serve their Fatherland.
One of the works of the school curriculum, written by the Russian writer Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, is “The Captain's Daughter”. In this article we will analyze the meaning of the place in which the young man Petrusha grew spiritually and turned into the man Peter Grinev. This is the Belogorsk fortress. What role does it play in the overall design of the work? Let's figure it out.
How was the work created?
Before moving on to the question of what plot and semantic functions the Belogorsk fortress and all the episodes that took place in it perform, it is necessary to turn directly to the history of the creation of the story. No analysis of a work of art can do without analyzing the events that served as the impetus for the creation of this or that creation, without searching for real prototypes of the heroes.
The origins of the novel go back to the middle of 1832, when Alexander Sergeevich first addressed the topic of the uprising of Emelyan Pugachev of 1773-1775. First, the writer gains access to secret materials with the permission of the authorities, then, in 1833, he goes to Kazan, where he looks for contemporaries of those events who have already become old people. As a result, the collected materials formed the “History of the Pugachesky Revolt,” which was published in 1834, but did not satisfy Pushkin’s artistic research.
The idea of a major work directly, with a renegade hero in the title role, who ended up in the Pugachev camp, had been brewing in the author since 1832, during the time of work on the no less famous novel “Dubrovsky”. At the same time, Alexander Sergeevich had to be extremely careful, because censorship could consider such a work “freethinking” due to any little thing.
Grinev prototypes
The essential components of the story changed several times: for some time, Alexander Sergeevich was looking for a suitable surname for the key character, until he finally settled on Grinev. By the way, such a person was actually listed in real documents. During the uprising, he was suspected of conspiring with the “villains,” but as a result he was released from arrest due to the lack of proof of his guilt. However, the prototype of the main character was another person: initially it was intended to take the second lieutenant of the 2nd Grenadier Regiment, Mikhail Shvanovich, but later Alexander Sergeevich chose another participant in the events described, Basharin, who was taken prisoner by the rebels, but escaped, and eventually began to fight on side of the pacifiers of the rioters.
Instead of the planned one nobleman, two of them appeared on the pages of the book: the antagonist Shvabrin, a “vile villain,” was added to Grinev. This was done to circumvent censorship barriers
What is the genre?
The work, in which the Belogorsk fortress will play a significant role, was interpreted by the author himself as a historical novel. However, today most literary researchers, due to the small volume of a literary work, classify it as a story genre.
Belogorsk fortress: what did it look like?
The fortress appears in the story after the main character, Petrusha Grinev, reaches the age of 16. The father decides to send his son to serve in the army, which the young man thinks about with joy: he assumes that he will be sent to St. Petersburg, where he can continue to lead a wild, cheerful life. However, things turn out a little differently. Where does young Grinev end up? In the Belogorsk fortress, which, however, turned out to be even worse than its young man imagined.
Located in the Orenburg province, it was, in fact, a village surrounded by a wooden log palisade! Here Captain Mironov, the managing commandant, who, in Petrusha’s opinion, should have been a firm, stern, strict old man, turned out to be affectionate and soft, met the young man in a simple way, like a son, and conducted military exercises in a “cap and a Chinese suit.” robe." The brave army consisted entirely of old invalids who could not remember where the right was and where the left was, and the only defensive weapon in the fortress was an old cast-iron cannon, from which it is unknown when the last time they fired.
Life in the Belogorsk fortress: how Peter’s attitude changes
Over time, however, Grinev changed his opinion about the Belogorsk fortress: here he studied literature, he was surrounded by kind, bright and wise people with whom he loved to talk - this especially applied to the Mironov family, that is, to the commandant himself, his wife and daughter Masha. Peter’s feelings flared up for the latter, which is why the young man stood up to defend the girl’s honor and his attitude towards her in front of the vile, envious, jealous Shvabrin.
A duel took place between the men, as a result of which Grinev was unfairly wounded, but this only brought him even closer to Masha. Despite the lack of blessing from Father Peter, the lovers continued to remain faithful to each other in words and deeds.
After the conquest of the fortress by Emelyan Pugachev and his bandit gang, the idyll collapses. At the same time, Peter continues to remember and honor the best moments of his life spent here and does not betray this place even after it falls into the hands of the rebels. He flatly refuses to swear allegiance to Pugachev, and even the fear of death does not frighten him. The main character is ready to follow the commandant and other killed defenders of the fortress. However, the leader of the uprising agrees to spare Grinev for his integrity, honesty, and loyalty to honor.
Grinev will end up in the Belogorsk fortress, the essay about which is presented in detail in this article, even after the events described, because he will return here in order to save his beloved Masha, captured by the defector Shvabrin. As you can see, the fortress is one of the central places in the work. A large number of important episodes, from the point of view of plot and development of action, take place here.
