Thesis plan for the history of one city. But besides them, they also fought for power

// Analysis of Saltykov-Shchedrin’s novel “The History of a City”

The great satirist Saltykov-Shchedrin created a unique work, “The History of a City.” Its genre is a satirical novel, but the author creates the illusion that the reader is looking at a real chronicle found in some archive. Saltykov-Shchedrin writes that he is simply the publisher of a manuscript about the history of a city. Thanks to this technique, this story seems real, although it contains grotesque and fantastic elements.

The novel condemns the autocracy of Tsarist Russia. The kings and his entourage are depicted as mayors of the fictional city of Foolov.

Life in Foolov is depicted as comical and scary at the same time. Residents have long come to terms with all the oddities of their mayors. And no matter how unjust the power is, they are afraid to be left without it.

All the mayors in the novel personify different sides of autocracy. The author creates a large gallery of images of city leaders. Separately, there is a brief description of them. The most striking characters are, Scoundrels,.

The novel is replete with satirical techniques: grotesque, irony, humor. In addition, fantasy occupies an important place in the work, which contrasts reality. And what at first seems completely unrealistic is then revealed as a deep symbol. For example, the appearance of Mayor Brudasty has a frankly fantastic element - an organ instead of a head. Naturally, the fact that a person lives without a head is a fiction. However, in a figurative sense, we understand that the author is hinting at the stupidity and extreme limitations of this mayor. Busty, having no head, does the same as many other full-fledged city managers. His favorite thing was to scratch some papers with a pen, after which many residents were whipped and ruined. All that was written on his organ was “I won’t tolerate it and I’ll ruin it!” And this was enough to keep all citizens in fear and submission. This method of control did not require great intelligence, only cruelty brought to the point of automatism. The image of Brudasty is a satire on the soullessness and limitations of many real rulers under autocracy.

The city ruler, Basilisk Wartkin, is also of interest. He was known for trying to forcefully impose enlightenment. When the city went bankrupt after his efforts, Wartkin began a war against enlightenment. Such tyranny, covered up with good goals, looks very realistic. And even fantastic images of bloody tin soldiers only emphasize the terrifying reality. With their help, the chief ruins more than thirty villages and earns only a few rubles for it.

The pimple, nicknamed Stuffed Head, is an image that personifies the internal illnesses of society, which come out as rottenness.

But the most cruel image is shown in the person of Gloomy-Burcheev. This mayor used all possible power to please himself. Under him, the city of Foolov turned into an “ideal” barracks, where all residents had to constantly march beautifully.

They seem very different, but they are equally ridiculous and cruel. An important common feature is that all managers are essentially ordinary dolls, controlled by low instincts. All they do is ruin the residents and suppress fake riots. In other words, all the mayors want is money, all they fear is losing power. The author describes the characters succinctly, giving each a bright, strange feature. He meticulously describes the appearance of the mayors, but does not give a psychological portrait. And this is not just like that. The heroes of the novel do not have any deep feelings. After all, they are simple puppets. Thus, the author hints at the soullessness of the autocracy in Tsarist Russia of his time.

Saltykov-Shchedrin exposes the autocracy in a sophisticated satirical form. He could not accept that his people agreed to live in fear. The author condemns such humility and lack of education. Saltykov-Shchedrin does not make fun of ordinary people, but only points out the qualities that prevent them from living well. By depicting the patient residents of Foolov in the novel, the author showed that it is their silent patience that allows strange and cruel mayors to rule.

The main idea of the novel is criticism of the “Fool” structure of society and faith in progress.

This is the story of a city that was ruled by mayors for a hundred years. Saltykov-Shchedrin wrote his novel in 1870. A very specific work, difficult to read. At the very beginning, the author reports that he has long wanted to write the history of a city. But all the time he “didn’t get around to it”: he had little truthful material. He rummaged through the archives of the city of Foolov and found a bunch of notebooks about it. They contained biographies of city governors, which, according to Saltykov-Shchedrin, are authentic. The novel does not talk about everyone, but only about those who stood out in some way.

The satirical novel presents the appearance of the city and the various changes that were simultaneously taking place in the highest circles of power. This work, through exaggeration, humor and sarcasm, shows the history of Russian society in the second half of the 19th century.

Summary Saltykov-Shchedrin History of one city in chapters

Over its hundred-year history, 22 mayors have changed. And the archivists who compiled the chronicle wrote truthfully about all of them. The city traded in kvass, liver and boiled eggs. It is located on seven mountains.

About the origin of the Foolovites

The history of the city is connected with the people who were called bunglers. Other tribes lived nearby. They constantly fought among themselves, then made peace. Endless wars have devastated all lands. The bunglers realized that they needed to change the situation, and defeated all the tribes.

