A complex plan of the history of one city of Saltykov, Shchedrin. Grotesque, pathos, Aesopian language as a means of depicting reality
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 “ Domestic notes"for 1870. In the same year the book was published as a separate edition.
Literary direction and genre
Saltykov-Shchedrin - writer realistic direction. Immediately after the book was published, critics determined genre variety the novel as a historical satire, and they reacted to 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 - allegories 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 traits character affecting life position and causing “insecurity of life, arbitrariness, hindsight, lack of faith in the future.”
Plot and composition
The composition of the novel has been changed by the author himself since its first publication in the magazine, for example, the chapter “On the Root of the Origin of the Foolovites” was placed third, following the introductory chapters, which was consistent with the logic ancient Russian chronicle starting with mythology. And supporting documents ( works of three mayors) moved to the end, as is often placed historical documents in relation to the writer'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 themselves 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. Historical period, considered in the novel, occupies a whole century, from 1731 to 1825.
“Inventory for mayors” - a brief description of 22 mayors, which emphasizes the absurdity of history by the concentration of the described madmen, of whom the least, “having accomplished 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 has and 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. French revolution showed that the education instilled by Wartkin is 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 an address to the reader by the last archivist chronicler, whose work was published 45 years after writing, there are outdated words high style: if, this, such. But the publisher allegedly did not correct this particular appeal to readers.
The entire address of the last chronicler was written in best traditions oratory of antiquity, contains a series rhetorical questions, is replete with metaphors and similes, mainly from 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.
This story is the “true” chronicle of the city of Foolov, “The Foolov Chronicler,” covering the period of time from 1731 to 1825, which was “successively composed” by four Foolov archivists. In the chapter “From the Publisher,” the author especially insists on the authenticity of the “Chronicle” and invites the reader to “catch the face of the city and follow how its history reflected the various changes that were simultaneously taking place in the highest spheres.”
The Chronicler opens with an “Address to the Reader from the Last Chronicler Archivist.” The archivist sees the chronicler’s task as “being an exponent” of “touching correspondence” - the authorities, “to the extent daring,” and the people, “to the extent of giving thanks.” History, therefore, is the history of the reigns of various mayors.
First, the prehistoric chapter “On the Roots of the Origin of the Foolovites” is given, which tells how ancient people The bunglers defeated the neighboring tribes of walrus-eaters, bow-eaters, scythe-bellies, etc. But, not knowing what to do to ensure order, the bunglers went to look for a prince. They turned to more than one prince, but even the stupidest princes did not want to “deal with fools” and, having taught them with a rod, released them with honor. Then the bunglers called a thief-innovator, who helped them find the prince. The prince agreed to “lead” them, but did not go to live with them, sending a thief-innovator in his place. The prince called the bunglers themselves “Fools,” hence the name of the city.
The Foolovites were a submissive people, but the novotor needed riots to pacify them. But soon he stole so much that the prince “sent a noose to the unfaithful slave.” But the novotor “and then dodged: “…› without waiting for the loop, he stabbed himself to death with a cucumber.”
The prince also sent other rulers - an Odoevite, an Orlovets, a Kalyazinian - but they all turned out to be real thieves. Then the prince “...arrived in person to Foolov and shouted: “I’ll screw it up!” With these words, historical times began.”
In 1762, Dementy Varlamovich Brudasty arrived in Glupov. He immediately struck the Foolovites with his sullenness and taciturnity. His only words were “I will not tolerate it!” and “I’ll ruin you!” The city was at a loss until one day the clerk, entering with a report, saw a strange sight: the body of the mayor, as usual, was sitting at the table, but his head was lying on the table completely empty. Foolov was shocked. But then they remembered about the watchmaker and organ maker Baibakov, who secretly visited the mayor, and, calling him, they found out everything. In the head of the mayor, in one corner, there was an organ that could play two musical pieces: “I’ll ruin it!” and “I won’t tolerate it!” But on the way, the head became damp and needed repairing. Baibakov himself could not cope and turned for help to St. Petersburg, from where they promised to send a new head, but for some reason the head was delayed.
Anarchy ensued, ending with the appearance of two identical mayors at once. “The impostors met and measured each other with their eyes. The crowd dispersed slowly and in silence.” A messenger immediately arrived from the province and took both impostors away. And the Foolovites, left without a mayor, immediately fell into anarchy.
The anarchy continued throughout next week, during which the city changed six mayors. The inhabitants rushed from Iraida Lukinichna Paleologova to Clementinka de Bourbon, and from her to Amalia Karlovna Shtokfish. The claims of the first were based on the short-term mayoral activity of her husband, the second - of her father, and the third was herself a mayor's pompadour. The claims of Nelka Lyadokhovskaya, and then Dunka the Thick-Footed and Matryonka the Nostrils were even less justified. In between hostilities, the Foolovites threw some citizens from the bell tower and drowned others. But they too are tired of anarchy. Finally, a new mayor arrived in the city - Semyon Konstantinovich Dvoekurov. His activities in Foolov were beneficial. “He introduced mead making and brewing and made it mandatory to use mustard and bay leaf", and also wanted to establish an academy in Foolov.
