When was the novel Eugene Onegin written? The love affair gets complicated

The novel begins with the lamentations of the young nobleman Eugene Onegin about the illness of his uncle, which forced Eugene to leave St. Petersburg and go to the sick man to say goodbye to him. Having thus outlined the plot, the author occupies the first chapter with a story about the origin, family and life of his hero before receiving news of a relative’s illness.

The narration is told on behalf of the nameless author, who introduced himself as a good friend of Onegin. So, Eugene was born “on the banks of the Neva,” that is, in St. Petersburg, into a not very successful noble family:

Having served excellently and nobly,
His father lived in debt
Gave three balls annually
And finally squandered it.

Onegin received an appropriate upbringing - first, with a governess Madame (not to be confused with a nanny), then with a French tutor, who did not bother his pupil with an abundance of activities. Pushkin emphasizes that Evgeny’s education and upbringing were typical for a person from his environment (a nobleman who was taught by foreign teachers from childhood). The education and upbringing he received in this way was enough for “the world to decide that he was smart and very nice.”

From his earliest youth, Onegin “more firmly than all sciences” knew “the science of tender passion,” “which was for him from his youth both labor and torment and joy, which occupied his melancholy laziness all day.” Onegin's life in St. Petersburg was full of love affairs and social entertainment, but in the end Onegin became bored with everything:

No: his feelings cooled down early;
He was tired of the noise of the world;
The beauties didn't last long
The subject of his usual thoughts;
The betrayals have become tiresome;
I'm tired of friends and friendship,
Then, I couldn’t always
Beef-steaks and Strasbourg pie
Pouring a bottle of champagne
And pour out sharp words,
When you had a headache;
And although he was an ardent rake,
But he finally fell out of love
And scolding, and saber, and lead.

Onegin tries to take up writing, “but he was sick of persistent work; nothing came from his pen.” Then Onegin “set up a shelf with a detachment of books, read, read, but all to no avail.” He thought of starting to travel around the world, but then he was caught by the news of his uncle’s illness, and Onegin decides to go to his village, “preparing for money, for sighs, boredom and deception,” which is where the first chapter begins. However, after arriving, it turns out that his uncle died, and Eugene became his heir. He settles in the village, but even here he is overcome by boredom. However, he does not want to return to disgusted Petersburg.

Onegin’s neighbor turns out to be Vladimir Lensky, an 18-year-old romantic poet who came from Germany. Despite the fact that Lensky and Onegin were complete opposites, they become friends. The first of them is in love with Olga Larina, the daughter of a local landowner. Her thoughtful sister Tatyana is not like the always cheerful Olga. Olga is one year younger than her sister. She is outwardly beautiful, but Onegin is not interested:

“Are you really in love with the smaller one?” -
"And what?" - “I would choose another,
If only I were like you, a poet.
Olga has no life in her features,
Exactly like Vandice's Madonna:
She's round and red-faced,
Like this stupid moon
On this stupid horizon."

Having met Onegin, Tatyana falls in love with him and writes him a letter. However, Onegin rejects her: he is not looking for a calm family life. Lensky and Onegin are invited to the Larins' for Tatiana's name day. Onegin is not happy about this invitation, but Lensky persuades him to go, promising that none of the neighboring guests will be there. In fact, upon arriving at the celebration, Onegin discovers a “huge feast,” which makes him seriously angry.

The eccentric, having found himself at a huge feast,
I was already angry. But, languid maidens
Noticing the tremulous impulse,
Looking down in annoyance,
He pouted and, indignantly,
Swore to enrage Lensky
And take some revenge.

At dinner with the Larins, Onegin, in order to make Lensky jealous, suddenly begins to court Olga. Lensky challenges him to a duel. The duel ends with Lensky's death, and Onegin leaves the village. Three years later, he appears in St. Petersburg and meets Tatyana. Now she is an important socialite and the wife of a general. Onegin falls in love with her and tries to woo her, but this time he is rejected. Tatyana admits that she still loves Evgeniy, but says that she must remain faithful to her husband:

I love you (why lie?),
But I was given to another;
I will be faithful to him forever.

Storylines

• Onegin and Tatyana. Episodes:
  • Meeting Tatyana (3. III-IV);
  • Tatiana's conversation with the nanny (3. XVII-XX);
  • Tatiana's letter to Onegin (3. XXXI);
  • Explanation in the garden (4. XII-XVI);
  • Tatiana's dream (5. X-XXI) and name day (5. XXV-XLV);
  • Visit to Onegin's house (7. XV-XXIV);
  • Departure for Moscow (7. XXVI-LV);
  • Meeting at a ball in St. Petersburg after 3 years (8. VII-IX, XVII-XXV);
  • Onegin's letter to Tatiana (explanation);
  • Evening at Tatiana's.
• Onegin and Lensky. Episodes:
  • Dating in the village;
  • Conversation after the evening at the Larins';
  • Lensky's visit to Onegin;
  • Tatiana's name day;
  • The duel and death of Lensky.

Characters

Precisely because the main characters of Eugene Onegin did not have direct prototypes in life, they extremely easily became psychological standards for their contemporaries: comparing themselves or their loved ones with the heroes of the novel became a means of explaining their own and their characters. (Yu. M. Lotman. Comments on “Eugene Onegin”).

