Analysis of the work of the history of one. "History of one city": analysis of the work by chapters

In order to make a correct analysis of "The History of a City" by Saltykov-Shchedrin, one must not only read this work, but also study it thoroughly. Try to reveal the essence and meaning of what Mikhail Evgrafovich tried to convey to the reader. To do this, you need to analyze the plot and the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe story. In addition, attention should be paid to the images of mayors. As in many other works of the author, he pays special attention to them, comparing them with an ordinary commoner.

Author's published work

“The History of a City” is one of the famous works of M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin. It was published in Otechestvennye Zapiski, which aroused great interest in the novel. To have a clear idea of ​​the work, you need to analyze it. So, the analysis of the "History of a City" by Saltykov-Shchedrin. The genre is a novel, the style of writing - a historical chronicle.

The reader immediately gets acquainted with the unusual image of the author. This is "the last archivist-chronicler." From the very beginning, M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin made a small postscript, which indicated that everything was published on the basis of original documents. Why was this done by the writer? To give credibility to everything about which the story will be told. All additions and author's notes contribute to creating historical truth in the work.

Reliability of the novel

The analysis of Saltykov-Shchedrin's "History of a City" is intended to indicate the history of writing, the use of means of expression. As well as the skill of the writer in ways of revealing the characters of literary images.

The preface reveals the author's intention to create the novel "The History of a City". Which city deserves to be immortalized in a literary work? In the archives of the city of Glupov there were descriptions of all the important affairs of the city dwellers, biographies of the mayors who changed their posts. The novel contains the exact dates of the period described in the work: from 1731 to 1826. A quotation from a poem known at the time of writing by G.R. Derzhavin. And the reader believes in it. How else!

The author uses a specific name, talks about the events that took place in any city. M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin traces the life of the chiefs of the city in connection with the change in various temporary historical eras. Each era changes the people in power. They were reckless, they skillfully disposed of the treasury of the city, they were chivalrously brave. But no matter how time changes them, they manage and command simple townsfolk.

What is written in the analysis

The analysis of Saltykov-Shchedrin's "History of a City" will be written, like any written in prose, according to a certain plan. The plan considers the following characteristic features of the history of the creation of the novel and storylines, composition and images, style, direction, genre. Sometimes an analyzing critic or an observer from the reader's circle can add his attitude to the work.

Now it is worth turning to a specific work.

The history of creation and the main idea of ​​the work

Saltykov-Shchedrin conceived his novel long ago, nurtured it for many years. His observations of the autocratic system have long sought embodiment in literary works. The writer worked on the novel for more than ten years. Saltykov-Shchedrin corrected and rewrote entire chapters more than once.

The main idea of ​​the work is the satirist's view of the history of Russian society. The main thing in the city is not gold and money-grubbing, but deeds. Thus, the entire novel "The History of a City" contains the theme of the satirical history of society. The writer seemed to have predicted the fact of the death of the autocracy. This is felt in the decisions of the Foolovites, who do not want to live in a regime of despotism and humiliation.

Plot

Novel « The history of one city ”content has a special, unlike and hitherto not described in any classical work. This is for the society that is contemporary to the author, and in this state system there is a power hostile to the people. To describe the city of Glupov and its everyday life, the author takes a time period of a hundred years. The history of the city changes with the change of the next government. Very briefly and schematically, you can present the whole plot of the work in a few sentences.

The first thing the author talks about is the origin of the people inhabiting the city. A long time ago, a tribe of bunglers managed to defeat all their neighbors. They are looking for the prince-ruler, instead of whom the thief-governor is in power, for which he paid the price. This went on for a very long time, until the prince decided to come to Foolov himself. The following is a story about all the significant people of the city. When it comes to the mayor Ugryum-Burcheev, the reader sees that the people's anger is growing. The expected explosion ends the work. Gloomy-Grumbling has disappeared, a new period begins. It's time for change.

Compositional construction

The composition has a fragmentary appearance, but its integrity is not violated by this. The plan of the work is simple and at the same time extremely complex. It's easy to imagine it like this:

• Acquaintance of the reader with the history of the inhabitants of the city of Glupov.
• 22 rulers and their characteristic features.
• Mayor Brudasty and his organ in his head.
• The struggle for power in the city.
• Dvokurov in power.
• Years of calm and famine under Ferdyshchenko.
• Activities of Vasilisk Semenovich Borodavkin.
• Changes in the lifestyle of the city.
• Decay of morals.
• Gloomy-Burcheev.
• Borodavkin about obligations.
• Mikaladze about the appearance of the ruler.
• Benevolsky about kindness.

Individual episodes

Interesting "History of one city" chapter by chapter. The first chapter "From the publisher" contains a story about the city, about its history. The author himself admits that the plot is somewhat monotonous and contains the history of the government of the city. There are four storytellers, and the story is told in turn by each of them.

The second chapter "On the origin of the Foolovites" tells the story of the prehistoric period of the existence of tribes. Whom only was not there at that time: thick-headed and onion-eaters, frogs and bunglers.

In the chapter "Organchik" there is a conversation about the board of the mayor named Brodasty. He is laconic, his head is absolutely empty. Master Baibakov, at the request of the people, revealed the secret of Brodystoy: a small musical instrument was placed in his head. A period of anarchy begins in Foolov.

The next chapter is full of events and dynamism. It is called "The Tale of the Six Mayors". From this moment on, there come moments of change of rulers one after another: Dvoekurov, who ruled for eight years, with the ruler Ferdyshchenko, the people lived happily and in abundance for six years. The activity and activities of the next mayor Borodavkin made it possible for the people of Glupov to learn what abundance is. But all good things come to an end sometime. This happened with Glupov when Captain Negodyaev came to power.

Now the people of the city see little good, no one is concerned with them, although some rulers are trying to deal with legislation. What the Foolovites did not survive: hunger, poverty, devastation. The "History of a City" chapter by chapter gives a complete picture of the changes that took place in Foolov.

Hero Skins

Occupy a lot of space in the novel "The History of a City" mayors. Each of them has its own principles of government in the city. Each is assigned a separate chapter in the work. To maintain the style of chronicle narrative, the author uses a number of satirical artistic means: anachronism and fantasy, limited space and symbolic details. The novel exposes the entire modern reality. For this, the author uses the grotesque and hyperbole. Each of the mayors is brightly drawn by the author. The images turned out to be colorful, regardless of how their rule influenced the life of the city. Brudasty's categoricalness, Dvoekurov's reformism, Wartkin's struggle for enlightenment, Ferdyshchenko's greed and love of love, Pimple's non-interference in any affairs, and Ugyum-Burcheev with his idiocy.

