Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov is a Russian poet, the main theme of whose work will be the theme of the people. Already in “Elegy” N.A. Nekrasov will say: “I dedicated the lyre to my people.” However, the poet approaches the topic of the people differently; he expresses the ideals of democracy in his work. Yes, Nekrasov sympathizes with the oppressed people, but does not idealize them, and even accuses them of submission. The poet is trying to find the people's path to happiness. This becomes the main problem in the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus',” where the hero is the entire numerous “peasant kingdom,” which was previously unknown in Russian literature.
However, in the poem the folk theme develops and rises to the theme of the search for a “people's protector.” It is heroes who are able to lead others who are needed in order to find happiness for everyone. Such characters N.A. Nekrasov drew in the images of Yakim Nagogo, Ermila Girin, Savely Korchagin and, of course, Grisha Dobrosklonov.
Yakim Nagoy is a people's lover of truth, he is a beggar, like all peasants, but there is rebellion in him, an unwillingness to put up with injustice. This hero is able to defend his rights.
Another image is Ermila Girin. He is a favorite of the people, who speak of him like this:
...he will advise
And he will make inquiries;
Where there is enough strength, it will help out,
Doesn't ask for gratitude
And if you give it, he won’t take it!
Ermila Girin is not without sin: he fraudulently exempts his younger brother from military service, from being a soldier, but the people forgive him because they see true repentance. The hero has a heightened sense of conscience, he cannot find peace and judges himself very harshly: he leaves the mayor, hires a mill, and strives to make the situation of the peasants easier. But, despite his compassion and mercy for the people, he is not ready for a revolutionary action; it is enough for the hero that he is not guilty of anyone.
ON THE. Nekrasov in the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” shows us another type of Russian peasant, a “people's defender.” This is the image of Savely - “the hero of the Holy Russian”. It's already working. Despite the fact that he was sent to hard labor, he did not accept his fate: “branded, but not a slave.” This hero is a guide and bearer of such best character traits of the Russian people as justice, self-esteem, love for the homeland and people, hatred of their oppressors. Savely is a person who knows how, if necessary, to rally his comrades and captivate them with an idea. People like him will definitely take part, if necessary, in peasant riots and unrest.
A man who knows their needs is ready to devote his whole life to the struggle of the people. This is Grisha Dobrosklonov - the most conscious “people's defender”. It is for someone like Dobrosklonov, according to N.A. Nekrasov, the future of Russia. It is not for nothing that fate prepared for the hero “a glorious path, a great name for the people’s intercessor, consumption and Siberia.” The poet expressed the life goals and ideals of this hero in the songs that Grisha sings. They are truly revolutionary; they already contain the idea of liberating the people from slavery. The image of Grisha Dobrosklonov is an example of the fact that only those who choose for themselves the path of honor and truth can truly be happy.
Thus, in the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” by N.A. Nekrasov shows that the answer to the question of how to find happiness can be given by people who have the strength to lead the masses. Yakim Nagoy, Ermila Girin, Savely are characters who see injustice towards the peasant, all the pain of the peasant, but are not ready to go against fate, while Grisha Dobrosklonov is a new type of Russian person, in my opinion, the embodiment of the author's ideal. Such a hero is capable of “sowing the reasonable, the good, the eternal.” He is the real “people's defender”!
In the poem by N.A. Nekrasov, wanderers are looking for the happy. Behind the search for them lies the complex theme of national happiness.
The images of people's intercessors in the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” are represented by several characters. The author presents each of them in his own way, but they are all close and understandable to the poet. He relies on them, he trusts the Russian land to them.