• Eugene Onegin. One of his possible prototypes is P. Ya. Chaadaev, named by Pushkin himself in the first chapter. The story of Onegin is reminiscent of the life of Chaadaev. An important influence on the image of Onegin was exerted by Lord Byron and his “Byronian Heroes”, Don Juan and Childe Harold, who are also mentioned more than once by Pushkin himself. “In the image of Onegin one can find dozens of connections with various contemporaries of the poet - from empty social acquaintances to such significant persons for Pushkin as Chaadaev or Alexander Raevsky. The same should be said about Tatyana.” (Yu. M. Lotman. Comments on “Eugene Onegin”). At the beginning of the novel (winter 1819 - spring 1820) he is 24 years old.
• Olga Larina, her sister is a generalized image of a typical heroine of popular novels; beautiful in appearance, but lacking deep content. One year younger than Tatiana.
• Vladimir Lensky- “the energetic rapprochement between Lensky and Kuchelbecker, made by Yu. N. Tynyanov (Pushkin and his contemporaries. pp. 233-294), best convinces that attempts to give the romantic poet in “Eugene Onegin” some single and unambiguous prototype for do not provide convincing results.” (Yu. M. Lotman. Comments on “Eugene Onegin”). One of Lensky's prototypes was probably B.V. Golitsyn, whose estate was next door to the village of Zakharovo, where in 1806-1810. the Pushkin family came to summer rest.
• Tatiana's nanny- probable prototype - Arina Rodionovna, Pushkin's nanny.
• Zaretsky- second, among the prototypes they named Fyodor Tolstoy the American.
• Unnamed in the novel husband of Tatiana Larina, "important general".
• The author of the work is Pushkin himself. He constantly interferes in the course of the narrative, reminds of himself (“But the north is harmful to me”), makes friends with Onegin (“Having cast aside the burden of the conditions of the world, how he, having fallen behind the bustle, I became friends with him at that time, I liked his features "), in their lyrical digressions shares with readers his thoughts on a variety of life issues, expresses his ideological position. The author in some places disrupts the flow of the narrative and introduces metatextual elements into the text (“The reader is already waiting for the “rose” rhyme - here, take it quickly”). Pushkin even depicted himself next to Onegin on the banks of the Neva (see image) and wanted to place this and a number of other drawings as an illustration for the novel in verse, but could not be found mutual language with the publishers of the Nevsky Almanac. Pushkin himself responded to this with several ironic epigrams.
• The author’s muse, “cousin” of Tatyana Larina.

The novel also mentions the father (Dmitry Larin) and mother (Praskovya) of Tatyana and Olga; “Princess Alina” - Moscow cousin of the mother of the Larin sisters; Onegin's uncle; a number of comical images of provincial landowners (Gvozdin, Flyanov, “Skotinins, the gray-haired couple”, “fat Pustyakov”, etc.); St. Petersburg and Moscow light.

The images of provincial landowners mainly have literary origin. Thus, the image of the Skotinins refers to Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor,” Buyanov is the hero of the poem “Dangerous Neighbor” (1810-1811) by V. L. Pushkin. “Among the guests were still planned “Kirin the Important”, “Lazorkina - the Widow-Vostrushka” (“forty-year-old spinner”); “fat Pustyakov” was replaced by “fat Tumakov”, Pustyakov was called “skinny”, Petushkov was a “retired clerk”” (Brodsky N.L. “Eugene Onegin” novel by A.S. Pushkin: Commentary. M.: 2005, Publ. in "Multiture")

Do you know how old the characters in Pushkin's novel "Eugene Onegin" are? This article presents materials about the ages of Evgeny Onegin, Tatyana Larina, Vladimir Lensky and Olga Larina. The information in the article is based on scientific works famous writer Yuri Lotman (see article by Yu. M. Lotman “Internal chronology of “Eugene Onegin””). PLUS DEBRIEFING FROM CARING READERS...
AND ONEGIN WAS RIGHT IN REFUSING THE YOUNG CHILDREN...

See: All materials on “Eugene Onegin” How old are Eugene Onegin, Tatyana Larina, Lensky and Olga in the novel “Eugene Onegin”? (age of heroes)
1. Evgeny Onegin At the time of the duel with Lensky, Evgeny Onegin was 26 years old. At the beginning of the novel, Pushkin also describes a period in Onegin’s life when he was 18 years old: “...Having killed a friend in a duel, / Having lived without a goal, without labor, / Until he was twenty-six years old...”
2. Vladimir Lensky Vladimir Lensky is only 18 years old when he dies in a duel with Onegin: “...let the poet / Fool; at eighteen years old...”
3. Tatyana Larina Tatyana Larina is 17 years old when she writes a letter to Evgeny Onegin. The fact is that the novel does not say anything specific about Tatyana’s age. But Pushkin indicates Tatyana’s age in a letter to P. A. Vyazemsky: “...I’m amazed how Tanya’s letter ended up in your possession [...] if, however, the meaning is not entirely accurate, then all the more there is truth in the letter; a letter from a woman, besides, 17 years old, and in love!..." (Pushkin to Vyazemsky, November 29, 1824)
4. Olga Larina Olga Larina was about 16 years old at the time of the duel between Onegin and Lensky. According to researcher Yu. M. Lotman, Olga was at least 15 years old when she became Lensky’s bride: according to the rules of that time, Olga could not be less than 15 years old. Therefore, Olga was about 16 years old because she is younger than her sister Tatyana, who is 17 years old.

But in the next chapter, after Tatyana’s letter, it is clearly written: “Destroy prejudices, which the girl did not have and does not have at the age of thirteen!” That is, at the time of writing the letter, Tatyana was 13 or even 12 years old... But not 17...

Pushkin did not intend for readers to read letters either to Vyazemsky or to anyone else. Throughout the novel, Tatiana's age is indicated; 13 years old when he writes a letter, and soon his name day is 14 years old. The number 13 is mentioned 2 times (in Pushkin there is nothing random). Question to opponents: are these lines really written about the 17th girl? Or is there something wrong with Pushkin? “But even in these years Tatyana did not pick up dolls; She did not have conversations with her about city news or fashion. And children’s pranks were alien to her.”

In the text there is a mention of a letter from a 13-year-old girl, who can only be Tatyana. Not so little if you remember classic history 12-year-old Juliet and the fact that in those days people got married early. Could Tatyana be 13 years old? It could. Next there is a mention of the “sleep of a young woman”, again, according to Dahl, a young woman is between 12 and 15 years old, that is, Tatyana could have been at most 15. Why is this important? Because her younger sister was also supposed to get married, to Lensky, and how old was she then if Tatyana was 13?
The author himself accurately names the ages of the two girls. One of them, Tatyana, is 13 years old, and Olga is 11. Despite her age, Olga, at 11, ran away from home with the hussar. And Tatyana, by those standards, stayed too long as a girl. She was married off at the age of 16, after being taken to St. Petersburg. There she took a liking to the old general. Read to a 30-year-old. And all this time she remembered her first love. After two years of marriage, at the age of 18 she was a princess and knew the rules good manners. As a married lady, she ignored Onegin, which intrigued the poor man.

And that's it, Tanya! THIS SUMMER
We haven't heard about love;
Otherwise I would have driven you away from the world
My deceased mother-in-law.