Under the next ruler, Peter Petrovich Ferdyshchenko, the city flourished for six years. But in the seventh year, “Ferdyshchenka was confused by a demon.” The city ruler was inflamed with love for the coachman's wife Alenka. But Alenka refused him. Then, with the help of a series of consistent measures, Alenka’s husband, Mitka, was branded and sent to Siberia, and Alenka came to her senses. Through the sins of the mayor, drought fell on the Foolov, and after it came famine. People started dying. Then the end of Foolov’s patience came. At first they sent a walker to Ferdyshchenka, but the walker did not return. Then they sent a request, but that didn’t help either. Then they finally got to Alenka and threw her off the bell tower. But Ferdyshchenko was not dozing, but wrote reports to his superiors. No bread was sent to him, but a team of soldiers arrived.
Through Ferdyshchenko's next passion, the archer Domashka, fires came to the city. The Pushkarskaya Sloboda was burning, followed by the Bolotnaya and Negodnitsa settlements. Ferdyshchenko again became shy, returned Domashka to the “optery” and called the team.
Ferdyshchenko's reign ended with a journey. The mayor went to the city pasture. IN different places he was greeted by the townspeople and had lunch waiting for him. On the third day of the journey, Ferdyshchenko died from overeating.
Ferdyshchenko's successor, Vasilisk Semenovich Borodavkin, took up his post decisively. Having studied the history of Foolov, he found only one role model - Dvoekurov. But his achievements were already forgotten, and the Foolovites even stopped sowing mustard. Wartkin ordered this mistake to be corrected, and as punishment he added Provençal oil. But the Foolovites did not give in. Then Wartkin went on a military campaign to Streletskaya Sloboda. Not everything on the nine-day hike was successful. In the darkness they fought with their own. Many real soldiers were fired and replaced tin soldiers. But Wartkin survived. Having reached the settlement and not finding anyone, he began to tear away the houses for logs. And then the settlement, and behind it the whole city, surrendered. Subsequently, there were several more wars for enlightenment. In general, the reign led to the impoverishment of the city, which finally ended under the next ruler, Negodyaev. It was in this state that Foolov found the Circassian Mikeladze.
There were no events held during this reign. Mikeladze removed himself from administrative measures and dealt only with the female sex, for whom he was very keen. The city was resting. “The visible facts were few, but the consequences were countless.”
The Circassian was replaced by Feofilakt Irinarkhovich Benevolensky, Speransky’s friend and comrade at the seminary. He had a passion for legislation. But since the mayor did not have the right to issue his own laws, Benevolensky issued laws secretly, in the house of the merchant Raspopova, and scattered them around the city at night. However, he was soon fired for having relations with Napoleon.
Next was Lieutenant Colonel Pimple. He was not involved in business at all, but the city flourished. The harvests were huge. The Foolovites were wary. And the secret of Pimple was revealed by the leader of the nobility. A big fan of minced meat, the leader sensed that the mayor’s head smelled of truffles and, unable to bear it, attacked and ate the stuffed head.
After that, State Councilor Ivanov arrived in the city, but “he turned out to be so small in stature that he could not accommodate anything spacious,” and died. His successor, the emigrant Viscount de Chariot, was constantly having fun and was sent abroad by order of his superiors. Upon examination, she turned out to be a girl.
Finally, State Councilor Erast Andreevich Grustilov came to Glupov. By this time, the Foolovites had forgotten the true God and clung to idols. Under him, the city was completely mired in debauchery and laziness. Relying on their own happiness, they stopped sowing, and famine came to the city. Grustilov was busy with daily balls. But everything suddenly changed when she appeared to him. The wife of the pharmacist Pfeiffer showed Grustilov the path of good. Foolish and wretched, worried hard days during the worship of idols, they became the main people in the city. The Foolovites repented, but the fields remained empty. The Foolov elite gathered at night to read Mr. Strakhov and “admire” him, which the authorities soon found out about, and Grustilov was removed.
The last Foolov mayor, Gloomy-Burcheev, was an idiot. He set a goal - to turn Foolov into “the city of Nepreklonsk, eternally worthy of the memory of Grand Duke Svyatoslav Igorevich” with straight identical streets, “companies”, identical houses for identical families, etc. Ugryum-Burcheev thought out the plan in detail and began to implement it. The city was destroyed to the ground, and construction could begin, but the river got in the way. It did not fit into Ugryum-Burcheev’s plans. The tireless mayor launched an attack on her. All the garbage was used, everything that was left of the city, but the river washed away all the dams. And then Gloomy-Burcheev turned around and walked away from the river, taking the Foolovites with him. A completely flat lowland was chosen for the city, and construction began. But something has changed. However, the notebooks with the details of this story have been lost, and the publisher provides only the denouement: “... the earth shook, the sun darkened ‹…› It it has arrived." Without explaining what exactly, the author only reports that “the scoundrel instantly disappeared, as if he had disappeared into thin air. History has stopped flowing."
