The history of the creation of the novel The Defeat of Fadeev. Destruction (novel), history of creation, plot, film adaptations, theatrical production

I should make nails out of these people -
There couldn't be any stronger nails in the world...
(N. Tikhonov. “The Ballad of Nails”)
Introduction
A revolution is an event too huge in scale not to be reflected in literature. And only a few writers and poets who came under her influence did not touch on this topic in their work.
It must also be kept in mind that October Revolution- the most important stage in the history of mankind - gave rise to the most complex phenomena in literature and art.
With all his passion as a communist writer and revolutionary A.A. Fadeev sought to bring the bright time of communism closer. This humanistic belief in a beautiful person permeated the most difficult pictures and situations into which his heroes found themselves.
For A.A. Fadeev, a revolutionary is not possible without this aspiration to a bright future, without faith in a new, beautiful, kind and pure person.
Fadeev wrote the novel "Destruction" over three years from 1924 to 1927, when many writers wrote laudatory works about the victory of socialism. Against this background, Fadeev wrote, at first glance, an unprofitable novel: during the civil war, the partisan detachment was physically defeated, but morally he defeated the enemies with his faith in the correctness of the chosen path. It seems to me that Fadeev wrote this novel in such a way as to show that the revolution is defended not by a frenzied crowd of ragamuffins, smashing and sweeping away everything in its path, but by courageous, honest people who have raised in themselves and others a moral, humane person.
If we take the purely external shell, the development of events, then this is really the story of the defeat of Levinson’s partisan detachment. But A.A. Fadeev uses for his narration one of the most dramatic moments in the history of the partisan movement in Far East, when the combined efforts of the White Guard and Japanese troops dealt heavy blows to the partisans of Primorye.
You can pay attention to one feature in the construction of “Destruction”: each of the chapters not only develops some kind of action, but also contains a complete psychological development, an in-depth characterization of one of the characters. Some chapters are named after the characters: “Morozka”, “Mechik”, “Levinson”, “Reconnaissance of Metelitsa”. But this does not mean that these individuals act only in these chapters. They take an active part in all events in the life of the entire detachment. Fadeev, as a follower of Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy, explores their characters in all difficult and sometimes compromising circumstances. At the same time, creating new psychological portraits, the writer strives to penetrate the innermost corners of the soul, trying to foresee the motives and actions of his heroes. With every turn of events, new aspects of character are revealed.
Morozka
Frost! Peering into the appearance of a dashing partisan, we experience that happy feeling of discovering a bright human type which brings truly piece of art. It gives us aesthetic pleasure to follow the twists and turns mental life this man. His moral evolution gives us a lot to think about.
Before joining the partisan detachment, Morozka “did not look for new roads, but followed old, already proven paths” and life seemed simple and unsophisticated to him. He fought bravely, but at times was burdened by Levinson’s demands. He was generous and selfless, but did not see anything wrong in filling a bag with melons from a peasant's chestnut. He could get completely drunk, curse a friend, and rudely offend a woman.
Combat life brings Morozka not only military skills, but also the awareness of his responsibility to the team, a sense of citizenship. Observing the beginning of panic at the crossing (someone spread a rumor that they were passing farts), out of mischief, he wanted to “prank” the men even more “for fun,” but thought better of it and began to restore order. Suddenly Morozka “felt like a big, responsible person...”. This consciousness was joyful and promising. Morozka learned to control himself, “he involuntarily joined in that meaningful healthy life that Goncharenko always seemed to live...”.
Morozka still had a lot to overcome within himself, but the most decisive thing was that he was a true hero, a loyal comrade, a selfless fighter. Without flinching, he sacrificed his own life, raised the alarm and warned the squad about an enemy ambush.
Blizzard
Blizzard. A shepherd in the past, an unsurpassed scout in a partisan detachment, he also forever chose his place in the fire of class battles.
In the course of working on “Destruction,” the image of Metelitsa was rethought by the author. Judging by the draft manuscript, at first Fadeev intended to show, first of all, the physical strength and energy of his hero. Metelitsa was embittered by the old life, did not trust people and even despised them, considered himself - proud and lonely - immeasurably higher than those around him. While working on the novel, the writer frees the image of Metelitsa from such “demonic” traits, develops those episodes in which the bright mind and breadth of thinking of his hero are revealed. His impetuous and nervous strength, which could have been destructive, under the influence of Levinson received the right direction and was put at the service of a noble and humane cause.
But Metelitsa is capable of much. One of the key scenes in the novel is the scene where a military council is shown, at which the next military operation was discussed. Metelitsa proposed a daring and original plan, testifying to his remarkable mind.
Baklanov
Baklanov. He not only learns from Levinson, but imitates him in everything, even in his behavior. His enthusiastic attitude towards the commander can make you smile. However, it is impossible not to notice what this training gives: the assistant detachment commander has earned universal respect for his calm energy, clarity, organization, coupled with courage and dedication; he is one of the people in charge of all detachment affairs. In the finale of "Destruction" it is said that Levinson sees his successor in Baklanov. In the manuscript of the novel, this idea was developed in even more detail. The force that moved Levinson and inspired him with confidence that the surviving nineteen fighters would continue the common cause was “not a force individual person", dying with him, "but was the strength of thousands and thousands of people (like the one that burned, for example, Baklanov), that is, an undying and eternal force."
Levinson
Levinson's figure opens a gallery of "party people" - drawn by Soviet writers. The artistic appeal of this image is that it is revealed “from the inside”, illuminated by the light of great ideas that inspire such people.
A short, red-bearded man rises alive from the pages of a book, taking physical strength, not with a loud voice, but with a strong spirit, an unbending will. Portraying an energetic, strong-willed commander, Fadeev emphasized the need for him to choose the right tactics, which ensure a purposeful impact on people. When Levinson stops the panic with an imperious shout, when he organizes a crossing through the quagmire, the communists - the heroes of Fadeev's first stories - come to mind. But this image made a huge impression on readers due to its dissimilarity with its predecessors. In "Destruction" the artistic emphasis was transferred to the world of feelings, thoughts, and experiences of a revolutionary fighter, a Bolshevik figure. Levinson's outward unsightliness and morbidity are intended to highlight his main strength - the power of political and moral influence on those around him. He finds the “key” to Metelitsa, whose energy must be directed in the right direction, and to Baklanov, who is only waiting for a signal to act independently, and to Morozka, who needs strict care, and to all the other partisans. Levinson seemed to be a person of “a special, correct breed”, not at all subject to mental anxieties. In turn, he was accustomed to thinking that, burdened with everyday petty vanity, people seemed to entrust their most important concerns to him and his comrades. Therefore, it seems necessary to him, fulfilling the role of a strong person, “always leading,” to carefully hide his doubts, hide personal weaknesses, and strictly maintain a distance between himself and his subordinates. However, the author is aware of these weaknesses and doubts. Moreover, he considers it obligatory to tell the reader about them, to show the hidden corners of Levinson’s soul. Let us remember, for example, Levinson at the moment of breaking through the White Cossack ambush: exhausted in continuous trials, this iron Man“I looked around helplessly, looking for outside support for the first time...”. In the 20s, writers often, while depicting a brave and fearless commissar or commander, did not consider it possible to depict his hesitation and confusion. Fadeev went further than his colleagues, conveying both the complexity of the moral state of the detachment commander and the integrity of his character - ultimately, Levinson necessarily comes to new decisions, his will does not weaken, but is tempered in difficulties, he, learning to manage others, learns to manage himself .
Levinson loves people, and this love is demanding and active. Coming from a petty-bourgeois family, Levinson suppressed within himself a sweet longing for the beautiful birds that, as the photographer assures the children, would suddenly fly out of the camera. He is looking for points of convergence between the dream of a new person and today's reality. Levinson professes the principle of fighters and transformers: “See everything as it is, in order to change what is, to bring closer what is born and should be...”
Levinson’s entire life activity is determined by fidelity to this principle. He remains himself both when, with a feeling of “quiet, slightly creepy delight,” he admires the orderly, and when he forces a partisan to get fish from the river, or proposes to severely punish Morozka, or confiscates the Korean’s only pig to feed the starving partisans.
Throughout the novel there is a contrast between effective humanism and abstract, petty-bourgeois humanism. Here lies the divide between Levinson and Morozka, on the one hand, and Mechik, on the other. Widely using the technique of contrasting comparisons of characters, Fadeev willingly pits them against each other, tests each with their attitude to the same situations. An enthusiastic poser and a neat guy, Mechik is not averse to talking about lofty matters, but he is afraid of the prose of life. His orbit only causes harm: he poisoned last minutes Frolov, having been told about the end that awaited him, became hysterical when the Korean’s pig was taken away. A bad comrade, a careless partisan, Mechik considered himself taller, more cultured, and cleaner than people like Morozka. The test of life showed something else: the heroism, dedication of the orderly and the cowardice of the blond handsome man who betrayed the detachment in order to save his own skin. Mechik turned out to be the opposite of Levinson. The detachment commander quickly realized what a lazy and weak-willed little man he was, a “worthless barren flower.” Mechik is akin to the anarchist and deserter Chizh, the God-fearing charlatan Pique.