IN THIS (that is, Tanya) SUMMER, the nanny has already walked down the aisle. And let me remind you, she was 13 years old.
Onegin, returning from the ball, where he saw the general’s wife, a society lady, for the first time, asks himself:

Is it really the same Tatyana?
That GIRL... Or is this a dream?
That GIRL he
neglected in humble fate?
It wasn't news to you
Humble GIRL love?

Tatyana herself reprimands the hero.

Let's continue reading the fourth chapter, where a 13-year-old girl appeared.

...having received Tanya's message,
Onegin was deeply touched...
Perhaps the feeling is an ancient ardor
He took possession of it for a minute;
But he didn't want to deceive
The gullibility of an innocent soul.

It turns out that Evgeny did not want, like an old depraved monkey, to destroy an innocent girl. And that’s why he refused. Tactfully taking all the blame on himself so as not to injure Tatyana. And at the end of the date he gave the girl good advice:

Learn to control yourself;
Not everyone will understand you like I do;
Inexperience leads to trouble.

I read Alexander Sergeevich carefully and suddenly realized what stupidity we were forced to do at school, tormented over essays about the relationship between Evgeny and Tatyana! Pushkin explained everything himself and himself assessed the actions of his hero.

You will agree, my reader,
What a very nice thing to do
Our friend is with sad Tanya.

***
How old was Olga then, whom 17-year-old Lensky was going to marry? Maximum 12. Where is this written?
IN in this case Pushkin only indicated that Olya was younger sister 13-year-old Tatiana. A little boy (about 8 years old according to Dahl), Lensky was a touched witness of her INFANT amusement. (Infant - up to 3 years old. From 3 to 7 - child).

We consider: if he was 8 years old, then she was 2-3 years old. By the time of the duel, he was almost 18, she was 12. Do you remember how indignant Lensky was when Olya danced with Onegin?

Just out of diapers,
Coquette, flighty child!
She knows the trick,
I've learned to change!

Of course you are shocked. At that age - and get married?! Don't forget what time it was. Here is what Belinsky wrote in an article about Onegin:

“A Russian girl is not a woman in the European sense of the word, not a person: she is something else, like a bride... She is barely twelve years old, and her mother, reproaching her for laziness, for her inability to behave..., tells her: “Don't be ashamed.” Do you care, madam: you’re already a bride!”

And at 18, according to Belinsky,“she is no longer the daughter of her parents, no longer the beloved child of their hearts, but a burdensome burden, goods ready to languish, excess furniture, which, just behold, will fall off the price and will not get away with it.”

This attitude towards girls and early marriages are explained not by the savagery of customs, but by common sense, says sexologist Kotrovsky. - Families then, as a rule, had large families - the church prohibited abortion, and there were no reliable contraceptives.

The parents tried to quickly marry the girl (“an extra mouth”) into someone else’s family, while she looked young. And the dowry required for her was less than for a withered maiden. (The age-old girl is like an autumn fly!)

In the case of the Larins, the situation was even more acute. The girls' father died, the brides had to be arranged urgently! Yuri Lotman, a famous literary critic, wrote in his comments to the novel:

“Young noblewomen married early at the beginning of the 19th century. True, the frequent marriages of 14-15 year old girls in the 18th century began to go out of common practice, and 17-19 years became the normal age for marriage.
Early marriages that were in peasant life the norm, at the end of the 18th century were often also for provincial people not affected by Europeanization noble life. A. Labzina, an acquaintance of the poet Kheraskov, was married off when she was barely 13 years old.

Gogol's mother was married at 14. However, the young novel reader's first hobbies began much earlier. And the surrounding men looked at the young noblewoman as a woman already at that age at which subsequent generations would have seen in her only a child.

The 23-year-old poet Zhukovsky fell in love with Masha Protasova when she was 12. The hero of “Woe from Wit” Chatsky fell in love with Sophia when she was 12 - 14 years old.”

**

In Russian literature there is only one heroine who, in the love of readers, comes close to Tatyana Larina. Natasha from War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy.

Also a noblewoman. We meet the girl for the first time on her name day. In love with officer Drubetsky, she caught Boris in a secluded place and kissed him on the lips. Embarrassed Boris also confessed his love to the girl, but asked not to kiss her again for 4 years. “Then I will ask for your hand.”

Natasha began counting with her thin fingers: “Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen.” She was 13.
The situation is exactly like in Eugene Onegin. But it does not cause controversy. And at this time her father, Count Rostov, recalls small talk that their mothers got married at 12 - 13 years old. "

Answer the questions urgently! We need someone who knows the story of Eugene Onegin well!

1. Where was Eugene Onegin born and lived?

1) in Moscow
2) in St. Petersburg
3) in Samara
4) in Yekaterinburg

2. In what language did the main character “could speak and write”?

1) in Latin
2) in German
3) in French
4) in English

3. Indicate who it's about we're talking about in the following lines:

She,
One foot touching the floor,
The other slowly circles,
And suddenly he jumps, and suddenly he flies,
Flies like feathers from the lips of Aeolus;
Either the camp will form, then it will develop
And with a quick foot he hits the leg.
1) Istomina
2) Pavlova
3) Karsavina
4) Danilova

4. How much time did Onegin spend in front of the mirror before going out?

1) 20 minutes
2) 1 hour
3) 3 hours
4) 4 hours

5. How did Onegin replace corvée in his village?

1) quitrent
2) tax
3) tax
4) monetary fees

6. Indicate who you are talking about in the following lines:

Handsome man, in full bloom,
Kant's admirer and poet.
He's from foggy Germany
He brought the fruits of learning:
Freedom-loving dreams
The spirit is ardent and rather strange,
Always an enthusiastic speech
And shoulder-length black curls.
1) about Onegin
2) about Lensky
3) about Zaretsky
4) about Larina

7. Recognize the hero by description.

Always modest, always obedient,
Always, like the morning, cheerful,
Like the life of a poet, simple-minded,
Like a kiss of love, honey...
1) Olga Larina
2) Tatyana Larina
3) Larin’s mother
4) Tatiana's nanny

8. Recognize the hero by description.

Dick, sad, silent,
Like a forest deer is timid,
She is in her own family
The girl seemed like a stranger.
1) Olga Larina
2) Tatyana Larina
3) Larin’s mother
4) Tatiana's nanny

9. Indicate who you are talking about in the following lines.

...was a kind fellow,
Belated in the past century;
But I saw no harm in the books;
He never reads
I considered them an empty toy
And didn't care
What is my daughter's secret volume
I dozed under my pillow until morning.
1) father Larin
2) Zaretsky
3) Lensky's father
4) Onegin's uncle