Meaning
The essay “Belogorsk Fortress” cannot end without describing the significance of this place in the semantic structure of the story. Fortress is one of the most important components in the development of a hero’s personality. It is here that Grinev meets with serious love, here he faces the enemy. As a result, it is within the walls of the fortress that Peter turns from a boy into a mature man, a man capable of taking responsibility for his actions.
Here he thinks about many truly philosophical matters, for example, about the meaning of life, about honor, about the value of human life. Here his morality and purity are finally crystallized.
Obviously, it was simply impossible to think of a better place - Pushkin’s genius showed that appearance is not as important as life itself, way of life, traditions, and culture of a certain place. The Belogorsk fortress is an element that accumulates everything truly Russian, folk, and national.
Grinev in the Belogorsk fortress.
The main character of the story is Peter Grinev. He appears before us as a young man from a poor noble family. His father, Andrei Petrovich Grinev, was a simple military man. Even before his birth, Grinev was enrolled in the regiment. Peter was educated at home. At first he was taught by Savelich, a faithful servant. Later, a Frenchman was specially hired for him. But instead of gaining knowledge, Peter chased pigeons. According to established tradition, noble children had to serve. So Grinev’s father sent him to serve, but not in the elite Semenovsky regiment, as Peter thought, but in Orenburg, so that his son would experience real life, so that he would become a soldier, and not a shamaton.
But fate threw Petrusha not just to Orenburg, but to the distant Belogorsk fortress, which was an old village with wooden houses, surrounded by a log fence. The only weapon was an old cannon, and it was filled with rubbish. The entire team of the fortress consisted of disabled people. Such a fortress made a depressing impression on Grinev. Peter was very upset...
But gradually life in the fortress becomes bearable. Peter becomes close to the family of Captain Mironov, the commandant of the fortress. He is accepted there as a son and taken care of. Soon Peter falls in love with Maria Mironova, the daughter of the commandant of the fortress. His first love turned out to be mutual, and everything seemed fine. But then it turns out that Shvabrin, an officer exiled to the fortress for a duel, had already wooed Masha, but Maria refused him, and Shvabrin takes revenge by denigrating the girl’s name. Grinev stands up for the honor of his beloved girl and challenges Shvabrin to a duel, where he is wounded. After recovery, Peter asks his parents for his parents’ blessing for his marriage to Mary, but his father, angry at the news of the duel, refuses him, reproaching him for this and saying that Peter is still young and stupid. Masha, passionately loving Peter, does not agree to marriage without the blessing of her parents. Grinev is very upset and upset. Maria tries to avoid him. He no longer visits the commandant's family, life becomes more and more unbearable for him.
But at this time the Belogorsk fortress is in danger. The Pugachev army approaches the walls of the fortress and quickly captures it. All residents immediately recognize Pugachev as their emperor, except for commandant Mironov and Ivan Ignatich. They were hanged for disobedience to the “one and true emperor.” It was Grinev’s turn; he was immediately led to the gallows. Peter walked forward, looked death in the face boldly and courageously, preparing to die. But then Savelich threw himself at Pugachev’s feet and stood up for the boyar’s child. Emelyan ordered Grinev to be brought to him and ordered him to kiss his hand, recognizing his power. But Peter did not break his word and remained faithful to Empress Catherine II. Pugachev got angry, but remembering the hare sheepskin coat given to him, he generously released Grinev. Soon they met again. Grinev was traveling from Orenburg to save Masha from Shvabrin when the Cossacks caught him and took him to Pugachev’s “palace”. Having learned about their love and that Shvabrin was forcing a poor orphan to marry him, Emelyan decided to go to the fortress with Grinev to help the orphan. When Pugachev found out that the orphan was the commandant’s daughter, he got angry, but then he released Masha and Grinev, keeping his word: “To execute like this, to execute like this, to favor like that: that’s my custom.”
The Belogorsk fortress greatly influenced Peter. From an inexperienced youth, Grinev turns into a young man capable of protecting his love, maintaining loyalty and honor, and able to judge people sensibly. \
He is going to the place of his future service. As much as the road from Simbirsk to Orenburg was full of stormy experiences and extraordinary incidents, the path from Orenburg to the Belogorsk fortress was dull and monotonous. If the steppe before Orenburg was rebellious and formidable (remember the snowstorm), now it appears quiet and sad. “The road went along the steep bank of the Yaik. The river was not yet frozen, and its leaden waves sadly turned black in the monotonous banks covered with white snow. Beyond them stretched the Kyrgyz steppes.” The word “extended” alone makes it possible to imagine the vast spaces beyond the Yaik River, tiresome in their monotony. There are few colors: white snow and blackening “lead waves”. So, in a few words, Pushkin conveys the mood of the sad winter Orenburg steppe. The travel thoughts of the young traveler are sad. The words of General R. - “you will be on the team of Captain Mironov, a kind and honest man. There you will be in real service, you will learn discipline” - made Grinev imagine his future boss as a strict, angry old man who knows nothing but his service. And yet Grinev is waiting for new impressions - after all, he is going to the fortress! “I looked in all directions, expecting to see formidable bastions, towers and ramparts.” However, instead of formidable bastions, he saw log fences, instead of towers - haystacks and a crooked mill with popular prints, lazily drooping wings. What, after all, vaguely resembled a fortress? An old cast iron cannon at the gate.