But there was still no order among them. They decided to look for a prince for themselves. The first one they approached turned the bunglers down. For their endless quarrels, he called them stupid and advised them to look for a prince like himself. The offended bunglers spent three years searching for the stupid ruler.

One of the tribesmen said that he had a friend - a thief-novotor. He will find the right prince. This innovation led the Foolovites behind him. The third prince gave his consent, but with the condition: he would not go to live with them, but would manage the city from his residence. Instead of himself, he left the novotor in charge.

The bunglers agreed to such a government. And also that they will pay tribute to the prince-ruler, go to war and be called Foolovites. Returning home, they founded the city of Foolov.

The townspeople were obedient, but the novotorov needed to show that he knew how to restore order. Therefore, he periodically organized riots to pacify them. But in the end he stole so much that the prince decided to execute him. But I didn’t have time. Novotor killed himself: he stabbed himself with a cucumber.

After this, the prince repeatedly sent his governor-rulers to the city. But they all turned out to be thieves. When the prince got tired of this, he himself came to Foolov. Further in the novel there is a list of 22 mayors, when they ruled and what they are remembered for.

Organ

In August 1762, a new boss arrived in the city - Dementy Varlamovich Brudasty. The Foolovites rejoiced, expecting reforms and improvements from him. But Brudasty turned out to be silent and gloomy. The boss locked himself in his office, creating the appearance of work. When he came out, he uttered only one phrase: “I will not tolerate it!”

People did not understand him and were afraid, whispering that Brudasty was a werewolf. It became known that watchmaker and organ maker Baibakov often visits the mayor. The Foolovites wondered why Brudasty needed this drunkard. But the chief did not react to the townspeople’s questions and remained stubbornly silent.

One day Brudasty invited the entire local intelligentsia to a reception. He came out to them with a smile, but could not say his cherished phrase and ran away. And he would have been the mayor for a long time, if not just one case.

One morning an official came into his office with a report. He saw the sitting body of Brudasty and his empty head lying on the table. The official quickly ran out in fear. The residents who learned about this incident understood that an empty-headed person could not rule the city.

Master Baibakov told them that in the head of the mayor there was a small organ that could only play two melodies, “I will ruin” and “I will not tolerate.” While he got to Foolov, Busty's head broke a little. Baibakov took it with him, repaired it and returned it. But all attempts were in vain, then the master advised to contact St. Petersburg with a request to send a new head.

The Tale of the Six City Leaders

Brudasty did so, but the parcel was still not delivered. The mayor's assistant sent a telegram to the capital, expecting an explanation, and locked up Brudasty's body for now. Anarchy began in Foolov: people stopped working, murders began. But a holy place is never empty, and others, women at that, decided to become mayors.

During seven days without a boss, six representatives of the fair sex took turns considering themselves rulers of the city. The first was a childless widow. The second adventurer’s father was once a mayor. The third contender was German, the fourth was Polish. Dunka and Matryonka came to power at the same time. All the rulers ended their lives tragically.

News about Dvoekurov

On the seventh day, a new mayor, Semyon Konstantinovich Dvoekurov, arrived in Foolov. He ruled the city for 8 years. This was one of the best times in the history of Foolov. But there were very few records about Dvoekurov in the chronicles. Most likely, subsequent mayors tried to remove information about the worthy person.

Hungry City

For 6 years under the mayor Pyotr Petrovich Ferdyshchenko, everything was fine in Glupov. But in the seventh year of his reign, a demon possessed him, and he began to restore order. He sent to Siberia, along with thieves and robbers, the innocent husband of a girl who for a long time did not want to become Ferdyshchenko’s mistress.

Soon after this, an unprecedented drought began in the city, causing famine. The residents attributed this divine punishment to the mayor’s sins. And he wrote letters asking to send bread or soldiers to maintain order. But there was no answer, and people continued to die of hunger. Periodic riots and fires occurred in the city. The people were dissatisfied with the immoral behavior of the mayor. Ferdyshchenko died from gluttony and drunkenness.

Wars for enlightenment

After 7 days, a new mayor arrived - Vasilisk Semenovich Borodavkin. With him began the golden age of Foolov. Wartkin was a very active figure. He slept with one eye open, which frightened even his wife. He carried out educational reforms by ruining and devastating his people. Wartkin died a natural death to the joy of all Foolovites.

The era of retirement from wars

At the beginning of the 19th century, the reign of Negodyaev ended. Nothing remarkable happened in 4 years. After him there was Mikaladze. His reign was calm. And he died of exhaustion.