10. Indicate who you are talking about in the following lines.

She went to work
Pickled mushrooms for the winter,
She kept expenses, shaved her foreheads,
I went to the bathhouse on Saturdays,
She beat the maids in anger -
All this without asking my husband.
1) Larin’s mother
2) Olga Larina
3) Tatyana Larina
4) Onegin's mother

11. Indicate the patronymic name of the Larin sisters.

1) Alexandrovna
2) Alekseevna
3) Sergeevna
4) Dmitrievna

12. Who was Onegin’s second?

1) Zaretsky
2) Skotinin
3) Monsieur Guillot
4) Buyanov

13. What was the fate of Olga Larina after Lensky’s death?

1) She continued to love Vladimir.
2) She married a lancer.
3) Olga agreed to marry her neighbor-landowner.
4) The heroine dedicated her life to God, becoming a nun.

14. In what language was Tatyana’s letter written?

1) in Russian
2) in French
3) in German
4) in Latin

15. Indicate whose words these are:

The matchmaker went around for two weeks
To my family, and finally
My father blessed me.
I cried bitterly out of fear,
They unraveled my braid while crying
Yes, they took me to church singing.
1) Larina’s mother
2) Olga Larina
3) Filippovna, Tatiana’s nanny
4) Tatiana Larina

16. Indicate who you are talking about in the following lines:

Once a brawler,
Ataman of the gambling gang,
The head is a rake, a tavern tribune...
Falling off a Kalmyk horse,
Like a drunk, Zyuzya was taken prisoner by the French.
1) about Lensky
2) about Onegin
3) about Zaretsky
4) about Buyanov

17. What was under Tatyana Larina’s pillow during fortune telling?

1) scallop
2) book
3) letter
4) mirror

18. What title did Tatyana Larina’s husband have?

1) count
2) prince
3) baron
4) viscount

19. How it ended last explanation Onegin and Tatiana?

1) The heroine kicked Onegin out of her house.
2) Tatyana said that she no longer loves Onegin.
3) Tatyana admitted that she still loves Eugene Onegin, but cannot break her oath of fidelity to her husband.
4) Onegin told her husband about his feelings for Tatyana.

20. Where did Evgeny Onegin go after last meeting with Tatyana Larina?

1) take a water treatment
2) to serve in the Caucasus
3) to your village
4) this is not mentioned in the text

The young nobleman Eugene Onegin travels from St. Petersburg to the village to visit his dying rich uncle, annoyed at the upcoming boredom. Twenty-four-year-old Evgeniy was educated at home as a child; he was raised by French tutors. He spoke fluent French, danced easily, knew a little Latin, and in conversation knew how to remain silent at the right time or flash an epigram - this was enough for the world to treat him favorably.

Onegin leads a full life social fun And love adventures. Every day he receives several invitations for the evening, goes for a walk on the boulevard, then has lunch with a restaurateur, and from there goes to the theater. At home, Evgeniy spends a lot of time in front of the mirror behind the toilet. His office has everything fashion jewelry and accessories: perfumes, combs, files, scissors, brushes.

You can be a smart person
And think about the beauty of your nails.

Onegin is in a hurry again - now to the ball. The holiday is in full swing, music is playing, “the legs of lovely ladies are flying”...

Returning from the ball, Evgeny goes to bed early in the morning, when Petersburg is already waking up. “And tomorrow is the same as yesterday.” But is Evgeniy happy? No, he was bored with everything: friends, beauties, light, shows. Like Byron's Childe Harold, he is gloomy and disappointed. Onegin, locked at home, tries to read a lot, tries to write himself - but to no avail. The blues take possession of him again.

After the death of his father, who lived in debt and eventually went bankrupt, Onegin, not wanting to engage in litigation, gives the family fortune to the lenders. He hopes to inherit his uncle's property. And indeed, having arrived to visit a relative, Eugene learns that he died, leaving his nephew an estate, factories, forests and lands.

Evgeniy settles in the village - life has at least somehow changed. At first, his new situation entertains him, but he soon becomes convinced that here it is just as boring as in St. Petersburg.

Easing the plight of the peasants, Eugene replaced corvee with quitrent. Because of such innovations, as well as insufficient courtesy, Onegin became known among his neighbors as a “most dangerous eccentric.”

At the same time, eighteen-year-old Vladimir Lensky, “an admirer of Kant and a poet,” returns from Germany to a neighboring estate. His soul has not yet been corrupted by the light, he believes in love, glory, the highest and mysterious goal of life. With sweet innocence, he sings of “something and the foggy distance” in sublime verse. A handsome man, an advantageous groom, Lensky does not want to embarrass himself either by marriage or even by participating in the everyday conversations of his neighbors.

Completely different people, Lensky and Onegin nevertheless converge and often spend time together. Evgeniy listens with a smile to Lensky’s “young nonsense.” Believing that over the years, delusions will disappear on their own, Onegin is in no hurry to disappoint the poet; Lensky’s ardor of feelings still arouses respect in him. Lensky tells his friend about his extraordinary love for Olga, whom he has known since childhood and whom he has long been predicted to be his bride.

She is not at all like the ruddy, blond, always cheerful Olga elder sister, Tatiana. Thoughtful and sad, she prefers loneliness and reading foreign novels to noisy games.

The mother of Tatiana and Olga was once married against her will. In the village where she was taken, she cried at first, but then she got used to it, got used to it, and began to “autocratically” manage the household and her husband. Dmitry Larin sincerely loved his wife, trusting her in everything. The family revered ancient customs and rituals: they fasted during Lent, and baked pancakes during Maslenitsa. Their life passed so calmly until the “simple and kind gentleman” died.

Lensky visits Larin's grave. Life goes on, one generation is replaced by another. The time will come, “...our grandchildren in good hour/ They will push us out of the world too!”

One evening Lensky is going to visit the Larins. Onegin finds such a pastime boring, but then he decides to join his friend to look at the object of his love. On the way back, Evgeniy openly shares his impressions: Olga, in his opinion, is ordinary; in the place of the young poet, he would rather choose his older sister.

