Who from the story Taras Bulba was older. The image of Taras Bulba in the story "Taras Bulba"

Taras Bulba.

They come to the old Cossack Colonel Taras Bulba after graduating from Kyiv Academy his two sons - Ostap and Andriy. Two stalwart young men, whose healthy and strong faces have not yet been touched by a razor, are embarrassed by their meeting with their father, who makes fun of their clothes as recent seminarians.

The eldest, Ostap, cannot stand his father’s ridicule: “Even though you’re my dad, if you laugh, then, by God, I’ll beat you!” And father and son, instead of greeting each other after a long absence, seriously hit each other with blows. A pale, thin and kind mother tries to reason with her violent husband, who himself stops, glad that he has tested his son. Bulba wants to “greet” the younger one in the same way, but his mother is already hugging him, protecting him from his father.

The poor mother sits all night over her sleeping children, without closing her eyes, wanting the night to last as long as possible. Her dear sons are taken from her; they take it so that she will never see them! In the morning, after the blessing, the mother, desperate with grief, is barely torn away from the children and taken to the hut.

Then Andriy managed to get into the beauty’s bedroom through the fireplace chimney; a knock on the door forced the Pole to hide the young Cossack under the bed. Tatarka, the lady's servant, as soon as the anxiety passed, took Andriy out into the garden, where he barely escaped from the awakened servants. He saw the beautiful Polish girl again in the church, soon she left - and now, with his eyes cast down into the mane of his horse, Andriy thinks about her.

After long journey The Sich meets Taras with his sons wild life- a sign of Zaporozhye will. Cossacks do not like to waste time on military exercises, collecting military experience only in the heat of battle. Ostap and Andriy rush with all the ardor of young men into this riotous sea.

But old Taras does not like an idle life - this is not the kind of activity he wants to prepare his sons for. Having met all his comrades, he is still figuring out how to rouse the Cossacks on a campaign, so as not to waste the Cossack prowess on a continuous feast and drunken fun. He persuades the Cossacks to re-elect the Koschevoy, who keeps peace with the enemies of the Cossacks. The new Koshevoy, under the pressure of the most warlike Cossacks, and above all Taras, decides to go to Poland to celebrate all the evil and disgrace of faith and Cossack glory.

The young, especially the sons of Taras, do not like this life. Old Bulba calms them down, promising hot fights soon. One dark night Andria wakes up from sleep strange creature like a ghost. This is a Tatar, a servant of the same Polish woman with whom Andriy is in love. The Tatar woman whispers that the lady is in the city, she saw Andriy from the city rampart and asks him to come to her or at least give a piece of bread for his dying mother.

Andriy loads the bags with bread, as much as he can carry, and underground passage the Tatar woman leads him to the city. Having met his beloved, he renounces his father and brother, comrades and homeland: “The homeland is what our soul seeks, what is dearer to it than anything else. My homeland is you.” Andriy stays with the lady to protect her until last breath from their former comrades.

Polish troops, sent to reinforce the besieged, march into the city past the drunken Cossacks, killing many while they were asleep, and capturing many. This event embitters the Cossacks, who decide to continue the siege to the end. Taras, searching for his missing son, receives terrible confirmation of Andriy's betrayal.

The Poles are organizing forays, but the Cossacks are still successfully repelling them. News comes from the Sich that in the absence main force The Tatars attacked the remaining Cossacks and captured them, seizing the treasury. The Cossack army near Dubno is divided in two - half goes to the rescue of the treasury and comrades, half remains to continue the siege. Taras, leading the siege army, makes a passionate speech in praise of comradeship.

The Poles learn about the weakening of the enemy and move out of the city for a decisive battle. Andriy is among them. Taras Bulba orders the Cossacks to lure him to the forest and there, meeting Andriy face to face, he kills his son, who even before his death utters one word - the name of the beautiful lady. Reinforcements arrive to the Poles, and they defeat the Cossacks. Ostap is captured, the wounded Taras, saved from pursuit, is brought to Sich.

Having recovered from his wounds, Taras, with a lot of money and threats, forces the Jew Yankel to secretly transport him to Warsaw in order to try to ransom Ostap there. Taras is present at the terrible execution of his son in the city square. Not a single groan escapes from Ostap’s chest under torture, only before death he cries out: “Father! where are you! do you hear all this? - “I hear!” - Taras answers above the crowd. They rush to catch him, but Taras is already gone.

One hundred and twenty thousand Cossacks, including the regiment of Taras Bulba, rise up on a campaign against the Poles. Even the Cossacks themselves notice Taras’s excessive ferocity and cruelty towards the enemy. This is how he takes revenge for the death of his son. The defeated Polish hetman Nikolai Pototsky swears not to inflict any offense on the Cossack army in the future. Only Colonel Bulba does not agree to such a peace, assuring his comrades that the asked Poles will not keep their word. And he leads his regiment away. His prediction comes true - having gathered their strength, the Poles treacherously attack the Cossacks and defeat them.

And Taras walks throughout Poland with his regiment, continuing to avenge the death of Ostap and his comrades, mercilessly destroying all living things.