Fadeev hated false humanism. He, who categorically rejected abstract romantic aesthetics, in fact not only masterfully analyzed the real everyday life of contradictory reality, but also looked at them from the height of the goals and ideals of the “third reality,” as Gorky called the future. The external, ostentatious in “Destruction” is opposed to the internally significant, true, and in this sense, the comparison of the images of Morozka and Mechik seems extremely important.
Mechik
Mechik is the antipode of Morozka. Throughout the novel, their opposition to each other can be traced. If the character of Morozka in a number of episodes expresses the psychology of the masses with all its shortcomings inherited from old times, then Mechik’s individuality, on the contrary, appears as if distilled, internally alien to the deep interests of the people, divorced from them. As a result, Morozka’s behavior, until he acquires the traits of an independent personality, turns out to be somewhat antisocial, and Mechik ruins not only his comrades, but also himself as an individual. The difference between them is that Morozka has the prospect of overcoming his shortcomings, while Mechik does not. Mechik, another “hero” of the novel, is very “moral” from the point of view of the Ten Commandments... but these qualities remain external to him, they cover up his internal egoism, lack of dedication to the cause of the working class. Mechik constantly separates himself from others and opposes himself to everyone around him, including the closest of them - Chizhu, Pike, Varya. His desires are almost sterilely purified from internal subordination to everything that seems ugly to him, with which many around him put up with and take for granted. And Fadeev at first even sympathetically emphasizes this desire for purity and independence, this self-respect, the desire to preserve one’s personality, the dream of a romantic feat and beautiful love. However, the awareness of oneself as a human being, as an individual, so dear to Fadeev, in Mechik turns out to be completely absolutized, divorced from the national principle. He does not feel his connection with society, and therefore, at any contact with other people, he becomes lost - and ceases to feel like a person. Precisely what could become the most valuable in Mechik completely disappears in his difficulties in real life. He is unable to be a person, to be true to himself. As a result, nothing remains of his ideals: neither the much desired noble feat, nor pure love to the woman, no gratitude for saving her. No one can rely on Mechik; he can betray everyone. He falls in love with Varya, but cannot tell her directly about it. Mechik is ashamed of Varya’s love, afraid to show anyone his tenderness for her and in the end rudely pushes her away. So, because of weakness, another step is taken along the road to betrayal along which Mechik’s character develops in the book and which shamefully and terribly ends in a double betrayal: without firing signal shots and escaping the patrol, Mechik dooms his savior Morozka to death, and the whole squad. Thus, the personality that is not nourished by native juices degenerates and withers, without having time to blossom.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I would like to define main topic novel and express your attitude towards the novel. I dare to insert the words of A.A. himself. Fadeev, who defined the main theme of his novel: “In a civil war, a selection of human material occurs, everything hostile is swept away by the revolution, everything incapable of a real revolutionary struggle that accidentally ends up in the revolution camp is eliminated, and everything that has risen from the true roots of the revolution, from the millions of people, tempers, grows, develops in this struggle. A huge transformation of people is taking place.”
The invincibility of the revolution lies in its vitality, in the depth of penetration into the consciousness of people who were often the most backward in the past. Like Morozka, these people rose to conscious action for the highest historical goals. This was the main optimistic idea of ​​the tragic novel “Destruction”. It seems to me that the fate of the country is in the hands of the country itself. But as the people themselves said, it’s like a piece of wood, I look who processes it...
The “selection of human material” is carried out by the war itself. More often the best die in battle - Metelitsa, Baklanov, Morozka, who managed to realize the importance of the team and suppress his selfish aspirations, and those like Chizh, Pika and the traitor Mechik remain. I feel endlessly sorry for everyone - after all, a people is not formed as a result of selection, “culling”, elimination. These lines by Marina Tsvetaev about the civil war, about which they say that everyone is a loser, reflects my attitude towards everything that was happening in our country at that time:
All are lying next to each other -
Don't separate the boundary
View: soldier
Where is yours, where is the stranger,
Was white - became red
The blood stained
Was red - became white
Death has whitened.
Summary novel by A.A Fadeev “Destruction”
1. MOROZKA Levinson, the commander of the partisan detachment, gives the package to his orderly Morozka, ordering him to take it to the commander of another detachment, Shaldyba, but Morozka does not want to go, he refuses and argues with the commander. Levinson gets tired of Morozka's constant confrontation. He takes the letter, and Morozka advises “to roll in all four directions. I don’t need troublemakers.” Morozka instantly changes his mind, takes the letter, explaining rather to himself than to Levinson that he cannot live without the detachment, and, having cheered up, leaves with the package. Morozka is a second generation miner. He was born in a miner's barracks, and at the age of twelve he began to “roll trolleys” himself. Life followed a well-worn path, like everyone else. Morozka also sat in jail, served in the cavalry, was wounded and shell-shocked, so even before the revolution he was “dismissed from the army on clean grounds.” Returning from the army, he got married. “He did everything thoughtlessly: life seemed to him simple, unsophisticated, like a round Murom cucumber from the Suchan bashtans” (vegetable gardens). And later, in 1918, he left, taking his wife, to defend the Soviets. It was not possible to defend power, so he joined the partisans. Hearing the shots, Morozka crawled to the top of the hill and saw that the whites were attacking Shaldyba’s fighters, and they were running. “The enraged Shaldyba lashed with a whip in all directions and could not restrain the people. Some could be seen stealthily tearing off red bows.” Morozka is outraged seeing all this. Among the retreating Morozka saw a limping boy. He fell, but the fighters ran on. Morozka could no longer see this. He called his horse, took off on it and drove to the fallen boy. Bullets whistled all around. Morozka made his horse lie down, laid it across the wounded man’s croup and galloped off to Levinson’s detachment.
2. SWORD But Morozka did not immediately like the rescued one. “Morozka did not like clean people. In his practice, these were fickle, worthless people who could not be trusted.” Levinson ordered to take the guy to the infirmary. In the wounded man’s pocket were documents addressed to Pavel Mechik, but he himself was unconscious. He woke up only when he was being carried to the infirmary, then fell asleep until the morning. When Mechik woke up, he saw doctor Stashinsky and sister Varya with golden-blond fluffy braids and gray eyes. While dressing Mechik it was painful, but he did not scream, feeling Varya’s presence. “And all around there was a well-fed taiga silence.” Three weeks ago Mechik joyfully walked through the taiga, heading with a ticket in his boot to join the partisan detachment. Suddenly, people jumped out of the bushes, they were suspicious of Mechik, not understanding his documents due to illiteracy, first they beat him, and then accepted him into the detachment. “The people around him did not at all resemble those created by his ardent imagination. These were dirtier, lousier, tougher and more spontaneous...” They swore and fought among themselves over every trifle, mocked Swordsman. But these were not bookish people, but “living people.” Lying in the hospital, Mechik recalled everything he had experienced; he felt sorry for the good and sincere feeling with which he went to the detachment. He took care of himself with special gratitude. There were few wounded. There are two heavy ones: Frolov and Mechik. Old man Pika often talked with Mechik. Occasionally the “pretty sister” came. She sheathed and washed the entire hospital, but she treated Mechik especially “tenderly and caringly.” Pika said about her: she is “lascivious.” “Morozka, her husband, is in the detachment, and she is fornicating.” Mechik asked why his sister was like this? Pika replied: “But the jester knows her, why is she so affectionate. He can’t refuse anyone - and that’s all...”
3. THE SIXTH SENSE Morozka almost angrily thought about Mechik, why such people go to the partisans “for anything ready.” Although this was not true, there was a difficult “way of the cross” ahead. Driving past the chestnut tree, Morozka got off his horse and began hastily picking melons into a bag until his owner caught him. Khoma Egorovich Ryabets threatened to find justice for Morozka. The owner did not believe that the man whom he fed and dressed as a son was stealing his chestnuts. Levinson talked with the returning scout, who reported that Shaldyba’s detachment had been badly beaten by the Japanese, and now the partisans were holed up in the Korean winter hut. Levinson felt that something was wrong, but the scout could not say anything useful. At this time, Baklanov, Levinson’s deputy, arrived. He brought the indignant Ryabets, who spoke at length about Morozka’s act. The summoned Morozka did not deny anything. He only objected to Levinson, who ordered him to surrender his weapons. Morozka considered this too severe a punishment for stealing melons. Levinson convened a village meeting - let everyone know... Then Levinson asked Ryabets to collect bread from the village and secretly dry ten pounds of crackers, without explaining for whom. He ordered Baklanov: starting from tomorrow, increase the portion of oats for the horses.