At the commandant's house, Grinev is met by the duty officer - an old disabled man who was "sewing a blue patch on the elbow of his green uniform." It is clear that everyone is in command of the “old lady in a padded jacket,” as it turns out, the commandant’s wife: “Ivan Kuzmich is not at home, he went to visit Father Gerasim; it doesn’t matter, father, I am his mistress.” How does the comic portrayal of the “commandant’s mistress” deepen? She interrupts Ivan Ignatievich, starts a conversation with young Grinev herself and immediately begins to talk about officer Shvabrin, who is still unfamiliar to Grinev. But Vasilisa Egorovna at the same time attracts the reader with her cordiality and hospitality. She affectionately greets the unfamiliar officer: “I ask for love and favor. Sit down, father.” She decisively interrupts Ivan Ignatievich’s curiosity: “You see, the young man is tired from the road, he has no time for you...”
Vasilisa Egorovna’s dialogue regarding Grinev’s device is interesting. But her master's actions are not fair. We see for what reasons Grinev ends up in the apartment of Semyon Kuzov, and not Ivan Polezhaev. Vasilisa Egorovna disposes of the fortress at her own discretion, uncontrollably sorts out minor quarrels, and is tough in decisions.
Before us is the life of a small abandoned fortress, in which there is nothing military except a single cannon, an officer’s diploma hanging on the wall in a frame under glass, and worn uniforms on the disabled person and Ivan Ignatievich. Grinev’s new acquaintances are slightly comical, and we cannot help but smile when reading about them, since they do not coincide with our ideas about military people. The most “combat” of them is Vasilisa Egorovna, and this enhances the comedy of the picture of the captain’s house. But one cannot help but notice: something good-natured, open, ingenuous captivates us in the Mironovs.
How does Grinev’s first day in the fortress end? He goes to Semyon Kuzov's house. Everything tells him that life in the fortress will be dull and joyless. "...I began to look out the narrow window. The sad steppe stretched out in front of me. Several huts stood diagonally; several chickens wandered along the street. An old woman, standing on the porch with a trough, called to the pigs, who answered her with a friendly grunt. And that's what direction I was condemned to spend my youth! Melancholy took me..." writes Grinev.
We see that the landscape with which the chapter begins and ends played a big role in the idea of the Belogorsk fortress that was created in our minds. We draw attention to an important feature of Pushkin’s language: the landscapes are unusually spare and laconic, as are the descriptions of people’s moods. Pushkin, as it were, gives the reader the opportunity to complete in his imagination what surrounds Grinev, to imagine his state of mind, expressed in the words: “melancholy took me,” “I walked away from the window and went to bed without dinner.”
How do Grinev’s impressions of the fortress and its inhabitants expand on the second day of his stay in it? Grinev notices the poverty and wretchedness of the fortress, the weakness of its military preparation. He saw the commandant of the fortress on the site, who was training the soldiers. These were old disabled people, dressed in shabby uniforms. Vasilisa Yegorovna says to the commandant: “Only glory that you teach the soldiers: neither they are given the service, nor do you know anything about it. If you sat at home and prayed to God, it would be better.” An important detail: Ivan Kuzmich commands soldiers “in a cap and a Chinese robe.”
We are once again convinced that the fortress, which was destined to take the blow of the rebels, was abandoned, poorly equipped, and infinitely peaceful. In the Mironovs’ wooden house, life goes on as usual, a small circle gathers, has lunch, dinner, and passes on gossip. “In the God-saved fortress there were no inspections, no exercises, no guards,” recalls Grinev (Chapter IV). No one controls the actions of the commandant, no one thinks about the military equipment of the fortress. General R. in Orenburg is more occupied with his garden with apple trees than with military affairs. Meanwhile, events of enormous significance are brewing in the area of the Belogorsk fortress.
Grinev arrives at the fortress in the late autumn of 1773. Are there any hints in the story that the general excitement of these regions reaches the log fence of the Belogorsk fortress? Vasilisa Egorovna asks the constable, the Cossack Maksimych, in front of Grinev: “Well, Maksimych, is everything all right?” “Everything, thank God, is quiet,” the Cossack answers. How is the officer’s appearance portrayed? This is a “young and stately Cossack.” In the garrison, we know, there were soldiers and Cossacks. What comparison suggests itself? The commandant had only disabled people at the training, and among the Cossacks there were strong and young people capable of fighting. Maksimych is connected with the Cossacks, he will be in the ranks of the rebels. And here’s another detail: Vasilisa Yegorovna says that she is used to the fact that “lynx hats” appear in large crowds in the steppe. They have appeared and now, “they are prowling around the fortress.”