Five regiments under the leadership of that same Pototsky finally overtake the regiment of Taras, who had taken rest in an old collapsed fortress on the banks of the Dniester. The battle lasts four days. The surviving Cossacks make their way, but the old chieftain stops to look for his cradle in the grass, and the haiduks overtake him.

They tie Taras to an oak tree with iron chains, nail his hands and lay a fire under him. Before his death, Taras manages to shout to his comrades to go down to the canoes, which he sees from above, and escape from pursuit along the river. And at the last terrible minute the old chieftain thinks about his comrades, about their future victories, when old Taras is no longer with them.

The Cossacks escape from the chase, row their oars together and talk about their chieftain.

The main feature of a work of art on a historical theme is that the author organically combines a story about events that actually took place with the author’s fiction. In this regard, N.V. Gogol’s story “Taras Bulba” is somewhat unusual: the historical events in it are not specified; moreover, when reading, it is sometimes quite difficult to determine at what time the actions take place - in the 15th, 16th or 17th centuries. In addition, none of the heroes is a historical figure, including Taras himself. Despite this, from the moment the work appeared, it has been classified as an epic story, sometimes called a novel. What is the strength and scale of “Taras Bulba”?

The history of the story

The writer’s appeal to the topic of the Cossacks was not accidental. A native of the Poltava province, since childhood he had heard a lot about the heroic feat of the people during the fight against numerous external invaders. Later, when Gogol began to write, such brave and devoted to their homeland people like Taras Bulba. There were many of them in the Sich. Often former serfs became Cossacks - they found a home and comrades here.

N.V. Gogol studied many sources on this issue, including manuscripts of Ukrainian chronicles, historical studies by Boplan and Myshetsky. Not satisfied with what he read (in his opinion, they contained meager information, which was not enough to understand the soul of the people), Gogol turned to folklore. and the Dumas dedicated to them talked about the peculiarities of the characters, morals and life of the Cossacks. They gave the writer excellent “living” material, which became an excellent addition to scientific sources, and some storylines included in the story in a revised form.

Historical basis of the story

“Taras Bulba” is a book about free people who inhabited the territory of the Dnieper region in the 16th and 17th centuries. Their center was the Zaporozhye Sich - its name is due to the fact that it was fortified on all sides with a fence of fallen trees - abatis. It had its own way of life and management. Subject to frequent attacks from Poles, Turks, and Lithuanians, the Cossacks had a very strong, well-trained army. Most They spent time in battles and military campaigns, and the trophies they obtained became their main means of livelihood. It is no coincidence that the light rooms in the house where his wife lived alone include numerous signs of the owner’s camp life.

The year 1596 became fatal for the Ukrainian people, who were at that time under the rule of the Lithuanians and Poles. adopted a union on the unification under the authority of the Pope of Rome of two Christian religions: Orthodox and Catholic. Decision made it even more difficult difficult relationship between the Poles and the Cossacks, which resulted in open military confrontations. Gogol dedicated his story to this period.

Image of the Zaporozhye Sich

The main school for educating persistent, courageous warriors was a special way of life and management, and the teachers were experienced Cossacks who had repeatedly shown their valor in battle. One of them was Colonel Taras Bulba. His biography is a story about the formation of a true patriot, for whom the interests and freedom of the fatherland are above all.

It resembled a large republic based on the principles of humanism and equality. Koshevoy was chosen by a general decision, usually from among the most worthy. During the battle, the Cossacks had to obey him unconditionally, but in Peaceful time It was his duties that included taking care of the Cossacks.

In the Sich, everything was arranged to ensure the everyday life and military campaigns of its inhabitants: all kinds of workshops and forges worked, and cattle were raised. Ostap and Andriy will see all this when Taras Bulba brings them here.

The history of the short existence of the Zaporozhye Republic showed a new way of organizing people's lives, based on brotherhood, unity and freedom, and not on the oppression of the weak by the strong.

The main school for the Cossack is the military brotherhood

How the formation of young warriors took place can be judged by the example of the sons of Taras, Ostap and Andriy. They completed their studies at Bursa, after which their path lay in Zaporozhye. The father greets his sons after a long separation not with hugs and kisses, but with a fist test of their strength and dexterity.

The life of Taras Bulba was unpretentious, as evidenced by the feast in honor of the arrival of his sons (“bring... the whole ram, the goat... and more burners” - these are the words the old Cossack addresses to his wife) and sleep in the open air.

Ostap and Andriy had not even been at home for a day before they set off for the Sich, where the best comradeship in the world and glorious exploits for their homeland and religion awaited them. Their father was convinced that the only real school for them could be participation in combat battles.

Cossacks

Approaching the Sich, Taras and his sons saw a Cossack picturesquely sleeping in the middle of the road. He spread out like a lion and called universal admiration. Wide trousers like the sea, a proudly thrown forelock (it was certainly left on a shaved head), a good horse - this is what a real Cossack looked like. Not by chance main character The story appeals to the sons with an appeal to immediately change their “demonic” clothes (in which they arrived from Bursa) for another, worthy of a Cossack. And they really were immediately transformed in morocco boots, wide trousers, scarlet Cossacks and lambskin hats. The image was completed with a Turkish pistol and a sharp saber. The young men riding on the glorious stallions evoked admiration and pride from their father.

