Among the images of Russian peasants created by Nekrasov, the image of Yermila Girin stands out. He, as they say in the work, “is not a prince, not a noble count, but a simple peasant,” but, nevertheless, he enjoys great honor among the peasants. Using the example of the image of Ermila Girin in Nekrasov’s poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'”, one can analyze what character traits were considered important for the Russian people, how the people saw their heroes.
“And young and smart” - with such words begins the description of Yermila Girin in the poem. Then the peasant, who spoke about Yermil, tells the peasant wanderers a story that testifies to the boundless trust of the people in him. Yermil kept the mill, which the merchant Altynnikov was going to buy out for debts. Yermil won the trial, but the lawyers arranged the case in such a way that he did not have money with him to pay. Then he rushed to the square, to the people and told them his misfortune. Yermil's request: "If you know Yermil, / If you believe Yermil, / So help out, eh! .." is the best evidence of his love and trust in his compatriots. In this episode, Nekrasov perfectly noticed the psychology of a Russian peasant, who prefers to experience troubles and make decisions "with the whole world"
Yermil opens up before the crowd - and receives help, everyone who was in the square brought him at least a penny. This was enough to buy the mill.
The main feature of Ermil is his incorruptible honesty and love for the truth. He served as a clerk for seven years, and during all this time "he did not squeeze a worldly penny under the nail." Everyone could turn to Yermil for advice, knowing that he would never demand money or offend an innocent. When Yermil left his post, it turned out to be hard to get used to the new unscrupulous clerk. “A bad conscience is necessary - / A peasant from a peasant / To extort a penny” - such a sentence is passed by the people to “bureaucratic officials”.
With his decency, Yermil earned the faith of the peasants, and they repaid him with kindness: they unanimously elected Yermil as a steward. Now he is Ermil Ilyich Girin, who honestly reigns over the entire patrimony. But Yermil does not stand the test of power. Only once does he retreat from his conscience, sending another person instead of his brother as a soldier. And although he soon repents and makes amends for the harm done to him, the peasants remember this act. It is difficult to restore one's good name, which is considered the highest value among the people - this is what Nekrasov conveys in the image of Yermil.
Ermil Girin in the poem by N.A. Nekrasov is hidden among minor characters. The author deliberately created a difficulty for the reader. He himself needs to comprehend the whole idea of a brilliant poet.
The image and characterization of Ermil Girin in the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” combines the features that Nekrasov considered the most important, in him he saw one of the contenders for the title of a happy person.
Yermil (Yermilo) Ilyich Girin is young and smart beyond his years. By social status, the hero is a simple man. It has neither princely nor county roots. The decisiveness of character allowed him to become a respected person. An patrimony of 6,000 souls unanimously chose him as steward. It is difficult to gain the confidence of the peasants, but Yermil was able to. How did Jirin deserve such an attitude:
"... strict truth";
"mind and kindness";
responsiveness and selflessness.
Yermil knew how to advise, learned the necessary information for ordinary people. He did not demand gratitude and did not take money for help. For happiness, the peasant had, according to the people, everything: peace, honor, money.
To understand the happiness of a character, you need to consider his character traits. What is so special about a man, how he differs from others. What character can truly claim to be the lucky ones?
Wits. The Russian peasant saw the hidden cunning, knew how to quickly see through dishonest intentions. He judged a person by their looks and behavior. Silently led to honesty, did not make scandals, but went aside, leaving the cunning with nothing.
Not the ability to flatter and bow. Yermil did not succumb to the tricks of clerks and other wealthy merchants. He did not take sugary, deceitful speeches personally, did not pay for flattery and pleasant lies.
Honesty. For seven years the peasant has been serving as a steward, not taking a single “worldly kopeck” into his hands.
Justice. Yermil did not offend the weak, he defended the poor. On the other hand, if a person was guilty, he “did not allow” him sin and black deeds.
Respect. Kirin treats all estates equally. He respects peasants, landlords, merchants. The main thing for him is not status, rank, but the person himself.
Working at the mill, Yermil accepted strictly in turn and for one price. The poorest people, managers, clerks did not argue with the miller, seeing a fair approach to everyone.
Sincerity. Having committed a bad deed, Yermil repents before all the people. He asks for a fair trial in relation to himself, even the forgiveness of his fellow countrymen does not allow him to remain in the service. He finds his own punishment.
