Marafet

Where does the history of one city begin? ""History of one city": denunciation of stupid administration. Other writings on this work

Someone please give a description of any official from the "History of a City", or a link where it can be downloaded and got the best answer

Answer from Anyutka Rychkova[guru]
Vasilisk Semenovich Borodavkin replaced Brigadier Ferdyshchenko as the mayor of the city of Glupov. Wartkin was distinguished by a thirst for activity, which frightened the Foolovites. He “amazed me with his quickness and some kind of unheard-of corrosiveness, which manifested itself with particular energy in matters relating to the eaten egg. Constantly fastened with all buttons and having a cap and gloves at the ready, he was a type of mayor, whose legs are ready to run at any time, no one knows where ... ". It is also known about Wartkin, he constantly shouted, had a good appetite and ate with haste. In general, all his actions are accompanied by some kind of haste, absolutely unreasonable. And the unsleeping eye! It's just proof of the eternal work of the brain. If we do not take into account all the comicality of the image and the situation, then the image of an active mayor who takes care of his wards, trying with all his might to improve their situation, may well form in the mind of the reader. The reign of Wartkin is called the era of the wars for enlightenment. The mayor sought to revive the order, appointed by the only worthy, in his opinion, predecessor - Dvoekurov. Under a quite serious name, a series of stupid "battles" is hidden, which had mustard, the use of stone foundations, Persian chamomile and a rumor about the establishment of an academy in Foolov. The "good" intentions of the mayor turned into the plight of the Foolovites (the "enlightener" himself found out about this too late). In his dreams, Wartkin captured Byzantium, and then went to the Drava, Morava, to the distant Sava, To the quiet and blue Danube, like a great commander. Thus, the approximate plan of his actions as mayor included the capture of Byzantium, the enlightenment of the people and, as a result, universal respect and honor. Having achieved that the Foolovites recognized both mustard (this campaign was the longest), and Persian chamomile and other "useful" inventions, Wartkin discovered the complete ruin of his possessions. And then, as luck would have it, the French Revolution, which made the valiant mayor doubt, and then completely become disillusioned with the wars for enlightenment and begin the reverse process - wars against enlightenment. It is not difficult to guess that the life of the people was not easy because of the changing whims of Wartkin. The most terrible phenomenon for the Foolovites was the fantastic tin soldiers, pouring blood and destroying the economy of the city. Other methods were also used, namely: flogging (“not a single Foolovite could indicate a place on his body that would not be carved”), proclamations hung in the streets and caused complete bewilderment and other punishments for riots, which, in essence, something and was not. “The Foolovites even strenuously tried to get Borodavkin to shed light on their dark heads, but they did not succeed, and they did not get it precisely through the fault of the mayor.” For law-abiding citizens, Borodavkin's rule ended with the ruin of the courtyards and a complete misunderstanding of the true goals of the "enlightener" ... In the image of the mayor, satirical techniques cannot be ignored. First of all, this is typification: the author even emphasizes that Borodavkin was a special "type" of the mayor - quick and corrosive. Then, the grotesque: Saltykov-Shchedrin gives the hero fantastic features (an eye that does not close), and also exaggerates the capabilities of the tin Soldiers (they poured blood, talked and destroyed houses). And finally, the documents drawn up by the mayor are an absolute parody of state laws and proclamations. Thus, in part of the "War for Enlightenment" Saltykov-Shchedrin opened up to the reader another type of mayor, hiding behind noble goals.

The history of creation and the problem of the narrator. The work was created by the writer at the turn of the 60s and 70s (1868-1870). According to the memoirs of E. Zhukovskaya, Shchedrin, “while living in Tula, wrote a whole chronicle about the governors” and read it to his Tula and St. Petersburg acquaintances. The mention of the "chronicle" here is not accidental. The work was written on behalf of the chroniclers of the city of Glupov in the form of a historical chronicle, reproducing the “deeds and days” of local mayors, describing the years (“summers”) of their government, as the chronicle narrative does. The manuscript of the “Folupovsky chronicler” was found in the archive by a certain Publisher, who makes it public, periodically commenting on the text of the voluminous notebook in his “notes”. The main narrative, therefore, belongs to the chronicler and publisher, behind which stands the all-seeing and all-evaluating author. At the same time, the first two narrators do not become images-characters and are in the nature of original masks that Shchedrin needs to solve satirical problems.

