“The History of a City” can rightfully be considered the pinnacle of Saltykov-Shchedrin’s work. It was this work that brought him fame as a satirical writer, strengthening it for a long time. I believe that “The History of a City” is one of the most unusual books dedicated to the history of the Russian state. The originality of “The Story of a City” lies in the amazing combination of the real and the fantastic. The book was created as a parody of Karamzin’s “History of the Russian State.” Historians often wrote history “by kings,” which Saltykov-Shchedrin took advantage of.
The author presents a historical chronicle of an allegedly real city, but we understand that the entire history of Russia is hidden here. Probably, the idea arose after the reform of 1861 - it did not lead to the expected results. Completely disillusioned with his previous political ideals, Saltykov-Shchedrin decides to write “The History of a City.”
Russia has never seen such caustic satire on the political system before. Feeling the injustice of the attitude towards ordinary people, the author set out to show all the shortcomings of the Russian political system. He succeeded quite well. Saltykov-Shchedrin’s satire touches on several aspects, the main of which can be considered the country’s political system. How did one city become the embodiment of an entire country? The answer to this question can be considered a purely Shchedrin method of mixing geography, historical events, the fantastic and the real. The city of Foolov appears to us now as a capital, now as a provincial town, now as a village. In its description there are constantly contradictions: either it is built on a swamp, or like the “great city of Rome” - on seven hills, and then the citizens of this “great city” graze cattle in their pasture. Such contradictions, oddly enough, not only do not confuse, but help build a holistic picture. The city becomes the embodiment of the paradox that is so characteristic of Russian people. The confusion of time (in the case when, for example, a historian recording chronicles in the 18th - early 19th centuries mentions events that took place much later) also plays a role in the appearance of Foolov. It’s as if the author sees his country as an apartment in which it’s a mess, where nothing can ever be found and nothing is in its place.
Another object of satire is the mayors of the city of Foolov, those who make history. Unfortunately, there were no worthy rulers who could change the life of the city of Foolov for the better. An organ in the head, or minced meat instead of brains - very eloquent images of thoughtless kings. But Foolov’s people don’t inspire sympathy either. The Foolovites watch a series of changing tyrants, while remaining almost completely passive. Nothing can force them to change themselves. Only the forms of submission change. One gets the impression that the Foolovites themselves are not worthy of a noble and sensible ruler.
The stupid, but in principle quite harmless rulers are being replaced by the cruel dictator and tyrant Gloomy-Burcheev, who dreams of turning the city into a prison surrounded by a high fence. Perhaps in this case the long-awaited order will reign in the city, but the price for it will be prohibitively high. The scene of the death of Gloomy-Burcheev is encouraging, although even here it is not without a certain amount of regret. Yes, the despot dies, buried by a tornado, a raging element of popular anger, not a conscious protest, but an impulse that sweeps away everything in its path. The worst thing is that as a result an even greater tyrant comes to power. Destruction does not give rise to creation, the author warns us.
In his work “The History of a City,” Saltykov-Shchedrin was able to clearly show the vices of the political and social sphere in the life of his country.
- The talented Russian satirist of the 19th century M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin devoted his life to writing works in which he denounced autocracy and serfdom in Russia. He, like no one else, knew the structure of the “state machine” and studied the psychology of bosses of all ranks and the Russian bureaucracy. In order to show the evils of public administration in all their fullness and depth, the writer used the grotesque technique, which he considered the most effective means of reflecting reality. A grotesque image always comes out [...]
- “The Story of a City” is the greatest satirical novel. This is a merciless denunciation of the entire management system of Tsarist Russia. Completed in 1870, “The History of a City” shows that the people in post-reform times remained as powerless as the officials - tyrants of the 70s. differed from pre-reform ones only in that they robbed using more modern, capitalist methods. The city of Foolov is the personification of autocratic Russia, the Russian people. Its rulers embody specific traits [...]
- “The History of One City” by M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin was written in the form of a narrative by a chronicler-archivist about the past of the city of Foolov, but the writer was not interested in a historical topic, he wrote about real Russia, about what worried him as an artist and a citizen of his country. Having stylized the events of a hundred years ago, giving them the features of the era of the 18th century, Saltykov-Shchedrin appears in different capacities: first he narrates the story on behalf of the archivists, the compilers of the “Foolish Chronicler”, then from the author, performing the functions of […]
- “The History of a City” exposes the imperfections of the social and political life of Russia. Unfortunately, Russia has rarely been blessed with good rulers. You can prove this by opening any history textbook. Saltykov-Shchedrin, sincerely worried about the fate of his homeland, could not stay away from this problem. The work “The History of a City” became a unique solution. The central issue in this book is the power and political imperfection of the country, or rather one city of Foolov. Everything – and the story of it [...]
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- M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin is a Russian satirist who created many wonderful works. His satire is always fair and truthful, he hits the mark, revealing the problems of his contemporary society. The author reached the heights of expressiveness in his fairy tales. In these short works, Saltykov-Shchedrin denounces the abuses of officials and the injustice of the regime. He was upset that in Russia they primarily care about the nobles, and not about the people, for whom he himself came to respect. He shows all this in [...]