Yermila is chosen as a steward. He has been faithfully and faithfully serving the people for seven years. When the time has come for the younger brother to go to the recruits, the steward of the people does not stand the test of possession of power. He decides to use it. Instead of a relative, the son of a village peasant woman leaves to serve. Conscience begins to torment Girin, brings him to the decision to hang himself, but corrects the position of the master. He returns the son of the offended mother. Yermil leaves the service and goes to the mill. The peasants never cease to respect the peasant. The evidence is the episode with the collection of money for the purchase of the mill, which they decided to sell. A thousand rubles, a huge amount for those times, is collected by Girin in half an hour. No one spared the last penny for him. The help of the peasants is surprising. Kirin wins the lawsuit with the merchants, returns every penny to those who gave him money. He has an extra ruble left. All day long, Girin walks around the square, hoping to find the one whose ruble it is, but does not find it. In this scene, you can see how great the trust in the hero is. Nekrasov shows how the Russian people know how to make a decision with the whole world. How strong is the spirit of the common people. Yermil opened his trouble, and every kind person answered him. The strength of the Russian people is their selflessness, the ability to support, to unite. But even he was not destined to be happy in Rus'. A riot arose in the village, Yermil refused to pacify the peasants. He is arrested and sent to prison. The story of fate ends with sad news:
"... he is sitting in prison ...".
A person with such a bright character could not become truly happy.
Literary critics have found evidence that Girin has a real prototype. This is the manager of the count's estates of the Orlovs - A.D. Potanin. He came from the peasant ranks. Potanin is known in history for his disinterestedness towards the inhabitants of the estates, honesty of behavior and fairness of government. The poet introduces thoughts into the character's speech that are close to the facts from Potanin's biography:
“You need to have a bad conscience ... to ... extort a peasant from a peasant for a penny”;
"... He became more than ever loved by all the people ...".
Ermil and Grigory Dobrosklonov are two close characters. It can be assumed that Yermil Ilyich could become in the future a revolutionary, a fighter, a person whom Russia is waiting for. But hard labor, prisons and prisons will break many similar men, deprive them of health and faith in the future. The wanderers are looking for a happy person, but they pass by Yermila, although he is closest to their understanding of happiness.
Nikolai Nekrasov's poem "Who Lives Well in Rus'" is replete with various characters, among them Ermil Girin. The characterization of this hero is very important for the whole work, since the author makes him one of the likely contenders for the title of a happy person.
Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov created a poem about the hardships of peasant life, trying to depict all the torments that fall to the lot of a village peasant. And at the same time to illustrate the life of the former serfs. One of these village people is Yermil Girin. The characterization of the character is not the last place in understanding the way of life of that time. Yes, and Nekrasov himself distinguishes him from a number of others. How and why, we will talk below.
This character appears already in the first part of the poem. However, the reader does not get to know him personally, but hears only a story about him. Ermil Girin (characteristic according to the plan must necessarily include this moment) - the chairman of the village, who is nominated as a candidate for the lucky ones. Yermila was elected to his position for honesty and intelligence by the steward. And the peasant fully justified the hopes placed on him, performing his duty regularly and fairly for seven years, for which he earned the respect and love of the entire community.
Once only Jirin abused power. When they came for his younger brother to be recruited, he gave instead the son of a local peasant woman. But even here the best moral qualities of the hero were manifested. His conscience began to torment him. And he brought himself to the point that he almost hanged himself. The situation was saved by the master, who returned his mother to his unjustly sent son to the service.
But after this incident, he no longer felt entitled to be chairman, so he left the service, and then became a miller. However, in spite of everything, Jirin continued to enjoy the trust and respect of other peasants. In this regard, the case of the sale of the mill is indicative. The fact is that he rented the mill where Yermil worked. And so the owner decided to sell his property. Bidding began, and Jirin won it. However, he did not have the required amount of the deposit with him. Then the peasants came to his aid, who in half an hour managed to collect a far from small amount - a thousand rubles. Only their help saved Girin from ruin.
However, this joyful story ends with the fact that Yermila was arrested for refusing to pacify the riot that happened in his village.
Nekrasov specifically shows the strength and height of the moral principles of the hero (Yermila Girin's quotation confirms this). However, the injustice of power does not allow even such a person to live happily.