The historical basis of the story “Taras Bulba” obliged the author to treat the Cossacks impartially. With all due respect to them and their valor, Gogol also truthfully says that at times their behavior caused condemnation and misunderstanding. This referred to the riotous and drunken life that they led in between battles, excessive cruelty (for the murder of a criminal they were buried in a grave with the victim alive) and a low cultural level.

The Power of Camaraderie

The main advantage of the Cossacks was that in a moment of danger they could quickly mobilize and act as a single army against the enemy. Their dedication, patriotism, courage and devotion to the common cause knew no bounds. In the story, this was proven more than once by Taras Bulba himself. The biography of other prominent warriors, including experienced Tovkach, Kukubenko, Pavel Gubenko, Mosiy Shilo and young Ostap, also emphasizes this.

Bulba said well about the unity and main purpose of the Cossacks in his speech on the eve of the decisive battle: “There are no bonds more holy than comradeship!” His speech is an expression of great wisdom and holy faith that he and his brethren are defending a just cause. At a difficult moment, Taras’s words encourage the Cossacks, reminding them of their sacred duty to protect their comrades, always remember the Orthodox faith and devotion to their homeland. The worst thing for a Cossack was betrayal: this was not forgiven to anyone. Taras kills his own son after learning that because of his love for a beautiful Polish woman, he chose personal interests over public ones. So the bonds of brotherhood turned out to be more important than blood. The fact that this fact corresponded to reality is evidenced by historical background stories.

Taras Bulba - the best representative of the Cossacks

A colonel with a stern character who has gone through a glorious battle path. A glorious ataman and comrade who could support with an encouraging word and give good advice in difficult times. He had a burning hatred for the enemy who encroached on the Orthodox faith, and did not regret own life for the sake of saving the homeland and their brothers in arms. Accustomed to a free life, he was content with an open field and was absolutely unpretentious in everyday life. This is how Gogol portrays the main character. He spent his whole life in battles and always found himself in the most dangerous place. Weapons, a smoking pipe and the glorious horse of Taras Bulba constituted his main wealth. At the same time, he could joke and joke around, he was happy with life.

The hero, disappointed in his youngest son, felt great pride in Ostap. Risking his life, Bulba came to the place of execution to last time to see him. And when Ostap, who had steadfastly endured the mortal torment, called him at the last minute, he, in one word, which made the entire square tremble, expressed his pride, approval and support not only to his son, but to his spiritual comrade and comrade-in-arms. Until the end of his life, Taras will grieve for his son and take revenge for his death. The experience will add to his cruelty and hatred of the enemy, but will not break his will and fortitude.

The story does not contain the usual description of Taras Bulba for the hero, since this is not so important. The main thing is that he has the qualities that made it possible to survive during that cruel time.

Hyperbolization of Taras in the execution scene

The characterization of the hero is complemented by the description of his death, which is largely absurd. The hero is captured because he bends down to pick up a fallen pipe - he doesn’t even want to give it to the damned enemy. Here Taras resembles a folk hero: about three dozen people were able to defeat him with difficulty.

IN last scene the author describes not the pain from the fire that the hero experienced, but his anxiety for the fate of his brothers floating down the river. At the moment of death, he behaves with dignity, remaining true to the main principles of partnership. The main thing is that he was sure that he had not lived his life in vain. This is exactly what a real Cossack was like.

The significance of the work today

The historical basis of the story “Taras Bulba” is the liberation struggle of the people against the invaders who encroached on their country and faith. Thanks to such strong-willed people as Taras Bulba, his son and comrades, they managed to defend independence and freedom more than once.

The work of N.V. Gogol and his heroes have become a model of masculinity and patriotism for many, so it will never lose its relevance and significance.

Despite the author's indication that Taras Bulba was born in the 15th century, he also speaks in favor of the 17th century. known fact avid smoker Bulba: the discovery of tobacco by Europeans occurred at the very end of the 15th century (thanks to Columbus) and only XVII century spread widely.

Pointing out the 15th century, Gogol emphasized that the story is fantastic, and the image is collective, but one of the prototypes of Taras Bulba is the ancestor of the famous traveler Kurennaya ataman of the Zaporozhian Army Okhrim Makukha, an associate of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, born in Starodub at the beginning of the 17th century, who had three Nazar's sons, Khomu (Foma) and Omelko (Emelyan), of whom Nazar betrayed his fellow Cossacks and went over to the side of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth army because of his love for the Polish lady (the prototype of Gogol's Andriy), Khoma (the prototype of Gogol's Ostap) died trying deliver Nazar to his father, and Emelyan became the ancestor of Nikolai Miklouho-Maclay and his uncle Grigory Ilyich Mikloukha, who studied with Nikolai Gogol and told him the family legend. The prototype is also Ivan Gonta, who was mistakenly attributed to the murder of two sons from his Polish wife, although his wife is Russian and the story is fictional.