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- The work of M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin occupies a special place in Russian literature of the 19th century. All his works are imbued with love for the people and the desire to make life better. However, his satire is often caustic and evil, but always truthful and fair. M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin depicts many types of gentlemen in his fairy tales. These are officials, merchants, nobles, and generals. In the fairy tale “The Tale of How One Man Fed Two Generals,” the author shows two generals as helpless, stupid and arrogant. “They served […]
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- It would be unfair to limit the entire problematic of Saltykov-Shchedrin’s tales to a description of the confrontation between peasants and landowners and the inactivity of the intelligentsia. While in public service, the author had the opportunity to become better acquainted with the so-called masters of life, whose images found their place in his fairy tales. Examples of these are “Poor Wolf”, “The Tale of the Toothy Pike”, etc. There are two sides in them - those who are oppressed and oppressed, and those who oppress and oppress. We are accustomed to certain […]
- Works about peasants and landowners occupy a significant place in the work of Saltykov-Shchedrin. Most likely this happened because the writer encountered this problem at a young age. Saltykov-Shchedrin spent his childhood in the village of Spas-Ugol, Kalyazinsky district, Tver province. His parents were quite rich people and owned land. Thus, the future writer saw with his own eyes all the shortcomings and contradictions of serfdom. Realizing the problem, familiar from childhood, Saltykov-Shchedrin subjected […]
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In order to make a correct analysis of Saltykov-Shchedrin’s “History of a City,” you need not only to read this work, but also to study it thoroughly. Try to reveal the essence and meaning of what Mikhail Evgrafovich tried to convey to the reader. To do this, you will need to analyze the plot and idea of the story. In addition, attention should be paid to the images of mayors. As in many other works of the author, he pays special attention to them, comparing them with an ordinary commoner.
Author's published work
“The History of a City” is one of the famous works of M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin. It was published in Otechestvennye zapiski, which aroused great interest in the novel. To have a clear understanding of the work, you need to analyze it. So, an analysis of “The History of a City” by Saltykov-Shchedrin. The genre is a novel, the writing style is a historical chronicle.
The reader immediately gets acquainted with the unusual image of the author. This is the “last archivist-chronicler.” From the very beginning, M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin made a small note, which indicated that everything was published on the basis of authentic documents. Why was this done by the writer? To give credibility to everything that will be narrated. All additions and author's notes contribute to creating historical truth in the work.
The authenticity of the novel
The analysis of “The History of a City” by Saltykov-Shchedrin is intended to indicate the history of writing and the use of means of expression. As well as the writer’s skill in ways of revealing the characters of literary images.
The preface reveals the author's intention for creating the novel “The History of a City.” Which city deserved to be immortalized in a literary work? The archives of the city of Foolov contained descriptions of all the important affairs of city residents, biographies of changing mayors. The novel contains the exact dates of the period described in the work: from 1731 to 1826. The quote is from a poem known at the time of writing by G.R. Derzhavina. And the reader believes it. How else!
The author uses a specific name and talks about the events that took place in any city. M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin traces the life of city leaders in connection with the changes in various historical eras. Every era changes the people in power. They were reckless, they skillfully managed the city's treasury, and were knightly brave. But no matter how time changes them, they control and command ordinary people.
What is written in the analysis
The analysis of Saltykov-Shchedrin’s “History of a City” will be written, like anything written in prose, according to a certain plan. The plan examines the following characteristic features: the history of the creation of the novel and plot lines, composition and images, style, direction, genre. Sometimes the analyzing critic or observer from the reading circle can add his own attitude to the work.
Now it’s worth turning to a specific work.
History of creation and main idea of the work
Saltykov-Shchedrin conceived his novel long ago and nurtured it for many years. His observations of the autocratic system have long been sought for embodiment in literary works. The writer worked on the novel for more than ten years. Saltykov-Shchedrin corrected and rewrote entire chapters more than once.
The main idea of the work is the satirist's view of the history of Russian society. The main thing in the city is not gold and money-grubbing, but actions. Thus, the entire novel “The History of a City” contains the theme of a satirical history of society. The writer seemed to predict the death of the autocracy. This is felt in the decisions of the Foolovites, who do not want to live in a regime of despotism and humiliation.
Plot
Novel « The History of a City” has a special content, unlike and not previously described in any classical work. This is for the society that is contemporary to the author, and in this state structure there is a power hostile to the people. To describe the city of Foolov and its daily life, the author takes a time period of one hundred years. The history of the city changes when the next government changes. Very briefly and schematically, you can present the entire plot of the work in a few sentences.
The first thing the author talks about is the origin of the people inhabiting the city. A long time ago, a tribe of bunglers managed to defeat all their neighbors. They are looking for a prince-ruler, instead of whom a thief-deputy turns out to be in power, for which he paid. This went on for a very long time, until the prince decided to appear in Foolov himself. The following is a story about all the significant people of the city. When it comes to the mayor Ugryum-Burcheev, the reader sees that popular anger is growing. The work ends with the expected explosion. Gloomy-Burcheev has disappeared, a new period begins. It's time for change.
Compositional structure
The composition has a fragmented appearance, but its integrity is not violated. The plan of the work is simple and at the same time extremely complex. It's easy to imagine it like this:
- Introducing the reader to the history of the inhabitants of the city of Foolov.
- 22 rulers and their characteristics.
- Mayor Brudasty and his organ in the head.
- The struggle for power in the city.
- Dvoekurov is in power.
- Years of calm and famine under Ferdyshchenko.
- The activities of Vasilisk Semenovich Wartkin.
- Changes in the way of life of the city.
- Depravity of morals.