Ermil Girin, whose characteristics were described above, was not invented by Nekrasov from scratch. The prototype was A. D. Potanin - a native of peasants, managing the estate of the Counts Orlovs. This man became famous for his disinterestedness, justice and honesty. Potanin and Girin are related, for example, with such quotes from the poem: “You need a bad conscience - you need to extort a penny from a peasant”, “He became more than ever loved by all the people.”
This is the measure of happiness, for which, according to Nekrasov, it is necessary to be an honest, fair, disinterested and respected people.
Girin Ermil Ilyich (Yermila)- one of the most likely contenders for the title of lucky man. The real prototype of this character is the peasant A. D. Potanin (1797-1853), who managed by proxy the estate of Countess Orlova, which was called Odoevshchina (after the name of the former owners, the princes Odoevsky), and the peasants were baptized into Adovshchina. Potanin became famous for his extraordinary justice. Nekrasovsky Girin became known to his fellow villagers for his honesty even in those five years that he served as a clerk in the office (“You need a bad conscience - / A peasant from a peasant / Extort a penny”). Under the old prince Yurlov, he was dismissed, but then, under the young prince, he was unanimously elected mayor of Hell. During the seven years of his "reign" he only once grimaced: "... from the recruitment / Little brother Mitrius / He outshone it." But remorse for this offense almost led him to commit suicide. Only thanks to the intervention of a strong master, it was possible to restore justice, and instead of the son of Nenila Vlasyevna, Mitriy went to serve, and "the prince himself takes care of him." Girin resigned, rented a mill, "and he became more than ever / Loved by all the people." When they decided to sell the mill, Girin won the auction, but he did not have money with him to make a deposit. And then "a miracle happened": Girin was rescued by the peasants, to whom he turned for help, in half an hour he managed to collect a thousand rubles on the market square.
Girin is driven not by mercenary interest, but by a rebellious spirit: “The mill is not dear to me, / The resentment is great.” And although “he had everything that is needed / For happiness: peace of mind, / And money, and honor”, at the moment when the peasants start talking about him (chapter “Happy”), Girin, in connection with the peasant uprising, is in the prison. The speech of the narrator, a gray-haired priest, from whom it becomes known about the arrest of the hero, is suddenly interrupted by outside interference, and later he himself refuses to continue the story. But behind this omission, both the cause of the rebellion and Girin's refusal to help in pacifying it are easily guessed.
Saveliy, Holy Russian hero(part III, ch. 3).
Savely- Holy Russian hero, "with a huge gray mane, / Tea, not cut for twenty years, / With a huge beard, / Grandfather looked like a bear." Once, in a fight with a bear, he injured his back, and in old age she bent. Savely's native village, Korezhina, is located in the wilderness, and therefore the peasants live relatively freely (“Zemstvo police / Did not get to us for a year”), although they endure the atrocities of the landowner. Patience is the heroism of the Russian peasant, but there is a limit to any patience. Saveliy ends up in Siberia for burying the hated German manager alive in the ground. Twenty years of hard labor, an unsuccessful attempt to escape, twenty years of settlement did not shake the rebellious spirit in the hero. Returning home after the amnesty, he lives in the family of his son, father-in-law Matryona. Despite his venerable age (according to the revision tales, his grandfather is a hundred years old), he leads an independent life: “He didn’t like families, / He didn’t let him into his corner.” When they reproach him for his hard labor past, he cheerfully answers: “Branded, but not a slave!” Hardened by severe crafts and human cruelty, only the great-grandson of Dem could melt the petrified heart of Savely. The accident makes the grandfather responsible for Demushkin's death. His grief is inconsolable, he goes to repentance in the Sand Monastery, trying to beg forgiveness of the "angry mother". Having lived for one hundred and seven years, before his death, he pronounces a terrible verdict on the Russian peasantry: “There are three paths for men: / A tavern, prison and hard labor, / And for women in Rus' / Three loops ... Get into any one.” The image of Savely, in addition to folklore, has social and polemical roots. O. I. Komissarov, who saved Alexander II from an assassination attempt on April 4, 1866, was a Kostroma dweller, fellow countryman of I. Susanin. Monarchists saw this parallel as proof of the thesis about the regality of the Russian people. To refute this point of view, Nekrasov settled in the Kostroma province, the original patrimony of the Romanovs, the rebel Savely, and Matryona catches the similarity between him and the monument to Susanin.