4. ONE Morozka’s arrival at the hospital disturbed Mechik’s state of mind. He kept wondering why Morozka looked at him so disdainfully. Yes, he saved his life. But this did not give Morozka the right not to respect Mechik. Pavel was already recovering. But Frolov’s wound was hopeless. Mechik recalled the events of the last month and, covering his head with a blanket, burst into tears.
5. MEN AND THE “COAL TRIBE” Wanting to check his fears, Levinson went to the meeting in advance, expecting to hear the men’s conversations and rumors. The men were surprised that the gathering was held on a weekday, when it was busy time for mowing. They talked about their own things, not paying attention to Levinson. “He was so small, unprepossessing in appearance - he consisted entirely of a hat, a red beard and ichigs above the knees.” Listening to the men, he picked up alarming notes that he alone understood. I understood that I had to go into the taiga and hide. In the meantime, put up posts everywhere. Meanwhile, the miners also arrived. Gradually enough people gathered. Levinson joyfully greeted Dubov, the tall slaughterer. Ryabets displeasedly asked Levinson to begin. Now this whole story seemed useless and troublesome to him. Levinson insisted that this matter concerns everyone: there are many locals in the detachment. Everyone was perplexed: why did they have to steal - ask Morozok, anyone would have given him this goodness. Frost was brought forward. Dubov suggested chasing Morozka in the neck. But Goncha-renko stood up for Morozka, calling him a fighting guy who went through the entire Ussuri front. “He won’t give him away, he won’t sell him...” They asked Morozka, and he said that he did it thoughtlessly, out of habit, and gave his miner’s word that something like this would never happen again. That's what they decided on. Levinson suggested that in his free time from military operations he should not wander the streets, but help his owners. The peasants were pleased with this proposal. The help was not superfluous.
6. LEVINSON Levinson’s detachment had been on vacation for the fifth week, it had grown up with its economy, and there were many deserters from other detachments. Levinson received alarming news, and he was afraid to move on this colossus. For his subordinates, Levinson was “iron.” He hid his doubts and fears, always giving orders confidently and clearly. Levinson is a “correct” person, always thinking about business, knew his own weaknesses and people’s, and he also clearly understood: “you can lead other people only by pointing out their weaknesses and suppressing, hiding yours from them.” Soon Levinson received a “terrible relay.” She was sent by the chief of staff Sukhovey-Kovtun. He wrote about the Japanese attack, about the defeat of the main partisan forces. After this message, Levinson collected information about the surrounding situation, and outwardly remained confident, knowing what to do. The main task at this moment was “to preserve at least small, but strong and disciplined units...”. Summoning Baklanov and the nachkhoz, Levinson warned them to be ready for the detachment to move. “Be ready at any moment.” Together with business letters from the city Levinson received a note from his wife. He re-read it only at night, when all his work was completed. I wrote an answer right away. Then I went to check the posts. That same night I went to a neighboring detachment, saw its deplorable state and decided to move away.
7. ENEMIES Levinson sent Stashinsky a letter saying that the infirmary must be gradually unloaded. From that time on, people began to disperse to the villages, rolling up joyless soldier's bundles. Of the wounded, only Frolov, Mechik and Pika remained. Actually, Pika wasn’t sick with anything, he just took root at the hospital. Mechik had also already taken off the bandage from his head. Varya said that he would soon go to Levinson’s detachment. Mechik dreamed of establishing himself as a confident and efficient fighter in Levinson’s detachment, and when he returned to the city, no one would recognize him. So he will change.
8. FIRST MOVE The deserters who appeared stirred up the whole area, sowed panic, and supposedly large forces of the Japanese were coming. But reconnaissance did not find the Japanese ten miles in the area. Morozka asked Levinson to join the platoon with the guys, and instead recommended Yefimka as an orderly. Levinson agreed. That same evening Morozka moved to the platoon and was quite happy. And at night they got up on alarm - shots were heard across the river. It was a false alarm: they fired on Levinson’s orders. The commander wanted to check the combat readiness of the detachment. Then, in front of the entire detachment, Levinson announced the performance.
9. SWORDMAN IN THE TROOP Nachkhoz appeared at the hospital to prepare food in case the squad had to hide here in the taiga. On this day, Mechik stood up on his feet for the first time and was very happy. Soon he left with Pika to join the detachment. They were greeted kindly and assigned to Kubrak’s platoon. The sight of the horse, or rather the nag, that was given to him almost offended Mechik. Pavel even went to headquarters to express his dissatisfaction with the mare assigned to him. But in last moment became shy and did not say anything to Levinson. He decided to kill the mare without keeping an eye on her. “Zyuchikha became overgrown with scabs, walked around hungry, without water, occasionally taking advantage of the pity of others, and Mechik earned everyone’s dislike as “a quitter and a problem.” He only became friends with Chizh, a worthless man, and with Pika for old times’ sake. Chizh criticized Levinson, calling him short-sighted and cunning, “making capital for himself on someone else’s hump.” Mechik did not believe Chizh, but listened with pleasure to his competent speech. True, Chizh soon became unpleasant to Mechik, but there was no way to get rid of him. Chizh taught Mechik to take time off from being a day laborer, from the kitchen, Pavel began to snap, learned to defend his point of view, and the life of the detachment “passed by” him.
10. THE BEGINNING OF THE ROUTE Having climbed into a remote place, Levinson almost lost contact with other units. Having contacted the railway, the commander learned that a train with weapons and uniforms would soon arrive. “Knowing that sooner or later the detachment would be opened anyway, and it was impossible to winter in the taiga without ammunition and warm clothes, Levinson decided to make his first foray.” Dubov's detachment attacked the freight train, loaded the horses, dodged the patrols and, without losing a single soldier, returned to the parking lot. On the same day, the partisans were given overcoats, cartridges, checkers, crackers... Soon Mechik and Baklanov went on reconnaissance, wanted to test the “new guy” in action. On the way, they started talking. Mechik liked Baklanov more and more. But there was no intimate conversation. Baklanov simply did not understand Mechik’s sophisticated reasoning. In the village they ran into four Japanese soldiers: two were killed by Baklanov, one by Mechik , and the last one ran away. Having driven away from the farm, they saw the main forces of the Japanese coming out of there. Having found out everything, they drove into the detachment. The night passed anxiously, and the next morning the detachment was attacked by the enemy. The attackers had a gun, machine guns, so the partisans had nothing left to do , how to retreat into the taiga. Mechik was terrified, he waited for everything to be over, and Pika, without raising his head, fired at the tree. Mechik came to his senses only in the taiga. “It was dark and quiet here, and the strict cedar tree covered them with the dead, with mossy paws.”
11. SUFFERING Levinson’s squad takes refuge in the forest after the battle. There is a reward on Levinson's head. The squad is forced to retreat. Due to the lack of provisions, they have to steal from vegetable gardens and fields. To feed the detachment, Levinson gives the order to kill a Korean pig. For a Korean, this is food for the whole winter. In order to retreat and not drag the wounded Frolov along with him, Levinson decides to poison him. But Mechik overheard his plan and spoils the last minutes of Frolov’s life. Frolov understands everything and drinks the poison offered to him. Mechik's false humanism and pettiness are shown.
12. ROADS Frolov was buried. Pika escaped. Morozka remembers her life and is sad about Varya. Varya at this time thinks about Mechik, she sees her salvation in him, for the first time in her life she truly loved someone. Mechik does not understand any of this and, on the contrary, avoids her and treats her rudely.
13. GROSS The partisans sit and talk to the people about the peasant character. Levinson goes to inspect the patrols and runs into Mechik. Mechik tells him about his experiences, thoughts, his dislike for the squad, his lack of understanding of everything that is happening around him. Levinson tries to convince him, but all in vain. Metelitsa was sent on reconnaissance mission.
14. RECOGNITION OF METELITSKA Metelitsa went on reconnaissance. Having almost reached the right place, he meets a shepherd boy. He meets him, learns from him information about where the whites are located in the village, leaves his horse with him and goes to the village. Having crept up to the house of the white commander, Metelitsa eavesdrops, but is noticed by a sentry. Metelitsa was caught. At this time, everyone in the squad is worried about him and is waiting for his return.
15. THREE DEATHS The next day Metelitsa was taken for interrogation, but he said nothing. A public trial is held, the shepherd with whom he left the horse does not hand him over, but the boy’s owner gives Metelitsa over. Metelitsa is trying to kill the squadron leader. Metelitsa was shot. A detachment of partisans goes to the rescue of Metelitsa, but it is too late. The partisans caught and shot the man who surrendered Metelitsa. In battle, Morozok's horse is killed, and out of grief he gets drunk.
16. THE SWAMP Varya, who did not participate in the battle, returns and looks for Morozok. He finds him drunk and takes him away, calms him down, tries to make peace with him. The whites are attacking the detachment. Levinson decides to retreat into the taiga, into the swamps. The detachment quickly arranges a crossing through the swamps and, having crossed, undermines it. The detachment broke away from the pursuit of the whites, losing almost all its people.
17. NINETEEN Having broken away from the whites, the detachment decides to go to the Tudo-Vaksky tract, where the bridge is located. To avoid an ambush, they send forward a patrol consisting of Mechik and Morozka. Mechik, who was riding ahead, was caught by the White Guards, and he was able to escape from them. Morozka, who follows, dies like a hero, but at the same time warned his comrades about the ambush. A battle ensues in which Baklanov dies. Only 19 people remain from the detachment. Mechik is left alone in the taiga. Levinson with the remnants of the detachment leaves the forest.