Direction

satirical novel. It is a chronological overview. It looks like a kind of original parody of the chronicle. A complete analysis of the "History of a City" by Saltykov-Shchedrin is ready. It remains only to read the work again. Readers will have a new look at the novel by Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin.

Sometimes the bottom line is in the little things.

In the work “The History of a City”, any passage is so good and bright, every little thing is in its place. Take, for example, the chapter "On the Root of the Origin of the Foolovites." The passage is like a fairy tale. The chapter contains many fictional characters, invented funny names of tribes, which formed the basis of the city of Foolov. Elements of folklore will sound more than once from the lips of the heroes of the work, one of the bunglers sings the song "Don't make noise, mother is green oak tree." The merits of the Foolovites look ridiculous: skilful pasta stirrup, trade, performance of obscene songs.

“The History of a City” is the pinnacle of creativity of the great Russian classic Saltykov-Shchedrin. This masterpiece brought the author fame as a satirist writer. This novel contains the hidden history of all of Russia. Saltykov-Shchedrin saw an unfair attitude towards the common people. He very subtly felt and saw the shortcomings of the Russian political system. As in the history of Russia, in the novel, a harmless ruler is replaced by a tyrant and a dictator.

Epilogue of the story

The ending of the work is symbolic, in which the despotic mayor Ugryum-Burcheev dies in the funnel of the whirlwind of popular anger, but there is no certainty that a respectable ruler will come to power. Thus, there is no certainty and constancy in matters of power.

Let's make an analysis of the novel "The History of a City", which was written by Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin. We note right away that the name of the city in which the events of the novel take place reveals a lot about what is happening there. The city is called Foolov. Its founders were people who are definitely not smart. After defeating the neighboring tribes, they decided to live happily, for which they did something, but there was no sense, so they began to look for someone who would rule wisely and put things in order. Finding such a ruler was no easy task. Finally, it seemed tempting to one prince to take up management for money, however, this brought nothing but ruin.

Foolov city rulers

In addition to the analysis of the "History of a City" we suggest you also read the summary of this novel. What else interesting can be noticed, speaking about the government in this city?

Each ruler of the city of Foolov had his own oddity. One was not ashamed to plunder and steal, moreover, without even hiding from others. Another hated science, so he set fire to the gymnasium and simply forbade doing science. The third ruler had such an oddity - there was a musical organ in his head, and he could remove this very empty head.

Let us pay attention to the rest: the fourth was distinguished by love and abundance, and his mode of action led either to a fire or to riots. And the fifth was literally obsessed with planting mustard. There was another who was obsessed with directness in the streets and dreamed of changing the course of the rivers.

Be sure to emphasize the idea, without which the analysis of the novel "The History of a City" would be incomplete, that each mayor had an interesting feature in character or ideas about how best to rule, but all this turned out to be based on stupidity. The analogy does not escape close attention - the governors of Foolov are very similar to real political figures who seized upon a high position in the Russian government when palace coups raged. The author's indication of Biron, who received the place of favorite under the Empress Anna Ioannovna, is very clearly traced.

Residents in the analysis "History of one city"

About the inhabitants of the city of Foolov, one can respond no less critically than about its governors. They are just as stupid and one-sided. They like to rebel, and it doesn’t matter if there is a reason for rebellion or not. Residents strive for war, they strive to prove something, to achieve something, for example, education and order. Again, everything turns out the other way around for them, because stupid ideas and arguing about obvious things lead to nothing but contention. For example, questions about whether it is advisable to grow Persian chamomile, or whether to abandon the stone foundations of houses, as well as disagreements over such conversations, reveal the stupidity of the inhabitants of a city with such an apt name.

Separately, it should be noted that as soon as the townspeople have a reason to celebrate the change of the next ruler, they use it, and do it to the full extent of their souls, which finally confirms their stupidity and illegibility. They hug, kiss each other, express congratulations and sincerely believe in the new government, that it will become better.

conclusions

However, here Saltykov-Shchedrin points to the most important thought that we should not miss when analyzing the novel: what kind of people and their condition, such will be the power over this people. In fact, we are talking about the fact that by choosing power, people themselves are responsible for this choice. The real life and history of Russia, in fact, confirms the above.

So, we made an analysis of the novel "The History of a City" by Saltykov-Shchedrin, which is a satirical parody of the change of power, especially in Russia. We see what becomes the result of lawlessness, permissiveness and impunity in the state system. In bright colors, the author showed stupid people among the people, bureaucratic stupidity and greed.

“The History of a City” is one of the central works of M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin. It was published in the journal Otechestvennye Zapiski in 1869-1870 and caused a wide public outcry. The main means of satirical denunciation of reality in the work are the grotesque and hyperbole. In terms of genre, it is stylized as a historical chronicle. The image of the author-narrator is called in it "the last archivist-chronicler".

There is a postscript after the title: “According to original documents, M.E. Saltykov /Shchedrin/”. She then; ke is designed to create the illusion of authenticity.

M.E. writes with subtle irony. Saltykov-Shchedrin on how the faces of these mayors change with the change of one or another historical era: “So, for example, the mayors of Biron’s time are distinguished by recklessness, the mayors of Potemkin’s times are diligent, and the mayors of Razumovsky’s times are of unknown origin and knightly courage. All of them flog the townsfolk, but the first ones absolutely flog, the second explain the reasons for their management by the requirements of civilization, the third want the townsfolk to rely on their courage in everything. Thus, from the very beginning, a hierarchy is built and emphasized: higher spheres - local government - inhabitants. Their destinies mirror what is happening in the areas of power: "in the first case, the townsfolk trembled unconsciously, in the second - they trembled with the consciousness of their own benefit, in the third - they rose to awe filled with confidence."

The author emphasizes that the appearance of the chronicler is very real, which does not allow for a moment to doubt his authenticity. M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin clearly indicates the boundaries of the period under consideration: from 1931 to 1825. The work includes "Appeal to the reader from the last archivist-chronicler". To give a documentary character to this fragment of the narrative, the author places a footnote after the title that the appeal is transmitted exactly, in the words of the chronicler himself. The publisher allowed himself only a spelling correction of the text in order to edit individual liberties in the spelling of words. The address begins with a conversation with the reader about whether there are worthy rulers and chiefs in the history of our country: “Is it possible that in every country there are both glorious Nerons and Caligulas, shining with valor, and only we will not find such in our own country?” The omniscient publisher completes this quote with a reference to a poem by G.R. Derzhavin: "Caligula! Your horse in the Senate Could not shine, shining in gold: Good deeds shine! This addition aims to emphasize the value scale: it is not gold that shines, but good deeds. Gold in this case is a symbol of money-grubbing, and good deeds are proclaimed the true value of the world.