The story closes with “exculpatory documents,” that is, the writings of various mayors, such as Wartkin, Mikeladze and Benevolensky, written for the edification of other mayors.
In this article we will tell you about the novel written by M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, we will describe a brief summary. “The History of a City” is a work that is a chronicle, supposedly “authentic,” of the city of Foolov in the period from 1731 to 1825, which was compiled successively by four archivists. The author insists on the authenticity of the “Foolish Chronicler” in the chapter “From the Publisher,” inviting the reader to trace how the various changes that took place in power were consistently reflected in the history of Foolov. This is the main theme of "The Story of a City." This work describes a number of reigns.
So, let’s begin our story about the novel “The History of a City” (M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin).
Address to the reader
“The Chronicler” opens with an appeal to the reader, allegedly compiled by the last archivist, who sees his task as depicting a correspondence, “touching,” in his opinion, “to the extent of daring” power and “to the extent of thanking” its people. Thus, this story is essentially the history of the reign of mayors.
Prehistoric times
The prehistoric chapter tells where the Foolovites came from and what their roots are. It is told how the people of the bunglers defeated the scythe-bellies, bow-eaters, walrus-eaters and other neighboring tribes. But, having no idea what to do next to establish order, people went to look for the prince. They turned to more than one potential ruler, but even the stupidest of them did not want to own this people and let them go, having taught them with a rod. Then the bunglers called an innovative thief who helped them in this matter. The prince agreed to “rule” them, but did not go to live on their lands, sending a new thief in his place. The prince called the Golovotyaps themselves “Fools,” and that’s how the name of the city appeared.
The Foolovites were a submissive people, but the Novotor needed riots in order to pacify them. However, he soon stole to the point that the prince “sent a noose” to his unfaithful slave. But even here the novotor dodged. He stabbed himself with a cucumber without waiting for the noose.
The beginning of historical times
Let's describe further events, their summary. "The Story of a City" continues as follows.
The prince also sent other mayors - from Kalyazin, from Orlov, from Odoev - but they turned out to be thieves. Then the ruler himself arrived in Foolov and shouted: “I’ll screw it up!” With these words, historical times began for this people.
After this there is an inventory of the mayors who ruled the city at different times. Biographies of these people are given in detail.
Busty
In 1762, Dementy Varlamovich Brudasty arrived in Glupov. He immediately struck the residents with his taciturnity and sullenness—a suspicious characteristic. "The Story of a Town" describes the strange details of this person. Brudasty's only words were "I'll ruin it!" and “I won’t tolerate it!”
The city did not know what to think until one day the clerk who came in with a report saw the following strange sight: as usual, the body of the mayor was sitting at the table, but his head, completely empty, lay on the table. Foolov was shocked by this.
Suddenly they remembered about an organ and watchmaker named Baibakov, who visited the mayor in secret, and found out everything by calling him. This is how this story of one city was continued. Its essence was as follows. It turned out that in the ruler’s head there was an organ that could only play two pieces of music: “I won’t tolerate it!” and “I’ll ruin you!” The head became damp on the road and therefore required repairs. Baibakov himself could not cope with this task, so he turned to St. Petersburg for help. From here they promised to send him a new head, which for some reason was delayed.
Anarchy
The novel "The Story of a City" continues. Anarchy ensued, the end of which came with the appearance of two mayors at once, both identical. These impostors looked at each other with their eyes. The crowd "dispersed in silence." A delivery boy immediately arrived from the province and took them both away. Left without a mayor, the Foolovites immediately fell into anarchy, which lasted until the end of the next week. During this time, six mayors changed in the city. Residents rushed from Iraida Paleologova to Clémentine de Bourbon, and from the latter to Amalia Shtokfish.
"The Story of a City" gives very unattractive images of these contenders. The claims of Iraida Lukinichna were based on short-term activities as a mayor of her husband, Klemantinka - her father, and Amalia Karlovna herself was a pompadour for some time. Even less justified were the claims to power of Nelka Lyadokhovskaya, and after that of Matryonka the Nostrils and Dunka the Thick-Footed. During breaks between hostilities taking place in the city, the Foolovites threw citizens from the bell tower or drowned them. But after a while they got tired of lawlessness.
Dvoekurov
Semyon Konstantinovich Dvoekurov, the new mayor, finally arrived in the city. This man’s activities in Foolov were very beneficial. According to the chronicler, he introduced brewing and mead making, and also made it mandatory to use bay leaves and mustard, and wanted to open an academy in the city.