Fadeev's novel still causes heated controversy. His heroes are real, living, but many see them as government orders and Soviet revolutionary propaganda. And although history has now turned against the “reds,” there are still millions of people in the country who are close to the position of Morozka and Levinson, but there are also those who sympathize with Mechik, they are against goodness and freedom mixed with blood.

The author wrote the novel at the age of 25, but despite this, the work was quite mature. Critics immediately noted the writer’s talent. The work brought him success and recognition, because the ideological basis of the book was very suitable for the political course of the new state. The action in "Destruction" takes place during the Civil War in the Ussuri region. Alexander Alexandrovich himself fought in the 1920s in the Far East against the army of Kolchak and Semenov and personally experienced the hardships of battle. Therefore, the descriptions of combat attacks and front-line life look so convincing and vivid, as if the reader himself witnessed these events and is now listening to the nostalgic story of a comrade of those years.

the main idea

Fadeev spoke about the main idea of ​​the work like this:

The first and main idea: in a civil war, a selection of human material occurs, everything hostile is swept away by the revolution, everything incapable of a real revolutionary struggle, accidentally falling into the camp of the revolution, is eliminated, and everything that has risen from the true roots of the revolution, from the millions of people, is tempered, grows, develops in this fight. A huge transformation of people is taking place. This transformation is taking place successfully because the revolution is led by advanced representatives of the working class - communists who clearly see the goal of the movement and who lead the more backward ones and help them re-educate.”

And, indeed, throughout the narrative, which centers on three heroes, we see how they change. The author describes in detail their experiences, dreams, desires, sufferings, thoughts. Many critics even accused Fadeev of excessive internal probing of the characters, of unnecessary “Tolstoyism”. But without this it would simply be impossible to reveal the images of Morozka, Mechik and Levinson. The writer managed to overcome the superficiality of socialist realism and preserve in literature the psychologism typical of classical Russian prose.

Morozka's image

Heroes are representatives different layers society, with different fates, but they were united by the revolution. They found themselves in the same squad, fighting the enemy side by side, experiencing similar feelings every day. The author describes in detail the development of each of them.

Morozka is a miner’s guy who has lived a physically difficult but carefree life since childhood. At the age of 12, he already started working in a mine, learned to swear and drink vodka. Fadeev writes that Morozka most likely got into the detachment thoughtlessly, it was simply impossible to do otherwise then. It turns out that he and his wife Varka appeared among the partisans by accident, unconsciously, fate itself led him there. But in the first chapter we see that Morozka values ​​​​his place in the squad and will never leave it, this has become the meaning of his worthless, aimless life. He initially has the ability to implement real honest deeds, but he can also easily commit a low act that disgraces him. Morozka does not betray his comrades, saves Mechik’s life, but then steals melons from Ryabets, with whom he slept under the same blanket and lived with him. Later Morozka changes. The author describes his development as follows: “He also thought that life was becoming more cunning, the old Suchan paths were becoming overgrown, and he had to choose the Road himself.” This suggests that the hero is already quite consciously choosing his path. Then Morozka makes his own decisions. At the trial, he promises that he will never again dare to disgrace their squad, saying that he is ready to shed blood for each of them. The soldier has long been integral part detachment, these are his closest people, for whom he gives his life without hesitation at the end of the novel. The revolution needs such people. There is no egoism in them, and they love their comrades more than themselves.

Levinson's image

Levinson is completely different. He is a detachment commander and is a role model for most partisans. Everyone considers him the strongest, bravest, smart person who always knows what to do right. In fact, Levinson grew up in an ordinary Jewish family, helped his father sell used furniture, was afraid of mice and was in many ways similar to his partisans. But he knew that he could lead people only by deeply hiding all his fears and anxieties; he must be an example for them to follow. Levinson, just like Morozka, loves his comrades more than himself and his suffering. He knows for sure that there is an important cause for which he lives and is ready to do anything.

Mechik's image

Mechik is the direct opposite of Morozka. A guy from an intelligent family, he graduated from high school and ended up in a detachment at will, only he had completely different ideas about revolution, struggle, they were too bookish and romantic. In life everything turned out differently, but Mechik did not immediately understand that this was not his environment. The author shows his long path to betrayal.