Plot

Postage stamp of Romania, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the death of N.V. Gogol (“Taras Bulba”, 1952)

USSR postage stamp dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the death of N.V. Gogol, 1952

Russian postage stamp dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the birth of N.V. Gogol, 2009

After graduating from the Kyiv Academy, his two sons, Ostap and Andriy, come to the old Cossack colonel Taras Bulba. Two stalwart young men, healthy and strong, whose faces have not yet been touched by a razor, are embarrassed to meet their father, who makes fun of their clothes as recent seminarians. The eldest, Ostap, cannot stand his father’s ridicule: “Even though you’re my dad, if you laugh, then, by God, I’ll beat you!” And father and son, instead of greeting each other after a long absence, seriously hit each other with blows. A pale, thin and kind mother tries to reason with her violent husband, who himself stops, glad that he has tested his son. Bulba wants to “greet” the younger one in the same way, but his mother is already hugging him, protecting him from his father.

On the occasion of the arrival of his sons, Taras Bulba convenes all the centurions and the entire regimental rank and announces his decision to send Ostap and Andriy to the Sich, because there is no better science for a young Cossack than the Zaporozhye Sich. At the sight of the young strength of his sons, the military spirit of Taras himself flares up, and he decides to go with them to introduce them to all his old comrades. The poor mother sits all night over her sleeping children, without closing her eyes, wanting the night to last as long as possible. Her dear sons are taken from her; they take it so that she will never see them! In the morning, after the blessing, the mother, desperate with grief, is barely torn away from the children and taken to the hut.

Three horsemen ride in silence. Old Taras remembers his wild life, a tear freezes in his eyes, his gray head hangs down. Ostap, who has a stern and firm character, although hardened over the years of studying at the Bursa, retained his natural kindness and was touched by the tears of his poor mother. This alone confuses him and makes him lower his head thoughtfully. Andriy is also having a hard time saying goodbye to his mother and home, but his thoughts are occupied with memories of the beautiful Polish woman whom he met just before leaving Kyiv. Then Andriy managed to get into the beauty’s bedroom through the fireplace chimney; a knock on the door forced the Polish woman to hide the young Cossack under the bed. Tatarka, the lady's servant, as soon as the anxiety passed, took Andriy out into the garden, where he barely escaped from the awakened servants. He saw the beautiful Polish girl again in the church, soon she left - and now, with his eyes cast down into the mane of his horse, Andriy thinks about her.

After a long journey, the Sich meets Taras and his sons with his wild life - a sign of the Zaporozhye will. Cossacks do not like to waste time on military exercises, collecting military experience only in the heat of battle. Ostap and Andriy rush with all the ardor of young men into this riotous sea. But old Taras does not like an idle life - this is not the kind of activity he wants to prepare his sons for. Having met all his comrades, he is still figuring out how to rouse the Cossacks on a campaign, so as not to waste their Cossack prowess on a continuous feast and drunken fun. He persuades the Cossacks to re-elect the Koshevoy, who keeps peace with the enemies of the Cossacks. The new Koshevoy, under the pressure of the most militant Cossacks, and above all Taras, is trying to find a justification for a profitable campaign against Turkey, but under the influence of the Cossacks who arrived from Ukraine, who spoke about the oppression of the Polish lords and Jewish tenants over the people of Ukraine, the army unanimously decides to go to Poland, to avenge all the evil and disgrace of the Orthodox faith. Thus, the war takes on a people's liberation character.

And soon the entire Polish southwest becomes the prey of fear, the rumor running ahead: “Cossacks! The Cossacks have appeared! In one month, the young Cossacks matured in battle, and old Taras loves to see that both of his sons are among the first. The Cossack army is trying to take the city of Dubno, where there is a lot of treasury and wealthy inhabitants, but they encounter desperate resistance from the garrison and residents. The Cossacks are besieging the city and waiting for famine to begin. Having nothing to do, the Cossacks devastate the surrounding area, burning defenseless villages and unharvested grain. The young, especially the sons of Taras, do not like this life. Old Bulba calms them down, promising hot fights soon. One dark night, Andria is awakened from sleep by a strange creature that looks like a ghost. This is a Tatar, a servant of the same Polish woman with whom Andriy is in love. The Tatar woman whispers that the lady is in the city, she saw Andriy from the city rampart and asks him to come to her or at least give a piece of bread for his dying mother. Andriy loads the bags with bread, as much as he can carry, and the Tatar woman leads him along the underground passage to the city. Having met his beloved, he renounces his father and brother, comrades and homeland: “The homeland is what our soul seeks, what is dearer to it than anything else. My homeland is you.” Andriy remains with the lady to protect her until his last breath from his former comrades.

Polish troops, sent to reinforce the besieged, march into the city past drunken Cossacks, killing many while they were asleep, and capturing many. This event embitters the Cossacks, who decide to continue the siege to the end. Taras, searching for his missing son, receives terrible confirmation of Andriy's betrayal.