Meanwhile, an unexpected visit from friends gave rise to gossip about the future wedding of Evgeniy and Tatiana. Tatyana herself secretly thinks about Onegin: “The time has come, she fell in love.” Immersed in reading novels, Tatyana imagines herself as their heroine, and Onegin as their hero. At night she cannot sleep and starts talking about love with the nanny. She tells how she was married off at the age of thirteen, and cannot understand the young lady. Suddenly Tatyana asks for a pen and paper and starts writing a letter to Onegin. In him, trusting, obedient to the attraction of feelings, Tatyana is frank. She, in her sweet simplicity, is unaware of the danger, does not observe the caution inherent in the “inaccessible” cold St. Petersburg beauties and cunning coquettes who lure fans into their networks. The letter was written in French, since ladies at that time were much more accustomed to express themselves in this language. Tatyana believes that Evgeny was “sent from God” to her, that she cannot entrust her destiny to anyone else. She is waiting for a decision and answer from Onegin.

In the morning, Tatyana, in excitement, asks nanny Filipyevna to send a letter to her neighbor. An agonizing wait ensues. Lensky finally arrives, followed by Onegin. Tatyana quickly runs into the garden, where the maidservants sing while picking berries. Tatyana just can’t calm down, and suddenly Evgeniy appears in front of her...

The sincerity and simplicity of Tatiana's letter touched Onegin. Not wanting to deceive the gullible Tanya, Evgeniy turns to her with a “confession”: if he were looking for a calm family life, he would choose Tatyana as his girlfriend, but he is not created for bliss. Gradually, the “confession” becomes a “sermon”: Onegin advises Tatiana to restrain her feelings, otherwise her inexperience will lead her to disaster. The girl listens to him in tears.

We have to admit that Onegin acted quite nobly with Tanya, no matter how his enemies and friends honored him. In our lives we cannot rely on friends, family, or loved ones. What remains? "Love yourself..."

After an explanation with Onegin, Tatyana “fades, turns pale, fades away and is silent.” Lensky and Olga, on the contrary, are cheerful. They are together all the time. Lensky decorates Olga's album with drawings and elegies.

Meanwhile, Onegin indulges in calm village life: “walking, reading, deep sleep.” The northern summer quickly passes, the boring autumn time comes, and then the frosts. Winter days Onegin is sitting at home, Lensky comes to visit him. Friends drink wine, talk by the fireplace, and remember their neighbors. Lensky gives Evgeny an invitation to Tatyana’s name day, enthusiastically talking about Olga. The wedding has already been planned, Lensky has no doubt that he is loved, so he is happy. His faith is naive, but is it possible? it's better that way, in whom “the experience has cooled the heart”?

Tatyana loves Russian winter: sleigh rides, sunny frosty days and dark evenings. Christmas time is coming. Fortune telling, ancient legends, dreams and omens - Tatyana believes in all this. At night she is going to cast a spell, but she becomes scared. Tatyana goes to bed, taking off her silk belt. She has a strange dream.

She walks alone in the snow, a stream is rustling ahead, and there is a thin bridge above it. Suddenly a huge bear appears, which helps Tatyana cross to the other side, and then chases her. Tatyana tries to run, but falls exhausted. The bear brings her to some hut and disappears. Having come to her senses, Tatyana hears screams and noise, and through the crack in the door she sees incredible monsters, among them Onegin as the owner! Suddenly, the door opens with a breath of wind, and the whole gang of hellish ghosts, laughing wildly, approaches it. Hearing Onegin's menacing word, everyone disappears. Evgeny attracts Tatiana to him, but then Olga and Lensky appear. An argument breaks out. Onegin, dissatisfied with the uninvited guests, grabs a knife and kills Lensky. Darkness, screaming... Tatyana wakes up and immediately tries to unravel the dream, leafing through Martyn Zadeka's dream book.

The name day is coming. Guests arrive: Pustyakov, Skotinin, Buyanov, Monsieur Triquet and other funny figures. Onegin's arrival makes Tanya nervous, and Evgeniy is irritated by it. He is indignant at Lensky for calling him here. After lunch the ball begins. Onegin finds an excuse to take revenge on Lensky: he is nice to Olga, constantly dances with her. Lensky is amazed. He wants to invite Olga to the next dance, but his bride has already given her word to Onegin. Insulted, Lensky leaves: only a duel can now resolve his fate.

The next morning, Onegin receives a note from Lensky challenging him to a duel. The letter is brought by second Zaretsky, a cynical but intelligent man, a former brawler, a card thief, an avid duelist, who knew how to quarrel and reconcile friends. Now he is a peaceful landowner. Onegin accepts the challenge calmly, but in his heart he remains dissatisfied with himself: there was no need to joke so evilly about his friend’s love.

Lensky is looking forward to the answer; he is glad that Onegin did not avoid the fight. After some hesitation, Vladimir nevertheless goes to the Larins. Olga greets him cheerfully as if nothing had happened. Confused, touched, happy Lensky is no longer jealous, but he is still obliged to save his beloved from the “corrupter”. If Tatyana had known about everything, she might have prevented the upcoming fight. But both Onegin and Lensky remain silent.

In the evening young poet in lyrical fervor he composes farewell poems. Lensky, who had dozed off a little, is woken up by his neighbor. Evgeniy, having overslept, is late for the meeting. They have been waiting for him at the mill for a long time. Onegin introduces his servant Guillo as a second, which displeases Zaretsky.

As if in nightmare, “enemies” are calmly preparing each other’s death. They could make peace, but they have to pay tribute to secular customs: a sincere impulse would be mistaken for cowardice. The preparations are complete. On command, the opponents converge, take aim - Evgeniy manages to shoot first. Lensky was killed. Onegin runs up and calls him - all in vain.

May be, young poet Eternal glory awaited, and perhaps an ordinary boring life. But be that as it may, young dreamer dead. Zaretsky takes the frozen corpse home.

Spring came. By the stream, in the shade of two pine trees, there is a simple monument: here lies the poet Vladimir Lensky. Once upon a time, Larina’s sisters often came here to be sad, but now this place is forgotten by people.

After Lensky's death, Olga did not cry for long - having fallen in love with the uhlan, she got married, and soon left with him. Tatyana was left alone. She still thinks about Onegin, although she should hate him for killing Lensky. Walking one evening, Tatyana comes to Onegin's deserted estate. The housekeeper takes her into the house. Tatyana looks at the “fashionable cell” with emotion. Since then, she often comes here to read books from Eugene’s library. Tatyana carefully examines the marks in the margins; with their help, she begins to understand more clearly the one she adored so much. Who is he: an angel or a demon, “isn’t he a parody”?