Fadeev immediately imagines him through the eyes of Morozka, who does not like such too clean people; his experience says that these are unreliable comrades who cannot be trusted. But first, Mechik wanted to fight and move; a young woman was seething inside him. hot blood. He was not immediately accepted by the partisans, since he was very different from them in appearance. Seeing real, living people - rude, dirty, uncouth - he was disappointed. The character of Mechik is written in the most detail, since it is important to know how seemingly good guys become traitors. Fadeev describes this process in detail. The author writes about him without contempt; he seems to justify his fall from grace. After all, it was the partisans themselves who did not accept him, and the main reason for this was that he belonged to a different class. He was constantly offended, mocked and made fun of. He was always, essentially, alone, and loneliness pushes people to desperate actions. Mechik, unfortunately, did not find himself in his environment, but it was no longer possible to leave on good terms. Fadeev leaves him alive, he will have to live with his betrayal. The hero will be able to justify himself, since more than anything in the world he loves only himself, just as he is. People like him have no place in the revolutionary ranks. He's too weak to fight.

Main problems

When we're talking about about a big and responsible matter, it is important to understand all its aspects and if you take on it, then stick to it until the end. If you rush around, nothing good will come of it. In this sense, the problem of betrayal is central to the novel. It is to her that the author devotes a lot of time and effort. His position is not one-sided: he does not judge, but tries to understand. So he wants to prove to people that they shouldn’t shoot from the shoulder if there is a traitor in front of them. It is necessary to take into account the reasons that prompted a person to become one. In this case, one cannot blame everything on the class failure of the intelligentsia, as Soviet literary scholars hastened to do on orders “from above.” The roots of moral crime are much deeper, because before us there are almost biblical story: Apostle Peter’s denial of his teacher. This is exactly what Mechik did, and his betrayal was also predicted. This means that the problem of moral choice has faced humanity from the very first day and still stands unchanged. Someone initially does not have the fortitude to defend their beliefs, so at a crossroads they choose a crooked path to save their life.

The author also found the courage to look at the revolution from different points of view. Some imagine it as a romantic aspiration, while others see it as a real struggle with blood, sweat and death at every turn. However, a realist risks becoming a cynic and a meat grinder, going towards the goal no matter what. And a romantic can break down and go astray at the cost of considerable sacrifices. It is important to maintain balance and perceive the revolution soberly, but at the same time obey the highest moral laws and pursue the ideal without making compromises.

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"Devastation"

The civil war is the main theme of the novel. The writer has no doubt that historical justice won in the revolution. For Fadeev, the revolution was, first of all, the beginning of a new world. What this world will be like, what laws will reign in it, largely depends on how the causes of the revolution and the tasks of the class struggle are understood.

The novel was highly praised by Soviet critics immediately after publication. M. Gorky believed that “Destruction” gives “broad, truthful and the most talented picture Civil War." But the artistic principles of the novel caused controversy. One of the subjects of dispute between literary figures of that time was psychologism. Thus, O. Brik wrote an article condemning Fadeev’s intention to disclose inner world their characters to the detriment historical accuracy in the depiction of events. He called Fadeev an “intuitionist” who wrote a novel “based on the self-instruction manual of Tolstoy and Chekhov.” A. Voronsky saw in the novel “not only Tolstoy’s construction of the phrase, but also Tolstoy’s worldview, Tolstoy’s method of depiction psychological state person." As you know, after the revolution, some artists declared a rejection of the classical heritage. Psychologism was now often recognized not as an advantage, but as a disadvantage. “A person is valuable not because of what he experiences, but because of what he does,” says the hero of the novel. Fadeev strives to explore the psychology of his heroes. This is determined by the task that the author formulated during a meeting with young readers: “What are the main ideas of the novel “Destruction”? I can define them this way, the first and main idea: in the Civil War, a selection of human material takes place, everything hostile is swept away by the revolution, everything incapable of a real revolutionary struggle, accidentally falling into the camp of the revolution, is eliminated, and everything that has risen from the true roots of the revolution is eliminated. from the millions of people, is tempered, grows, develops in this struggle. There is a huge transformation of people taking place.” This explains the artistic features of the work and the features of its psychologism. The writer's attention is directed to how his characters behave in the proposed historical conditions whether they accept the demands made by the time and the revolution. For members of the partisan detachment there is no choice. They fight in the name of the future, which is not very clear to them; they only know for sure that it will be better than the past and present.

In this regard, the image of Morozka, one of the heroes of the novel, is interesting. Actually, his presence at the center of the work is explained by the fact that he is an example of a new person undergoing a “remake.” The author spoke about him in his speech: “Morozka is a man with a difficult past... He could steal, he could swear rudely, he could lie, he could drink. All these traits of his character are undoubtedly his huge shortcomings. But in difficult, decisive moments of the struggle, he did what was necessary for the revolution, overcoming his weaknesses. The process of his participation in the revolutionary struggle was the process of forming his personality...”

Speaking about the selection of “human material”, the writer had in mind not only those who turned out to be necessary for the revolution. People “unsuitable” for building a new society are mercilessly discarded. Such a hero in the novel is Mechik. It is no coincidence that this man social background belongs to the intelligentsia and consciously joins the partisan detachment, driven by the idea of ​​the revolution as a great romantic event. Mechik’s belonging to a different class, despite his conscious desire to fight for the revolution, immediately alienates those around him. “To tell the truth, Morozka didn’t like the rescued one at first sight. Morozka did not like clean people. In his life experience, these were fickle, worthless people who could not be trusted.” This is the first certification that Mechik receives. Morozka’s doubts are consonant with the words of V. Mayakovsky: “An intellectual does not like risk, / He is as red as a radish.”

Several chapters are devoted to Mechik, one of which bears the very characteristic title “One”. Alienation from the team, feeling like an independent person is, in Fadeev’s eyes, the worst drawback. The sword cannot be remade. And the writer contemptuously notes that his hero could not even kill a pig, but he ate pork with everyone else because he was hungry. He cannot insult a woman, swear, or commit petty theft. But these advantages become disadvantages for those around him, especially since he cannot also clean a rifle, handle a horse, or generally become a fighter. Mechik’s problem is that he came to the detachment of his own free will, but he can no longer leave it when he realizes his inadequacy. He leaves the detachment only after committing betrayal.

In the ethical system of the novel, class hatred is a completely natural and valuable feeling. Peaceful life for the author of "Destruction" is at the very bottom of the value scale. The highest self-realization of man is class struggle with weapons in hand. The events that took place in public life were the cause of changes in the psychology of the heroes and close attention the author to the inner world of man.

Formulating the main thoughts of the novel “Destruction” and reflecting on the remaking of people, Fadeev wrote: “This remaking of people is happening successfully because the revolution is led by advanced representatives of the working class - communists who clearly see the goal of the movement and who lead the more backward and help them re-educate " This is how Levinson appears in the novel. Levinson reserved the right to violence because “his power is correct.” He does not know fear and doubt, and even if he knows and experiences the usual human feelings, then tries his best to hide them. He must be a leader who “leads the more backward.” This is an ideal image, corresponding not so much to the truth of life as to the author’s idea.

Describing the features of the works of the 1920s, we talked about the depiction of the revolutionary masses, the poetics of rebellion. Fadeev has not individual heroes, but a single collective, namely a collective, and not a crowd that does not have common tasks and clearly visible landmarks. The main thing in it is the presence of a unifying, high revolutionary goal. The spontaneity praised by many in those years does not at all attract Fadeev. Members of the detachment often indulge in hooligan acts (stealing melons from a chestnut tree, for example), which is evidence of their low consciousness, proof of the need to “remake” a person for a new life. The story of the theft of melons is described at the very beginning of the novel, when we still see the “former” Morozka. Overcoming spontaneity, getting rid of what was brought from the past, the mass becomes a collective. “Yes, I’ll give blood a vein for each, and it’s not like it’s a shame or anything!” - Morozka exclaims when it comes to expelling him from the squad. The comrades come out in defense of Morozka: “I’m not in defense, because you can’t play on both sides here,” the guy did a mischief, I myself suffer with him every day... But the guy, to say, is a fighter, you can’t get rid of him. He and I went through the entire Ussuri Front, on the front lines. He won’t give up his guy, he won’t sell him...” says Goncharenko. Dubov echoes him: “Do you think he’s not ours?.. They smoked in one hole... We’ve been sleeping under the same overcoat for three months!” Partnership that has passed the test is the highest value for these people.