The worker, the peasant Yakim is one of those on whom the author hopes. Yakim can become an intercessor of the common people, leading Rus' to happiness and prosperity. The man has become one with the earth with all his soul. Outwardly, he became similar to her: wrinkles like cracks in dried soil, his neck like a layer cut off by a plow, his hair like sand, the skin of his hands like tree bark. The tiller himself is a lump of earth on a plow. The author's comparison is significant. The man is not just black and hard, like the work of a plowman. The earth gives bread and feeds people. Yakim is the one with whose hands the earth does this, in other words, Yakim is the soul of the earth. When creating the character, the author turned to folk art. He makes the hero similar to the epic heroes, defenders of Rus'. They all work on the earth until their strength is needed. Yakima has its own fate, but it is typical for the time described. The peasant went to work in St. Petersburg. He is smart, observant and attentive. Yakim gains his experience by trying to compete with the merchant. There is courage and obstinacy in the man’s character; not everyone could dare to do this. The result is prison. Many brave men find themselves there. The author emphasizes the character's individuality. The man loves beautiful things, he saves pictures from fire. The hero's spirituality is also emphasized by the choice of his companion. She also protects not money, but icons from fire. Purity of thoughts and hope for justice are the basis of the Yakima Nagogo family.
Nekrasov is amazingly talented: he ends the story about Yakima with a song about freedom. The great Volga River is a symbol of the breadth and power of the people, the power of men is inexhaustible, it cannot be hidden or stopped. It will burst forth like a river flow.
Nekrasov shows that among the people there appear leaders, leaders who are trusted. If they raise the people, they will follow them. Yermil is young, but the men trust him. They prove their boundless devotion when they give him their last penny. The poet reveals in one episode the whole essence of the Russian person. He has no desire for wealth by any means; he strives to get everything honestly and deservedly. The man is open to communication, he shares his troubles, and is not afraid to be ridiculed. The strength of the Russian people is in unity. How did a young guy become smart? The author suggests: he served as a clerk. I delved into every story and valued every penny. Yermil helped free of charge, realizing that the poor and disadvantaged peasants had no extra money. Fate gives the man power. He does not pass the test, commits a sin and repents. Then he cannot use the gifts of fate. Girin rents a mill. But even here his character does not change. For the miller, everyone is equal: the poor and the rich. Life at that time does not give Yermil the opportunity to become happy alone when everyone around him is in poverty. He does not go against the rebels and ends up in hard labor. This is how the fate of many people's intercessors ends.
The Russian land endowed the men with strength. They live long, but not easily. The earth is stingy for happy moments. Serfdom is hard and cruel. Savely came from places where there was less serfdom, in the very depths of the Russian land. He lives among nature, which raises him to be free and strong. Savely is as strong as a bear or elk. He takes knowledge and health from nature. The forest gives him spirit and special qualities, for this the man truly loves the forest, in a way that not many people can. The man could not see through the German manager’s cunning, but did not tolerate his bullying. Savely's rebellion is sharp, like the swing of a hero's sword. With his shoulder he pushes the German into the well, and the peasants bury him alive. The result of the rebellion was hard labor and settlements. Savely gains wisdom and becomes a person who can explain complex concepts. His speech is an example of the Russian word. “Branded, but not a slave!” - the basis of the character of the people's intercessor. Savely was not broken, he returned home, but his relatives only valued money in life. The fate of the peasant is an example of how difficult it is for intercessors among people who have given up and lost (or have not found) real goals in life. Savely - symbolizes the hitherto hidden power of the people, their intelligence and wisdom.
In Nekrasov's poem, the image of Grisha is special. The author trusts him with the future of the country. He must become a real protector of the people. The hero grew up in the family of a clerk. In this you can see the strong Orthodoxy of the country. The mother plays a big role in character development. This is the feminine principle of the Russian soul, kindness and responsiveness. Grisha understood what he needed to strive for already in his youth. Then he just moves towards his goal. The young defender is ready to give his life for the people's happiness. The poet shows him in such a way that it becomes clear that Gregory will achieve his goal. It is interesting that the young man conveys thoughts about patriotism and struggle through songs. He raises the spirit of the people, explains problems and leads to their solution. Someone doesn't hear Gregory's singing. Others don't think about the words. The poet hopes that there are those who will support Gregory and go with him.
Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov entered Russian poetry as the “people's sad man.” The folk theme became one of the central ones in his work. But the poet was never a simple writer of everyday life; as an artist, he was primarily concerned with the drama of the people. The theme of the “people's protector” is also heard in the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'.”
In the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus',” the author himself appeared as the people’s “intercessor,” who not only expressed his attitude toward the people by the very fact of creating this work, but was able to understand their soul and truly reveal their character. What is the real happiness of a person in Russia? What needs to be done to make everyone happy? - he asked himself. The poet believed that to resolve these issues, people are needed who are able to join the fight and lead others. The theme of popular intercession is widely represented in the poem. Intercessor is one of the key words in the work. The people's intercessor is one who not only pities and sympathizes with the peasants, but serves the people, expresses their interests, confirming this with actions and deeds. Such characters are shown in the images of Yakim Nagogo, Ermila Girin, Savely Korchagin, Grisha Dobrosklonov.
In Yakima, Nagom presents the peculiar character of the people's truth-seeker. He lives a miserable life, like all the peasantry, but is distinguished by his rebellious disposition. Yakim is ready to stand up for his rights. This is what he says about the people:
Every peasant has a Soul that is like a black cloud, Angry, menacing - and Thunder should thunder from there, Bloody rain should fall.
Ermila Girin is a man whom the people themselves chose as mayor, recognizing his justice. While still a clerk, Ermila gained authority among the people for the fact that:
...they will advise
And he will make inquiries;
Where there is enough strength, it will help out,
Doesn't ask for gratitude
And if you give it, he won’t take it!
But Yermila was also guilty: he shielded his younger brother from recruiting, but the people forgave him for his sincere repentance. Only Ermila’s conscience was not at peace: he left the mayor’s office and hired a mill. And again the people fell in love with him for his good treatment, for his even attitude towards the landowner and the poor, for his kindness. The “gray-haired priest” characterizes Ermila this way:
He had everything he needed for happiness and peace, And money, and honor, Enviable, true honor, Not bought either by money or fear: by strict truth. With intelligence and kindness.
From the priest’s statement it is clear that Girin achieved honor with “strict truth”, “intelligence and kindness”. He is concerned about the attitude of the people towards him, but Ermila himself judges himself even more strictly. He strives to alleviate the situation of the peasants, to help them financially, although he himself is not yet ready for a revolutionary action. Girin is already satisfied that his conscience is clear, that he makes the lives of others at least a little easier.
Savely the hero represents a different type of Russian peasant. He is the embodiment of strength and courage. Despite the rods and hard labor, he did not accept his fate. “Branded, but not a slave,” he says about himself. Savely embodies the best traits of the Russian character: love for the homeland and people, hatred of oppressors, self-esteem. His favorite word - “push” - helps to see in him a person who knows how to cheer up his comrades, rally them, and captivate them. Savely is one of those who stood up well for the “patrimony.” Together with the men, he executes the hated manager, the German Vogel. People like Savely will not stand by at the time of peasant unrest.
The most conscientious of the “people’s defenders” is Grisha Dobrosklonov. He devotes his whole life to the struggle, lives among the people, knows their needs. The future of Russia, the poet believes, belongs to people like Grisha Dobrosklonov, for whom “fate was preparing a glorious path, a great name for the people’s intercessor, consumption and Siberia.” The songs of Grisha Dobrosklonov reflect his thoughts about life’s ideals, his hopes for a bright future:
The people's share, their happiness, light and freedom, first of all.
The image of Grisha Dobrosklonov helps to understand that truly happy is the one on whose side the truth is, on whom the people rely, who chooses an honest path for himself, being a “people's defender.” The poem shows Grisha's difficult childhood and tells about his father and mother.
