Nozdryov dead souls name meaning. "Dead Souls" image by Nozdryov

Tasks:

• the formation of ideas about the role of the landowner Nozdryov in Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls”;
• development of skills in characterizing a literary character;
• development of imaginative thinking.

Equipment:

• illustrations of B. Kustodiev’s paintings “Merchant’s Wife at Tea”, “Tavern”, “Innkeeper”, “Fair”, “Still Life with Pheasants”;
• illustrations by P. M. Boklevsky (“Nozdryov”) to N. Gogol’s poem “ Dead Souls”.

Characteristics plan(offered to students before analyzing the topic as homework for the previous lesson):

1. Nozdryov. His role in Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls”:

a) portrait characteristics of the hero; the role of the portrait in understanding the essence of the hero;

b) Nozdryov’s speech, examples of vivid words and expressions; the role of speech characteristics;

c) Nozdryov’s estate, office interior;

d) what is the significance of the remark that “dinner, apparently, was not the main thing in Nozdryov’s life; the dishes did not play a big role: some were burnt, some were not cooked at all”;

e) Nozdryov’s reaction to Chichikov’s proposal to sell dead souls;

g) what is the purpose of introducing the character into the text of the poem.

2. What new features of Chichikov’s nature appear before the reader? How does he reveal himself in communication with Nozdryov?

During the classes

I. Immersion in the topic.

Presentation of illustrations of B. Kustodiev’s paintings “Merchant’s Wife at Tea”, “Still Life with Pheasants”, “Inn”, “Innkeeper”, “Fair”.

• What associations do you have when you perceive these illustrations?
• Why are they presented at the beginning of the conversation about the landowner Nozdryov?
• What is the similarity between these illustrations and the content of chapter 4 of the poem “Dead Souls,” which tells about Nozdryov?

The paintings show the fullness of life, a riot of colors, bright colorful personalities, vanity, transience of the moment, dynamics. The subjects of the paintings somehow reflect distinctive features Nozdryov's nature. The illustrations help to penetrate Nozdryov’s world, the world of extravagance, “extraordinary lightness,” the world of impetuosity, some kind of higher emotionality, the world of openness and “love” for everyone.

II. Study of the text in connection with the topic.

1. Portrait characteristics the hero and the role of the portrait in understanding the essence of the hero’s character.

Chapter 4: He was of average height, a very well-built fellow with full rosy cheeks, teeth white as snow and jet-black sideburns, he was as fresh as blood and milk; his health seemed to be dripping from his face.

The main details of the portrait are rosy cheeks, freshness of face, keyword portrait - health. The details reflect the essence of the hero’s inner portrait, his broken character, his senseless actions. Just as his health overflows, so his emotionality goes beyond all boundaries.

2. The hero's speech. Examples of the most striking and typical words and expressions of the hero. The role of speech characteristics.

As a man is, so is his speech (Cicero):

And I, brother,...

Blown away...

Swelled, lost everything...

Kiss me, soul, death love you...

Banchishka

Distortion French words: burdashka, bonbon, rosette, bezeshka, superflu.

Nozdryov's speech is as sparkling as his nature. This speech cannot be called fearless; it is the speech of an emotional, assertive person who does not care about tomorrow. The main values ​​of life are partying, drinking, dogs, and in general everything that is called “carousing.” This is a person distinguished by “restless briskness and liveliness of character,” as Gogol put it. All this is reflected in the hero’s speech.

But can we see only the negative in the speech portrait of the hero?

We cannot say that Nozdryov is devoid of creativity. His speech is a game with generally accepted words, and not every person is capable of this game. Nozdryov is busy creating speeches. Note his experiments with French words.

3. Nozdryov's estate. His house. What significance does the interior play for understanding the essence of Nozdryov’s nature?

Stable: two horses, the rest of the stalls are empty.

A pond in which there was a fish of such size that two people could hardly pull it out.

Kennel: the most worthy sight on Nozdryov’s estate.

Mill: “then we went to inspect the water mill, where the flutter was missing, into which the upper stone, which quickly rotates on a spindle, is installed - “fluttering,” in the wonderful expression of the Russian peasant.”

Nozdryov's House:

Cabinet. However, there were no visible traces of what happens in offices, that is, books or paper; Only sabers and two guns hung - one worth three hundred, and the other eight hundred rubles.

The barrel organ: it played not without joy, but in the middle of it, it seems, something happened, for the mazurka ended with the song: “Malbrug went on a hike,” and “Malbrug went on a hike” unexpectedly ended with some long-familiar waltz. Nozdryov had long ago stopped whistling, but there was one very lively pipe in the barrel organ, which did not want to calm down, and for a long time afterwards it whistled alone.