Tatyana's mother is worried: her daughter refuses all suitors. Following the advice of her neighbors, she decides to go to Moscow, “to the brides fair.” Tatyana says goodbye to her beloved forests, meadows, to freedom, which she will have to replace with the vanity of the world.

In winter, the Larins finally finish their noisy preparations, say goodbye to the servants, get into the cart and go to long way. In Moscow they stay with their aged cousin Alina. All days are occupied with visits to numerous relatives. The girls surround Tanya, confide their heartfelt secrets to her, but she does not tell them anything about her love. Tatyana hears vulgar nonsense, indifferent speech, and gossip in social drawing rooms. In the meeting, amid the noise and roar of music, Tatyana is carried away in a dream to her village, to flowers and alleys, to memories of him. She doesn’t see anyone around, but some important general doesn’t take his eyes off her...

More than two years later, a lonely and silent Onegin appears at a social event in St. Petersburg. Once again he remains a stranger to society. People are ready to condemn everything strange and unusual; they can only handle mediocrity. And the one who, having gotten rid of unnecessary dreams, achieves fame, money and ranks in time, everyone recognizes " wonderful person" But it’s sad to look at life as a ritual and obediently follow everyone. Onegin, having lived “without service, without a wife, without business” to the age of twenty-six, does not know what to do. He left the village, but he was also tired of traveling. And so, upon returning, he finds himself “from the ship to the ball.”

Everyone's attention is attracted by a lady who appears accompanied by an important general. Although she cannot be called beautiful, everything about her is sweet and simple, without the slightest bit of vulgarity. Eugene’s vague guesses are confirmed: this is the same Tatiana, now a princess. The prince introduces his friend Onegin to his wife. Evgeny is embarrassed, but Tatyana is completely calm.

The next day, having received an invitation from the prince, Onegin is looking forward to the evening so that he can see Tatyana as soon as possible. But alone with her he again feels awkward. Guests appear. Onegin is occupied only with Tatyana. All people are like that: they are attracted only by the forbidden fruit. Not appreciating the charm of the “tender girl” at the time, Evgeniy falls in love with the unapproachable and stately “legislator” high society. He relentlessly follows the princess, but cannot get her attention. In desperation, he writes a passionate message to Tatyana, where he makes excuses for his former coldness and begs for reciprocity. But Onegin does not receive an answer to either this or other letters. When meeting, Tatyana is cold and does not notice him. Onegin locks himself in his office and begins to read, but his thoughts constantly take him to the past.

One spring morning, Onegin leaves his imprisonment and goes to Tatyana. The princess is alone reading a letter and quietly crying. Now you can recognize her as the old poor Tanya. Onegin falls at her feet. After a long silence, Tatyana turns to Evgeniy: it is his turn to listen. He once rejected the love of a humble girl. Why pursue her now? Is it because she is rich and noble that her shame would bring Onegin “tempting honor”? Tatiana is alien to pomp and shine social life. She would be glad to give all this for a poor home, for the garden where she first met Onegin. But her fate is sealed. She had to give in to her mother’s pleas and get married. Tatyana admits that she loves Onegin. And yet he must leave her. “But I was given to another; I will be faithful to him forever” - with these words she leaves. Evgeny is amazed. Suddenly Tatyana's husband appears...

And here is my hero,
In an evil moment for him,
Reader, we will now leave,
For a long time... forever.

“Eugene Onegin” reflected the entire life of Russian society early XIX century. However, two centuries later, this work is interesting not only in historical and literary terms, but also in terms of the relevance of the questions that Pushkin posed to the reading public. Everyone, opening the novel, found something of their own in it, empathized with the characters, noted the lightness and mastery of the style. And quotes from this work have long become aphorisms, they are pronounced even by those who have not read the book itself.

A.S. Pushkin created this work for about 8 years (1823-1831). The history of the creation of “Eugene Onegin” began in Chisinau in 1823. It reflected the experience of “Ruslan and Lyudmila”, but the subject of the image was not historical and folklore characters, A modern heroes and the author himself. The poet also begins to work in line with realism, gradually abandoning romanticism. During the period of Mikhailovsky exile, he continued to work on the book, and completed it during his forced imprisonment in the village of Boldino (Pushkin was detained by cholera). Thus, creative history The work absorbed the most “fertile” years of the creator, when his skill evolved at breakneck speed. So his novel reflected everything that he learned during this time, everything that he knew and felt. Perhaps the work owes its depth to this circumstance.

The author himself calls his novel “a collection motley chapters“, each of the 8 chapters has relative independence, because the writing of “Eugene Onegin” took a long time, and each episode opened a certain stage in Pushkin’s life. The book was published in parts, each release becoming an event in the world of literature. The complete edition was published only in 1837.

Genre and composition

A.S. Pushkin defined his work as a novel in verse, emphasizing that it is lyrical-epic: a storyline expressed love story heroes (epic beginning), adjacent to digressions and author’s reflections (lyrical beginning). This is why the genre of Eugene Onegin is called a “novel.”

"Eugene Onegin" consists of 8 chapters. In the first chapters, readers are introduced to central character Evgeniy, they move with him to the village and meet their future friend - Vladimir Lensky. Further, the drama of the story increases due to the appearance of the Larin family, especially Tatyana. The sixth chapter is the culmination of the relationship between Lensky and Onegin and the escape of the main character. And at the end of the work there is a denouement storyline Evgeniy and Tatiana.

Lyrical digressions are related to the narrative, but it is also a dialogue with the reader; they emphasize the “free” form, the closeness to an intimate conversation. The same factor can explain the incompleteness and openness of the ending of each chapter and the novel as a whole.

About what?