As a collective, the members of the detachment recognize themselves in contrast to the peasants (chapter “Men and the Coal Tribe”). The entire time the detachment is in the village, the two groups of people exist separately. The people, for the sake of whose happiness the revolution was carried out, are not the most important thing in this moment. Even more than that, the interests of the revolution and the interests of the people often do not coincide; revolutionary necessity stands above the people. The partisan detachment is more necessary for the revolution, and when difficult times come, Levinson does everything for the detachment: “From that day on, Levinson no longer considered anything, if it was necessary to get food, to find an extra day of rest. He stole cows, robbed peasants’ fields and vegetable gardens, but even Morozka saw that this was not at all like stealing melons from Ryabtsev Bashtan.” The theft of melons was undertaken by Moroznaya for herself, while Levinson acts in the name of the interests of the collective, and therefore, by and large, the interests of the revolution.

Even the life of an individual - partisan Frolov, mortally wounded and therefore hindering the advance of the detachment - can be sacrificed to the interests of the collective. Social necessity for Fadeev and his hero is more important than “abstract humanism.” Once upon a time, talking about the life of an old pawnbroker and the good of humanity, Raskolnikov said: “Yes, there’s arithmetic!” Indeed, arithmetic calculations convince Raskolnikov and Levinson that they are right. But F.M. Dostoevsky rejected this approach to life, believing that one cannot buy the happiness of all mankind even at the cost of one “tear of a child.” This is an ethical imperative1 for all Russian classical literature. She always proved that the end does not justify the means. Fadeev’s ethical system is different. For him there is a higher goal - revolutionary good - that justifies any means.

Revolutionary ethics is built on a strictly rational approach to the world and man. The author of the novel himself said: “Mechik, the other “hero” of the novel, is very “moral” from the point of view of the Ten Commandments... but these qualities remain external to him, they cover up his internal egoism, lack of dedication to the cause of the working class, his purely petty individualism " There is a direct contrast here between the morality of the Ten Commandments and devotion to the working class cause. The author preaching triumph revolutionary idea, does not notice that the combination of this idea with life turns into violence against life, cruelty. For him, the professed idea is not utopian, and therefore any cruelty is justified.

Composition

The theme of Fadeev’s novel “Destruction” is a story about destinies ordinary people, that is, about the people, during one of the most dramatic periods of Russian history - during the civil war. The writer makes Ivan Morozov the main character of the work, whom his comrades call Morozka for short. He is a simple miner, a man without special talents, with a regular biography. Morozka's participation in guerrilla warfare for Soviet power in the Far East against the Kolchakites and the Japanese changes his psychology, leads to an increase in self-discipline and self-awareness, and his realized self-esteem allows him to reveal his remarkable spiritual qualities hero. Consequently, the idea of ​​the novel can be formulated this way: in the battles of the civil war, new fierce people are raised who are convinced of the justice of communist ideas and are ready to fight for their implementation, not sparing their strength and even their lives. The courage, perseverance, and will of such people are, according to Fadeev, a guarantee of invincibility Soviet power.

In “Destruction,” one event unfolds (the defeat of a partisan detachment), which is typical for the genre of the story, but this event reflects the most important historical processes in folk life, therefore, Fadeev’s small, single-event work can rightfully be called a novel. At the same time, the author focused not on epic battle scenes, but on revealing the inner world of the heroes, on acute dramatic situations in which the heroes reveal their social essence. It follows that genre originality The “destruction” was expressed in a combination of social and psychological problems.

Fadeev wrote his work at a time when in his youth Soviet literature dominated the show masses in revolutionary events, and not an individual personality, when mainly the external signs of the new hero were depicted (leather jacket and Mauser of the commissar; determination without intellectual hesitation in the Bolshevik hero), and not his spiritual appearance. In such conditions, the creation of a socio-psychological novel (description spiritual world common man and the process of “remaking” his character) became serious creative achievement Fadeeva. The novel depicts two dozen partisans: orderly Morozka, commander Levinson and his assistant Baklanov, traitor Mechik, scout Metelitsa, sister of mercy Varya, platoon commander Dubov, doctor Stashinsky, miner Goncharenko, high school student Chizh, old man Pika, mortally wounded Frolov, paramedic Kharchenko, platoon commander Kubrak, an arrogant fellow with no name, whom Levinson forced to climb into a cold river for a drowned fish, etc. All of them received memorable portraits in the novel, bright, although brief characteristics.

Show revolution through character specific person, that is, to show what the revolution has changed in man - this is what artistic and social task the writer set himself and very successfully solved it, for in the novel revolutionary events push the most ordinary people to the conscious and courageous historical creativity. The positive heroes depicted by Fadeev, before the revolution, only unquestioningly carried out the orders of their owners and various bosses, and now they themselves become “public people” (VIII); The lives of fellow partisans, and ultimately the fate of Soviet power, depend on them.

The idea of ​​the novel is expressed through the antithesis of Morozok - Mechik. The author consistently and in detail describes their relationships, actions and thoughts. On the one hand, during vital check reveals itself tall type Morozka's personality, who gradually overcomes his character flaws, realizes the inadmissibility of his frivolous actions (stealing melons, drunken brawls) and thoughtless attitude towards people (toward Varya, Goncharenko). On the other hand, as the novel’s action develops, the moral insignificance of Mechik, who accidentally found himself in a partisan detachment, a complete egoist who loves himself more than anything in the world, petty “his sufferings, his actions” (XVII). The contrast between the heroes continues until the tragic denouement of the novel, when Mechik commits betrayal, cowardly fleeing, and Morozka at the cost own life warns comrades about an ambush. Thus, a simple miner “with a difficult past” turns out to be morally superior to the cultured and educated high school student Mechik, who is incapable of love, friendship, or accomplishment of feats.

In essence, Mechik is not so much harmful as a useless, weak, weak-willed person. The lofty views he read from books did not become his convictions. It doesn’t even matter what social class he belongs to; his personal qualities are important here. Mechik’s character is manifested in the episode with the pig, which Levinson decided to take away from a Korean family in order to feed his partisans: for several days they have been eating only crackers and berries collected in the taiga. This will continue to happen, because it is impossible to find food in remote taiga places, where the detachment is trying to hide from the persecution of Kolchak’s troops. Fadeev shows how Levinson experiences an explanation with an old Korean: a crying old man on his knees begs the commander not to touch the pig, because in winter the whole family (children, women and the old man himself) will die of hunger. Mechik is indignant, observing this difficult scene from afar, but noble indignation does not prevent him from eating his piece of hot fried pork (XI).

The episode with the pig did not make a noticeable impression on Morozka, perhaps because from childhood he was accustomed to starving himself and seeing hungry people in his native mining village. Despite such "insensitivity", he did not primitive man. On the contrary, unlike Mechik, he has a strong and integral character; he is true to his convictions, although perhaps he does not even know the word. At the beginning of the novel, at a meeting where he was tried for stolen melons, he clumsily explains his feelings to his comrades: “And as Dubov said, that I (disgraced all our guys - O.P.) ... but really, brothers! - suddenly burst out from inside him, and he leaned forward, clutching his chest, and his eyes splashed with light, warm and moist... - Yes, I’ll give blood a vein for each, and it’s not like it’s a shame or what!.. "(V). At the last moment of his life, he acts exactly as he said at the meeting: he thinks not about himself, but about the partisans who were riding behind, completely trusting him, and gave the signal about the Kolchak ambush.