Pipes: wooden, clay, meerschaum, smoked and unsmoked, covered with suede and not covered, a pipe with an amber mouthpiece, recently won, a pouch embroidered by some countess, somewhere at the post station, who fell head over heels in love with him, whose handles in his words, were the most sublime superflue - a word that probably meant to him highest point perfection.

Nozdryov is a Russian landowner, but a landowner devoid of any spiritual life. Maybe he devotes all his energy to managing the estate and has no time to immerse himself in reading? No, the estate has long been abandoned, there is no rational management. Consequently, there is neither spiritual nor material life, but there is emotional life, which has absorbed everything. Constant lies, the desire to argue, passion, the inability to suppress one’s feelings - this is what constitutes the essence of Nozdryov. For a Russian landowner, hunting is one of the components of life, and for Nozdryov the kennel replaced everything. He is a certain Troekurov, who has lost power and influence, and has changed his rough, strong nature.

4. What is the significance of Gogol’s remark that “dinner, apparently, was not the main thing in Nozdryov’s life; the dishes did not play a big role: some were burnt, some were not cooked at all”? Remember that both Manilov and Korobochka Chichikov are treated well, and the description of the dinner takes up quite a bit of space in the chapter.

Lunch, eating food, abundance and variety of dishes is a symbolic designation of animal life in Gogol. Thus, the author emphasizes that the hero is deprived spiritual origin. Nozdryov is depicted extremely emotional person, in which there are living feelings, although distorted, so there is no description of eating food.

5. How does Nozdryov react to Chichikov’s proposal to sell dead souls? How to evaluate Nozdryov’s behavior after Chichikov’s refusal to continue playing checkers?

This broken fellow is devoid of any moral principles, social preferences, this is a kind of childishness, a kind of primitivism, a prehistoric existence of relationships.

III. Key takeaways from the lesson

1. What new features of Chichikov’s nature appear before the reader? How does he reveal himself in communication with Nozdryov?

Chichikov is, of course, the antipode of Nozdryov. The conditions in which Pavel Ivanovich was formed forced him to hide his emotions and desires, forced him to think first, then act, made him prudent and enterprising. In Chichikov there is no emotionality, no recklessness, no stupidity, no “life over the edge.” The hero of the new capitalist era, the era of selfishness and calculation, is deprived of strong emotions, and therefore deprived of a sense of the fullness of life. These thoughts come to us precisely at the moment of reading the chapter about Nozdryov. Thus, the chapter represents the type of Russian landowner, but also reveals a lot about the nature of the main character, Chichikov.

• Nozdryov at 35 years old was exactly the same as he was at eighteen and twenty: a lover of a walk;
• He could not sit at home for more than a day;
• He had a passion for cards;
• He did not play entirely sinlessly and purely;
• Nozdryov was in some respects a historical person;
• The closer someone got with him, the more likely he was to annoy everyone: he spread a fable, the stupidest of which is difficult to invent, upset a wedding, a trade deal...;
• Restless agility and liveliness of character;
• Nozdryov is a trash person.

home national trait Russian character – openness, “breadth of soul.” In Nozdryov, Gogol depicts how this trait is distorted if there is no spiritual life.

IV. Homework

A written answer to the question: “What human type does Gogol depict when representing the landowner Nozdryov?”

Nozdryov is the third landowner from whom Chichikov is trying to buy dead souls. This is a dashing 35-year-old “talker, carouser, reckless driver.” N. lies constantly, bullies everyone indiscriminately; he is very passionate, ready to “take a shit” to the best friend without any purpose. All of N.’s behavior is explained by his dominant quality: “nimbleness and liveliness of character,” i.e. unrestrained, bordering on unconsciousness. N. doesn’t think or plan anything; he simply does not know the limits in anything. On the way to Sobakevich, in the tavern, N. intercepts Chichikov and takes him to his estate. There he quarrels to death with Chichikov: he does not agree to play cards for dead souls, and also does not want to buy a stallion of “Arab blood” and receive souls in addition. The next morning, forgetting about all the grievances, N. persuades Chichikov to play checkers with him for dead souls. Caught in cheating, N. orders Chichikov to be beaten, and only the appearance of the police captain calms him down. It is N. who almost destroys Chichikov. Confronted with him at the ball, N. shouts loudly: “he’s trading dead souls!”, which gives rise to a lot of the most incredible rumors. When officials call on N. to sort things out, the hero confirms all the rumors at once, without being embarrassed by their inconsistency. Later he comes to Chichikov and himself talks about all these rumors. Instantly forgetting about the insult he had caused, he sincerely offers to help Chichikov take away governor's daughter. The home environment fully reflects N.’s chaotic character. Everything at home is stupid: there are goats in the middle of the dining room, there are no books and papers in the office, etc. We can say that N.’s boundless lies are reverse side Russian prowess, which N. is endowed with in abundance. N. is not completely empty, it’s just that his unbridled energy does not find proper use. With N. in the poem begins a series of heroes who have retained something alive in themselves. Therefore, in the “hierarchy” of heroes, he occupies a relatively high – third – place.