The Poles are organizing forays, but the Cossacks are still successfully repelling them. News comes from the Sich that, in the absence of the main force, the Tatars attacked the remaining Cossacks and captured them, seizing the treasury. The Cossack army near Dubno is divided in two - half goes to the rescue of the treasury and comrades, half remains to continue the siege. Taras, leading the siege army, makes a passionate speech in praise of comradeship.

Having recovered from his wounds, Taras persuades Yankel to secretly transport him to Warsaw to try to ransom Ostap there. Taras is present at the terrible execution of his son in the city square. Not a single groan escapes from Ostap’s chest under torture, only before death he cries out: “Father! where are you! Can you hear? - “I hear!” - Taras answers above the crowd. They rush to catch him, but Taras is already gone.

One hundred and twenty thousand Cossacks, including the regiment of Taras Bulba, rise up on a campaign against the Poles. Even the Cossacks themselves notice Taras’s excessive ferocity and cruelty towards the enemy. This is how he takes revenge for the death of his son. The defeated Polish hetman Nikolai Pototsky swears not to inflict any offense on the Cossack army in the future. Only Colonel Bulba does not agree to such a peace, assuring his comrades that the forgiven Poles will not keep their word. And he leads his regiment away. His prediction comes true - having gathered their strength, the Poles treacherously attack the Cossacks and defeat them.

And Taras walks throughout Poland with his regiment, continuing to avenge the death of Ostap and his comrades, mercilessly destroying all living things.

Five regiments under the leadership of that same Pototsky finally overtake the regiment of Taras, who was resting in an old collapsed fortress on the banks of the Dniester. The battle lasts four days. The surviving Cossacks make their way, but the old chieftain stops to look for his cradle in the grass, and the haiduks overtake him. They tie Taras to an oak tree with iron chains, nail his hands and lay a fire under him. Before his death, Taras manages to shout to his comrades to go down to the canoes, which he sees from above, and escape from pursuit along the river. And at the last terrible minute, the old ataman predicts the unification of the Russian lands, the destruction of their enemies and the victory of the Orthodox faith.

The Cossacks escape from the chase, row their oars together and talk about their chieftain.

Gogol's work on Taras Bulba

Gogol's work on Taras Bulba was preceded by a careful, in-depth study of historical sources. Among them should be named “Description of Ukraine” by Boplan, “History of the Zaporozhye Cossacks” by Myshetsky, handwritten lists of Ukrainian chronicles - Samovidets, Velichko, Grabyanka, etc.

But these sources did not completely satisfy Gogol. He lacked a lot in them: first of all, characteristic everyday details, living signs of the times, a true understanding of the past era. Special historical studies and chronicles seemed to the writer too dry, sluggish and, in essence, of little help to the artist to comprehend the spirit folk life, characters, psychology of people. Among the sources that helped Gogol in his work on Taras Bulba, there was another, most important one: Ukrainian folk songs, especially historical songs and thoughts. "Taras Bulba" has a long and complex creative history. It was first published in 1835 in the collection “Mirgorod”. In 1842, in the second volume of his Works, Gogol placed “Taras Bulba” in a new, radically revised edition. Work on this work continued intermittently for nine years: from to. Between the first and second editions of Taras Bulba, a number of intermediate editions of some chapters were written.

Differences between the first and second edition

In the first edition, the Cossacks are not called “Russians”; the dying phrases of the Cossacks, such as “let the holy Orthodox Russian land be glorified forever and ever,” are absent.

Below are comparisons of the differences between both editions.

Edition 1835. Part I

Bulba was terribly stubborn. He was one of those characters that could only have emerged in the rough 15th century, and moreover in the semi-nomadic East of Europe, during the time of the right and wrong concept of lands that had become some kind of disputed, unresolved possession, to which Ukraine then belonged... In general, he was a great hunter of raids and riots; he heard with his nose where and in what place the indignation flared up, and out of the blue he appeared on his horse. “Well, children! what and how? “Who should be beaten and for what?” he usually said and intervened in the matter.

Edition 1842. Part I

Bulba was terribly stubborn. This was one of those characters that could only emerge in the difficult 15th century in a semi-nomadic corner of Europe, when the entire southern primitive Russia, abandoned by its princes, was devastated, burned to the ground by the indomitable raids of Mongol predators... Eternally restless, he considered himself the legitimate defender of Orthodoxy. He arbitrarily entered villages where they only complained about the harassment of tenants and the increase in new duties on smoke.

Idioms

“What, son, did your Poles help you?”
“I gave birth to you, I will kill you!”
“Turn around, son! How funny you are!”
“The Fatherland is what our soul seeks, what is dearest to it.”
"There is life in the old dog yet?!"
“There is no bond holier than fellowship!”
“Be patient, Cossack, and you will be an ataman!”
“Good, son, good!”
“Damn you, steppes, how good you are!”
“Don’t listen to your mother, son! She’s a woman, she doesn’t know anything!”
“Do you see this saber? Here is your mother!