An important social idea is conveyed in the novel by the image of the communist Levinson, who was chosen by the partisans themselves to be the commander of the detachment. This is a man of a “special, correct breed”: “he understands everything, does everything as it should be, he doesn’t go to girls like Baklanov, he doesn’t steal melons like Morozka; he knows only one thing - business” (VI). Selfless service to the people exalts the image of Levinson. The commander takes on the most difficult decisions (give poison to the dying Frolov, lead the way through the quagmire, etc.), flexibly manages people (arranges a show trial of Morozka in order to immediately stop theft among the partisans; quietly replaces Metelitsa’s too risky military plan with his own - careful and thoughtful), in battle he does not hide behind other people’s backs, but goes ahead of the squad (attack on the village where Metelitsa died). In a word, he is not a formal, but a real leader, he understands that the partisans entrusted their lives to him, and strives to justify this trust: overcoming physical weakness, aching pain in his side, he often does not sleep for several days, checks posts and patrols, takes care of food, fodder, ammunition, etc. Meanwhile, he is still a living person, and his iron self-discipline sometimes fails: at the end of the novel he cries in front of the surviving partisans, not afraid to appear weak: “he sat with his eyes downcast, slowly blinking his long wet eyelashes, and tears rolled down his beard... People began to look away so as not to get upset themselves” (XVII).

In “Destruction,” the author is attracted not so much by the story of the defeat of a small partisan detachment, but by the deep processes occurring in people, the logic of character development in tragic circumstances when these characters reveal their social and moral essence. The significance of the characters’ internal experiences is emphasized by the composition of the novel. The first half of the work is the story of the relationship between the characters (Morozka - Mechik, Morozka - Varya, Morozka - Dubov, Morozka - Goncharenko, Morozka - Levinson, Mechik - Varya, Mechik - Levinson, Mechik - Pika, Mechik - Chizh, etc.) . In the second half of the novel, the heroes show their personal qualities in deadly battles. When the detachment attacks the Kolchakites near the village where Metelitsa died, the author first depicts Baklanov; then Levinson in front of the dismounted partisans; Mechik, carried away by the attack and dropped into the grove; Frost, frozen over the killed Mishka (XV). Not a single event is described in itself, but is necessarily taken as a cause or consequence of the emotional experiences of the heroes.

The three main characters are revealed in the novel through different psychological techniques: background, psychological portrait, psychological landscape, internal monologue, “dialectics of the soul.” The last technique is especially important, because the depiction of the characters of Morozka, Mechik, Levinson is complemented by the development of characters. Moreover, only the image of Mechik can be considered fully revealed, or rather, exposed. In relation to Morozka and Levinson, Fadeev fundamentally refuses to complete the image. Morozka dies at a time when he had just set out on the right path in life, had chosen worthy comrades for himself, seriously assessed his past, and had just begun to understand that something in the world depended on him, an ordinary miner and partisan. The diehard communist Levinson used to be afraid to show his human weaknesses (bad feeling, fatigue, even tears), and by the end of the novel he becomes more open in communicating with people. This openness does not in any way affect the respect that the partisans have for the commander. This is how the author makes it clear main idea of his novel: a person becomes morally stronger in the revolutionary struggle.

So, the above reasoning confirms that Fadeev’s “Destruction” is a socio-psychological novel. In it, the author describes the civil war as the most important socio-historical conflict that affects the entire society and every person. A. Serafimovich in the novel “Iron Stream” (1924) showed the psychology of the revolutionary mass, united from many individuals. D.A. Furmanov in the novel “Chapaev” (1923) depicted the influence of the revolution on fate outstanding personality from the people. A.A. Fadeev placed the most ordinary (average) person from the people at the center of the novel “Destruction” (1927) and noted in his soul the sprouts of a new, communist consciousness, when personal interests are subordinated to public ones, spontaneity is subordinated to party discipline, universal morality is replaced by class, proletarian morality. This is how Fadeev reflected his time when communist morality seemed the most true and fair: the collectivism of the proletarian Morozka is contrasted with the individualism of the intellectual Mechik as correct social behavior is wrong.

But it would be wrong to consider that the novel is directed against the intelligentsia in general (such interpretations are found in Soviet criticism of the 30s - 50s). Mechik and Levinson are intellectuals, but communist conviction and remarkable personal qualities allowed Levinson, according to the author, to influence the course historical events(the struggle of the partisan detachment under the command of Levinson brings the victory of Soviet power closer). And Mechik’s lack of ideas and characterlessness allowed him to play only the pitiful and shameful role of a traitor in the same events.

Soviet ideological guidelines, of course, are present in the novel, but do not express its main content (“Destruction,” after all, is not an ideological, but a socio-psychological novel) and do not cancel it artistic merit: good plot and compositional construction, bright images main and minor characters, convincing psychological revelation of characters. We can say that "Devastation" is a novel of characters, not events. The writer embodied the most important ideas of his time in the characters, in their actions, in spiritual development and the opposition of their characters.

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In the socio-psychological novel “Destruction,” the author talks about the years of the Civil War. The composition and plot of the work are constructed in such a way that it is possible to clearly and fully show the sprouts of a new consciousness in the souls of the fighters of the partisan detachment. According to the author, this is an inevitable result of revolutionary events. Fadeev, proving this idea, combined two various genres- epic and novel. Therefore, the plot of the work turned out to be very branched, in which various characters and events are intertwined.

Background to the creation of the novel

Alexander Fadeev became a writer of the “new era”. To reflect reality, he tried to show the corresponding mood and introduced new images into literature. The writer’s task was to create a hero of the revolution who would be understandable to a new, mostly illiterate, reader. According to the plan, the thoughts and language of the book should have been accessible to people without sufficient education. It was necessary to approach issues of spiritual values ​​differently, to present such concepts as humanism, love, loyalty, duty, struggle, heroism from a different perspective.

Date of writing

At this turning point for the country, from 1924 to 1926, Alexander Fadeev wrote the novel “Destruction,” which “grew” from the story “Blizzard.” Writers who dedicated their works to the Civil War tried to somehow “smooth out” sharp corners, restrained their heroes, not allowing them to sink to the limit. In Fadeev, on the contrary, the heroes are merciless, dishonest and cruel. The terrible conditions in which they find themselves are justified by his characters by the fact that it serves the protection and victory of the revolution. By serving a higher idea, they justify all actions and crimes, assuring themselves that the end justifies the means. Such moral principles and are guided by Fadeev's heroes.

The idea of ​​the novel

Fadeev defined the main idea of ​​the work “Destruction” something like this: “In war, people are hardened. Those who cannot fight are eliminated.” Of course, from the position today, such an assessment of the Civil War is unfair. But the author’s undoubted merit is that he was able to show the Civil War from the inside. And in the foreground of his novel is not military action, but man. It is no coincidence that the author chose the time when the detachment was defeated for the description. Fadeev wanted to show not only the successes, but also the failures of the Red Army. In dramatic events, people's characters are revealed most deeply. This is the story of the creation of Fadeev’s “Destruction”.

Theme of the work

The action of the novel takes place in the Far East, where the author himself fought in those years. But in the foreground is not the historical component, but socio-psychological problems. A partisan detachment, war is only a background for displaying the inner world of heroes, internal conflicts and psychology. The plot of the novel is very complex, and in a short period - from the beginning of the defeat to the breakthrough - the different characters of the heroes emerge, as well as the author’s attitude towards them. Several figures - Levinson, Morozka, Metelitsa and Mechik - occupy a central place in Fadeev's work "Destruction".

Let's look at the characteristics of the heroes in more detail. All of them are in equal conditions, which most accurately allows us to judge the characters of these characters and their actions.

Squad leader

Levinson - true hero time. He is the embodiment of the heroic in the novel. Born and raised in a worker-peasant environment, he dedicated his entire life to serving the people. In the soul of this man lives a dream of light and strong man- this is exactly what, in his opinion, it should be new person revolution. The detachment commander is a man of duty, “special”, cold and unshakable, “of the right breed”, putting only business above all else. He knew that people would follow a strong and confident person. And he knew how to be one.

Levinson quickly makes decisions, acts confidently, does not share his feelings and thoughts with anyone, “presents ready-made yes or no.” His heroism is based on an unshakable belief in his ideals; the ultimate goal is justified “even death.” This confidence gives him the moral right to carry out cruel orders. For the sake of a great idea, a lot can be allowed: to take away the only pig from a Korean family with six children (after all, isn’t the detachment fighting for their future?); poison a wounded comrade, otherwise he will slow down the squad’s retreat...