Chichikov's visit to Nozdryov.

Chichikov met with Nozdryov in a tavern. Nozdryov began to invite Ch. to his home, he refused, but soon agreed.

Entering the house, Ch. noticed that no guests were expected here.

Then N. took Ch-va to his office. In Ch.’s office I saw sabers and guns on the wall. This indicates that N. never did business in this room. Rather, it was another rest room.

Ch. also realized that dinner for N-va was not the most important thing in life: “Something was burnt, something was too salty.”

N. also showed Ch-vu his farm. These were dogs, for which N. had a passion, and horses.

Ch. begins a conversation about dead souls. But if Manilov and Korobochka were very surprised when Ch. asked them to sell their souls, then N. reacted differently. He took this situation as a chance for another exchange, and N. loved to exchange things. For a long time he begged Ch-va to buy either horses or a barrel organ. As a result, Ch. agreed to play checkers with him, but the game never ended.

The story with N-v ended with Ch-v having to run away from his house, because he (Ch-v) was almost beaten.

Nozdryov is a broken, frivolous person. He easily loses at cards.

This person can easily betray; he does not know such a thing as strong friendship.

He has two children whom he does not raise at all. This shows his irresponsibility.

Nozdryov is a master of “pouring bullets”. He is a liar, but he is a liar under duress. He deliberately imposes one lie on another. Perhaps in this way he is trying to draw attention to himself.

Nozdryov loves to brag and exaggerate. He almost swore to Ch-woo that he caught a huge fish in his pond.

Society provincial town treated Nozdryov and his antics with a certain indifference. But they couldn’t do it without Nozdryov either. After all, the city residents call Nozdryov when they want to find out who Ch. really is.

The poem “Dead Souls” embodies the image of Russia of the past and future. Satirical grotesque reality with a hint of patriotism allows you to create a plot whose relevance does not lose over the years.

Nozdryov is an empty and absurd person, prone to deception and often lies, while considering his nature to be broad. Thanks to this type of character, the hero quite often becomes a participant in ridiculous situations, and his behavior indicates that he is shameless and combines arrogance with weak-willedness.

Characteristics of the hero

("Nozdryov", artist Alexander Agin, 1846-47)

Nozdryov becomes the third person who is offered to sell dead souls; he is a dashing landowner of 35 years old. A reckless person, a carouser, a talker - all this is about Nozdryov, he is ready to bully everyone indiscriminately, constantly lies, and is also prone to excitement. This person can play dirty tricks, even on his close friends, and at the same time no personal goals are pursued.

All the features of this strategy of behavior are explained by the character’s personality: he combines agility, agility, one might say that his uncontrollability is adjacent to unconsciousness. Nozdryov is not worth plans and strategies, so all his actions are improvisation, and Nozdryov has no sense of proportion at all.

The author portrayed Nozdryov as a broken guy, and this is precisely what his behavior indicates. Life goes on for Nozdryov today, but he doesn’t think about the next days. This is clearly seen in the example of his game: he often exchanged everything he won for unimportant things, and could immediately lose what he had acquired. It was his energy that made him this way and drove his behavior. You can learn little about Nozdryov in the work; he was a card sharper, and first appeared to the reader in paragraph NN. In general, the hero can be called ridiculous, he is simply ridiculous, is not attentive to statements and does not care about their consequences.

Nozdryov is a bad master; we do not learn about the life of his peasants, since the main interests of the hero are dogs and smoking pipes. It can be played to its full potential, and if it wins, it spends everything on entertainment and revelry. Ego energy pushes to exploits and leads to illogical purchases; the contrast to this behavior is the consistency during agreements with Chichikov, who was able to see the trickery. The image of Nozdryov is formed and constant, he has emotional speech and speaks loudly. The author did not tell the character's backstory and left him unchanged for the entire duration of the poem.