Criticism of the story

Along with the general approval that critics met with Gogol's story, some aspects of the work were found unsuccessful. Thus, Gogol was repeatedly accused of the unhistorical nature of the story, the excessive glorification of the Cossacks, the lack historical context, which was noted by Mikhail Grabovsky, Vasily Gippius, Maxim Gorky and others. This can be explained by the fact that the writer did not have enough reliable information about the history of Little Russia. Gogol studied history with great attention native land, but he drew information not only from rather meager chronicles, but also from folk traditions, legends, as well as frankly mythological sources, such as “History of the Rus”, from which he obtained descriptions of the atrocities of the gentry, the outrages of the Jews and the valor of the Cossacks. The story caused particular discontent among the Polish intelligentsia. The Poles were outraged that in Taras Bulba the Polish nation was presented as aggressive, bloodthirsty and cruel. Mikhail Grabowski, who had a good attitude towards Gogol himself, spoke negatively about Taras Bulba, as well as many other Polish critics and writers, such as Andrzej Kempinski, Michal Barmut, Julian Krzyzanowski. In Poland, there was a strong opinion about the story as anti-Polish, and partly such judgments were transferred to Gogol himself.

The story was also criticized for anti-Semitism by some politicians, religious thinkers, and literary scholars. The leader of right-wing Zionism, Vladimir Jabotinsky, in his article “Russian Weasel”, assessed the scene of the Jewish pogrom in the story “Taras Bulba” as follows: “ None of the great literature knows anything similar in terms of cruelty. This cannot even be called hatred or sympathy for the Cossack massacre of the Jews: this is worse, this is some kind of carefree, clear fun, not overshadowed even by the half-thought that the funny legs kicking in the air are the legs of living people, some amazingly whole, indecomposable contempt for the inferior race, not condescending to enmity". As literary critic Arkady Gornfeld noted, Jews are depicted by Gogol as petty thieves, traitors and ruthless extortionists, devoid of any human traits. In his opinion, Gogol’s images “ captured by the mediocre Judeophobia of the era"; Gogol’s anti-Semitism does not come from the realities of life, but from established and traditional theological ideas “ about the unknown world of Jewry"; the images of Jews are stereotyped and represent pure caricature. According to religious thinker and historian Georgy Fedotov, " Gogol gave a jubilant description of the Jewish pogrom in Taras Bulba", which indicates " about his famous failures moral sense, but also about the strength of the national or chauvinistic tradition that stood behind it» .

The critic and literary critic D.I. Zaslavsky held a slightly different point of view. In the article “Jews in Russian Literature,” he also supports Jabotinsky’s reproach for the anti-Semitism of Russian literature, including in the list of anti-Semitic writers Pushkin, Gogol, Lermontov, Turgenev, Nekrasov, Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Saltykov-Shchedrin, Leskov, Chekhov. But at the same time he finds justification for Gogol’s anti-Semitism as follows: “There is no doubt, however, that in the dramatic struggle of the Ukrainian people in the 17th century for their homeland, the Jews showed neither understanding of this struggle nor sympathy for it. This was not their fault, this was their misfortune.” “The Jews of Taras Bulba are caricatures. But the caricature is not a lie. ... The talent of Jewish adaptability is vividly and aptly depicted in Gogol’s poem. And this, of course, does not flatter our pride, but we must admit that the Russian writer has captured some of our historical features with evil and aptness.” .

Philologist Elena Ivanitskaya sees “the poetry of blood and death” and even “ideological terrorism” in the actions of Taras Bulba. Educator Grigory Yakovlev, arguing that Gogol’s story glorifies “violence, incitement to war, excessive cruelty, medieval sadism, aggressive nationalism, xenophobia, religious fanaticism demanding the extermination of infidels, incessant drunkenness elevated to a cult, unjustified rudeness even in relations with loved ones” , raises the question of whether it is necessary to study this work in high school.

Critic Mikhail Edelstein differentiates the personal sympathies of the author and the laws of the heroic epic: “The heroic epic requires a black and white palette - emphasizing the superhuman virtues of one side and the complete insignificance of the other. Therefore, both Poles and Jews - yes, in fact, everyone except the Cossacks - in Gogol’s story are not people, but rather some kind of humanoid mannequins that exist to demonstrate the heroism of the main character and his warriors (like the Tatars in the epics about Ilya of Muromets or the Moors in "Songs of Roland"). It’s not that the epic and ethical principles come into conflict - it’s just that the first completely excludes the very possibility of the manifestation of the second.”

Film adaptations

In chronological order:

Musical adaptations

The pseudonym “Taras Bulba” was chosen by Vasily (Taras) Borovets, a figure in the Ukrainian nationalist movement who created in 1941 armed formation UPA, called "Bulbovtsy".