Feofilakt Irinarkhovich Benevolensky is the next, 15th mayor. He loved to write laws, but as a mayor he did not have the right to pass them. Then he began to compose sermons that were read in churches by priests. The next step was to write their own constitution. This was prevented by the stormy correspondence between Benevolensky and the French Emperor Napoleon. He was arrested for treason against the Fatherland.

Worship of Mammon and repentance

The next mayor was Lieutenant Colonel Pyshch. He had a stuffed head, thanks to which the Foolovites lived well. Pimple was eaten by a local cannibal. State Councilor Ivanov is the 17th mayor. He was short and quickly disappeared from the city.

He was replaced by Viscount du Chariot from France. He was a merry fellow: he ate a lot and organized masquerades. Under him, the Foolovites began construction of the tower, but never finished it. When the mayor was dismissed, it turned out that du Chariot was a woman.

Nothing is known about the 19th chief. State Councilor Erast Andreevich Grustilov became the 20th mayor. Under him, parasitism flourished in Foolov. The people became religious. A group of sectarians led by the mayor gathered in an abandoned house to read sermons, conduct mystical rituals and cult dances.

Conclusion

After Grustilov's dismissal, Ugryum-Burcheev appeared. Residents nicknamed the new mayor Satan. He slept on bare ground, used a stone instead of a pillow, and marched for 3 hours every day, giving commands to himself. Gloomy-Burcheev wanted to rebuild the city according to his wishes: in the middle there was a square with street radii extending from it. He opposed the spread of literacy.

The grandiose plans of the new boss included the destruction of the city and the construction of a new one. The new city was named Nepreklonsk. When construction was completed, something similar to an earthquake happened, and Ugryum-Burcheev disappeared into thin air.

This is where the story of the mayors of one city ended. The novel ends with exculpatory documents from various rulers. These are wishes for your followers.

Picture or drawing The story of a city

History of creation

The concept and idea of the novel “The History of a City” was formed gradually. In 1867, the writer wrote a fairytale-fantastic work, “The Story of the Governor with a Stuffed Head,” which later formed the basis for the chapter “The Organ.” In 1868, Saltykov-Shchedrin began working on “The History of a City” and completed it in 1870. Initially, the author wanted to give the work the title “Foolish Chronicler.” The novel was published in the then popular magazine Otechestvennye zapiski.

The plot of the work

(Illustrations by the creative team of Soviet graphic artists "Kukryniksy")

The narration is told on behalf of the chronicler. He talks about the inhabitants of the city who were so stupid that their city was given the name “Fools”. The novel begins with the chapter “On the Roots of the Origin of the Foolovites,” which gives the history of this people. It tells in particular about a tribe of bunglers, who, after defeating the neighboring tribes of bow-eaters, bush-eaters, walrus-eaters, cross-bellied people and others, decided to find a ruler for themselves, because they wanted to restore order in the tribe. Only one prince decided to rule, and even he sent an innovative thief in his place. When he was stealing, the prince sent him a noose, but the thief was able to somehow get out of it and stabbed himself with a cucumber. As you can see, irony and grotesque coexist perfectly in the work.

After several unsuccessful candidates for the role of deputies, the prince came to the city in person. Having become the first ruler, he started the countdown of the “historical time” of the city. It is said that twenty-two rulers with their achievements ruled the city, but the Inventory lists twenty-one. Apparently, the missing one is the founder of the city.

Main characters

Each of the mayors fulfills his task in implementing the writer’s idea through the grotesque to show the absurdity of their rule. Many types show traits of historical figures. For greater recognition, Saltykov-Shchedrin not only described the style of their rule, comically distorted their surnames, but also gave apt characteristics pointing to the historical prototype. Some personalities of city governors represent images collected from the characteristic features of different persons in the history of the Russian state.

Thus, the third ruler, Ivan Matveevich Velikanov, famous for drowning the director of economic affairs and introducing taxes of three kopecks per person, was exiled to prison for an affair with Avdotya Lopukhina, the first wife of Peter I.

Brigadier Ivan Matveyevich Baklan, the sixth mayor, was tall and proud to be a follower of the line of Ivan the Terrible. The reader understands that this refers to the bell tower in Moscow. The ruler found his death in the spirit of the same grotesque image that fills the novel - the foreman was broken in half during a storm.

The personality of Peter III in the image of Guard Sergeant Bogdan Bogdanovich Pfeiffer is indicated by the characteristic given to him - “a Holstein native”, the style of government of the mayor and his outcome - removed from the post of ruler “for ignorance”.