Further in the work follows a reasoning about a person in general. The chronicler encourages the reader to look at his own person and decide what is more important in it: the head or the belly. And then judge those in power. Analyzing the memory of the people about the city heads and benefactors, the chronicler notes with subtle irony: “You don’t know what to glorify more: is it the power, daring in moderation, or this grape, giving thanks in moderation?”

At the end of the address, Foolov is compared with Rome, which again emphasizes that we are not talking about a particular city, but about a model of society in general. Thus, the city of Foolov is a grotesque image not only of all of Russia, but of all power structures on a global scale, for Rome has long been associated with an imperial city, the same function is embodied by the mention of the Roman emperors Nero (37-68) and Caligula (12- 41 years) in the text of the work. For the same purpose, to expand the information field of the narrative, the names of Kostomarov, Pypin and Solovyov are mentioned in the work. Contemporaries imagined what views and positions they were talking about. N.I. Kostomarov is a famous Russian historian, researcher of the socio-political and economic history of Russia and Ukraine, Ukrainian poet and novelist. A.N. Pypin (1833-1904) - Russian literary critic, ethnographer, academician of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, cousin of N.G. Chernyshevsky. B.C. Solovyov (1853-1900) - Russian philosopher, poet, publicist, literary critic of the late XIX - early XX century.

Further, the chronicler relates the action of the narrative to the era of the existence of tribal civil strife. At the same time, M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin uses his favorite compositional device: the fairy-tale context is connected with the pages of real Russian history. All this creates a system of witty subtle hints that are understandable to the sophisticated reader.

Having come up with funny names for fabulous tribes, M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin immediately reveals to the reader their allegorical meaning, when representatives of the bungler tribe begin to call each other by name (Ivashka, Peter). It becomes clear that we are talking about Russian history.

The bunglers decided to find a prince for themselves, and since the people themselves are stupid, they are looking for a ruler who is not wise. Finally, one (the third in a row, as is customary in Russian folk tales) "princely lordship" agreed to rule over these people. But with a condition. “And you will pay me many tributes,” the prince continued, “whoever brings a sheep to a bright one, write a sheep on me, and leave a bright one for yourself; whoever has a penny, break it into four: give one part to me, the other to me, the third again to me, and keep the fourth for yourself. When I go to war - and you go! And you don’t care about anything else!” From such speeches, even unreasonable bunglers hung their heads.

In this scene M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin convincingly shows that any government is based on the obedience of the people and brings them more troubles and problems than real help and support. It is no coincidence that the prince assigns a new name to the bunglers: “But how could you not live on your own and yourself, stupid, wished for bondage, then you will no longer be called bunglers, but fools.”

The experiences of deceived bunglers are expressed in folklore. It is symbolic that on the way home one of them sings the song “Don’t make noise, mother green oak tree!”.

One by one, the prince sends his thieving deputies. The satirical description of the mayors gives them an eloquent description, testifying to their business qualities.

Klementy received the proper rank for the skillful cooking of pasta. Lamvrokanis sold Greek soap, sponges and nuts. The Marquis de Sanglot liked to sing obscene songs. You can list the so-called feats of mayors for a long time. They did not stay in power for a long time and did nothing worthwhile for the city.

The publisher considered it necessary to present detailed biographies of the most prominent leaders. Here M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin resorts to N.V. Gogol to the classical reception. Just as Gogol portrayed the landowners, he presents to the reader's judgment a whole gallery of typical images of city governors.

The first of them is described in the work of Dementy Varlamovich Brodysty, nicknamed Organchik. In parallel with the story about any particular mayor M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin constantly draws a general picture of the actions of the city authorities and the perception of these actions by the people.

So, for example, he mentions that the Foolovites remembered for a long time those bosses who flogged and collected arrears, but at the same time they always said something kind.

The organ struck everyone with the most severe severity. His favorite word was the cry: "I will not stand it!" Further M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin tells that master Baibakov secretly came to the mayor of organ affairs at night. The secret is suddenly revealed at one of the receptions, when the best representatives of the "Gluyov intelligentsia" (the phrase itself contains an oxymoron, which gives the story an ironic tinge) come to Brodastom's reception. There, the mayor breaks down the organ, which he used instead of his head. Only Brodysty allowed himself to portray an uncharacteristically friendly smile, as “... suddenly something inside him hissed and buzzed, and the longer his mysterious hissing lasted, the more and more his eyes spun and sparkled.” No less interesting is the reaction of urban secular society to this incident. M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin emphasizes that our ancestors were not fond of revolutionary ideas and anarchist sentiments. Therefore, they only sympathized with the mayor.

In this fragment of the work, another grotesque move is used: the head, which is being taken to the mayor after repairs, suddenly begins to bite around the city and utters the word: “I will ruin!” A special satirical effect is achieved in the final scene of the chapter, when two different mayors are brought to the rebellious Foolovites almost simultaneously. But the people are already accustomed to not being very surprised at anything: “The impostors met and measured each other with their eyes. The crowd dispersed slowly and in silence.

After that, anarchy begins in the city, as a result of which women seized power. These are the childless widow Iraida Lukinishna Paleologova, the adventuress Clementine de Bourbon, the native of Reval Amalia Karlovna Stockfish, Anelya Aloizievna Lyadokhovskaya, Dunka the fat-fifth, Matryonka the nostril.

In the description of these mayors, subtle hints are discerned about the personalities of the persons reigning in Russian history: Catherine the Second, Anna Ioannovna and other empresses. This is the most stylistically reduced chapter. M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin generously rewards city governors with insulting nicknames and insulting definitions (“fat-meat”, “fat-footed”, etc.). All their rule is reduced to excesses. The last two rulers in general are more reminiscent of witches than real people: “Both Dunka and Matryonka committed unspeakable outrages. They went out into the street and knocked down the heads of passers-by with their fists, went alone to taverns and smashed them, caught young guys and hid them in the underground, ate babies, and they cut out the breasts of women and also ate.

An advanced person who seriously looks at his duties is named in the work of S.K. Dvokurov. In the author’s understanding, he correlates with Peter the Great: “The mere fact that he introduced mead and brewing and made the use of mustard and bay leaves obligatory” and was “the founder of those bold innovators who, after three quarters of a century, waged wars in the name of the potato.” The main achievement of Dvoekurov was an attempt to establish an academy in Glupovo. True, he did not achieve results in this field, but in itself the desire to implement this plan was already a progressive step in comparison with the activities of other mayors.