The image of the hero in the work

Nozdryov intercepts Chichikov at the tavern and quarrels with him on the estate: Chichikov does not agree to play for dead souls and buy a stallion with souls as a bonus. By morning, Nozdryov has already forgotten about the differences and proposes a game of souls, this time in checkers, but he gets caught cheating. The heated N. can be calmed down only thanks to the appearance of the police captain, since Nozdryov gave the order to beat Chichikov.

The role of Nozdryov is important for the plot, since he almost killed Chichikov when he shouted loudly “he sells dead souls.” This gave rise to a lot of incredible rumors, and after calling the authorities, Nozdryov confirmed all the rumors. The hero himself goes to Chichikov, talks about the rumors, and makes a proposal regarding the transportation of the governor’s daughter.

The character's confusion also reflects his home furnishings, his office is missing books and papers, and there are trestles in the middle part of the dining room. The author showed his boundless lies as the other side of prowess young man. This is not to say that the hero is completely empty; his enormous energy is simply not directed in the right direction.

What should the image of Nozdryov show?

Nozdryov always takes part in wild fun, drunken revelry and playing cards. He brings entertainment to society and creates scandals. The author called him a historical man, since boasting, inventions and empty chatter are his favorite thing and an integral part of his personality. Chichikov considers Nozdryov a crappy person, because he is arrogant, cheeky and does nasty things to his neighbors. The character shows that a person with a noble appearance and a “star in his chest” can do nasty things like a “simple college registrar.”

In the image of Nozdryov, Gogol presents us with “a deceitful and impudent variety of vulgarity.” Origins this image go back to the comedies of Aristophanes and Plautus, to Western European literature. However, there is a lot in this image that is purely Russian and national. A similar type was already noted by Pushkin in the novel “Eugene Onegin”.

My cousin, Buyanov,

In down, in a cap with a visor

(As you know him, of course)...

The main character traits of Nozdryov are arrogance, boasting, a tendency to rowdy, energy and unpredictability. Gogol notes that people of this type are always “talkers, revelers, reckless drivers”, in their faces you can always see “something open, direct, daring”, they are desperate players, lovers of taking a walk. They are sociable and unceremonious, “they will make friends, it seems, forever; but it almost always happens that the person who has made friends will fight with them that same evening at a friendly party.”

Revealing the image of Nozdryov, Gogol masterfully uses various artistic media. First of all, the portrait of the hero itself is expressive. “He was of average height, a very well-built fellow with full rosy cheeks, teeth as white as snow and jet-black sideburns. It was fresh, like blood and milk; his health seemed to be dripping from his face.”

It is characteristic that Nozdryov has an attractive appearance, physical strength, he laughs “with that ringing laugh that only fresh, healthy man...” Here in the poem the motif of Russian heroism arises. "Historical, folklore and literary tradition absorbed one of the leading motives " Dead souls“—Russian heroism, playing the role of a positive ideological pole in the poem,” wrote E. A. Smirnova. The portrait of the heroes “in the light of the motive of Russian physical heroism, both in its literal and travesty sense” was noted by V. A. Nedzvetsky.

And in Nozdryov’s depiction we observe a comic reduction of this motive. The contrast between his appearance and its internal appearance is enormous: the hero’s life is meaningless, the “exploits” of this “hero” do not go further than card cheating or a fight committed at a fair.

The very motive of “daring revelry”, “broad Russian soul”, present in Gogol throughout the entire narrative, is comically reduced in the image of Nozdryov. As a pre-revolutionary researcher notes, Nozdryov is only “the appearance of a broad nature. He can least of all claim to be recognized as a “broad person”: he is impudent, a drunkard, a liar, he is at the same time a coward and a completely insignificant person.”

The landscape that frames the episode of Chichikov’s visit to the landowner is also characteristic. “Nozdryov led his guests through a field, which in many places consisted of hummocks. The guests had to make their way between fallow fields and armored fields... In many places their feet squeezed out the water under them, the place was so low. At first they were careful and stepped carefully, but then, seeing that it was of no use, they walked straight on, not distinguishing where there was more and where there was less dirt.” This landscape speaks of the disturbed economy of the landowner and at the same time symbolizes Nozdryov’s carelessness.

Thus, the hero’s lifestyle is already devoid of any order. The landowner's economy fell into complete decline. There are empty stalls in his stable, a watermill without flutter, and the house is in disorder and neglect. And only the kennel is in his good condition. “Among dogs, Nozdryov...is just like a father among a family,” notes Gogol. This comparison sets the theme of the hero’s “slander” in the story. As S. Shevyrev notes, Nozdryov “is very similar to a dog: for no reason at the same time he barks, nibbles, and caresses.”