- Gloomy-Burcheev.
- Wartkin about obligations.
- Mikaladze about the appearance of the ruler.
- Benevolsky about kindness.
Individual episodes
The “History of a City”, chapter by chapter, is interesting. The first chapter, “From the Publisher,” contains a story about the city and its history. The author himself admits that the plot is somewhat monotonous and contains the history of the government of the city. There are four narrators, and the story is told in turn by each of them.
The second chapter, “On the Roots of the Origin of the Foolovites,” tells the story of the prehistoric period of the existence of the tribes. Who was there at that time: bush-eaters and onion-eaters, frogs and bunglers.
In the chapter “Organchik” there is a conversation about the reign of a mayor named Brudasty. He is laconic, his head is completely empty. Master Baibakov, at the request of the people, revealed the secret of Brudasty: he had a small musical instrument in his head. A period of anarchy begins in Foolov.
The next chapter is full of events and dynamism. It's called "The Tale of the Six City Leaders." From this moment on, there came moments of change of rulers one after another: Dvoekurov, who ruled for eight years, with the ruler Ferdyshchenko, the people lived joyfully and in abundance for six years. The activity and activity of the next mayor, Wartkin, made it possible for the people of Foolov to learn what abundance is. But all good things have to come to an end. This happened with Foolov when Captain Negodyaev came to power.
The people of the city now see little good; no one is taking care of it, although some rulers are trying to engage in legislation. What the Foolovites did not survive: hunger, poverty, devastation. “The History of a City,” chapter by chapter, gives a complete picture of the changes that took place in Foolov.
Images of heroes
Mayors occupy a lot of space in the novel “The History of a City.” Each of them has their own principles of government in the city. Each is given a separate chapter in the work. To maintain the chronicle narrative style, the author uses a number of satirical artistic means: anachronism and fantasy, limited space and symbolic details. The novel exposes the entire modern reality. To do this, the author uses grotesque and hyperbole. Each of the mayors is vividly drawn by the author. The images turned out to be colorful, regardless of how their rule influenced the life of the city. Brudasty's categorical attitude, Dvoekurov's reformism, Wartkin's fight for enlightenment, Ferdyshchenko's greed and love of love, Pyshch's non-interference in any affairs and the Ugyum-Burcheevs with their idiocy.
Direction
Satirical novel. It is a chronological overview. It looks like some kind of original parody of the chronicle. A complete analysis of Saltykov-Shchedrin’s “History of a City” is ready. All that remains is to read the work again. Readers will have a new look at the novel by Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin.
Sometimes it's the little things that make the difference
In the work “The History of a City,” every passage is so good and bright, every little thing is in its place. Take, for example, the chapter “On the Roots of the Origin of the Foolovites.” The passage is reminiscent of a fairy tale. The chapter contains many fictional characters, invented funny names of tribes, which formed the basis of the city of Foolov. Elements of folklore will sound more than once from the lips of the heroes of the work; one of the bunglers sings the song “Don’t make noise, mother green oak tree.” The virtues of the Foolovites look ridiculous: skilful pasta-stripping, trading, singing obscene songs.
“The History of a City” is the pinnacle of the work of the great Russian classic Saltykov-Shchedrin. This masterpiece brought the author fame as a satirical writer. This novel contains the hidden history of all of Russia. Saltykov-Shchedrin saw an unfair attitude towards the common people. He very subtly felt and saw the shortcomings of the Russian political system. Just as in the history of Russia, in the novel the harmless ruler is replaced by a tyrant and dictator.
Epilogue of the story
The ending of the work is symbolic, in which the despotic mayor Gloomy-Burcheev dies in the funnel of a tornado of popular anger, but there is no confidence that a respectable ruler will come to power. Thus, there is no certainty and constancy in matters of power.
" - a satirical novel by writer M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin. It was written in 1870.
Meaning of the name. The title is an indication of the absurdist essence of the novel. This is a kind of historical work, parodying, in particular, “The History of the Russian State.” However, the “state” in the novel has shrunk to the size of a small city.
Events take place in it that satirically reflect the real events of Russian history (mainly the period of the 18th - 19th centuries). The novel is constructed in the form of a historical chronicle - it is the content of a fictional chronicle that the narrator allegedly finds.
Content. “The History of a City” tells the story of the city of Foolov. The “chronicle” tells about the origin of the Foolovites, about the most prominent rulers of the city, and mentions the most important historical events. Here are some descriptions of the rulers: Dementy Brudasty is a mechanical humanoid robot with an “organ” in its head instead of a brain, which each time issues one of several programmed phrases.
After the residents found out who their ruler really was, Brudasty was overthrown. Six female rulers who sought to seize power by all means, including actively bribing soldiers. Pyotr Ferdyshchenko is an unreasonable, frivolous reformer who led his city to mass famine; he himself died from gluttony.
Basilisk Wartkin - reformer-educator, reminiscent of Peter I; at the same time, with wild cruelty he destroyed many villages, thereby obtaining only a few rubles for the treasury. He ruled the city for the longest time. Gloomy-Burcheev is a parody of Arakcheev, a statesman of the times of Paul and Alexander I.
Gloomy-Burcheev is perhaps one of the central characters of “History”. This is a despot and tyrant who intends to build an ideal state machine in his city. This led to the creation of a totalitarian system that brought nothing but disasters to the city. In this part of the novel, Saltykov-Shchedrin was one of the heralds of a new literary genre - dystopia. The death of Gloomy-Burcheev makes people breathe a sigh of relief and gives hope for some changes for the better.