The next ruler, Pyotr Petrovich Ferdyshchenko, was simple and even liked to equip his speech with the caressing word "brother-sudarik." However, in the seventh year of his reign, he fell in love with the suburban beauty Alena Osipovna. All nature ceased to be favorable to the Foolovites: “From the very spring of St. Nicholas, from the time the water began to enter the low water, and until Ilyin’s day, not a drop of rain fell. The old-timers could not remember anything like this, and not without reason attributed this phenomenon to the brigadier's fall into sin.

When the mob went all over the city, the truth-loving Evseich was found in him, who decided to talk with the brigadier. However, he ordered to put on the old man a prisoner's dress, so Yevseich disappeared, as if he had not been in the world, disappeared without a trace, as only the "miners" of the Russian land know how to disappear.

Light on the real plight of the population of the Russian Empire is shed by the petition of the inhabitants of the most unfortunate city of Glupov, in which they write that they are dying out, that they see the bosses around them as inept.

The savagery and cruelty of the crowd is striking in the scene when the inhabitants of Foolovo throw the unfortunate Alenka from the bell tower, accusing her of all mortal sins. As soon as the story with Alenka was forgotten, the foreman found himself a different hobby

Archer Domashko. All these episodes, in fact, show women's lack of rights and defenselessness in front of the voluptuous foreman.

Another disaster that hit the city is a fire on the eve of the feast of the Kazan Mother of God: two settlements burned down. All this was perceived by the people as another punishment for the sins of their brigadier. The death of this mayor is symbolic. He drank and overate the folk treats: “After the second change (there was a pig in sour cream), he became ill; however, he overcame himself and ate another goose with cabbage. After that, his mouth twisted. It was evident how some kind of administrative vein on his face trembled, trembled, trembled, and suddenly froze ... The Foolovites jumped up from their seats in confusion and fright. It's over..."

Another city lord turned out to be quick and caustic. Basilisk Semyonovich Borodavkin, like a fly, flitted through the city, loved to scream and take everyone by surprise. It is symbolic that he slept with one eye open (a kind of allusion to the "all-seeing eye" of the autocracy). However, Wartkin's irrepressible energy is spent for other purposes: he builds castles in the sand. Foolovites aptly call his way of life the energy of inaction. Wartkin is waging wars for education, the reasons for which are ridiculous (for example, the refusal of the Foolovites to breed Persian chamomile). Under his leadership, the tin soldiers, having entered the settlement, begin to break down the huts. It is noteworthy that the Foolovites always learned about the subject of the campaign only after it was over.

When Mikoladze, a champion of elegant manners, comes to power, the Foolovites become overgrown with hair and begin to suck their paws. And from the wars for education, on the contrary, they become dumber. Meanwhile, when enlightenment and legislative activity were stopped, the Foolovites stopped sucking their paws, their hair was completely shed, and soon they began to dance. Great impoverishment is prescribed in the laws, and the inhabitants come to a fat state. The "Charter on Respectable Cookie Pies" convincingly shows how much stupidity is concentrated in legislative acts. For example, it states that it is forbidden to make pies from mud, clay and building materials. As if a person of sound mind and solid memory is able to bake pies from this. In fact, this statute symbolically shows how deeply the state apparatus can interfere in the everyday life of every Russian. Here they are already giving him instructions on how to bake pies. Moreover, special recommendations are given regarding the position of the filling. The phrase “Everyone should use stuffing according to his condition” testifies to a clearly defined social hierarchy in society. However, the passion for legislation also did not take root on Russian soil. The mayor Benevolensky was suspected of having links with Napoleon, accused of treason and sent "to the land where Makar did not drive calves." So, with the help of figurative expression M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin writes allegorically about exile. Contradictions in the artistic world of M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, which is a caustic parody of the author's contemporary reality, is waiting for the reader at every turn. So, during the reign of Lieutenant Colonel Pryshch, the people in Glupov were completely spoiled, because he preached liberalism in the board.

“But as freedom developed, its primordial enemy, analysis, also arose. With the increase in material well-being, leisure was acquired, and with the acquisition of leisure came the ability to explore and experience the nature of things. This always happens, but the Foolovites used this “newly discovered ability among them” not in order to strengthen their well-being, but in order to undermine it, ”writes M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin.

Pimple became one of the most desirable rulers for the Foolovites. However, the local leader of the nobility, who did not differ in the special qualities of mind and heart, but had a special stomach, once, on the basis of gastronomic imagination, mistook his head for stuffed. In describing the scene of the death of Pimple, the writer boldly resorts to the grotesque. In the final part of the chapter, the leader in a rage rushes at the mayor with a knife and, cutting off pieces of the head chunk by chunk, eats it to the end.

Against the background of grotesque scenes and ironic notes M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin reveals to the reader his philosophy of history, in which the stream of life sometimes stops its natural course and forms a whirlpool.

The most painful impression is made by Grim-Grumbling. He is a man with a wooden face, never lit up by a smile. His detailed portrait eloquently tells about the character of the hero: “Thick, comb-cut and pitch-black hair covers a conical skull and tightly, like a yarmulke, frame a narrow and sloping forehead. The eyes are grey, sunken, overshadowed by somewhat swollen eyelids; the look is clear, without hesitation; nose dry, descending from forehead almost straight down; lips thin, pale, trimmed with trimmed mustache stubble; jaws developed, but without an outstanding expression of carnivory, but with some inexplicable bouquet of readiness to split or bite in half. The whole figure is lean with narrow shoulders raised upwards, with an artificially protruding chest and with long, muscular arms.

M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, commenting on this portrait, emphasizes that before us is the purest type of idiot. His manner of government could only be compared with the random felling of trees in a dense forest, when a person waves it to the right and left and steadily goes wherever his eyes look.

On the day of memory of the apostles Peter and Paul, the mayor ordered people to destroy their homes. However, this was only the beginning of the Napoleonic plans of Ugryum-Burcheev. He began to sort people into families, taking into account their height and physique. Six months or two months later, there was no stone left unturned from the city. Gloomy-Grumbling tried to create his own sea, but the river refused to obey, tearing down dam after dam. The city of Foolov was renamed Nepreklonsk, and the holidays differed from weekdays only in that instead of labor worries, it was ordered to engage in enhanced marching. Meetings were held even at night. In addition to this, spies were appointed. The end of the hero is also symbolic: he instantly disappeared, as if melted into thin air.