Yakim Nagoi, Ermil Girin, Matrena Timofeevna, Savely - it is felt that Nekrasov is looking for a positive hero among the peasants. Of course, Savely deserves special attention, who is able to express his protest and fight against serfdom.. It is important for Nekrasov to show that people's self-consciousness is growing, that the death of the "slave" system is inevitable. It is no coincidence that, along with the image of Savely other rebel heroes are presented in the poem: each in their own way rebels against their "masters" Agap Petrov, Ataman Kudeyar, a whole estate, which Yermil Girin had to pacify - because of this, he ended up in prison.
At the same time, Nekrasov does not simplify or schematize what is happening in real life. No reform could change people's consciousness in a few years. The author truthfully shows how strong the habit of serfdom is among a certain part of the peasants, who can be called people of the “servile rank”. These images are given by Nekrasov satirically. The author is both annoying and funny that servant of Prince Peremetyev licks the plates after the gentleman that he has a "noble" gout disease. It's tragicomic that peasant Sidor, sitting in prison, sends the master a quitrent from alms. By means of satire, Nekrasov expresses his attitude towards people of the "servant rank", as well as to the main "enemy" of the peasants - the landowners.
"About an exemplary serf - Jacob the faithful" tells in the chapter “A Feast for the Whole World” “People of a servile rank - / Real dogs sometimes: / The harder the punishment, / The dearer the Lord is to them.” Yakov was like that until Mr. Polivanov, having coveted the bride of his nephew, turned him into a recruit. An exemplary serf took to drink, but returned two weeks later, taking pity on the helpless master. However, the enemy was already "mutilating him." Yakov takes Polivanov to visit his sister, turns halfway into the Devil's ravine, unharnesses the horses and, contrary to the fears of the master, does not kill him, but hangs himself, leaving the owner alone with his conscience for the whole night. Such a way of revenge (“drag a dry misfortune” - to hang yourself in the possessions of the offender in order to make him suffer all his life) was really known, especially among the eastern peoples. Nekrasov, creating the image of Jacob, refers to the story that A.F. told him. Koni (who, in turn, heard it from the watchman of the volost government), and only slightly modifies it. This tragedy is another illustration of the perniciousness of serfdom. Through the mouth of Grisha Dobrosklonov, Nekrasov summarizes: “There is no support - there is no landowner, / Bringing up to the noose / Zealous slave, / No support - there is no yard, / Revenging suicide / His villain.”
Each of the depicted peasants went through a chain of trials and tribulations in life, but they did not break the integrity of his character. The peasants of post-reform Russia understand that they live unhappily and who is to blame for their plight, but this does not prevent them from maintaining their inner dignity, honesty, sense of humor and their inner rightness. Particularly difficult in Rus' at all times was the share of a woman, so the chapter "Peasant Woman" is given a special place in the poem. All the heroes protest against the established way of life, they are capable of fighting, they have will, energy. The image of Yakim Nagov shows a spontaneous protest, while other characters are capable of a conscious struggle. In ties with the people's community, the strength of Yermil Girin, in inner freedom and unbrokenness - the charm of the appearance of Savely, whom even hard labor did not make him reconcile.
"To whom in Rus' it is good to live." The poem tells about how seven peasant men set off to wander around Rus' in order to find at least one happy person. Ermil Girin is one of the secondary characters, a peasant whose story is told in a chapter called "Happy".
Nekrasov wrote the poem “To whom it is good to live in Rus'” for ten years, from 1866 to 1876, and possibly longer. The author spent a lot of time collecting material, and the first sketches could have been made as early as 1863. For the first time, an excerpt from the poem appeared in print in 1866, in the January issue of the literary magazine Sovremennik. By this time, Nekrasov had just finished work on the first part. The publication of finished materials stretched out for four long years, and all this time Nekrasov was subjected to persecution and attacks by censors.
In the 70s of the XIX century, Nekrasov resumed work on the poem and began to write a sequel. From 1872 to 1876, parts appeared, entitled by the author "Last Child", "Peasant Woman" and "Feast - for the whole world." The author was going to work further and stretch the poem into three or four more parts, but the state of health did not allow Nekrasov to carry out these plans. As a result, the author limited himself to trying to give a finished look to the last of the written parts of the poem and stopped there.