Composition. The novel is built from several large fragments, as befits a “chronicle”. However, this does not violate the integrity of the work. Here's the outline of the story:
1. Introduction to the history of the inhabitants of Foolov;
2. Description of the 22 rulers of the city;
3. Ruler Brusty with an organ in his head;
4. Struggle for power;
5. Board of Dvoekurov;
6. A period of calm and the onset of famine;
7. Reign of Basilisk Wartkin;
8. Changes in the lifestyle of city residents;
9. Depravity of the inhabitants;
10. Ugryum-Burcheev’s rise to power;
11. Wartkin’s discussion of obligations;
12. Mikaladze talks about the appearance of the ruler;
13. Benevolsky’s reasoning about kindness.
Issues. The novel by Saltykov-Shchedrin was created with the aim of describing the eternal disorders of the Russian state and society. Despite the satire and grotesquery, it becomes clear that the writer only highlighted and exaggerated those trends that really took place in Russian history. Even the order of events and the reigns of mayors largely corresponds to Russian historical chronology. Sometimes the correspondence of heroes to their real prototypes reaches photographic accuracy; such is Ugryum-Burcheev, the description of whose appearance is completely copied from the figure of Arakcheev, which can be observed by looking at the famous portrait of this figure. It should be noted, however, that Saltykov-Shchedrin covered Russian history one-sidedly. After all, Peter’s reforms were generally reasonable and adequate, and the era of Elizabeth Petrovna and Catherine was marked by some cultural and economic upsurge. Even Arakcheev, whom Saltykov-Shchedrin apparently hated so fiercely, is assessed largely positively by contemporaries and historians: for example, he never took bribes or abused his position for personal gain, and his fierce persecution of corruption and embezzlement turned out to be effective. However, the satirical pathos of the novel has its own meaning.
Idea. The idea of the novel is that stupidity in the city of the same name is permanent and eternal, and no new “reformer” is able to get rid of it; the new mayor turns out to be no less reckless than the previous ones. This happened in the real history of Russia: smart, intelligent figures did not stay in power for long, and their sound reforms were nullified by subsequent rulers, which is why the country returned to its previous disorder, poverty and savagery. Stupidity is the only source of all the troubles of the city, and certainly not the desire for wealth, acquisitiveness and the thirst for power. Each ruler of Foolov had his own unique form of stupidity, so the nature of the people's disasters was constantly changing. In addition to mayors, ordinary people also live in the city. Their description in the novel is unsightly: they all form a submissive herd that does not want to change, no matter how reasonable the initiatives of some rulers, and does not resist the wild and reckless behavior of the authorities. Time has no effect on ordinary Foolovites. Only a good shake-up, such as the rule of Ugryum-Burcheev, can at least slightly awaken the self-awareness of the population. The ending of the work is in a sense prophetic. The power of Ugryum-Burcheev fell as a result of the revolution, and he himself suffered reprisals; however, there is no certainty that the new ruler elected by the people will be reasonable and respectable. As we know, half a century after the novel was written, this happened in reality.
Gender and genre. “The History of a City” is a novel classified as “literature of the absurd.” In it, the realistic beginning gives way to the grotesque, exaggeration, and fantasy. At the same time, folklore elements are actively used: for example, individual episodes (like the story about the origin of the Foolovites) resemble fairy tales. At the same time, the author strives to give his narrative the most realistic image possible.
The chronicle structure comes into play - the novel gives the exact dates of all events, the years of life of the mayors, the history of Foolov is correlated with the history of real Russia and the world; the narrator quotes from famous writers. The reader unwittingly begins to believe what is written. It is noteworthy that Saltykov-Shchedrin’s “historical” work is addressed to his contemporary reader. By this he wants to say that well-known problems in society arose a long time ago and have not disappeared over time.
The name of the city, the “history” of which is offered to the reader, is Foolov. There is no such city on the map of Russia and there never was one, but still it was... And it was everywhere. Or maybe he never disappeared anywhere, despite the phrase with which the author-chronicler ends his story: “History has stopped flowing”? Can this really happen? And isn’t this Aesop’s sly smile?..
In Russian literature, Shchedrin’s “chronicle” was immediately preceded by Pushkin’s “History of the Village of Goryukhin”. “If God sends me readers, then perhaps they will be curious to know how I decided to write the History of the Village of Goryukhin” - this is how Pushkin’s narrative begins. And here is the beginning of the text “From the publisher”, who allegedly found in the “Foolovsky city archive” “a voluminous bunch of notebooks bearing the general name “Foolish Chronicler””: “For a long time I had the intention of writing the history of some city (or region) ... but different circumstances hindered this enterprise."
But the Chronicler was found. The material collected since ancient times is at the disposal of the “publisher”. In his address to the reader, he determines the content of the “History”. Read the text “From the Publisher” in full, so that you are convinced that every word there is special, casts its own brilliance and merges in a general sparkle with others, one fantastically real (grotesque) image, as soon as it appears on the page, is crowded out by the next, and the best, What you can do is become a reader of the chronicle of Foolov, this strangely familiar city to all of us.
The structure of Shchedrin's most widely read work is complex. Behind the chapter " From the publisher"follows" Address to the reader"- a text written directly from the perspective of the “archivist-chronicler” and stylized in the language of the 18th century.