A young nobleman, already disillusioned with life, inherits an estate in the village and goes there, hoping to dispel his blues. begins with the fact that he was forced to sit with his sick uncle, who left his nephew his family nest . However, the hero soon becomes bored with rural life; his existence would become unbearable if not for his acquaintance with the poet Vladimir Lensky. Friends are “ice and fire”, but the differences did not interfere friendly relations

. will help you figure this out. Lensky introduces his friend to the Larin family: the old mother, sisters Olga and Tatyana. The poet has long been in love with Olga, a flighty coquette. Much more serious and Tatiana, who herself falls in love with Evgeniy. Her imagination had been picturing a hero for a long time; all that remained was for someone to appear. The girl suffers, is tormented, writes a romantic letter. Onegin is flattered, but understands that he cannot respond to such a passionate feeling, so he gives a harsh rebuke to the heroine. This circumstance plunges her into depression, she anticipates trouble. And trouble really came. Onegin decides to take revenge on Lensky because of an accidental disagreement, but chooses a terrible means: he flirts with Olga. The poet is offended and challenges yesterday's friend to a duel. But the culprit kills the “slave of honor” and leaves forever. The essence of the novel “Eugene Onegin” is not even to show all this. The main thing worth paying attention to is the description of Russian life and the psychologism of the characters, which develops under the influence of the depicted atmosphere.

However, the relationship between Tatiana and Evgeniy is not over. They meet at a social evening, where the hero sees not a naive girl, but a mature woman in full splendor. And he falls in love. He is also tormented and writes a message. And he meets with the same rebuke. Yes, the beauty did not forget anything, but it’s too late, she was “given to someone else”: . The failed lover is left with nothing.

The main characters and their characteristics

The images of the heroes of “Eugene Onegin” are not a random selection characters. This is a miniature Russian society of that time, where all known types are meticulously listed noble people: the poor landowner Larin, his secular but degraded wife in the village, the exalted and insolvent poet Lensky, his flighty and frivolous passion, etc. All of them represent Imperial Russia during its heyday. No less interesting and original. Below is a description of the main characters:

1. Evgeny Onegin is the main character of the novel. It carries within itself dissatisfaction with life, fatigue from it. Pushkin talks in detail about the environment in which the young man grew up, about how the environment shaped his character. Onegin's upbringing is typical of the nobles of those years: a superficial education aimed at being successful in decent society. He was not prepared for real business, but exclusively for secular entertainment. Therefore, from a young age I was tired of the empty glitter of balls. He has “direct nobility of soul” (he feels a friendly attachment to Lensky, does not seduce Tatyana, taking advantage of her love). The hero is capable of deep feelings, but is afraid of losing freedom. But, despite his nobility, he is an egoist, and narcissism underlies all his feelings. The essay contains the most detailed characteristics character.
2. Very different from Tatyana Larina, this image appears ideal: an integral, wise, devoted nature, ready to do anything for love. She grew up in a healthy environment, in nature, and not in the light, so real feelings are strong in her: kindness, faith, dignity. The girl loves to read, and in books she drew a special, romantic image, shrouded in mystery. It was this image that was embodied in Evgenia. And Tatyana gave herself up to this feeling with all passion, truthfulness and purity. She did not seduce, did not flirt, but took upon herself the courage to confess. This brave and honest act did not find a response in Onegin’s heart. He fell in love with her seven years later, when she shone in the world. Fame and wealth did not bring happiness to the woman; she married someone she didn’t love, but Eugene’s courtship is impossible, family vows are sacred to her. More about this in the essay.
3. Tatiana's sister Olga is not of great interest, there is not a single acute angle, everything is round, it’s not for nothing that Onegin compares her to the moon. The girl accepts Lensky's advances. And any other person, because why not accept, she is flirtatious and empty. There is immediately a huge difference between the Larin sisters. Youngest daughter took after her mother, a flighty socialite who was forcibly imprisoned in the village.
4. However, it was the flirtatious Olga that the poet Vladimir Lensky fell in love with. Probably because it’s easy to fill the emptiness with your own content in dreams. The hero still burned with a hidden fire, felt subtly and analyzed little. He has high moral concepts, so he is alien to the light and is not poisoned by it. If Onegin talked and danced with Olga only out of boredom, then Lensky saw this as a betrayal, ex-friend became an insidious tempter of a sinless girl. In Vladimir’s maximalist perception, this is immediately a break in relations and a duel. The poet lost in it. The author poses the question, what could await the character if the outcome is favorable? The conclusion is disappointing: Lensky would have married Olga, become an ordinary landowner and become vulgar in routine vegetation. You may also need .

Themes

• The main theme of the novel “Eugene Onegin” is extensive - this is Russian life. The book shows life and upbringing in the world, in the capital, village life, customs and activities, typical and at the same time unique portraits of characters are drawn. Almost two centuries later, the heroes contain features inherent in modern people; these images are deeply national.
• The theme of friendship is also reflected in Eugene Onegin. The main character and Vladimir Lensky were in close friendship. But can it be considered real? They got together by chance, out of boredom. Evgeniy sincerely became attached to Vladimir, who warmed the hero’s cold heart with his spiritual fire. However, just as quickly he is ready to insult a friend by flirting with his beloved, who is happy about it. Evgeny thinks only about himself, the feelings of other people are absolutely unimportant to him, so he could not save his comrade.
• Love too important topic works. Almost all writers talk about it. Pushkin was no exception. In the image of Tatiana it is expressed true love. It can develop against all odds and remain for life. Nobody loved and will love Onegin as much as main character. If you miss this, you remain unhappy for the rest of your life. Unlike the sacrificial, all-forgiving feelings of the girl, Onegin’s emotions are self-love. He was afraid of a timid girl who had fallen in love for the first time, for whose sake he would have to give up the disgusting but familiar light. But Evgeny was captivated by the cold, secular beauty, with whom visiting was already an honor, let alone loving her.
• Subject extra person. The trend of realism appears in Pushkin’s works. It was the environment that raised Onegin to be so disappointed. It was precisely this that preferred to see superficiality in the nobles, the focus of all their efforts on creating secular splendor. And nothing else is needed. On the contrary, education in folk traditions, the company of ordinary people made the soul healthy and the nature whole, like Tatyana’s.
• Theme of devotion. Faithful to your first and most strong love Tatyana, and Olga is frivolous, changeable and ordinary. Larina's sisters are completely opposite. Olga reflects a typical secular girl, for whom the main thing is herself, her attitude towards her, and therefore she can change if there is a better option. As soon as Onegin said a couple of pleasant words, she forgot about Lensky, whose affection was much stronger. Tatiana’s heart is faithful to Evgeniy all her life. Even when he trampled on her feelings, she waited a long time and could not find another (again, unlike Olga, who was quickly consoled after Lensky's death). The heroine had to get married, but in her heart she continued to be faithful to Onegin, even though love has ceased to be possible.