Dementy Varlamovich Brudasty was nicknamed “Organchik” for the presence of a mechanism in his head. He kept the city in fear because he was gloomy and withdrawn. When trying to take the mayor's head to the capital's craftsmen for repairs, it was thrown out of the carriage by a frightened coachman. After Organchik's reign, chaos reigned in the city for 7 days.

A short period of prosperity for the townspeople is associated with the name of the ninth mayor, Semyon Konstantinovich Dvoekurov. A civilian adviser and innovator, he took up the appearance of the city and started a honey and brewing business. Tried to open an academy.

The longest reign was marked by the twelfth mayor, Vasilisk Semenovich Wartkin, who reminds the reader of the style of rule of Peter I. The character’s connection with a historical figure is indicated by his “glorious deeds” - he destroyed the Streletskaya and Dung settlements, and difficult relations with the eradication of the ignorance of the people - he spent four wars for education and three - against. He resolutely prepared the city for burning, but suddenly died.

By origin, a former peasant Onufriy Ivanovich Negodyaev, who, before serving as mayor, stoked furnaces, destroyed the streets paved by the former ruler and erected monuments on these resources. The image is copied from Paul I, as evidenced by the circumstances of his removal: he was dismissed for disagreeing with the triumvirate regarding the constitutions.

Under State Councilor Erast Andreevich Grustilov, Foolov's elite was busy with balls and nightly meetings with the reading of the works of a certain gentleman. As in the reign of Alexander I, the mayor did not care about the people, who were impoverished and starving.

The scoundrel, idiot and “Satan” Gloomy-Burcheev has a “speaking” surname and is “copied” from Count Arakcheev. He finally destroys Foolov and decides to build the city of Neprekolnsk in a new place. When attempting to implement such a grandiose project, the “end of the world” occurred: the sun went dark, the earth shook, and the mayor disappeared without a trace. This is how the story of “one city” ended.

Analysis of the work

Saltykov-Shchedrin, with the help of satire and grotesquery, aims to reach the human soul. He wants to convince the reader that human institutions must be based on Christian principles. Otherwise, a person’s life can be deformed, disfigured, and in the end can lead to the death of the human soul.

“The History of a City” is an innovative work that has overcome the usual boundaries of artistic satire. Each image in the novel has pronounced grotesque features, but is at the same time recognizable. Which gave rise to a flurry of criticism against the author. He was accused of “slander” against the people and rulers.

Indeed, the story of Foolov is largely copied from Nestor’s chronicle, which tells about the time of the beginning of Rus' - “The Tale of Bygone Years.” The author deliberately emphasized this parallel so that it becomes obvious who he means by the Foolovites, and that all these mayors are by no means a flight of fancy, but real Russian rulers. At the same time, the author makes it clear that he is not describing the entire human race, but specifically Russia, reinterpreting its history in his own satirical way. 

However, the purpose of creating the work Saltykov-Shchedrin did not make fun of Russia. The writer’s task was to encourage society to critically rethink its history in order to eradicate existing vices. The grotesque plays a huge role in creating an artistic image in the work of Saltykov-Shchedrin. The main goal of the writer is to show the vices of people that are not noticed by society.

The writer ridiculed the ugliness of society and was called a “great scoffer” among such predecessors as Griboedov and Gogol. Reading the ironic grotesque, the reader wanted to laugh, but there was something sinister in this laughter - the audience “felt like a scourge lashing itself.”

Saltykov-Shchedrin is called one of the most famous and great Russian satirists of the 19th century.

And the key work with which the work of Saltykov-Shchedrin is associated is “The History of a City,” filled with symbolism and subtle satire.

Saltykov-Shchedrin began writing the masterpiece of social satire in 1868, and in 1870 “The History of a City” was completed.

Naturally, the idea and main theme of this satirical work caused a certain resonance not only in literary circles, but also in much wider, completely different circles of society.

The art of satire in “The Story of a City”

The focus of Saltykov-Shchedrin’s work is the history of the city of Foolov and its people, who are called Foolovites. Initially, critics and many readers perceived the general concept of the story and its satirical motives as a depiction of Russia's past - the 18th century.

But the writer intended to depict the general system of national autocracy, which applies both to the past and to the pitiful present. The life of the city of Foolov and the consciousness of its population is an extensive caricature of the life and government structure of all of Russia, as well as the behavior and meaning of existence of Russians.

The central character of the story is the people themselves, whose image the writer reveals wider and wider with new chapters. A more detailed picture of Saltykov-Shchedrin’s critical attitude towards society can be seen with the help of the mayors, who constantly change throughout the narrative.