“Author” - “humble Pavlushka, son of Masloboynikov,” the fourth archivist. Note that of the three other archivists, two are Tryapichkins (the surname is taken from Gogol’s “The Inspector General”: this is what Khlestakov calls his friend, “who writes little articles”).
"About the roots of the origin of the Foolovites"
“On the Roots of the Origin of the Foolovites,” the chapter that opens The Chronicler, begins with a fictitious quote imitating the text of “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.” Historians N.I. Kostomarov (1817-1885) and S.M. Solovyov (1820-1879) are mentioned here because they held directly opposite views on the history of Rus' and Russia: according to Kostomarov, the main thing in it was spontaneous popular activity (“a gray wolf prowled the earth”), and according to Solovyov, Russian history was created only thanks to the deeds of princes and kings (“he spread his crazy eagle under the clouds”).
Both points of view were alien to the writer himself. He believed that Russian statehood could only be created through an organized and conscious popular movement.
"Inventory for mayors"
“Inventory of mayors” contains explanations for further chapters and a short list of mayors, the narratives of whose reign are developed further. One should not think that each mayor is a satirical image of one specific “autocrat”. These are always generalized images, like most of the text of “The History of a City,” but there are also clear correspondences. Negodyaev - Pavel I, Alexander I - Grustilov; Speransky and Arakcheev, close associates of Alexander I, were reflected in the characters Benevolensky and Gloomy-Burcheev.
"Organchik"
“The Organ” is the central and most famous chapter of the book. This is the nickname of the mayor Brudasty, who summarizes the most sinister features of despotism. The word “brute” has long referred exclusively to dogs: “brutty” - having a beard and mustache on the face and usually especially vicious (usually about a greyhound dog). He was called an organ because a musical instrument was discovered in his head, a mechanism that produces only one phrase: “I will not tolerate it!” The Foolovites also call Brudasty a scoundrel, but Shchedrin assures that they do not attach any specific meaning to this word. This means that the word has one - this is how the writer draws your attention to this word and asks you to figure it out. Let's figure it out.
The word “scoundrel” appeared in the Russian language under Peter I from “profost” - a regimental executor (executioner) in the German army; in Russian it was used until the 60s of the 19th century in the same meaning, after which it was a warden of military prisons. “London agitators” in the journalism of the 60s of the 19th century were called A.I. Herzen and N.P. Ogarev - Russian revolutionary publicists who published the newspaper "Bell" in London. Charles the Simple - a character similar to Organchik in medieval history - a real-life French king, deposed as a result of his unsuccessful wars. Farmazons are freemasons, freemasons, members of the society of “freemasons”, very influential in Europe since the Middle Ages.
"The Tale of the Six City Leaders"
“The Tale of the Six City Leaders” is a wonderfully written, hilariously funny, brilliant satire on the empresses of the 18th century and their temporary favorites.
The surname Paleologova is an allusion to the wife of Ivan III, the daughter of the last Byzantine emperor of the Paleolog dynasty, Sophia. It was this marriage that gave the Russian rulers the basis to make Russia an empire and dream of annexing Byzantium.
The name Clementine de Bourbon is a hint that the French government helped Elizabeth Petrovna ascend to the Russian throne. The mention of the unpronounceable fictitious names of Polish cardinals here is probably an allusion to the Time of Troubles and Polish intrigue in Russian history.
"News about Dvoekurov"
“The News of Dvoekurov” contains hints about the reign of Alexander I and the peculiarities of his personality (duality, contradictory intentions and their implementation, indecision to the point of cowardice). Shchedrin emphasizes that the Foolovites owe it to him to consume mustard and bay leaves. Dvoekurov is the ancestor of the “innovators” who fought wars “in the name of potatoes.” An allusion to Nicholas I, the son of Alexander I, who introduced potatoes into Rus' during the famine of 1839-1840, which caused “potato riots”, which were brutally suppressed by military force until the most powerful peasant uprising in 1842.
"Hungry City"
"Hungry City" Mayor Ferdyshchenko rules Foolov in this and the next two chapters. After listening to the priest’s teaching about Ahab and Jezebel, Ferdyshchenko promises the people bread, and he himself calls troops to the city. Perhaps this is an allusion to the “liberation” of the peasants in 1861, carried out in such a way that it caused discontent among both landowners and peasants who resisted the reform.
"Straw City"
"Straw City" The war between the “streltsy” and the “gunners” is described. It is known that in May 1862 the famous St. Petersburg fires occurred in Apraksin Dvor. They blamed them on students and nihilists, but perhaps the fires were a provocation. The chapter is a broader generalization. It also contains hints of the flood of 1824 in St. Petersburg.
"Fantastic Traveler"
"Fantastic Traveler" Ferdyshchenko sets off on a journey. It was the custom of Russian autocrats to travel from time to time around the country, during which local authorities strenuously portrayed the people's devotion to the rulers, and the tsars bestowed favors on the people, often very insignificant. Thus, it is known that by order of Arakcheev, during the tour of military settlements by Alexander I, the same roast goose was carried from hut to hut.
"Wars for Enlightenment"
“Wars for Enlightenment” - describes the “longest and most brilliant” reign, judging by many signs, of Nicholas I. Vasilisk Semyonovich Wartkin is a collective image, like everyone else, but some features of the era clearly hint primarily at this monarch. Historian K.I. Arsenyev is the mentor of Nicholas I, who traveled with him across Russia.