Gregory's reflections on the fate of the people testify to the liveliest compassion that makes Grisha choose such a difficult path for himself. The image of Grisha is closely connected with revolutionary democratic ideas that began to appear in society in the middle of the 19th century. Nekrasov created his hero, focusing on the fate of N. A. Dobrolyubov. Grigory Dobrosklonov is a type of commoner revolutionary. He was born into the family of a poor sexton, and from childhood he felt all the disasters characteristic of the life of the common people. Grigory received an education and, being an intelligent and enthusiastic person, cannot remain indifferent to the current situation in the country. Grigory understands perfectly well that for Russia there is now only one way out - radical changes in the social system. The common people can no longer be the same dumb community of slaves that meekly tolerates all the antics of their masters.
The image of Grigory Dobrosklonov in Nekrasov’s poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” inspires hope in the moral and political revival of Rus', in a change in the consciousness of the ordinary Russian people.
In his poem N.A. Nekrasov creates images of “new people” who emerged from the people’s environment and became active fighters for the good of the people. This is Ermil Girin. Whatever position he is in, whatever he does, he strives to be useful to the peasant, to help him, to protect him. He gained honor and love with “strict truth, intelligence and kindness.”
The poet suddenly breaks off the story about Ermil, who was imprisoned at the moment when the village of Stolbnyaki in the Nedykhanev district was rebelling. The pacifiers of the riot, knowing that the people would listen to Yermil, called him to exhort the rebellious peasants. Yes, apparently, the people’s intercessor did not speak to the peasants about humility.
The type of democratic intellectual, a native of the people, is embodied in the image of Grisha Dobrosklonov, the son of a farm laborer and a semi-impoverished sexton. If not for the kindness and generosity of the peasants, Grisha and his brother Savva could have died of hunger. And the young men respond to the peasants with love. This love filled Grisha’s heart from an early age and determined his path:
About fifteen years old
Gregory already knew for sure
What will live for happiness
Wretched and dark
Native corner
It is important for Nekrasov to convey to the reader the idea that Dobrosklonov is not alone, that he is from a cohort of brave in spirit and pure in heart, those who fight for the happiness of the people:
Rus' has already sent a lot
His sons, marked
The seal of God's gift,
On honest paths
I cried for a lot of them...
If in the era of the Decembrists the best people from the nobility stood up to defend the people, now the people themselves send their best sons from among themselves to battle, and this is especially important because it testifies to the awakening of national self-awareness:
No matter how dark the vahlachina is,
No matter how crammed with corvée
And slavery - and she,
Having been blessed, I placed
In Grigory Dobrosklonov
Such a messenger.
Grisha’s path is a typical path of a commoner democrat: a hungry childhood, a seminary, “where it was dark, cold, gloomy, strict, hungry,” but where he read a lot and thought a lot...
Fate had in store for him
The path is glorious, the name is loud
People's Defender,
Consumption and Siberia.
And yet the poet paints the image of Dobrosklonov in joyful, bright colors. Grisha has found true happiness, and the country whose people bless “such a messenger” for battle should become happy.
The image of Grisha contains not only the features of the leaders of revolutionary democracy, whom Nekrasov loved and revered so much, but also the features of the author of the poem himself. After all, Grigory Dobrosklonov is a poet, and a poet of the Nekrasov movement, a poet-citizen.
The chapter “A Feast for the Whole World” includes songs created by Grisha. These are joyful songs, full of hope, the peasants sing them as if they were their own. Revolutionary optimism sounds in the song “Rus”:
The army rises - innumerable,
The strength in her will be indestructible!
The poem contains the image of another people's defender - the author. In the first parts of the poem, we do not yet hear his voice directly. But in the chapter “A Feast for the Whole World,” the author directly addresses the readers in lyrical digressions. In this chapter, the language takes on a special coloring: along with folk vocabulary, there are many words that are bookish, solemn, romantically elevated (“radiant”, “sublime”, “punishing sword”, “the embodiment of the people’s happiness”, “grievous slavery”, “Rus' reviving ").