The unhurried, viscous style of narration in the work of M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin shows the insolubility of Russian problems, and satirical scenes emphasize their severity: rulers change one after another, and the people remain in the same poverty, in the same lack of rights, in the same hopelessness.

Saltykov-Shchedrin's novel "The History of a City" was written during 1869-1870, but the writer worked not only on it, so the novel was written intermittently. The first chapters were published in the journal Otechestvennye Zapiski No. 1, where Saltykov-Shchedrin was the editor-in-chief. But until the end of the year, work on the novel was suspended, as Saltykov-Shchedrin took up writing fairy tales, completed several unfinished works and continued to write literary critical articles.

The continuation of the "History of a City" was published in 5 issues of "Notes of the Fatherland" for 1870. In the same year, the book was published as a separate edition.

Literary direction and genre

Saltykov-Shchedrin is a writer of a realistic direction. Immediately after the release of the book, critics defined the genre of the novel as a historical satire, and they reacted to the novel in different ways.

From an objective point of view, Saltykov-Shchedrin is as great a historian as he is a remarkable satirist. His novel is a parody of chronicle sources, primarily the Tale of Bygone Years and The Tale of Igor's Campaign.

Saltykov-Shchedrin offers his own version of history, which differs from the versions of Saltykov-Shchedrin's contemporaries (mentioned by the first chronicler Kostomarov, Solovyov, Pypin).

In the chapter "From the Publisher", Mr. M. Shchedrin himself notes the fantastic nature of some episodes (the mayor with music, the mayor's flights through the air, the mayor's feet turned back). At the same time, he stipulates that "the fantastic nature of the stories does not in the least eliminate their administrative and educational significance." This satirical phrase means that the "History of a City" cannot be regarded as a fantastic text, but as a mythological one, explaining the mentality of the people.

The fantasy of the novel is associated with the grotesque, which allows you to portray the typical through extreme exaggeration and deformation of the image.

Some researchers find features of dystopia in the "History of a City".

Topics and issues

The theme of the novel is the hundred-year history of the town of Glupov, an allegory of the Russian state. The history of the city is the biographies of the mayors and a description of their great deeds: the collection of arrears, the taxation of tribute, campaigns against the townsfolk, the construction and breakdown of pavements, an ambulance ride on postal...

Thus, Saltykov-Shchedrin raises the problem of the essence of history, which it is beneficial for the state to consider as the history of power, and not the history of compatriots.

Contemporaries accused the writer of revealing the allegedly false essence of reformism, which leads to the deterioration and complication of the life of the people.

Democrat Saltykov-Shchedrin was concerned about the problem of the relationship between man and the state. City governors, for example, Borodavkin, believe that the meaning of life of "philistines" living in the state (not on earth!) Is in pensions (that is, in state benefit). Saltykov-Shchedrin understands that the state and the townsfolk live on their own. The writer knew about this firsthand, for some time he himself played the role of "mayor" (he was vice-governor in Ryazan and Tver).

One of the problems that worried the writer was to study the mentality of his compatriots, their national character traits that affect their position in life and cause "life insecurity, arbitrariness, hindsight, lack of faith in the future."

Plot and composition

The composition of the novel since the first publication in the journal was changed by the author himself, for example, the chapter "On the root of the origin of the Foolovites" was placed third, after the introductory chapters, which corresponded to the logic of the ancient Russian chronicle, starting with mythology. And the supporting documents (writings of three mayors) have moved to the end, as historical documents are often placed in relation to the text of the writer.

The last chapter, the Letter to the Editor appendix, is Shchedrin's indignant response to a review in which he was accused of "mocking the people." In this letter, the author explains the idea of ​​his work, in particular, that his satire is directed against "those features of Russian life that make it not quite comfortable."

"Appeal to the reader" was written by the last of the four chroniclers, the archivist Pavlushka Masloboinikov. Here Saltykov-Shchedrin imitates real chronicles that had several authors.

The chapter "On the origin of the Foolovites" tells about myths, the prehistoric era of the Foolovites. The reader learns about the tribes at war with each other, about renaming the bunglers into Foolovites, about the search for a ruler and the enslavement of the Foolovites, who found themselves in the rulers of a prince not only stupid, but also cruel, whose principle of government was embodied in the word “I’ll shut up”, which begins the historical period of Foolov. The historical period considered in the novel takes a whole century, from 1731 to 1825.

"Inventory to the mayors" - a brief description of 22 mayors, which emphasizes the absurdity of history by the concentration of the described madmen, of which the smallest, "having done nothing, ... was removed for ignorance."

The next 10 chapters are devoted to describing the most prominent mayors in chronological order.

Heroes and images

"The Most Remarkable Mayors" deserved closer attention from the publisher.

Dementy Varlamovich Brodysty is "more than strange." He is silent and gloomy, besides cruel (the first thing he whipped all the coachmen), prone to fits of rage. Brodasty also has a positive quality - he is diligent, puts in order the arrears, neglected by his predecessors. True, he does it in one way - officials catch citizens, flog them and flog them, describe their property.

Foolovists are horrified by such a government. They are saved by the breakdown of the mechanism, which is located in Brodystoy's head. This is an organ that repeats only two phrases: “I will ruin” and “I will not tolerate”. The appearance of a second Brodystoy with a new head saves the Foolovites from a pair of organ-players, declared to be impostors.

Many of the characters are satires on real rulers. For example, six city governors are empresses of the 18th century. Their internecine strife lasted 6 days, and on the seventh day Dvookurov arrived in the city.

Dvoekurov is an “advanced man”, an innovator who was engaged in fruitful activities in Foolov: he paved two streets, opened brewing and mead brewing, forced everyone to use mustard and bay leaves, and rebellious sek, but “with consideration”, that is, for the cause.

Petr Petrovich Ferdyshchenko, the foreman, is devoted to three whole chapters. Ferdyshchenko is a former batman of Prince Potemkin, a simple man, "good-natured and somewhat lazy." The Foolovites consider the mayor stupid, a fool, they laugh at his tongue-tied tongue, they call him a rotten old man.

For 6 years of Ferdyshchenko's reign, the Foolovites forgot about the oppression, but in the seventh year Ferdyshchenko went berserk and took away his husband's wife Alyonka, after which a drought began. In a fit of rage, the Foolovites threw Alyonka from the bell tower, but Ferdyshchenko burned with love for the archer Domashka. For this, the Foolovites suffered a terrible fire.

Ferdyshchenko repented before the people on his knees, but his tears were hypocritical. At the end of his life, Ferdyshchenko traveled around the pasture, where he died of gluttony.