Ferdyshchenko
Under Pyotr Petrovich Ferdyshchenko, the next ruler, Foolov flourished for six years. But in the seventh year this mayor was “confused by a demon.” He was inflamed with love for Alenka, the coachman’s wife, who refused her suitor. Then Mitka, her husband, with the help of some consistent measures, was branded and exiled to Siberia, and Alenka eventually came to her senses. Through the sins of the mayor, drought hit the Foolov, and then famine began. People began to die in large numbers. Then Foolov’s patience came to an end. At first, a walker was sent to Ferdyshchenka, but he did not return. Then they sent a petition to the ruler, but this also had no effect. In the end they got to Alenka and threw her from the bell tower. Ferdyshchenko was not asleep either, writing reports to his superiors all this time. No bread was sent to him, but a team of soldiers arrived.
Through the shooter Domashka, Pyotr Petrovich's next passion, fires came to Foolov. Pushkarskaya, Bolotnaya Sloboda and Negodnitsa burned down. Ferdyshchenko again lost his composure, returned Domashka to the guards and called the team.
The reign of Pyotr Petrovich ended with a journey. He decided to visit the city pasture, where he was greeted in various places by the townspeople, and also had lunch waiting for him. Ferdyshchenko died from overeating on the third day.
Wartkin
Vasilisk Semyonovich Borodavkin, his successor, decisively took up his post. Having studied the history of the city of Foolov, he found only one role model - mayor Dvoekurov. The achievements of this ruler, however, were long forgotten, and the inhabitants stopped even sowing mustard. The new mayor first of all ordered to correct this mistake, and as punishment he also added Provençal oil. However, the Foolovites did not want to give in. Wartkin therefore had to go to Streletskaya Sloboda on a military campaign. Not everything went well on this nine-day hike. Friend fought with friend in the dark. Many living soldiers were replaced with tin soldiers. Wartkin still managed to survive. Having reached the settlement itself and not finding anyone there, he began to tear apart houses for logs. Then the whole city surrendered.
Let us describe further events and their brief content. "The Story of a City" continues as follows. After this, there were several more wars in Foolov’s history that were fought for enlightenment. The rule as a whole led to the fact that the city became impoverished. The final devastation came under Negodyaev, the next mayor.
Mikeladze
Cherkeshenin Mikeladze found the Foolies in this deplorable state. The story of one city was sad. An analysis of Mikeladze's reign suggests the following. No events were held. He was only interested in the female sex, withdrawing from all matters. The city was on vacation at that time. As the mayor writes, the investigations were numerous, although “visible facts” were few.
Benevolensky
Feofilakt Irinarkhovich Benevolensky replaced this Circassian. This mayor was a friend of Speransky. They studied at the seminary together. This ruler was distinguished from others by his passion for legislation. But since he did not have the right to make his own laws, he did it secretly, in the house of a certain merchant Raspopova, and scattered his laws throughout the city at night. Soon, however, Benevolensky was dismissed from his post for relations with Napoleon.
Acne
Let us describe further events and their brief content. "The Story of a City" continues with the appearance of the next ruler, Lieutenant Colonel Pimple. He was not involved in business at all, but Foolov flourished under him. The harvests were huge. The city residents were wary. Soon the leader of the nobility revealed the secret of Pimple. This lover of minced meat smelled that the ruler's head smelled of truffles and, unable to restrain himself, attacked the stuffed head and ate it.
After this, Ivanov, the state councilor, arrived in the city. However, he turned out to be so vertically challenged, that he could not contain anything extensive, and soon died. Viscount de Chario, his successor, an emigrant, had fun all the time and was sent abroad by order of his superiors. Upon closer examination, this ruler turned out to be a girl.
Grustilov
Then Erast Andreevich Grustilov, a state councilor, appeared. The Foolovites by this time clung to idols, forgetting the real God. This is how the history of one city continued. The analysis of Grustilov's reign is as follows. Under him, the city was completely mired in laziness and debauchery. They stopped sowing, hoping for happiness, and famine came to Foolov. Erast Andreevich was busy exclusively with daily balls. But when he met his love, everything changed dramatically. This was the wife of the pharmacist Pfeier. This lady showed the path of goodness to Grustilov. The wretched and holy fools, who had experienced difficult days in the old days of idol worship, became the main people in the city. The Foolovites repented, but the fields remained empty. The beau monde gathered at night to read a certain Mr. Strakhov and “admire” him. The authorities soon found out about this, and Grustilov was removed.
Gloomy-Burcheev
Gloomy-Burcheev, the last mayor in the history of the city, was an idiot. The goal he set was to turn Foolov into Nepreklonsk with “companies”, identical straight streets, houses in which identical families would live, etc. Gloomy-Burcheev thought through his plan in detail, and then began to implement it. Glupov was completely destroyed, and now it was possible to begin construction, but this was prevented by the river that ran along the way. She did not fit into Ugryum-Burcheev’s plans.
The mayor decisively launched an attack on her. All the garbage was put to use, everything that remained from the former city, but the river turned out to be stronger - it washed away any dams. Then the mayor walked away, taking the Foolovites with him. Another place, a flat lowland, was chosen for the city, and construction began. However, something has changed.
Unfortunately, the notebooks in which this history of one city was described were lost. A fragment of it has survived, and only the denouement is given by the publisher. He writes that the sun darkened, the earth shook, “It has come.” The author does not explain what exactly. “The History of a City” (Saltykov-Shchedrin) is silent about this, it only says that the “scoundrel” instantly disappeared, as if disappearing into thin air.