But it is not easy for Levinson to remain cold and unapproachable: he suffers when he learns about the murder of Frolov, and does not hide his tears when he learns about the death of young Baklanov. He feels sorry for the Korean, and his children, and his own, suffering from scurvy and anemia, but he stops at nothing, the main thing for him is to carry out the task of the Bolshevik center. He thinks about the future and the present: “How can you talk about wonderful person, if millions of people are forced to live unbearably meager and miserable lives?

Blizzard

The former shepherd Metelitsa also stands out in the work. The pride of the entire detachment is platoon leader Metelitsa, whom the commander appreciates for his “extraordinary tenacity” and “vitality.” He became one of the main characters only towards the middle of the novel. The author explained this by saying that he saw the need to reveal in more detail the character of this hero. It was too late to reshape the novel, and the episode with this character somewhat disrupted the harmony of the narrative. Metelitsa is clearly sympathetic to the author of the work “Destruction” - Alexander Alexandrovich Fadeev. Firstly, this can be seen from the appearance of the hero: a slender hero, he had “extraordinary value” and “ life force" Secondly, the hero’s lifestyle - he lives as he wants, does not limit himself in anything, is hot, brave and decisive person. Thirdly, the actions of Metelitsa prove the positive individuality of this hero: he fearlessly goes on reconnaissance, behaves with dignity in captivity, and accepts death for the sake of others. He is brave and decisive.

While in captivity, Metelitsa calmly reflects on death and wants only one thing - to die with dignity. He behaves proudly and independently and rushes to save the shepherd boy, who did not want to hand the scout over to the whites. Metelitsa's bravery admires those around him. He was like that even before the war, in working life, and the revolution helped the hero not to lose his best qualities. In the novel, he is like Levinson’s complement: Metelitsa’s determination seems to complement the commander’s doubts and experience. This is evident from how cleverly the commander replaces Metelitsa’s rapid plan with a more cautious and calm one. Having been captured, he realizes the hopelessness of his situation. But he behaves like a real hero and wants to show those who will kill him that he “is not afraid and despises them.” According to the author, new hero and must be imbued with class hatred, which is capable of making a real hero out of an ordinary fighter.

Morozka

Ivan Morozov, or Morozka as he is called, did not look for easy ways in life. This is a broken and talkative guy of about twenty-seven, a miner. He always followed long-established paths. Morozka feels compassion for Mechik and saves him. Morozka showed courage, but still considered Mechik to be somehow “clean” and despised this man. The guy is greatly offended that Varya falls in love with Mechik, he indignantly asks: “And with whom? In this, mom’s?” And with contempt he calls his opponent “yellow-mouthed,” out of pain and anger. In personal relationships he fails. Ivan has no one closer to Varya, so he seeks salvation in the detachment, from his comrades.

When he steals melons, he is very afraid that he will be kicked out of the squad for this offense. For him, even the thought of this is unbearable, he lives the life of the detachment so closely, he has become accustomed to these people. And he has nowhere to go. At the meeting he says that he would “give his blood a drop at a time” for each of them without hesitation. He respects his commanders - Levinson, Dubov, Baklanov - and tries to imitate them. They also saw in the guy not only a good fighter, but also a good-natured, sympathetic person, and they supported and trusted him in everything. It was he who was sent on the last reconnaissance mission. And Morozka justifies their trust - at the cost of his life, he warns his comrades about the danger. Even in his last moments he thinks about others. This is why Fadeev loves the main character of “Destruction” - for devotion and courage, for kindness, because Morozka did not take revenge on Mechik for Varya.

Mechik

Heroic images Frost and Snowstorm are contrasted with the image of Mechik. This is a nineteen-year-old boy who came to the detachment voluntarily to please his vanity. In order to prove himself somehow, he rushes to the hottest places. He fails to get close to the members of the squad, because he loves himself first of all. He began to think about desertion, although no one forced him to join the detachment - he came on his own. This means only one thing: he came here not to serve a cause, but simply to show off his valor. He stands as if apart from the rest. And when he deserts, the reader is not surprised.

Levinson calls Mechik weak and lazy, “a worthless empty flower.” He deserved this attitude. An egoist who values ​​himself highly does not in any way confirm this with his actions. At decisive moments, he, without realizing it, acts meanly. His selfish nature was already revealed when he allowed someone to step on a photograph of a girl, and then tore it up himself. He became angry with his horse for its unattractive appearance and stopped caring for the animal, condemning it to unfitness. It is Mechik who is to blame for Morozka’s death. The scary thing is that after the betrayal, he is tormented not by the thought of the death of his friends, but by the fact that he, Mechik, “stained” his spotless soul.

And yet, in Alexander Fadeev’s novel “Destruction,” he is not the embodiment of evil. Most likely, the reason for his failures is that Mechik comes from a different social class, a representative of the “rotten intelligentsia.” He is not instilled with the traits inherent in other members of the detachment, who for the most part come from the people - rude, courageous, loyal to the people and loving them. The desire for beauty is alive in Mechik. He was shocked by Frolov's death. He is inexperienced, young and afraid of not being liked by those among whom he will live. Perhaps this makes him act so unnaturally.

Comrades in arms

Continuing the analysis of Fadeev’s “Destruction”, let’s get acquainted with the members of the detachment. Those who surround Levinson are just as dedicated to the idea. His assistant Baklanov imitates the commander in everything. Platoon leader Dubov, a former miner, an honest and devoted person who can be sent to the most responsible areas. Demoman Goncharenko is a shrewd and reliable Red Army soldier.

Levinson's ordinary comrades know their inner strength, but, burdened with the daily bustle, they “feel their weakness” and “entrust” themselves to stronger comrades like Baklanov, Dubov, Levinson. As the analysis of “Destruction” showed, Fadeev, in order to more clearly highlight the heroic in the characters, creates anti-heroic images such as Chizh and Mechik. They are happy to evade “the day job, the kitchen,” retreat or betray, they are always so “clean” and “with correct speech.”

Plot of the novel

We continue the analysis of Fadeev’s “Destruction”. The epic plot of the novel is based on the story of the defeat of a partisan detachment. The exhibition shows a respite from the war in the Far East, when a partisan detachment settled down to rest. The plot of the work is the receipt from headquarters of a package with instructions - “to preserve small but strong combat units.” The development of the action in the work is the maneuvers of the detachment, which breaks away from the Kolchakites and Japanese pursuing it. The ring of encirclement shrinks irreparably, and the climax of the novel is a night battle in the swamp, in which who and what is is tested. Immediately after the climax follows the denouement - the remnants of the detachment, having got out of the swamps, are ambushed and almost all die under machine-gun fire. Only nineteen fighters remain alive.

Composition of the work

Concluding the analysis of Fadeev’s “Destruction”, let’s consider the composition of the novel, which has some features. One of them is the leisurely unfolding of events. Almost the entire work is a kind of development of action, and only in the last two chapters are the climax and denouement. This construction is explained genre feature works. "Destruction" is a socio-psychological novel, the purpose of which is to depict human characters and significant changes in the consciousness of the heroes during the revolutionary struggle. The peculiarity of the novel is also that Fadeev skillfully interweaves an epic plot and individual storylines heroes.

For example, Morozka’s backstory is introduced at the moment when he goes with a package to Shaldyba’s detachment. It is this pause of events, while the orderly is driving, that the author fills with a story about past life hero. In the same way, the author depicted many significant details from the former lives of Mechik, Baklanov, Levinson, Varya, Metelitsa, Dubov. Thanks to this construction, Fadeev’s characters turned out to be bright and convincing. The author chose a direct narrative order, where each chapter is an independent story, in the center of which is a separate character.

The novel “Destruction” is structured very well and has a dynamic plot. At the same time, the author does not limit himself to the chronicle of the defeat of Levinson’s detachment; the characters of the heroes and the problems of Fadeev in “Destruction” are revealed not only through the general plot, but also through their interaction and comparison.