Notes

The text says that Bulba’s regiment is participating in the campaign of Hetman Ostranitsa. Ostranitsa is a real historical character, elected hetman in 1638 and in the same year was defeated by the Poles.
N.V. Gogol. Collection of works of art in five volumes. Volume two. M., Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1951
Library: N.V. Gogol, “Evenings on a farm near Dikanka”, part I (Russian)
N.V. Gogol. Mirgorod. Text of the work. Taras Bulba | Komarov Library
NIKOLAI GOGOL BLESSED ANOTHER “TARAS BULBA” (“Mirror of the Week” No. 22, June 15-21, 2009)
Janusz Tazbir. “Taras Bulba” - finally in Polish.
Comments on "Mirgorod".
V. Zhabotinsky. Russian weasel
A. Gornfeld. Gogol Nikolai Vasilievich. // Jewish Encyclopedia(ed. Brockhaus-Efron, 1907-1913, 16 vols.).
G. Fedotov New on an old topic
D. I. Zaslavsky Jews in Russian literature
Weiskopf M. Gogol's Plot: Morphology. Ideology. Context. M., 1993.
Elena Ivanitskaya. Monster
Grigory Yakovlev. Should we study Taras Bulba at school?
How a Jew turned into a woman. The story of a stereotype.
Taras Bulba (1909) - information about the film - films of the Russian Empire - Cinema-Theatre. RU
Taras Bulba (1924)
Tarass Boulba (1936)
The Barbarian and the Lady (1938)
Taras Bulba (1962)
Taras Bulba (1962) - Taras Bulba - information about the film - Hollywood films - Cinema-Theatre. RU
Taras Bulba, il cosacco (1963)
Taras Bulba (1987) (TV)
Duma about Taras Bulba - Slobidsky region
Taras Bulba (2009)
Taras Bulba (2009) - information about the film - Russian films and TV series - Kino-Teatr.RU
Classical music.ru, TARAS BULBA - opera by N. Lysenko // author A. Gozenpud

Sources

Taras Bulba is the main character of the story of the same name by N.V. Gogol, a Cossack colonel, a brave warrior, the father of Ostap and Andriy. This is a very strong-willed person who faithfully defends his homeland and religion. He was one of the original Cossack colonels old school. He was distinguished by his brutal straightforwardness and stern disposition. Despite his advanced age, he was quite strong physically and mentally. For this hero it is important to be a defender, a warrior, a loyal comrade and a patriot. Therefore, his wife hardly saw him, except maybe two or three days a year. Family is in the background for him, although the upbringing and education of children was very important. Both sons, Ostap and Andriy, were sent to study in Kyiv.

Upon his return, he decided to teach them the school of life and took them to Zaporozhye himself, where they went to war against the Poles. There, during the battle, it became obvious that younger son Andriy is able to renounce everyone for the sake of love for a woman. Not forgiving him for his weakness, cowardice and betrayal, Taras Bulba killed him with his own hands, without even burying him. And for the sake of his eldest son, who was a real warrior and bravely fought for his homeland, he was ready to do anything.

But fate turned out to be cruel to the old Cossack and took Ostap from him. He was captured and executed in Warsaw. Taras Bulba was present at the execution of his son and could not do anything. At the end of the story, the army of the Polish hetman Nicholas of Polotsk overtook Taras. He was tied with an iron chain to a tree and burned. Before his death, he managed to leave a parting message to his comrades about which way was best to escape. The fugitive Cossacks managed to escape along the river, for which they were very grateful to their chieftain. Undoubtedly, Taras Bulba was a hero of his time. In depicting him, the author used events from the lives of other outstanding commanders and atamans.

TARAS BULBA

TARAS BULBA is the hero of N.V. Gogol’s story “Taras Bulba” (first edition 1835, second edition 1842). Historical prototypes of the image of T.B. are outstanding figures of the national liberation movement of Ukraine in the 15th-17th centuries: Na-lyvaiko, Loboda, Taras Tryasylo, Gunya, Ostra-nitsa. Some biographical features connect T.B. and Bogdan Khmelnitsky. However, T.B. is a collective image, and Gogol’s main source was folklore: Ukrainian folk songs and thoughts, historical songs, heroic epics and tales of heroes.

Image of T.B. epic, heroic and large-scale. His fate unfolds against the backdrop of formidable historical events- the struggle of the Zaporozhye freemen against the Polish gentry, Turkish and Tatar rule. T.B. is a type of positive hero, for he is an integral part of the tribal unity of the Cossack brotherhood; his actions are mainly guided by the code of knightly honor; he fights and dies in the name of the interests of the Russian land and the Orthodox faith; it has “the broad, riotous manner of Russian nature.” The positive beginning of the image of T.B. balances the lack of ideality of the images of “freaks” and “existents” (Gogol creates the image of T.B. simultaneously with his work on “Dead Souls”). In the image of T.B. the idea of comradeship, which holds together the element of the collective, is opposed to the egoism of detached individuality, and the utopian republic of the Zaporozhye Sich with its freedom, equality, brotherhood is opposed to the narrowness, pettiness, admiration for the ranks and capital of cold and soulless St. Petersburg (G.A. Gukovsky).