Basilisk Semyonovich Borodavkin (a satire on Peter 1) is a brilliant city governor, under him, Foolov is experiencing a golden age. Wartkin was small in stature and not handsome, but noisy. He was a writer and a bold utopian, a political dreamer. Before conquering Byzantium, Wartkin conquers the Foolovites with “wars for enlightenment”: he again introduces the mustard forgotten after Dvoekurov (for which he undertakes a whole military campaign with victims), demands that houses be built on a stone foundation, plant Persian chamomile and establish an academy in Foolov. The obstinacy of the Foolovites was defeated along with contentment. The French Revolution showed that the enlightenment propagated by Wartkin was harmful.

Onufry Ivanovich Negodyaev, captain, formerly a stoker, began the era of dismissal from wars. The mayor is testing the Foolovites for firmness. As a result of the tests, the Foolovites became wild: they were overgrown with hair and sucked their paws, because there was neither food nor clothing.

Xavier Georgievich Mikaladze is a descendant of Queen Tamara, who has a seductive appearance. He gave his subordinates a hand, smiled affectionately, won hearts "exclusively through graceful manners." Mikaladze stops enlightenment and executions and does not issue laws.

Mikaladze's rule was peaceful, the punishments were mild. The only drawback of the mayor is his love for women. He doubled the population of Glupov, but died of exhaustion.

Feofilakt Irinarkhovich Benevolinsky - State Councilor, assistant to Speransky. This is a satire on Speransky himself. Benevolinskiy was very fond of lawmaking. The laws invented by him are meaningless, like the "Charter on the Respectable Baking of Pies." The laws of the mayor are so stupid that they do not interfere with the prosperity of the Foolovites, so that they become obese as never before. Benevolinsky was exiled for his connection with Napoleon and called a scoundrel.

Ivan Panteleevich Pryshch does not issue laws and governs simply, in the spirit of "boundless liberalism." He rests himself and inclines the Foolovites to this. Both the townspeople and the mayor are getting richer.

The leader of the nobility finally realizes that Pimple has a stuffed head, and eats it without a trace.

The mayor, Nikodim Osipovich Ivanov, is also stupid, because his height does not allow him to "contain anything spacious," but this quality of the mayor is to the advantage of the Foolovites. Ivanov either died of fright, having received a "too extensive" decree, or was fired due to the drying up of the brains from their inaction and became the ancestor of the microcephals.

Erast Andreevich Sadilov - a satire on Alexander 1, a sensitive person. The subtlety of Sadtilov's feelings is deceptive. He is voluptuous, in the past he concealed state money, debauchery, "is in a hurry to live and enjoy", so that he inclines the Foolovites to paganism. Sadtilov is arrested, and he dies of melancholy. During his reign, the Foolovites lost the habit of working.

Gloomy-Grumbling is a satire on Arakcheev. He is a scoundrel, a terrible person, "the purest type of idiot." This mayor exhausts, scolds and destroys the Foolovites, for which he is called Satan. He has a wooden face, his gaze is free from thought and shameless. Gloomy-Grumbling is impassive, limited, but full of determination. He is like the force of nature, going ahead in a straight line, not recognizing reason.

Gloomy-Grumbling destroys the city and builds Nepreklonsk in a new place, but he fails to control the river. It seems that nature itself is delivering the Foolovites from him, carrying him away in a whirlwind.

The arrival of Gloomy-Burcheev, as well as the phenomenon following him, called "it" - a picture of the apocalypse, ending the existence of history.

Artistic originality

Saltykov-Shchedrin skillfully changes the speech of different narrators in the novel. The publisher M.E. Saltykov stipulates that he corrected only the “heavy and outdated style” of the Chronicler. In an appeal to the reader of the last chronicler archivist, whose work was published 45 years after it was written, there are obsolete words of high style: if, this, such. But the publisher allegedly did not correct this particular appeal to readers.

The entire address of the last chronicler is written in the best traditions of the oratory of antiquity, contains a series of rhetorical questions, is replete with metaphors and comparisons, mainly from the ancient world. At the end of the introduction, the chronicler, following the biblical tradition that is widespread in Russia, humiliates himself, calling himself a "bad vessel", and Foolov compares with Rome, and Foolov wins from the comparison.

"History of one city" Saltykov-Shchedrin

"History of a City" analysis of the work - theme, idea, genre, plot, composition, heroes, problems and other issues are disclosed in this article.

"History of a city" - one of the central works of M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin. It was published in the journal Otechestvennye Zapiski in 1869-1870 and caused a wide public outcry. The main means of satirical denunciation of reality in the work are the grotesque and hyperbole. In terms of genre, it is stylized as a historical chronicle. The image of the author-narrator is called in it "the last archivist-chronicler".

There is a postscript after the title: “According to original documents, M.E. Saltykov /Shchedrin/”. She then; ke is designed to create the illusion of authenticity.

M.E. writes with subtle irony. Saltykov-Shchedrin on how the faces of these mayors change with the change of one or another historical era: “So, for example, the mayors of Biron’s time are distinguished by recklessness, the mayors of Potemkin’s times are diligent, and the mayors of Razumovsky’s times are of unknown origin and knightly courage. All of them flog the townsfolk, but the first ones absolutely flog, the second explain the reasons for their management by the requirements of civilization, the third want the townsfolk to rely on their courage in everything. Thus, from the very beginning, a hierarchy is built and emphasized: higher spheres - local government - inhabitants. Their destinies mirror what is happening in the areas of power: “in the first case, the townsfolk trembled unconsciously, in the second, they trembled with the consciousness of their own benefit, in the third, they rose to awe filled with confidence.”

The author emphasizes that the appearance of the chronicler is very real, which does not allow for a moment to doubt his authenticity. M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin clearly indicates the boundaries of the period under consideration: from 1931 to 1825. The work includes "Appeal to the reader from the last archivist-chronicler". To give a documentary character to this fragment of the narrative, the author places a footnote after the title that the appeal is transmitted exactly, in the words of the chronicler himself. The publisher allowed himself only a spelling correction of the text in order to edit individual liberties in the spelling of words. The address begins with a conversation with the reader about whether there are worthy rulers and chiefs in the history of our country: “Is it possible that in every country there are both glorious Nerons and Caligulas, shining with valor, and only we will not find such in our own country?” The omniscient publisher completes this quote with a reference to a poem by G.R. Derzhavin: "Caligula! Your horse in the Senate Could not shine, shining in gold: Good deeds shine! This addition aims to emphasize the value scale: it is not gold that shines, but good deeds. Gold in this case is a symbol of money-grubbing, and good deeds are proclaimed the true value of the world.