The author's direct statements in the poem are imbued with a bright feeling, which is also characteristic of Grisha's songs. All the author’s thoughts are about the people, all his dreams are about people’s happiness. The author, like Grisha, firmly believes in “the power of the people - a mighty force”, in the golden heart of the people, in the glorious future of the people:
Limits have not yet been set for the Russian people: There is a wide path before them!
The poet wants to instill this faith in others, to inspire his contemporaries to a revolutionary feat:
Such soil is good - . The soul of the Russian people... O sower! come!..
The poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” was created in the mid-70s, during the period of a new democratic upsurge, when Russia was on the verge of revolution. The populists, who preached revolutionary ideas, placed all their hopes on the peasantry. For the purpose of revolutionary propaganda, a mass movement of intelligentsia among the people began. However, “going to the people” was not successful. The peasant masses remained indifferent to the revolutionary preaching of the populists. The question of how to introduce revolutionary consciousness into the masses and direct them to the path of active struggle is especially acute in the current situation. In the populist community at that time, there were disputes about the forms and methods of propaganda in the countryside. In the image of Grisha Dobrosklonov, the author also joins this debate. Nekrasov did not doubt the need for a living connection between the intelligentsia and the people and the effectiveness of revolutionary propaganda among the peasants even when “going to the people” failed. Such a fighter-agitator who goes along with the people, influencing the consciousness of the peasantry, is Grisha Dobrosklonov. He is the son of a sexton who lived “poorer than the last shabby peasant” and an “unrequited farmhand” who salted her bread with tears. Hungry childhood and harsh youth brought him closer to the people and determined Gregory’s life path.
... about fifteen years old
Gregory already knew for sure
What will live for happiness
Wretched and dark
Native corner.
In many of his character traits, Grisha resembles Dobrolyubov. Like Dobrolyubov, Dobrosklonov is a fighter for peasant interests, for all the “offended” and “humiliated”. He wants to be the first there, “...where it’s hard to breathe, where grief is heard.” He does not need wealth and is alien to concerns about personal well-being. The Nekrasovsky revolutionary is preparing to give his life for “so that... every peasant can live freely and cheerfully throughout all holy Rus'!”
Gregory is not alone. Hundreds of people like him have already taken the “honest” path. Like all revolutionaries,
Fate had in store for him
The path is glorious, the name is loud
People's Defender,
Consumption and Siberia.
But Gregory is not afraid of the upcoming trials, because he believes in the triumph of the cause to which he devoted his whole life. He sees that the people of many millions themselves are awakening to fight.
The army is rising
Uncountable,
The strength in her will affect
Indestructible!
This thought fills his soul with joy and confidence in victory. The poem shows what a strong effect Gregory’s words have on the Vakhlak peasants and the seven wanderers, how they infect them with faith in the future, in happiness for all of Rus'.
Grigory Dobrosklonov is the future leader of the peasantry, an exponent of their anger and reason. His path is difficult, but also glorious, “only strong, loving souls” embark on it; true happiness awaits a person on it, because the greatest happiness, according to Nekrasov, lies in the struggle for the freedom of the oppressed. To the main question: “Who can live well in Rus'?” - Nekrasov answers: fighters for the happiness of the people. This is the meaning of the poem.
If only our wanderers could be under their own roof,
If only they could know what was happening to Grisha.
He heard the immense strength in his chest,
The sounds of grace delighted his ears,
The radiant sounds of the noble hymn -
He sang the embodiment of people's happiness.
The poet connects the fate of the people with the successful union of the peasantry and the intelligentsia, offering his solution to the question of how to establish contact and mutual understanding, how to bridge the gap between them. Only the joint efforts of revolutionaries and the people can lead the peasantry onto the broad road of freedom and happiness. In the meantime, the Russian people are still only on the way to a “feast for the whole world.”