The novel closes with the surviving “exculpatory documents,” that is, works written for the edification of successors by various mayors: Benevolensky, Mikeladze, Wartkin.
“The History of a City,” a summary of which is in this article, is a detailed chronicle of the city of Foolov. The events that took place from 1731 to 1825 are described. The novel opens with the chapter “From the Publisher,” in which the author strongly insists on the authenticity of this chronicle, and also invites the reader to imagine in reality what this city was like.
The “Address to the Reader from the Last Archivist-Chronicle” states that the goal that everyone who undertook this work set for themselves was to depict the correspondence between the authorities and the people. Thus it turned out detailed history the reign of all the mayors of Foolov.
Origin of the city's inhabitants
The prehistoric chapter of the novel “The History of a City,” a summary of which you are now reading, tells about the victory of the ancient people of bunglers over the surrounding tribes. True, finding themselves stronger than their neighbors, they did not know what to do about it, so they went to look for a prince who could rule them.
To their surprise, all the princes refused them, since no one wanted to rule such a people. Then they had to call a thief, who managed to find the prince. The prince agreed to rule, but did not want to move, sending this very thief in his place. The people ordered to call them “Foolovites”, hence the current name of the city.
These were submissive people, but the thief who controlled them wanted to pacify them, and for this, riots were necessary. Moreover, the thief turned out to be so dishonest and stole so much that the prince sent him a noose.
All the rulers whom he sent in his place turned out to be thieves, only ruining the treasury. Then the prince had to come in person, and this was the end of prehistoric times for the city of Foolov.
Dementy Brudasty
The first of the significant mayors was Brudasty Dementy Varlamovich, who arrived in 1762.
He was extremely silent and gloomy, constantly repeating only: “I’ll ruin you!” and “I won’t tolerate it!” The townspeople could not understand what was what, until one day his secretary, entering the office to make a report, saw that the official’s body was sitting at the table, and his head was lying separately. At the same time it was completely empty.
The whole city was shocked by this news. We managed to find out everything from organ specialist Baibakov, who regularly goes to Brudasty. He explained that in the head of the mayor, in one of the corners, there was an organ that could perform only two pieces of music. One was called “I will not tolerate!”, and the second was called “I will ruin!”.
While Brudasty was getting to Foolov, his head became damp, so now it was constantly in need of repair. Baibakov was unable to cope with the repairs, so he ordered a new head in St. Petersburg, but its delivery was delayed.
It all ended when two identical mayors appeared at once, whom the delivery boy, who had specially come from the province for this purpose, dubbed impostors and took them away. Foolov was left without leadership. The mayor's organ in "The History of a City" (a brief summary helps to recall the main events of the work) is one of the most famous and memorable details.
Anarchy
The city fell into anarchy. From Saltykov-Shchedrin’s novel “The History of a City” (a summary will help you prepare for an exam or test on this work) we learn that the anarchy lasted exactly a week.
During this time, as many as six mayors were in power. Everyone's claims to power were dubious. If one was based on the work of her husband, and the second on her father, then the rest put forward even less substantiated reasons.
Military operations were constantly taking place in Foolov, during breaks between which some townspeople threw others from the bell tower or drowned them. When everyone was tired of anarchy, a new ruler arrived, whose name was Semyon Konstantinovich Dvoekurov.
Semyon Dvoekurov
In Foolov he launched very fruitful and beneficial activities. Summary according to the chapters of "The History of a City" can give information about it full impression. In particular, mead making and brewing were introduced, and the use of bay leaves and mustard became mandatory.
Dvoekurov had thoughts of establishing a own academy, but he did not have time to implement them. Semyon Konstantinovich was replaced by Petr Petrovich Ferdyshchenko. Under him, the city flourished for six whole years. But in the seventh year he suffered a setback. As the Foolovites said, “the demon confused me.”
Ferdyshchenko fell in love with the coachman's wife Alenka, who, to the great surprise of everyone around her, rejected him. Then Ferdyshchenko took extreme measures. He branded and exiled her husband to Siberia, only then did Alenka come to her senses and agree.
The entire city, which was hit by drought, had to answer for the sins of its ruler. Hunger followed. Everyone around them began to die one after another. Then the patience of the townspeople came to an end. They sent a walker to Ferdyshchenko, who did not return. They sent a request, but there was no response to it. Then they took out Alenka herself and threw her from the bell tower. Ferdyshchenko also did not waste time; he wrote numerous reports to his superiors. It was not possible to get bread, but a team of soldiers was sent to Foolov.
The people were calmed down, but then Ferdyshchenko developed a new hobby - the archer Domashka. Through it fires came to Foolov. The Pushkarskaya settlement burned down, and then the fire spread to the settlements of Negodnitsa and Bolotnaya. Only then did Ferdyshchenko retreat, returning Domashka.