Further in the work follows a reasoning about a person in general. The chronicler encourages the reader to look at his own person and decide what is more important in it: the head or the belly. And then judge those in power. Analyzing the memory of the people about the city heads and benefactors, the chronicler notes with subtle irony: “You don’t know what to glorify more: is it the power, daring in moderation, or this grape, giving thanks in moderation?”

At the end of the address, Foolov is compared with Rome, which again emphasizes that we are not talking about a particular city, but about a model of society in general. Thus, the city of Foolov is a grotesque image not only of all of Russia, but of all power structures on a global scale, for Rome has long been associated with an imperial city, the same function is embodied by the mention of the Roman emperors Nero (37-68) and Caligula (12- 41 years) in the text of the work. For the same purpose, to expand the information field of the narrative, the names of Kostomarov, Pypin and Solovyov are mentioned in the work. Contemporaries imagined what views and positions they were talking about. N.I. Kostomarov is a famous Russian historian, researcher of the socio-political and economic history of Russia and Ukraine, Ukrainian poet and novelist. A.N. Pypin (1833-1904) - Russian literary critic, ethnographer, academician of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, cousin of N.G. Chernyshevsky. B.C. Solovyov (1853-1900) - Russian philosopher, poet, publicist, literary critic of the late XIX - early XX century.

Further, the chronicler relates the action of the narrative to the era of the existence of tribal civil strife. At the same time, M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin uses his favorite compositional device: the fairy-tale context is connected with the pages of real Russian history. All this creates a system of witty subtle hints that are understandable to the sophisticated reader.

Having come up with funny names for fabulous tribes, M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin immediately reveals to the reader their allegorical meaning, when representatives of the bungler tribe begin to call each other by name (Ivashka, Peter). It becomes clear that we are talking about Russian history.

The bunglers decided to find a prince for themselves, and since the people themselves are stupid, they are looking for a ruler who is not wise. Finally, one (the third in a row, as is customary in Russian folk tales) "princely lordship" agreed to rule over these people. But with a condition. “And you will pay me many tributes,” the prince continued, “whoever brings a sheep to a bright one, write a sheep on me, and leave a bright one for yourself; whoever has a penny, break it into four: give one part to me, the other to me, the third again to me, and keep the fourth for yourself. When I go to war - and you go! And you don’t care about anything else!” From such speeches, even unreasonable bunglers hung their heads.

In this scene M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin convincingly shows that any government is based on the obedience of the people and brings them more troubles and problems than real help and support. It is no coincidence that the prince assigns a new name to the bunglers: “But how could you not live on your own and yourself, stupid, wished for bondage, then you will no longer be called bunglers, but fools.”

The experiences of deceived bunglers are expressed in folklore. It is symbolic that on the way home one of them sings the song “Don’t make noise, mother green oak tree!”.

One by one, the prince sends his thieving deputies. The satirical description of the mayors gives them an eloquent description, testifying to their business qualities.

Klementy received the proper rank for the skillful cooking of pasta. Lamvrokanis sold Greek soap, sponges and nuts. The Marquis de Sanglot liked to sing obscene songs. You can list the so-called feats of mayors for a long time. They did not stay in power for a long time and did nothing worthwhile for the city.

The publisher considered it necessary to present detailed biographies of the most prominent leaders. Here M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin resorts to N.V. Gogol to the classical reception. Just as Gogol portrayed the landowners, he presents to the reader's judgment a whole gallery of typical images of city governors.

The first of them is described in the work of Dementy Varlamovich Brodysty, nicknamed Organchik. In parallel with the story about any particular mayor M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin constantly draws a general picture of the actions of the city authorities and the perception of these actions by the people.

So, for example, he mentions that the Foolovites remembered for a long time those bosses who flogged and collected arrears, but at the same time they always said something kind.

The organ struck everyone with the most severe severity. His favorite word was the cry: "I will not stand it!" Further M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin tells that master Baibakov secretly came to the mayor of organ affairs at night. The secret is suddenly revealed at one of the receptions, when the best representatives of the "Gluyov intelligentsia" (the phrase itself contains an oxymoron, which gives the story an ironic tinge) come to Brodastom's reception. There, the mayor breaks down the organ, which he used instead of his head. Only Brodysty allowed himself to portray an uncharacteristically friendly smile, as “... suddenly something inside him hissed and buzzed, and the longer his mysterious hissing lasted, the more and more his eyes spun and sparkled.” No less interesting is the reaction of urban secular society to this incident. M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin emphasizes that our ancestors were not fond of revolutionary ideas and anarchist sentiments. Therefore, they only sympathized with the mayor.

In this fragment of the work, another grotesque move is used: the head, which is being taken to the mayor after repairs, suddenly begins to bite around the city and utters the word: “I will ruin!” A special satirical effect is achieved in the final scene of the chapter, when two different mayors are brought to the rebellious Foolovites almost simultaneously. But the people are already accustomed to not being very surprised at anything: “The impostors met and measured each other with their eyes. The crowd dispersed slowly and in silence.

After that, anarchy begins in the city, as a result of which women seized power. These are the childless widow Iraida Lukinishna Paleologova, the adventuress Clementine de Bourbon, the native of Reval Amalia Karlovna Stockfish, Anelya Aloizievna Lyadokhovskaya, Dunka the fat-fifth, Matryonka the nostril.

In the description of these mayors, subtle hints are discerned about the personalities of the persons reigning in Russian history: Catherine the Second, Anna Ioannovna and other empresses. This is the most stylistically reduced chapter. M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin generously rewards city governors with insulting nicknames and insulting definitions (“fat-meat”, “fat-footed”, etc.). All their rule is reduced to excesses. The last two rulers in general are more reminiscent of witches than real people: “Both Dunka and Matryonka committed unspeakable outrages. They went out into the street and knocked down the heads of passers-by with their fists, went alone to taverns and smashed them, caught young guys and hid them in the underground, ate babies, and they cut out the breasts of women and also ate.

An advanced person who seriously looks at his duties is named in the work of S.K. Dvokurov. In the author’s understanding, he correlates with Peter the Great: “The mere fact that he introduced mead and brewing and made the use of mustard and bay leaves obligatory” and was “the founder of those bold innovators who, after three quarters of a century, waged wars in the name of the potato.” The main achievement of Dvoekurov was an attempt to establish an academy in Glupovo. True, he did not achieve results in this field, but in itself the desire to implement this plan was already a progressive step in comparison with the activities of other mayors.