The hero is prone to lies, deception, and empty chatter. He can easily slander, slander a person, spread gossip about him, “a fable that is more stupid than it is difficult to invent.” It is characteristic that Nozdryov lies for no apparent reason, “out of love for art.” So, having come up with a story about the governor’s daughter, he continues to lie further, involving himself in this story. The reason for this is simple: Nozdryov understood that “he could have caused trouble in this way, but he could no longer hold his tongue. However, it was difficult, because such interesting details presented themselves of their own accord that it was impossible to refuse...”

The tendency to deception and trickery manifests itself in him even during card game. That’s why the game often ends in a fight: “they beat him with their boots, or they gave him a hard time on his thick and very good sideburns...”

The character of the hero, his interests and lifestyle are reflected in the interior of his house. There are no books or papers in Nozdryov’s office, but there are hanging sabers, guns, Turkish daggers and pipes of various kinds - “wooden, clay, meerschaum, smoked and unsmoked, covered with suede and uncovered.” In this interior, one object is symbolic - a barrel organ, in which there is “one pipe, very lively, which did not want to calm down.” This expressive detail symbolizes the character of the hero, his restlessness, and irrepressible energy.

Nozdryov is unusually “active”, energetic, his nimbleness and liveliness of character push him to new and new “undertakings”. So, he loves to change: a gun, a dog, horses - everything instantly becomes an object of exchange. If he has money, then at the fair he immediately buys “all sorts of things”: clamps, smoking candles, raisins, tobacco, pistols, herrings, paintings, pots, etc. However, purchased items are rarely delivered to the house: on the same day he can lose everything.

Nozdryov is very consistent in his behavior and during buying and selling dead shower. He immediately tries to sell Chichikov a stallion, dogs, a barrel organ, then starts an exchange of chaises and a game of checkers. Noticing Nozdryov's trickery, Chichikov refuses to play. And then the “historical” man causes a scandal, a fight, and only the appearance of the police captain in the house saves Chichikov.

Nozdryov’s speech and manners are also characteristic. He talks loudly, emotionally, often screaming. His speech is very colorful and varied in composition.

In addition, it is worth noting the static nature of this image. Gogol gives the character of Nozdryov as already formed, ready-made, the background of this character is closed to the reader, during the course of the story nothing happens to the hero internal changes. However, as K. Aksakov notes, such “immobility” of the image is natural for an epic work.

Thus, the character created by Gogol - a braggart, a talker, a reckless driver, a reveler, a gambler, a rowdy and argumentative person, a lover of drinking and making up something - is colorful and easily recognizable. The hero is typical, and at the same time, thanks to a number of details, special little things, the writer was able to emphasize his individuality.

"Dead Souls".

Quote characteristic

* “You, however, didn’t do what I told you,” said Nozdryov, turning to Porfiry and examining the puppy’s belly, “and didn’t think about combing it?”

* Then Nozdryov took them to see the wolf cub, which was on a leash. “Here is a wolf cub!” he said. “I feed him on purpose raw meat. I want him to be a perfect beast!"

* “I’ll show you, Chichikov,” said Nozdryov, “I’ll show you the most excellent pair of dogs: the strength of the black meat is simply amazing, the shield is a needle!” - and led them to a very beautifully built small house, surrounded by a large courtyard fenced off on all sides.

Nozdryov - characteristics literary hero(character).

Nozdryov- a character in N.V. Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls” (first volume, 1842, under the title “The Adventures of Chichikov, or Dead Souls”; second, volume 1842-1845).