The time reflected in the annals of the Foolovites. The chronicle of the Foolovites covers the period from 1731 to 1826. In the work, in fact, there are names, facts and episodes related to the 18th century. Thus, Shchedrin sarcastically remarks that “the mayors of Biron’s times are distinguished by their recklessness, the mayors of Potemkin’s times are diligent, and the mayors of Razumovsky’s times are of unknown origin and chivalrous 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. Obviously, such historical figures as Biron, Potemkin and Razumovsky are associated with the era of the 18th century. The book mentions a number of palace coups of the 18th century, which elevated Anna Ioannovna, Elizaveta Petrovna, Anna Leopoldovna, Catherine II to the throne. The famous journey of the latter to the Crimea is meant when talking about the extraordinary wanderings of the Foolov city governors.

The work reflects episodes from more distant eras of Russian history: the calling of the Varangian princes, the unification of disparate principalities into a single state in the 15th century, the appearance in Tushino of the impostor False Dmitry II.

Living modernity in the book. However, Saltykov-Shchedrin was least of all interested in the times of the distant past and even in the historical episodes of the preceding, eighteenth century. The writer goes far beyond those conventional time frames indicated by the archivist. The author of the book is concerned about the living modernity, and he correlates the signs of different historical eras, projecting the past onto the present. When, for example, it comes to the extradition of a poet who insulted mother Borodavkina in verse, then a hint of Alexander II, who was indignant at T. Shevchenko, satirically depicted the queen, is caught here. The story of a long-standing famine corresponds to the “hungry” year of 1868. The mention of the "Charter on Respectable Cookie Pies" refers not only to Speransky's legislation, but also to the reforms of the 60s of the XIX century. The story of the fires in the "straw city" of the past alludes to the fires of 1862, which became the reason for the persecution of the "nihilists". The text mentions P. I. Bartenev, who published the Russian Archive magazine since 1863. These examples could be continued. That is why, in a letter to the historian A. N. Pypin, Shchedrin explained that turning to the past, “historical” satire was only a form that was very convenient for him, but by no means the goal of the narrative. It was a means of misleading censorship, a way of reflecting on the present with the help of the past. In addition, as the author noted in the same letter, "the same foundations of life that existed in the 18th century still exist today." Under the “foundations of life”, the satirist meant a triple evil that needed to be eradicated: outdated autocracy, bureaucratic dominance in the country and serfdom, the remnants of which hindered the development of the country along the path of progress.

Gallery of Foolovsky mayors. The need for satirical ridicule of the first two evils prompted Saltykov-Shchedrin to create in his book a whole gallery of 22 mayors who in different years ruled and now manage the city of Foolov, personifying the entire autocratic state. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that very many types drawn by Shchedrin can be correlated with several historical figures. On the other hand, the historical face that we remember in the satirist's book is embodied in a number of characters drawn by him. So, according to the observations of B. M. Eikhenbaum, the features of Alexander I can be found in the images of Sadtilov, Mikaladze, du Chario, Ivanov and Benevolensky. Each of the mayors has his own surname-nickname (here Shchedrin continues the tradition dating back to the 18th century, from Fonvizin to Griboyedov, Gogol and A. Ostrovsky), endowed with a memorable appearance and marked by his "deeds". But all of them are simultaneously brought together by the writer, who established that each of them is completely incapable of governing the city (and therefore the country), that any of them is alien to the interests of his people, that each is marked by signs of obvious idiocy and absolute ignorance.

So, Perechvat-Zalikhvatsky "drove into Foolov on a white horse, burned the gymnasium and abolished the sciences." Bogdan Pfeifer, a "Holstein native", "having accomplished nothing, was replaced in 1762 for ignorance." Cormorant, Ivan Matveyevich, was three arshins and three vershoks tall and “boasted about what was happening in a straight line from Ivan the Great,” that is, the bell tower known in Moscow. Dvoekurov, however, "showed strong hope", especially since he introduced mustard into use and wrote a note about the need to "consider the sciences." But, seized with horror, "he could not do this": decisiveness "was not at all in his manners." Sadtilov, Erast Andreevich, although he was distinguished by tenderness and sensitivity of the heart, raised the tribute from the farm to five thousand rubles a year and had "many inclinations, undoubtedly vicious." Ferdyshchenko, with a not very extensive mind, was tongue-tied. The Marquis de Sanglot liked to sing obscene songs. Du Chario loved to dress up in women's clothes and feast on frogs. Upon examination, it turned out to be a girl. Benevolensky had a love affair with the merchant Raspopova, with whom he ate pies with filling on Saturdays. Many external features bring him closer to Speransky (origin, activities, penchant for legislation, career), but for Shchedrin this similarity and these properties are the least important. The only significant thing is that he was the first to pay tribute, from which he received three thousand rubles a year, and also pandered to Bonaparte. The scoundrels, Onufriy Ivanovich, have many traits that bring him closer to Paul I; it is not for nothing that he is called the "Gatchina stoker." But it is much more important that he "constantly tested whether the Foolovites were firm enough in disasters", and led the population to complete ruin and starvation. Wartkin was remembered for threatening to show the Foolovites "where the crayfish hibernate", and building on the "arctic fox" so that the lined up "crashed". Velikanov, on the other hand, became famous for the fact that he imposed a tribute of three kopecks from the soul in his favor on the inhabitants.