The trips to Streletskaya Sloboda again take us back to the 18th century, but generalize the periods of the next century - the struggle of monarchs against the Freemasons, the “noble Fronde” and the Decembrists. There is also a hint, it seems, of Pushkin (the poet Fedka, who “insulted the venerable mother of the Basilisk with verses”). It is known that after Pushkin’s return from exile in 1826, Nicholas I told him in a personal conversation: “You’ve fooled around enough, I hope you’ll be reasonable now, and we won’t quarrel anymore. You will send me everything you write, and from now on I myself will be your censor.”
The march to the settlement of Navoznaya implies the colonial wars of the Russian tsars. Talking about the economic crisis in Foolov, Shchedrin names the economists of the Russian Messenger magazine - Molinari and Bezobrazov, who passed off any situation as prosperity. Finally, campaigns “against enlightenment” and to “destroy the free spirit”, dating back to the year of the revolution in France (1790), point to the French Revolution of 1848 and the revolutionary events that broke out in European countries - Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary. Nicholas I sends troops into Wallachia, Moldova, and Hungary.
"The era of dismissal from wars"
The chapter “The era of dismissal from wars” is devoted mainly to the reign of Negodyaev (Paul I), “replaced” in 1802, according to the “Inventory”, for disagreement with Czartoryski, Stroganov and Novosiltsev. These nobles were close advisers to Alexander, the son of the murdered emperor. It was they who advocated the introduction of constitutional principles in Russia, but what kind of principles they were! “The Age of Retirement from Wars” presents these “beginnings” in their true form.
Negodyaev is replaced by Mikaladze. The surname is Georgian, and there is reason to think that this refers to Emperor Alexander I, under whom Georgia (1801), Mingrelia (1803) and Imereti (1810) were annexed to Russia, and the fact that he is a descendant of the “voluptuous Queen Tamara” - an allusion to his mother Catherine II. Mayor Benevolensky - the arbiter of the destinies of Russia, who had enormous influence on Alexander I - M.M. Speransky. Lycurgus and Dragon (Dragon) - ancient Greek legislators; the expressions “draconian rules”, “draconian measures” became popular. Speransky was involved by the tsar in drawing up laws.
"Supporting documents"
The last part of the book - “Exculpatory Documents” - contains a parody of the laws compiled by Speransky. Benevolensky ended his career in the same way as Speransky; he was suspected of treason and exiled. The power of Pimple comes - the mayor with a stuffed head. This is a generalizing image, and it is not for nothing that Shchedrin compares the well-being of the Foolovites under Pimple with the life of the Russians under the legendary Prince Oleg: this is how the satirist emphasizes the fictitious, unprecedented nature of the described prosperity.
"Worship of Mammon and Repentance"
We are now talking about ordinary people - about the Foolovites themselves. The exceptionality of their endurance and vitality is pointed out, because they continue to exist under the mayors listed in the Chronicler. The series of the latter continues: Ivanov (again Alexander I, we are even talking about two options for his death: compare the legend about Alexander I’s voluntary renunciation of power, his staging of his death in Taganrog and his secret departure to monasticism), then - Angel Dorofeich Du-Chario (Angel is the nickname of the same monarch in the circles of his near and dear ones, Dorofeich - from Dorofey - gift of God (Greek), followed by Erast Grustilov (again Tsar Alexander I). Alexander's beloved and their influence on his reign are listed under various allegorical names. The appearance of the generalized image of Pfeifersch (prototypes - Baroness V.Yu. von Krugener and E.F. Tatarinov) marks the beginning of the second half of the reign of Alexander I and the immersion of the “tops” and society into dark mysticism and social obscurantism. repentance, the real king disappears into nowhere.
“Confirmation of repentance. Conclusion"
All this mystical rabble and nonsense is dispersed by the newly emerged once offended officer (Gloomy-Burcheev - Arakcheev (1769-1834), a “gloomy idiot”, “a monkey in a uniform”, who fell out of favor under Paul I and was again called upon by Alexander I). The first part of the chapter is devoted to his struggle to implement the crazy idea of military settlements to support the army in peacetime, the second to criticism of Russian liberalism. Arakcheev, who blossomed during the years of the “liberation” of peasants from serfdom, outraged Shchedrin with his unprincipledness, idealism and inconsistent caution, empty talk and lack of understanding of the realities of Russian life. The list of martyrs of the liberal idea given in the last chapter of the book and their deeds also includes the Decembrists, whose activities Shchedrin could not help but treat ironically, knowing Russia and understanding how fantastic were the hopes of the Decembrists to overthrow the autocracy with the help of their secret societies and the uprising in Senate Square. The last in the series of mayors described in the “Chronicle” is named Archangel Stratilatovich Intercept-Zalikhvatsky - an image that again takes us back to Nicholas I. “He claimed that he was the father of his mother. He again banished mustard, bay leaves and Provençal oil from use...” Thus, the history of the city of Foolov in The Chronicler returns to normal. Everything in it is ready for the new cycle. This hint is especially clear in the Archangel’s statement that he is the father of his mother. The phantasmagoric grotesque is clearly readable.
Concluding the story about the great book by M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, we only note that when reading it, you need to keep in mind Turgenev’s statement about the author: “He knew Russia better than all of us.”