The reign of this mayor ended with a journey. He went in search of a city pasture. He was welcomed in all places and was always treated to lunch. Three days later he died from overeating.
Basilisk Wartkin
He studied the entire history of the city, deciding that Dvoekurov was the only role model. But by that time, all his undertakings and achievements were forgotten and abandoned; they even stopped sowing mustard in Foolov. The first thing Wartkin decided to do was correct this injustice. And as punishment for such carelessness, he ordered us to eat more
But the Foolovites did not agree to this. Then Wartkin decided to launch a campaign against Streletskaya Sloboda. The hike lasted 9 days, but not everything went well. In the summary of the novel "The History of a City" one can find confirmation of this. In the dark, we often had to fight with our own people, and some real soldiers were quietly replaced with tin ones. But the mayor still survived.
But when he arrived in the settlement, he found no one there and began to tear apart houses into logs. He staged several more wars for education, but all this ultimately led to the impoverishment of Foolov, which finally ended under another mayor, Negodyaev. The next important ruler, a Circassian named Mikeladze, found him in this state.
His reign was not marked by practically any events or decrees; he focused entirely on attention to the female sex. The city could breathe easy.
Theophylact of Benevolensky
Feofilakt Irinarkhovich Benevolensky is an important character for the plot, described in “The History of a City” by Saltykov-Shchedrin. A summary of the novel helps you find out the plot without reading the entire work. Benevolensky was a close friend of Speransky, even studied with him at the same lyceum. From a friend he adopted a passion for legislation.
The trouble was that the mayor did not have such functions, so laws had to be passed secretly. Benevolensky did this at the house of the merchant Raspopova, and at night he himself scattered them throughout the city. But he was not destined to rule for long. The authorities found out about his connections with Napoleon and fired him.
Lieutenant Colonel Pimple
Another ruler was Lieutenant Colonel Pimple. From the summary of “The History of a City” you can understand from the passage what it was like. He was described like this:
The pimple was no longer young, but it was remarkably preserved. Broad-shouldered, with a ridge of build, he seemed to be saying with his whole figure: don’t look at the fact that I have a gray mustache: I can do it! I can still do it! He was rosy-cheeked, had scarlet and luscious lips, from behind which a row of white teeth were visible; His gait was active and cheerful, his gestures were quick. And all this was decorated with shiny staff officer epaulets, which played on his shoulders at the slightest movement.
He practically did not deal with the city, so life simply blossomed. The harvests were so abundant that the Foolovites became wary. The secret of Pimple was revealed by someone who noticed that Pimple’s head smelled like truffles. A big lover of minced meat, he pounced and ate the head.
After this, State Councilor Ivanov arrived in Glupov. He was so short that he could not contain anything large, and he died. The next was the foreigner Viscount de Chario, who had a lot of fun, for which he was sent abroad. At the same time, she also turned out to be a woman.
Erast Grustilov
Important changes began with the arrival of Erast Grustilov. Under him, everyone was completely mired in laziness and debauchery. Nobody wanted to work, hunger began again.
Grustilov was only involved in balls. The pharmacist's wife set him on the path of goodness. The townspeople repented, but no one returned to work. And when the authorities found out that the local nobility read Strakhov at night, they completely removed Grustilov.
Gloomy-Burcheev
Over time, Ugryum-Burcheev came to power in the city. It is known that he was a complete idiot, from "The Story of a City." The summary will be especially useful in the 8th grade, because then they study Saltykov-Shchedrin. In Glupovo, Ugryum-Burcheev decided to make identical streets with identical houses and families.
To do this, he destroyed everything and began to build again, but a river stood in the way. He began to build dams from construction debris left over from the destruction, but the river washed them away every time. Then Gloomy-Burcheev led the Foolovites with him away from the river. A new location was chosen for the city, in the lowlands, where construction began.
Sad end
It is not known how it all ended, because the publisher claims that the notebooks with all the details were lost. The scoundrel in the person of Gloomy-Burcheev eventually disappeared very suddenly, as if dissolving into thin air, and history stopped flowing there. The publisher does not provide other details and circumstances at all.
The conclusion of the story contains so-called supporting documents. These are the works of various mayors, which they wrote in different times for the edification of his followers.
Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin
"The Story of a City"
This story is the “true” chronicle of the city of Foolov, “The Foolov Chronicler,” covering the period of time from 1731 to 1825, which was “successively composed” by four Foolov archivists. In the chapter “From the Publisher,” the author especially insists on the authenticity of the “Chronicle” and invites the reader to “catch the face of the city and follow how its history reflected the various changes that were simultaneously taking place in the highest spheres.”
The Chronicler opens with an “Address to the Reader from the Last Chronicler Archivist.” The archivist sees the chronicler’s task as “to be a depicter” of “touching correspondence” - the authorities, “to the extent daring,” and the people, “to the extent of giving thanks.” History, therefore, is the history of the reigns of various mayors.