Techniques of the satirical image.

Showing the mayors, Shchedrin masterfully uses the grotesque, depicting the combination of the incompatible. So, characterizing Brodasty, the writer tells that the mayor had a primitive mechanism instead of a head, which shouted out only two words: “I will not tolerate it!” and "break!". Nicknamed Organchik, he carries out his threats: he flogs coachmen, puts in order arrears, flogs peasants. A different grotesque is created by Shchedrin, drawing the mayor Pimple: he endows him with a “stuffed head”, which is eaten by the leader of the nobility with a very developed stomach. Unlike Brodysty, Pimple does not frighten the Foolovites, but stops all business altogether, replacing them with visiting guests. And this was enough for the city to enter a period of prosperity. Another kind of grotesque is used in the case of Cormorant: we remember that this ruler came from a bell tower.

Generously uses the writer and fiction. The above-mentioned Marquis de Sanglot "flyed through the air in the city garden." Other mayors have their feet turned back. They surround themselves with tin soldiers and wage wars for the introduction of chamomile, turning into a kind of dolls or machine guns. Bed bugs eat Dunka the thick-footed during the period of unrest. And what about the dark brown face of Iraida Paleologova, reminiscent of old printed images. This mayor, who tortured "four of her serf girls", having drunk three soldiers for courage, with a sword in her hand "intruded into the treasury." And then, having “shamelessly robbed the treasury,” “blew up into the air along with the treasurer and accountant.” When drawing city governors, Shchedrin uses a duplication technique, conveying the sameness of these women with plump cherry lips and high breasts.

But the mayors of Saltykov-Shchedrin are not only ridiculous and absurd, but also terrible. Such is Grim-Grumbling, the “experienced scoundrel”, who combined the features of Arakcheev and Nicholas I. Depicting him, the writer uses the techniques of hyperbole and caricature, enriching them with a direct author’s characterization and calling him a “gloomy idiot” with a “wooden face” and a “conical skull ". This ruler completed the work of his predecessors and turned the city of Foolov into a desert with a prison in the middle.

All these Shchedrin mayors are fading into oblivion for absurd, curious or shameful reasons. One was eaten by bedbugs, another died from gluttony, a third from lust, a fourth from the effort with which he tried to overcome the Senate decree, a fifth from being torn to pieces by dogs. And Shchedrin accompanies their natural death with loud laughter.

A sad story about fools. In the book of the satirist there is another group image - fools. The writer shows sympathy for the people, compassion for him, protects him from despot stranglers. This is especially felt in the chapters "Hungry Year" and "Straw City". The author of "History ..." with deep sympathy draws the people's walker Evseich, who is looking for truth and justice. But Shchedrin renounces the sentimental idealization of the people. He directs his satire at the Foolovites, portraying them as entangled prejudices, fearful and submissive, living under the "yoke of madness." According to A. S. Bushmin, Shchedrin’s satire is two-sided: on autocracy and on the political passivity of the masses, living in the “yoke of stupidity” and backwardness, darkness and downtroddenness, in slavish obedience to the Grim-Grumblings. The writer endows some of the Foolovites with the features of dolls, emphasizing that they “mechanically” bow in all directions, that they resemble the “wooden case” of “little people”. Shchedrin intends to awaken the self-consciousness of people from the people, to remind them of their human dignity.

Using the technique styling, the writer "dresses" the images and events of the present in the clothes of the past. Another means of Shchedrin's satire is parody. D. S. Likhachev noted the presence in this book of a parodied chronicler, a parodied publisher (here the author caustically parodies official historiographers) and the only true consciousness - the consciousness of Saltykov-Shchedrin himself. The author curiously parodies the fierce discussions of the middle of the 19th century about the origin of Rus'. The writer skillfully uses the manner of a naive chronicler-philistine, thanks to which he conveys important ideas in a naive-fairy-tale form.