Portrait of T.B. hyperbolic. Heroic strength, bodily strength, severity and straightforwardness, alien to any guile, form the basis of T.B.’s appearance: “Bulba jumped on his Devil, who stepped back furiously, feeling a twenty-pound burden on himself, because Taras was extremely heavy and fat”; “... he hung his gloomy, black-white eyebrows even lower over his eyes, like bushes that grew along the high crown of a mountain, the tops of which were covered right up by the needle-like northern frost”; “He was all created for abusive anxiety and was distinguished by the brutal directness of his character.”<...>The breadth and mighty scope of T.B. in feasting and military affairs they acquire epic, grandiosely spontaneous features: “There is no need for donuts, honey cakes, makovniks and other pundits, bring us the whole ram, give us a goat, forty-year-old honeys! Yes, a larger burner, not with fancy burners, not with raisins and all sorts of trash, but a clean, foamy burner, so that it plays and hisses like mad.” T.B. in anger he smashes pots and flasks. In the heat of battle, “Taras hacks and fights, pouring gifts on the heads of one and the other... chopping those he meets and crosses into cabbage.” Wounded, T.B. crashed “like a chopped oak tree to the ground.” “Meanwhile, a gang suddenly ran up and grabbed him under his powerful shoulders. He started to move with all his limbs, but the haiduks who grabbed him no longer fell to the ground, as had happened before.<...>But old age was not the fault: strength overcame strength. Almost thirty people hung on his hands and feet.” Image of T.B. ambiguous: he is characterized by cruelty and deceit, which were considered the ethical norm in the 15th-17th centuries. T.B. deposes the Koshevoy, who refused to break his oath and resume the war, only because the two sons of T.B. must be battle-hardened. T.B. got the Cossacks drunk, persuaded them to organize a general gathering, and the drunken Cossacks, at the instigation of T.B., removed the Koshevoy, choosing whomever T.B. liked. Kir-dyagu. After the execution of Ostap T.B. takes revenge on the gentry, holds a “wake” for his son: plunders castles, burns down 18 towns, churches: “Don’t regret anything!” - only Taras repeated. The Cossacks did not respect black-browed ladies, white-breasted, fair-faced girls; they could not escape at the very altars: Taras lit them along with the altars

In the image of T.B. two stylistic elements of Gogol’s narrative merge: historical concreteness and realism of the depiction of a rough age, when the mutual ferocity of Cossacks and Poles is a common occurrence, and, on the other hand, the solemn lyrical pathos of the folk-poetic epic, the meaning of which is the apotheosis of the heroic power of the Russian land. The filicide was motivated by Andriy’s betrayal and betrayal of the Russian land and Orthodox faith, therefore, ethically justified: ““So sell? sell faith? sell yours?<...>I gave birth to you, I will kill you! - said Taras...” Gogol reinterprets the biblical motif of Abraham’s sacrifice: Andriy (the sacrificial lamb Isaac) is not saved by God, but T.B. (Old Testament Abraham) sacrifices him to Orthodoxy: “like a young lamb, sensing a deadly iron under his heart, he hung his head and fell on the grass, without saying a single word.” In contrast to the traitor Andriy Ostap, another son of T.B., was crucified by torturers on the scaffold for his faith, like Christ (“Ostap endured torment and torture like a giant”). T.B. “he stood in the crowd with his head down and at the same time proudly raising his eyes, and only said approvingly: “Good, son, good!” “Ostap’s abandonment of fatherhood and his cry, similar to the cry of Christ on the cross: “Father! where are you? Can you hear? (cf.: “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” - Matt. 27:46) gives rise to a response cry from T.B. (as if God’s answer to faithful Christians dying for him): “I hear!” (M. Weiskopf). Thus, the epic unity of the image of T.B. bifurcates into the images of his sons. The image of Ostap embodies the idea of an inextricable connection with the ancestral body, loyalty to knightly honor and the Fatherland, the image of Andriy - the idea of apostasy, selfish disunity of people, separation from the whole: the collective, the people, God (the motive of the Fall), which is characteristic of modern Gogol European civilization(cf. criticism of the latter in “Dead Souls” and St. Petersburg stories).

Bloody battle is the element of T.B. It contains the motif of a mortal feast, as in “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.” The death of knights for the Fatherland is pleasing to God (“And the young soul flew out. The angels lifted her by the arms and carried her to heaven”). The Cossacks, therefore, appear as God’s army, and the winged words of T.E., encouraging them (“Is there still gunpowder in the flasks? Is the Cossack strength still strong? Are the Cossacks still bending?”), are the words of the “punishment ataman” appointed By God's providence for the glory of the Russian land. The Russian land acquires a messianic meaning in Gogol's understanding. Death of T.B. retains the same high Christian pathos, although reduced by the humorous motive of the lost T.B. cradle: “And the old chieftain bent down and began to look in the grass for his cradle with tobacco, an inseparable companion on the seas and on land, and on campaigns, and at home.” The Poles burn T.B. on fire, crucifying on a tree trunk (cf. the traditional Christian symbol of the tree-cross): “Are there such fires, torments and such strength in the world that would overpower the Russian force!”

Lit.: Kamanin I.M. Scientific and literary works N.V. Gogol on the history of Little Russia

//In memory of Gogol. Kyiv, 1902; Karpenko A.I. About the nationality of N.V. Gogol. Kyiv, 1973; see also Lit. to the article "Chichikov".

A.B.Galkin

Literary heroes. - Academician. 2009 .