First, the prehistoric chapter “On the roots of the origin of the Foolovites” is given, which tells how the ancient people of bunglers defeated the neighboring tribes of walrus-eaters, bow-eaters, scythe-bellies, etc. But, not knowing what to do to ensure order, the bunglers went to look for a prince . They turned to more than one prince, but even the stupidest princes did not want to “deal with fools” and, having taught them with a rod, released them with honor. Then the bunglers called a thief-innovator, who helped them find the prince. The prince agreed to “lead” them, but did not go to live with them, sending a thief-innovator in his place. The prince called the bunglers themselves “Fools,” hence the name of the city.
The Foolovites were a submissive people, but the novotor needed riots to pacify them. But soon he stole so much that the prince “sent a noose to the unfaithful slave.” But the novotor “and then dodged:<…>Without waiting for the noose, he stabbed himself to death with a cucumber.”
The prince also sent other rulers - an Odoevite, an Orlovets, a Kalyazinian - but they all turned out to be real thieves. Then the prince “... arrived in person in Foolov and cried out: “I’ll lock it up!” With these words, historical times began.”
In 1762, Dementy Varlamovich Brudasty arrived in Glupov. He immediately struck the Foolovites with his sullenness and taciturnity. His only words were “I will not tolerate it!” and “I’ll ruin you!” The city was at a loss until one day the clerk, entering with a report, saw a strange sight: the body of the mayor, as usual, was sitting at the table, but his head was lying on the table completely empty. Foolov was shocked. But then they remembered about the watchmaker and organ maker Baibakov, who secretly visited the mayor, and, calling him, they found out everything. In the head of the mayor, in one corner, there was an organ that could play two musical pieces: “I’ll ruin it!” and “I won’t tolerate it!” But on the way, the head became damp and needed repairing. Baibakov himself could not cope and turned for help to St. Petersburg, from where they promised to send a new head, but for some reason the head was delayed.
Anarchy ensued, ending with the appearance of two identical mayors at once. “The impostors met and measured each other with their eyes. The crowd dispersed slowly and in silence.” A messenger immediately arrived from the province and took both impostors away. And the Foolovites, left without a mayor, immediately fell into anarchy.
The anarchy continued throughout the next week, during which the city changed six mayors. The inhabitants rushed from Iraida Lukinichna Paleologova to Clementinka de Bourbon, and from her to Amalia Karlovna Shtokfish. The claims of the first were based on the short-term mayoral activity of her husband, the second - her father, and the third was herself a mayor's pompadour. The claims of Nelka Lyadokhovskaya, and then Dunka the Thick-Footed and Matryonka the Nostrils were even less justified. In between hostilities, the Foolovites threw some citizens from the bell tower and drowned others. But they too are tired of anarchy. Finally, a new mayor arrived in the city - Semyon Konstantinovich Dvoekurov. His activities in Foolov were beneficial. “He introduced mead making and brewing and made it mandatory to use mustard and bay leaves,” and also wanted to establish an academy in Foolov.
Under the next ruler, Peter Petrovich Ferdyshchenko, the city flourished for six years. But in the seventh year, “Ferdyshchenka was confused by a demon.” The city ruler was inflamed with love for the coachman's wife Alenka. But Alenka refused him. Then, with the help of a series of consistent measures, Alenka’s husband, Mitka, was branded and sent to Siberia, and Alenka came to her senses. Through the sins of the mayor, drought fell on the Foolov, and after it came famine. People started dying. Then the end of Foolov’s patience came. At first they sent a walker to Ferdyshchenka, but the walker did not return. Then they sent a request, but that didn’t help either. Then they finally got to Alenka and threw her off the bell tower. But Ferdyshchenko was not dozing, but wrote reports to his superiors. No bread was sent to him, but a team of soldiers arrived.
Through Ferdyshchenko's next passion, the archer Domashka, fires came to the city. The Pushkarskaya Sloboda was burning, followed by the Bolotnaya and Negodnitsa settlements. Ferdyshchenko again became shy, returned Domashka to the “optery” and called the team.
Ferdyshchenko's reign ended with a journey. The mayor went to the city pasture. In various places he was greeted by townspeople and had lunch waiting for him. On the third day of the journey, Ferdyshchenko died from overeating.
Ferdyshchenko's successor, Vasilisk Semenovich Borodavkin, took up his post decisively. Having studied the history of Foolov, he found only one role model - Dvoekurov. But his achievements were already forgotten, and the Foolovites even stopped sowing mustard. Wartkin ordered this mistake to be corrected, and as punishment he added Provençal oil. But the Foolovites did not give in. Then Wartkin went on a military campaign to Streletskaya Sloboda. Not everything on the nine-day hike was successful. In the darkness they fought with their own. Many real soldiers were fired and replaced with tin soldiers. But Wartkin survived. Having reached the settlement and not finding anyone, he began to tear away the houses for logs. And then the settlement, and behind it the whole city, surrendered. Subsequently, there were several more wars for enlightenment. In general, the reign led to the impoverishment of the city, which finally ended under the next ruler, Negodyaev. It was in this state that Foolov found the Circassian Mikeladze.