Source (abbreviated): Michalskaya, A.K. Literature: Basic level: 10th grade. At 2 p.m. Part 1: study. allowance / A.K. Mikhalskaya, O.N. Zaitseva. - M.: Bustard, 2018
Saltykov-Shchedrin’s novel “The History of a City” was written during 1869-1870, but the writer worked not only on it, so the novel was written intermittently. The first chapters were published in the journal Otechestvennye zapiski No. 1, where Saltykov-Shchedrin was the editor-in-chief. But until the end of the year, work on the novel stopped, as Saltykov-Shchedrin took up writing fairy tales, completed several unfinished works and continued to write literary criticism.
The continuation of “The History of a City” was published in 5 issues of “Notes of the Fatherland” for 1870. In the same year, the book was published as a separate edition.
Literary direction and genre
Saltykov-Shchedrin is a writer of a realistic direction. Immediately after the book was published, critics defined the genre variety of the novel as a historical satire, and treated the novel differently.
From an objective point of view, Saltykov-Shchedrin is as great a historian as he is a wonderful satirist. His novel is a parody of chronicle sources, primarily “The Tale of Bygone Years” and “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.”
Saltykov-Shchedrin offers his own version of history, which differs from the versions of Saltykov-Shchedrin’s contemporaries (mentioned by the first chronicler Kostomarov, Solovyov, Pypin).
In the chapter “From the Publisher,” Mr. M. Shchedrin himself notes the fantastic nature of some episodes (the mayor with music, the mayor flying through the air, the mayor’s feet facing backwards). At the same time, he stipulates that “the fantastic nature of the stories does not in the least eliminate their administrative and educational significance.” This satirical phrase means that “The History of a City” cannot be considered as a fantastic text, but as a mythological one that explains the mentality of the people.
The fantastic nature of the novel is associated with the grotesque, which allows one to depict the typical through extreme exaggeration and deformation of the image.
Some researchers find dystopian features in “The History of a City.”
Topics and problems
The theme of the novel is the hundred-year history of the city of Foolov - an allegory of the Russian state. The history of the city is the biographies of mayors and descriptions of their great deeds: collection of arrears, imposition of tribute, campaigns against ordinary people, construction and destruction of pavements, fast travel on postal roads...
Thus, Saltykov-Shchedrin raises the problem of the essence of history, which is beneficial for the state to consider as the history of power, and not the history of compatriots.
Contemporaries accused the writer of revealing the supposedly false essence of reformism, which led to the deterioration and complication of the people's life.
The democrat Saltykov-Shchedrin was concerned about the problem of the relationship between man and the state. Mayors, for example, Borodavkin, believe that the meaning of life for “ordinary people” living in the state (not on earth!) is in pensions (that is, in state benefits). Saltykov-Shchedrin understands that the state and ordinary people live on their own. The writer knew this first-hand, having himself for some time played the role of “mayor” (he was vice-governor in Ryazan and Tver).
One of the problems that worried the writer was the study of the mentality of his compatriots, their national character traits that influence their position in life and cause “insecurity in life, arbitrariness, improvidence, and lack of faith in the future.”
Plot and composition
The composition of the novel from the moment of its first publication in the magazine was changed by the author himself, for example, the chapter “On the root of the origin of the Foolovites” was placed third, following the introductory chapters, which corresponded to the logic of the ancient Russian chronicle, starting with mythology. And the supporting documents (the writings of the three mayors) were moved to the end, as historical documents are often placed in relation to the author’s text.
The last chapter, appendix “Letter to the Editor,” is Shchedrin’s indignant response to a review in which he was accused of “mockery of the people.” In this letter, the author explains the idea of his work, in particular, that his satire is directed against “those features of Russian life that make it not entirely comfortable.”
“Address to the Reader” was written by the last of the four chroniclers, archivist Pavlushka Masloboinikov. Here Saltykov-Shchedrin imitates real chronicles that had several authors.
The chapter “On the Roots of the Origin of the Foolovites” talks about the myths and prehistoric era of the Foolovites. The reader learns about tribes warring among themselves, about the renaming of blockheads into Foolovites, about the search for a ruler and the enslavement of the Foolovites, who found for their ruler a prince who was not only stupid, but also cruel, the principle of whose rule was embodied in the word “I’ll screw up,” which begins the historical period of Foolov. The historical period considered in the novel occupies a whole century, from 1731 to 1825.
“Inventory to the mayors” is a brief description of 22 mayors, which emphasizes the absurdity of history by the concentration of the described madmen, of whom the least, “having done nothing,... was removed for ignorance.”
The next 10 chapters are devoted to describing the most prominent mayors in chronological order.
Heroes and images
“The Most Remarkable Mayors” deserved closer attention from the publisher.
Dementiy Varlamovich Brudasty is “more than strange.” He is silent and gloomy, also cruel (the first thing he did was flog all the coachmen), and is prone to fits of rage. Brudasty also has a positive quality - he is managerial, puts in order the arrears left behind by his predecessors. True, he does this in one way - officials catch citizens, flog them and flog them, and seize their property.
The Foolovites are horrified by such rule. They are saved by the breakdown of the mechanism that is located in Brudasty’s head. This is an organ that repeats only two phrases: “I will ruin” and “I will not tolerate.” The appearance of the second Brudasty with a new head relieves the Foolovites from a couple of organs, declared impostors.
Many of the characters are satires on real rulers. For example, the six mayors are empresses of the 18th century. Their internecine warfare lasted 6 days, and on the seventh day Dvoekurov arrived in the city.