Problems

The problematics in the novel “Eugene Onegin” are very indicative. It reveals not only psychological and social, but also political shortcomings and even entire tragedies of the system. For example, the outdated, but no less creepy, drama of Tatyana’s mother is shocking. The woman was forced into marriage, and she broke under the pressure of circumstances, becoming an evil and despotic mistress of a hated estate. Here's what actual problems raised

• The main problem that is raised throughout realism in general, and by Pushkin in Eugene Onegin in particular, is the destructive influence of secular society on the human soul. A hypocritical and greedy environment poisons the personality. It imposes external requirements of decency: a young man must know a little French, read a little fashionable literature, be decently and expensively dressed, that is, make an impression, seem, and not be. And all the feelings here are also false, they only seem. That's why secular society It takes away the best from people, it cools the brightest flame with its cold deception.
• Eugenia’s blues is another problematic issue. Why does the main character become depressed? Not just because he was spoiled by society. main reason– he does not find the answer to the question: why all this? Why does he live? To go to theaters, balls and receptions? The absence of a vector, direction of movement, awareness of the meaninglessness of existence - these are the feelings that overcome Onegin. Here we are faced with the eternal problem of the meaning of life, which is so difficult to find.
• The problem of selfishness is reflected in the image of the main character. Realizing that no one would love him in a cold and indifferent world, Eugene began to love himself more than anyone else in the world. Therefore, he doesn’t care about Lensky (he only relieves boredom), about Tatyana (she can take away his freedom), he thinks only about himself, but for this he is punished: he remains completely alone and is rejected by Tatyana.

Idea

The main idea of ​​the novel “Eugene Onegin” is to criticize the existing order of life, which dooms more or less extraordinary natures to loneliness and death. After all, there is so much potential in Evgenia, but there is no business, only social intrigue. There is so much spiritual fire in Vladimir, and besides death, only vulgarization in a feudal, suffocating environment can await him. How many spiritual beauty and intelligence in Tatyana, and she can only be the hostess of social evenings, dress up and carry on empty conversations.

People who do not think, do not reflect, do not suffer - these are the ones for whom it is suitable existing reality. This is a consumer society that lives at the expense of others, which shines while those “others” vegetate in poverty and filth. The thoughts that Pushkin thought about deserve attention to this day and remain important and pressing.

Another meaning of “Eugene Onegin”, which Pushkin laid down in his work, is to show how important it is to preserve individuality and virtue when temptations and fashions are rampant around, subjugating more than one generation of people. While Evgeny was chasing new trends and playing the cold and disappointed hero Byron, Tatyana listened to the voice of her heart and remained true to herself. Therefore, she finds happiness in love, albeit unrequited, and he finds only boredom in everything and everyone.

Features of the novel

The novel “Eugene Onegin” is a fundamentally new phenomenon in the literature of the early 19th century. He has a special composition - it is a “novel in verse”, a lyric-epic work of large volume. In lyrical digressions, the image of the author, his thoughts, feelings and ideas that he wants to convey to readers emerges.

Pushkin amazes with the ease and melodiousness of his language. His literary style devoid of heaviness and didacticism, the author knows how to talk about complex and important things simply and clearly. Of course, a lot needs to be read between the lines, since harsh censorship was merciless even towards geniuses, but the poet is also not a natural person, so he was able to tell in the elegance of verse about the socio-political problems of his state, which were successfully hushed up in the press. It is important to understand that before Alexander Sergeevich, Russian poetry was different; he made a kind of “revolution of the game.”

The peculiarity also lies in the image system. Evgeny Onegin is the first in the gallery of “superfluous people”, who contain enormous potential that cannot be realized. Tatyana Larina “raised” female images from the place “the main character needs to love someone” to an independent and complete portrait of a Russian woman. Tatyana is one of the first heroines who looks stronger and more significant than the main character, and does not hide in his shadow. This is how the direction of the novel “Eugene Onegin” is revealed - realism, which will more than once open the theme of the superfluous person and touch upon the difficult woman's destiny. By the way, we also described this feature in the essay “”.

Realism in the novel "Eugene Onegin"

"Eugene Onegin" marks Pushkin's transition to realism. In this novel, the author first raises the topic of man and society. A personality is not perceived separately, it is part of a society that educates, leaves a certain imprint or completely shapes people.

The main characters are typical, but at the same time unique. Eugene is an authentic secular nobleman: disappointed, superficially educated, but at the same time not like those around him - noble, intelligent, observant. Tatyana is an ordinary provincial young lady: she was brought up on French novels, is filled with the sweet dreams of these works, but at the same time she is a “Russian soul”, wise, virtuous, loving, harmonious nature.

It is precisely in the fact that for two centuries readers see themselves and their acquaintances in the heroes, it is precisely in the inescapable relevance of the novel that its realistic orientation is expressed.

Criticism

The novel “Eugene Onegin” evoked a great response from readers and critics. According to E.A. Baratynsky: “Everyone interprets them in their own way: some praise them, others scold them, and everyone reads them.” Contemporaries criticized Pushkin for the “labyrinth of digressions”, for the insufficiently defined character of the main character, and careless language. The reviewer Thaddeus Bulgarin, who supported the government and conservative literature, especially distinguished himself.

However, V.G. understood the novel best. Belinsky, who called it “an encyclopedia of Russian life,” a historical work, despite the lack historical characters. Indeed, a modern amateur belles lettres can study "Eugene Onegin" from this point of view to learn more about noble society beginning of the 19th century.

And a century later, the comprehension of the novel in verse continued. Yu.M. Lotman saw complexity and paradox in the work. This is not just a collection of quotes familiar from childhood, it is an “organic world.” All this proves the relevance of the work and its significance for Russian national culture.

What does it teach?

Pushkin showed the life of young people and how their fate could turn out. Of course, fate depends not only on the environment, but also on the heroes themselves, but the influence of society is undeniable. The poet showed the main enemy that affects young nobles: idleness, aimlessness of existence. Alexander Sergeevich’s conclusion is simple: the creator calls not to limit oneself to secular conventions, stupid rules, but to live life to the fullest, guided by moral and spiritual components.

These ideas remain relevant today, before modern people Often a choice arises: to live in harmony with oneself or to break oneself for the sake of some benefits or public recognition. By choosing the second path, chasing illusory dreams, you can lose yourself and discover with horror that your life is over and nothing has been done. This is what you need to fear most.

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