There were no events held during this reign. Mikeladze removed himself from administrative measures and dealt only with the female sex, for whom he was very keen. The city was resting. “The visible facts were few, but the consequences were countless.”
The Circassian was replaced by Feofilakt Irinarkhovich Benevolensky, Speransky’s friend and comrade at the seminary. He had a passion for legislation. But since the mayor did not have the right to issue his own laws, Benevolensky issued laws secretly, in the house of the merchant Raspopova, and scattered them around the city at night. However, he was soon fired for having relations with Napoleon.
Next was Lieutenant Colonel Pimple. He was not involved in business at all, but the city flourished. The harvests were huge. The Foolovites were wary. And the secret of Pimple was revealed by the leader of the nobility. A big fan of minced meat, the leader sensed that the mayor’s head smelled of truffles and, unable to bear it, attacked and ate the stuffed head.
After that, State Councilor Ivanov arrived in the city, but “he turned out to be so small in stature that he could not accommodate anything spacious,” and died. His successor, the emigrant Viscount de Chariot, was constantly having fun and was sent abroad by order of his superiors. Upon examination, she turned out to be a girl.
Finally, State Councilor Erast Andreevich Grustilov came to Glupov. By this time, the Foolovites had forgotten the true God and clung to idols. Under him, the city was completely mired in debauchery and laziness. Relying on their own happiness, they stopped sowing, and famine came to the city. Grustilov was busy with daily balls. But everything suddenly changed when she appeared to him. The wife of the pharmacist Pfeiffer showed Grustilov the path of good. The foolish and wretched, who experienced difficult days during the worship of idols, became the main people in the city. The Foolovites repented, but the fields remained empty. The Foolov elite gathered at night to read Mr. Strakhov and “admire” him, which the authorities soon found out about, and Grustilov was removed.
The last Foolov mayor, Gloomy-Burcheev, was an idiot. He set a goal - to turn Foolov into “the city of Nepreklonsk, eternally worthy of the memory of Grand Duke Svyatoslav Igorevich,” with straight identical streets, “companies,” identical houses for identical families, etc. Ugryum-Burcheev thought out the plan in detail and began to implement it. The city was destroyed to the ground, and construction could begin, but the river got in the way. It did not fit into Ugryum-Burcheev’s plans. The tireless mayor launched an attack on her. All the garbage was used, everything that was left of the city, but the river washed away all the dams. And then Gloomy-Burcheev turned around and walked away from the river, taking the Foolovites with him. A completely flat lowland was chosen for the city, and construction began. But something has changed. However, the notebooks with the details of this story were lost, and the publisher provides only the denouement: “... the earth shook, the sun darkened<…> It it has arrived." Without explaining what exactly, the author only reports that “the scoundrel instantly disappeared, as if he had disappeared into thin air. History has stopped flowing."
The story closes with “exculpatory documents,” that is, the writings of various mayors, such as Wartkin, Mikeladze and Benevolensky, written for the edification of other mayors.
“The History of a City” is a satirical novel by Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, who wrote it whole year from 1869 to 1870. But his book was criticized by critics, accusing him of mocking the Russian people and distorting Russian history. Turgenev, on the contrary, considered the work wonderful and believed that it reflected the satirical history of Russian society. True, after the publication of the book, readers cooled down a little to the work of Saltykov-Shchedrin.
The story itself begins with the words that the author addressed to the readers. He told about how he allegedly found a real chronicle, which tells about the fictitious city of Foolov. After an introduction on behalf of a fictional narrator-chronicler, the author writes about the origin of the Foolovites, where Saltykov-Shchedrin first describes sketches of satire, while relying on historical facts. But the main part of the book tells about the most famous mayors of the city of Foolov.
This is how readers will learn about Dementy Varlamovich Brudast. He was the eighth mayor of the city, who ruled for a short time. He was still able to leave some mark on the history of Foolov. Brudast stood out among others because he was extraordinary person. In his head there was a certain device with the help of which Dementy could produce one of the programmed phrases. And after everyone learned about his secret, various troubles began, which led to the overthrow of the mayor and to a life of anarchy. In a short time, six rulers changed in the city of Foolov, who bribed soldiers to seize power. Then Dvoekurov began to rule the city. Over the many years of his reign, he created an image for himself reminiscent of Alexander I, because one day he did not fulfill the instructions. After which he became timid and was sad all his life because of this.
The next person the author mentioned was Pyotr Petrovich Ferdyshchenko. He was Prince Potemkin's former orderly. He had an enterprising, frivolous and attractive nature. He was remembered by all his actions, in which he subjected Foolov to hunger and fire. Ferdyshchenko himself died from overeating when he went on a journey through the lands he owned. By this he wanted to feel like an emperor, traveling around the country. Vasilisk Semyonovich Wartkin, who destroyed Streletskaya and Dung settlements, was able to rule the city for the longest time.
In our time, performances based on the book “The History of a City” were staged, which were crowned with success.