Literary sources of N.’s image are images of liars and braggarts in the dramaturgy of Ya.B. Knyazhnin, A.P. Sumarokov, I.I. Khemnitser, I.A. Krylov, as well as Zagoretsky from A.S. Griboedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” ", Glazdurin from the novel by F.V. Bulgarin "Ivan Vyzhigin". In the image of N., the features of Gogol’s characters Ikharev and especially Khlestakov are developed. N.’s image represents the type of “broken fellow”, a reveler with “restless briskness and liveliness of character”, “ historical person“, because N. every time ends up in history: either he is taken out of the hall by the gendarmes, or pushed out by his own friends, or he gets drunk at the buffet, or he lies that he kept a blue or pink horse. N. is also eager for the female sex, as he puts it, not averse to “taking advantage of strawberries” (he is a regular at provincial theaters and a fan of actresses, his children are raised by a “cute nanny”). Main passion N. - “to spoil one’s neighbor”: N. spread tall tales, upset a wedding, a trade deal, but still considered himself a friend of the one to whom he had spoiled. N.'s passion is universal and does not depend on rank or weight in society. According to Gogol, like N., a man “with a noble appearance, with a star on his chest” craps himself (“And he craps like a simple college registrar”). The surname N. is a metonymy of the nose (an absurd double separation occurs: the nostrils from the nose, the nose from the body). A number of proverbs and sayings correlate with N.’s image and character: “poking your nose into someone else’s business,” “the curious Varvara’s nose was torn off,” “stay with your nose,” “keep your nose to the wind” (cf. Gogol: “His sensitive nose I heard several dozen miles away where there was a fair with all sorts of conventions and balls..."). N.’s portrait is also built on the metonymy of the face (sideburns) and is consistent with his metonymic surname: “he sometimes returned home with only one sideburn, and then a rather thin one. But his healthy and full cheeks were so well created and contained so much plant power that his sideburns soon grew back, even better than before.” Things around N. are identical to his boastful and gambling nature. On the one hand, they illustrate N.’s chaotic, disorderly nature, on the other, his gigantic claims and passion for exaggeration. Everything in N.’s house is splattered with paint: the men are whitewashing the walls. N. shows Chichikov and Mizhuev the stables, where the stalls are mostly empty; a pond where previously, according to N., “there was a fish of such size that two people could hardly pull it out”; a kennel with thick-dogs and pure-dogs, “who were astonishing at the strength of their black meats”; the field where N. caught a brown hare by its hind legs. N.’s office reflects his warlike spirit: instead of books, sabers, guns, and Turkish daggers hang on the walls, on one of which was mistakenly carved: “Master Savely Sibiryakov” (Gogol’s alogism emphasizes the absurdity of N.’s lies). N.'s barrel organ plays the warlike song "Malbrug went on a campaign." The metonymic principle in the image of N. is consistently carried out by Gogol: the pipe in N.’s barrel organ absolutely accurately repeats the essence of the owner, his senselessly provocative disposition: “Nozdryov had long ago stopped turning, but in the barrel organ there was one very lively pipe, which did not want to calm down, and for a long time Then she was the only one whistling.” Even the fleas in N.’s house, which bit Chichikov all night, are, like N., “persistent insects.” N.'s energetic, active spirit, in contrast to Manilov's idleness, is nevertheless devoid of internal content, absurd and, ultimately, just as dead. N. changes everything: guns, dogs, horses, a barrel organ - not for the sake of profit, but for the sake of the process itself. For four days, without leaving the house, N. selects a marked deck, “which one could rely on as true friend" N. is a sharper, he drugs Chichikov with Madeira and mountain ash with the smell of fusel in order to beat him at cards. While playing checkers with Chichikov, N. manages to push the checkers into kings with the cuff of his robe sleeve. If Manilov cares about “delicate” details, Sobakevich - about the whole, then N. neglects both. N.’s food expresses his reckless spirit: “some things were burnt, some were not cooked at all. It is clear that the cook was guided by some kind of inspiration and put in the first thing that came to hand< ...>pepper... cabbage, stuffed with milk, ham, peas - in a word, roll and roll, it would be hot, but some kind of taste would probably come out.” N. is impulsive and angry. In a drunken state, N. flogs the landowner Maksimov with rods and is going to beat Chichikov with the help of stalwart servants. N. is capable of praising and scolding at the same time, without hesitation in expressions: “I bet you’re lying!”, “... after all, you’re a big swindler< ...>If I were your boss, I would hang you on the first tree” (about Chichikov); “...this is just a Jewish person” (about Sobakevich). N. is the initiator of the scandal surrounding the “dead souls”, he was the first to reveal Chichikov’s secret at the governor’s ball, after which “in the middle of the cotillion he sat down on the floor and began to grab the dancers by the skirts.” N., in a conversation with officials, confirmed that Chichikov was a spy, that he was a fiscal officer at school, that he was printing fake banknotes, and that a guard was posted at his house for the night, but Chichikov changed all the banknotes for real ones in one night, that he, N. , helped Chichikov kidnap the governor’s daughter, etc. In the dramatization of the poem, the role of N. was played by I.M. Moskvin, B.N. Livanov. In R.K. Shchedrin’s opera “Dead Souls,” N.’s part was intended for a tenor (first performer - V.I. Piavko, 1977).