Images of mayors

The images of mayors are different, but similar in their limitations and absurdity. The foolish Brudasty is despotic, limited in his mind and awareness of reality, he is an accurate example of an autocratic system that absorbs human feelings and souls on its way.

And the mayor Pyshch, whose name speaks for itself, is represented by the image of “a head living separately from the body.” Saltykov-Shchedrin symbolically showed how his head was once eaten by an official.

The author grotesquely ridicules the activities of another mayor - Ugryum-Burcheev - in the “military populations” he organized and in the way of thinking, which represented “what I want, I do.”

Grotesque, pathos, Aesopian language as a means of depicting reality

The power of Saltykov-Shchedrin’s creativity can be called the power of satirical exposure of that reality, which to many people, out of habit and spinelessness, seems to be the norm.

The most paradoxical thing is that what he described turns out to be the real truth, despite all the grotesque and pathos used by the writer as a means of depicting the past and present.

The parody that the writer creates in “The History of a City” is so accurate and skillfully played that it has nothing to do with absurdity and simple humor.

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The story describes the life of the city of Foolov for a hundred years until 1825. During this time, the chronicle of the city was kept by four archivists. The history of Foolov is directly related to the period of rule of various mayors. In the first prehistoric chapter, the author examines the question of the origin of the city's population. The people of the bunglers were able to defeat other tribes. The bunglers decided to find a prince to rule them. Many rulers refused to rule over stupid people. One of them agreed, but did not live in the city, leaving in his place a governor, a novotor. The governor turned out to be a thief. The prince sent a noose to the dishonest newcomer. But he did not wait and stabbed himself with a cucumber. After this, the prince appointed several more rulers in his place. But they all stole terribly. The prince himself arrived in Foolov and from that moment a historical period began in the life of the city. Further in the work there is a description of the mayors of Foolov, and the biographies of the most significant ones are told.

Dementy Varlamovich Brudasty was very gloomy and taciturn. He always used two phrases: “I will not tolerate it and I will ruin it.” One day the clerk saw an incredible picture. The busty man was sitting at the table as usual, but his head lay separately and was completely empty. It turned out that the mayor’s head contained only two organs with melodies: I won’t tolerate it and I’ll ruin it. But somehow, due to the dampness, the head became unusable. Watchmaker Baibakov ordered a new head in the capital. But she didn’t come on time, so Brudasty was headless.

After this, two self-proclaimed bosses found themselves in the city. A messenger from the province quickly picked them up. And Foolov plunged into anarchy. For a week, the city was governed by six female mayors. Residents quickly got tired of such confusion. Semyon Konstantinovich Dvoekurov became the new mayor. His activities for the city had a positive impact; he even dreamed of opening an academy in the city.

Pyotr Petrovich Ferdyshchenko ruled the city very smoothly for the first six years; Foolov flourished during these years. But then the mayor was confused by a demon. He was inflamed with feelings for the coachman's wife Alenka. She refused the mayor. Then Ferdyshchenko exiled her husband to Siberia, and Alenka had to submit. But as punishment for such actions, drought came to the city, followed by famine. Residents then threw Alenka from the bell tower. Ferdyshchenko wrote various letters to his superiors, and a detachment of soldiers even arrived in Glupov. When the mayor fell in love with Domashka again, severe fires began in the city. The ruler got scared and refused Domashka. Ferdyshchenko's power ended during the trip when he died from overeating.

Vasilisk Semyonovich Borodavkin became the new mayor. He considered himself an intelligent ruler and even waged wars to educate the people. During his reign, Foolov began to decline.

Another ruler, Theophylact Irinarkhovich Benevolsky, loved to issue various laws, although he did not have the right to do so. So he dropped out law flyers at night. The mayor was fired for collaborating with Napoleon.

Then Foolov was controlled by Lieutenant Colonel Pyshch. He actually did not participate in the management, but the city surprisingly developed due to excellent harvests. It turned out that Pimple had a stuffed head, which the leader ate, smelling truffles from it.

Under the next mayor - State Councilor Erast Andreevich Grustilov, Glupov did not develop at all. Laziness and debauchery became characteristic features of the Foolovites. The mayor spent all his time at balls. Soon famine came to Foolov. Grustilov was soon removed. Over a hundred-year period of time, the last mayor was Gloomy Burcheev. He was not particularly smart; in fact, he was an idiot. Burcheev decided to completely rebuild the city. Foolov was completely destroyed. The river interfered with new construction, but Burcheev failed to block its channel, although he tried very hard. Therefore, Burcheev led the Foolovites to the lowland, and it was decided to build a city there. But something went wrong. The mayor literally disappeared into thin air and disappeared without a trace. The story ends here.