Dvoekurov is a “man of the forefront,” an innovator who was engaged in fruitful activities in Glupov: he paved two streets, opened brewing and mead making, forced everyone to use mustard and bay leaves, and flogged the disobedient, but “with consideration,” that is, for the cause.
Three whole chapters are dedicated to Pyotr Petrovich Ferdyshchenko, the foreman. Ferdyshchenko is Prince Potemkin’s former orderly, a simple man, “good-natured and somewhat lazy.” The Foolovites consider the mayor stupid, a fool, they laugh at his tongue-tiedness, and call him a rogue old man.
During the 6 years of Ferdyshchenko's reign, the Foolovites forgot about the oppression, but in the seventh year Ferdyshchenko went berserk and took away his husband's wife Alyonka, after which a drought began. The Foolovites, in a fit of rage, threw Alyonka from the bell tower, but Ferdyshchenko was inflamed with love for the archer Domashka. For this, the Foolovites suffered a terrible fire.
Ferdyshchenko repented before the people on his knees, but his tears were hypocritical. At the end of his life, Ferdyshchenko traveled around the pasture, where he died of gluttony.
Vasilisk Semyonovich Wartkin (satire on Peter 1) is a brilliant city ruler, under him Foolov experiences a golden age. Wartkin was small in stature and not stately in appearance, but he was loud. He was a writer and a brave utopian, a political dreamer. Before conquering Byzantium, Wartkin conquers the Foolovites with “wars for enlightenment”: he reintroduces mustard, forgotten after Dvoekurov, into use (for which he undertakes an entire military campaign with sacrifices), demands to build houses on a stone foundation, plant Persian chamomile and establish an academy in Foolov. The obstinacy of the Foolovites was defeated along with contentment. The French Revolution showed that the education instilled by Wartkin was harmful.
Onufriy Ivanovich Negodyaev, a captain and former stoker, began the era of retirement from wars. The mayor tests the Foolovites for their toughness. As a result of the tests, the Foolovites became wild: they grew hair and sucked their paws, because there was no food or clothing.
Ksaviry Georgievich Mikaladze is a descendant of Queen Tamara, who has a seductive appearance. He shook hands with his subordinates, smiled affectionately, and won hearts “solely through graceful manners.” Mikaladze stops education and executions and does not issue laws.
Mikaladze's reign was peaceful, punishments were mild. The mayor's only drawback is his love for women. He doubled the population of Foolov, but died of exhaustion.
Feofilakt Irinarkhovich Benevolinsky - state councilor, assistant to Speransky. This is a satire on Speransky himself. Benevolinsky loved to engage in lawmaking. The laws he came up with are as meaningless as the “Charter on the Respectable Baking of Pies.” The mayor's laws are so stupid that they do not interfere with the prosperity of the Foolovites, so they become fatter than ever. Benevolinsky was exiled for his connection with Napoleon and called a scoundrel.
Ivan Panteleevich Pryshch does not make laws and governs simply, in the spirit of “limitless liberalism.” He rests himself and persuades the Foolovites to do so. Both the townspeople and the mayor are getting richer.
The leader of the nobility finally realizes that Pimple has a stuffed head, and eats it without a trace.
Mayor Nikodim Osipovich Ivanov is also stupid, because his height does not allow him to “accommodate anything extensive,” but this quality of the mayor benefits the Foolovites. Ivanov either died of fright, having received a “too extensive” decree, or was fired due to his brain drying out from their inaction and became the founder of microcephaly.
Erast Andreevich Grustilov is a satire on Alexander 1, a sensitive person. The subtlety of Grustilov's feelings is deceptive. He is voluptuous, in the past he hid government money, he is debauched, “in a hurry to live and enjoy,” so that he inclines the Foolovites towards paganism. Grustilov is arrested and dies of melancholy. During his reign, the Foolovites lost the habit of working.
Gloomy-Burcheev is a satire on Arakcheev. He is a scoundrel, a terrible person, “the purest type of idiot.” This mayor exhausts, scolds and destroys the Foolovites, for which he is nicknamed Satan. He has a wooden face, his gaze is free from thought and shameless. Gloomy-Burcheev is impassive, limited, but full of determination. He is like the force of nature, going ahead in a straight line, not recognizing reason.
Gloomy-Burcheev destroys the city and builds Nepreklonsk in a new place, but he fails to control the river. It seems that nature itself is ridding the Foolovites of him, carrying him away in a tornado.
The arrival of Gloomy-Burcheev, as well as the phenomenon that follows him, called “it”, is a picture of an apocalypse that ceases the existence of history.
Artistic originality
Saltykov-Shchedrin skillfully changes the speech of different narrators in the novel. The publisher M.E. Saltykov stipulates that he corrected only the “heavy and outdated style” of the Chronicler. In the address to the reader of the last archivist chronicler, whose work was published 45 years after it was written, there are outdated words of high style: if, this, such. But the publisher allegedly did not correct this particular appeal to readers.
The entire address of the last chronicler is written in the best traditions of the oratory art of antiquity, contains a series of rhetorical questions, and is replete with metaphors and comparisons, mainly from the ancient world. At the end of the introduction, the chronicler, following the biblical tradition widespread in Rus', humiliates himself, calling him a “meager vessel,” and compares Foolov with Rome, and Foolov benefits from the comparison.