The next ruler, Pyotr Petrovich Ferdyshchenko, was simple and even liked to equip his speech with the caressing word "brother-sudarik." However, in the seventh year of his reign, he fell in love with the suburban beauty Alena Osipovna. All nature ceased to be favorable to the Foolovites: “From the very spring of St. Nicholas, from the time the water began to enter the low water, and until Ilyin’s day, not a drop of rain fell. The old-timers could not remember anything like this, and not without reason attributed this phenomenon to the brigadier's fall into sin.

When the mob went all over the city, the truth-loving Evseich was found in him, who decided to talk with the brigadier. However, he ordered to put on the old man a prisoner's dress, so Yevseich disappeared, as if he had not been in the world, disappeared without a trace, as only the "miners" of the Russian land know how to disappear.

Light on the real plight of the population of the Russian Empire is shed by the petition of the inhabitants of the most unfortunate city of Glupov, in which they write that they are dying out, that they see the bosses around them as inept.

The savagery and cruelty of the crowd is striking in the scene when the inhabitants of Foolovo throw the unfortunate Alenka from the bell tower, accusing her of all mortal sins. As soon as the story with Alenka was forgotten, the foreman found himself a different hobby

- Archer Domashka. All these episodes, in fact, show women's lack of rights and defenselessness in front of the voluptuous foreman.

Another disaster that hit the city is a fire on the eve of the feast of the Kazan Mother of God: two settlements burned down. All this was perceived by the people as another punishment for the sins of their brigadier. The death of this mayor is symbolic. He drank and overate the folk treats: “After the second change (there was a pig in sour cream), he became ill; however, he overcame himself and ate another goose with cabbage. After that, his mouth twisted. It was evident how some kind of administrative vein on his face trembled, trembled, trembled, and suddenly froze ... The Foolovites jumped up from their seats in confusion and fright. It's over..."

Another city lord turned out to be quick and caustic. Basilisk Semyonovich Borodavkin, like a fly, flitted through the city, loved to scream and take everyone by surprise. It is symbolic that he slept with one eye open (a kind of allusion to the "all-seeing eye" of the autocracy). However, Wartkin's irrepressible energy is spent for other purposes: he builds castles in the sand. Foolovites aptly call his way of life the energy of inaction. Wartkin is waging wars for education, the reasons for which are ridiculous (for example, the refusal of the Foolovites to breed Persian chamomile). Under his leadership, the tin soldiers, having entered the settlement, begin to break down the huts. It is noteworthy that the Foolovites always learned about the subject of the campaign only after it was over.

When Mikoladze, a champion of elegant manners, comes to power, the Foolovites become overgrown with hair and begin to suck their paws. And from the wars for education, on the contrary, they become dumber. Meanwhile, when enlightenment and legislative activity were stopped, the Foolovites stopped sucking their paws, their hair was completely shed, and soon they began to dance. Great impoverishment is prescribed in the laws, and the inhabitants come to a fat state. The "Charter on Respectable Cookie Pies" convincingly shows how much stupidity is concentrated in legislative acts. For example, it states that it is forbidden to make pies from mud, clay and building materials. As if a person of sound mind and solid memory is able to bake pies from this. In fact, this statute symbolically shows how deeply the state apparatus can interfere in the everyday life of every Russian. Here they are already giving him instructions on how to bake pies. Moreover, special recommendations are given regarding the position of the filling. The phrase “Everyone should use stuffing according to his condition” testifies to a clearly defined social hierarchy in society. However, the passion for legislation also did not take root on Russian soil. The mayor Benevolensky was suspected of having links with Napoleon, accused of treason and sent "to the land where Makar did not drive calves." So, with the help of figurative expression M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin writes allegorically about exile. Contradictions in the artistic world of M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, which is a caustic parody of the author's contemporary reality, is waiting for the reader at every turn. So, during the reign of Lieutenant Colonel Pryshch, the people in Glupov were completely spoiled, because he preached liberalism in the board.

“But as freedom developed, its primordial enemy, analysis, also arose. With the increase in material well-being, leisure was acquired, and with the acquisition of leisure came the ability to explore and experience the nature of things. It always happens, but the Foolovites used this “newly discovered ability among them” not in order to strengthen their well-being, but in order to undermine it, ”writes M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin.

Pimple became one of the most desirable rulers for the Foolovites. However, the local leader of the nobility, who did not differ in the special qualities of mind and heart, but had a special stomach, once, on the basis of gastronomic imagination, mistook his head for stuffed. In describing the scene of the death of Pimple, the writer boldly resorts to the grotesque. In the final part of the chapter, the leader in a rage rushes at the mayor with a knife and, cutting off pieces of the head chunk by chunk, eats it to the end.

Against the background of grotesque scenes and ironic notes M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin reveals to the reader his philosophy of history, in which the stream of life sometimes stops its natural course and forms a whirlpool.

The most painful impression is made by Grim-Grumbling. He is a man with a wooden face, never lit up by a smile. His detailed portrait eloquently tells about the character of the hero: “Thick, comb-cut and pitch-black hair covers a conical skull and tightly, like a yarmulke, frame a narrow and sloping forehead. The eyes are grey, sunken, overshadowed by somewhat swollen eyelids; the look is clear, without hesitation; nose dry, descending from forehead almost straight down; lips thin, pale, trimmed with trimmed mustache stubble; jaws developed, but without an outstanding expression of carnivory, but with some inexplicable bouquet of readiness to split or bite in half. The whole figure is lean with narrow shoulders raised upwards, with an artificially protruding chest and with long, muscular arms.

M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, commenting on this portrait, emphasizes that before us is the purest type of idiot. His manner of government could only be compared with the random felling of trees in a dense forest, when a person waves it to the right and left and steadily goes wherever his eyes look.

On the day of memory of the apostles Peter and Paul, the mayor ordered people to destroy their homes. However, this was only the beginning of the Napoleonic plans of Ugryum-Burcheev. He began to sort people into families, taking into account their height and physique. Six months or two months later, there was no stone left unturned from the city. Gloomy-Grumbling tried to create his own sea, but the river refused to obey, tearing down dam after dam. The city of Foolov was renamed Nepreklonsk, and the holidays differed from weekdays only in that instead of labor worries, it was ordered to engage in enhanced marching. Meetings were held even at night. In addition to this, spies were appointed. The end of the hero is also symbolic: he instantly disappeared, as if melted into thin air.

The unhurried, viscous style of narration in the work of M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin shows the insolubility of Russian problems, and satirical scenes emphasize their severity: rulers change one after another, and the people remain in the same poverty, in the same lack of rights, in the same hopelessness.