Ermil Ilyich Girin is a simple peasant peasant, but a proud and determined man. The hero runs a mill where he honestly works without deceiving anyone. The peasants trust Girin, and the landowner treats the hero with respect. The surname "Girin" probably refers the reader to the physical and mental strength of the hero.
Girin is young, but smart and literate, thanks to which he has been a clerk in the office for five years. When it comes to choosing a steward, the peasants unanimously choose Girin for this position. The hero remained in this post for seven years and proved to be a fair and honest person, earning the respect of the people.
The hero is well provided for a peasant, but those around him value Girin not for wealth, but for his kindness to people, intelligence and truthfulness. When peasants turn to Girin for help, he invariably helps with advice or deed, acting as a kind of people's intercessor. At the same time, the hero does not demand gratitude from people and refuses to accept payment for his own good deeds.
Jirin does not appropriate someone else's. Once the hero is left with an "extra ruble", with which Girin goes around everyone to return the money to the owner, but he never finds the owner. At the same time, the hero himself is not naive and sees when another person tries to play up and deceive, he does not buy into flattery.
Girin is conscientious and truthful, indignantly refers to the peasants who "extort a penny" from other such peasants, and judges by the conscience of those around him. A heightened sense of justice does not allow Girin to let the guilty or offend the right. The hero is also very self-critical and is ready to call himself a villain when he acts against his conscience.
There was only one case in Girin's life when the hero lied. Girin "shielded" his own younger brother from the "recruitment" (helped to hang out from the army). The hero himself considers this act dishonest and is tormented by the fact that he committed it, almost killing himself as a result. Ultimately, the hero gives his own brother to the soldiers, and another peasant son returns home from the army.
Not feeling that the guilt has been redeemed, Girin resigns from the position of "burmist", rents a mill and begins to work there. The hero works honestly, in conscience takes for grinding. Girin believes that people are equal, and therefore releases flour in turn, without looking at who is in front of him - a poor peasant or a manager. The hero is respected in the neighborhood, so those who address him honestly, regardless of status, adhere to the queue established by Girin.
Later, a certain merchant Altynnikov begins to “woo” to the mill. They decide to sell the mill, and the brisk Jirin participates in the auction, which he wins. However, the hero does not have the money in his hands that is needed to make a bail. Here the love of the common people for Girin was manifested, because the peasants who were present at the bazaar collected a thousand rubles for Girin in just half an hour - a huge amount for those times.
The hero has everything he needs to be happy, but Jirin holds a grudge against those who tried to take the mill from him. Resentment pushes the hero to give up a happy fate and a quiet life and support the popular uprising that broke out in the patrimony. The hero refuses to pacify the peasants and eventually ends up in prison. Girin's further biography is unknown.
There are other remarkable characters in the poem, for example, Yakim Nagoi, the antipode of Girin. This is a half-drinking man with a hollow chest and a brown neck, the hero's skin looks like a tree bark, and his face is like a brick. Nekrasov depicts an emaciated man who was deprived of health and strength by drunkenness and exhausting work.
Yakim drinks because he doesn't find anything good in life. Once the hero lived in St. Petersburg, but went bankrupt, ended up in prison and was forced to return to the village, where Yakim had no alternatives, except for the exhausting work of a plowman. The image of Yakim embodies the tragic side of the peasant way of life.
The image is also interesting - the "governor's wife" and the "good-witted" woman, about whom others think that she lives cheerfully and freely. The heroine herself has a different opinion and believes that “the keys to female happiness” are lost in Rus'.
Bright and image - the priest's son and poet, who dreams of lifting the common people from their knees. Grisha grew up in extreme poverty and almost died of hunger, so he sees the meaning of his own life in serving the peasants and alleviating the lot of the common people, whose life is full of troubles and hardships.
“A man is a bull: he will get involved
In the head what a whim -
Stake her from there
You won’t knock out: they rest,
Everyone stands their ground!"
"He works to death,
Drinks half to death."
"A crowd without red girls,
What is rye without cornflowers.
"How young he was, waiting for the best,
Yes, it always happened
That the best ended
Nothing or trouble."