The symbol of the river and the mysterious "it". The author contrasts the satirically revealed images of city governors and Foolovites with a symbolic image rivers, which embodies the element of life itself, which no one can abolish and subdue. The river not only does not submit to the wild look of the basilisk Ugryum-Gurcheev, but also demolishes the dam from garbage and manure. In Shchedrin's book there is also a symbolic formidable "It", an image born in the Aesopian language of the satirist. This is something resembling a whirlwind rushing in anger over Foolov, an element that sweeps away the absurdity of the social order of life and the slavish obedience of the Foolovites. Transmitting the movement of this element, Shchedrin uses the expression of the description, the method of forcing verbs and verb forms that form a complex rhythmic pattern. The writer creates a superbly thought-out construction, compositionally and stylistically reminiscent of Pushkin's "History of the village of Goryukhin". Despite the unfair judgments of liberal critics - A. Suvorin and K. Arsenyev - who accused Shchedrin of distorting Russian history and insulting the people, despite the angry statements of the censor N. S. Lebedev that "the author is already positively mocking the authorities", I. S. Turgenev determined the world significance of the "History of a City".

Questions and tasks

Under what circumstances did M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin create(“The history of one city”?

How did Shchedrin solve the difficult problem of the narrator?

What historical time is captured in the Chronicle?

How is living modernity introduced into the narrative of the book?

Who makes up the gallery of Foolov's city governors? WhoseDid the government make a particularly depressing impression on you?

What favorite artistic techniques does M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin use in his book?

What is the inconsistency of the image by the writerfoolovists?

Why was the fantastic image of the river and the mysterious “it” needed in the text of the chronicle? How do you understand thisher designation?

Someone please give a description of any official from the "History of a City", or a link where it can be downloaded and got the best answer

This character served in the management of the city called Foolov, his career was not successful, he brought only devastation to the settlement he ruled. Negodyaev himself was born into an ordinary family of peasants, he helped the stoker to heat the stoves.

After he began to work at the top of the city administration, Foolov, he ordered that all roads be dismantled, but not on purpose, but in order to build memorials and monuments. No wonder the city has such a name, this is the limit of stupidity.

In addition to such misuse of the roads, the protagonist brought the entire population to the point that everyone became wild, shy and ill-mannered people. Negodyaev spent four years in the service, rising to the rank of captain.

His activities were cruel and arrogant, he took food from poor people and gave it to dogs. Thus, he wanted to strengthen the resilience and sustain the population of his city.

Thanks to the work of Negodyaev on the improvement of the city, all the buildings were dilapidated and sad, one prison only looked beautiful in the general mass of shacks. After, on his orders, stones were collected from the roads in order to build new monuments.

The city gradually came to ruin, the houses of the inhabitants became dilapidated and miserable, the population was poor and hungry, this is the result of the fruitful activity of Negodyaev.

No wonder the author gives such a surname, or rather a nickname, to the main character, this is the name he deserves. Before the dismissal of this mayor, the city turned into a bunch of old, dilapidated huts, people walked in rags, they even had nothing to eat.

The residents don’t even have normal clothes to wear for the holidays, even everyday things were not observed, and there was also no food for subsistence. The most interesting thing is that the mayor was fired not because he brought the people to such a disaster. And because of the fact that he could not agree with other politicians on issues of constitutional law.

It is not for nothing that the city is called Foolov and politicians work in it, the people suffer and cannot do anything. One mayor replaces another, but this does not make it any easier for the people.

They are interested in the people as a springboard to achieve their goals.

Some interesting essays

The fate of Asya in Turgenev's story Asya - composition
We can say that the fate of Asya is a kind of repetition of the fate of the writer's illegitimate daughter. However, she is still more tragic: the girl is the fruit of the love of a peasant woman and a master, and the latter even
Composition based on the painting by Levitan Autumn day. Sokolniki 5, 6, 8 grade (description)
A real artist is capable of seeing and feeling the beauty of nature, displaying it on the canvas. And so did one of the outstanding masters of painting - Isaac Levitan
Heroes of the work Sleeping Beauty Perrault
This is one of the beautiful tales of the French storyteller Charles Perot. It tells about the fact that love conquers everything, even the most terrible spell of evil and offended people. The main characters of the fairy tale are the princess and the prince.
Analysis of the story Kuprin Moloch
Moloch A. Kuprin wrote the story when he was only 26 years old. With this story, he declared himself as a young talented writer who is part of Russian literature.

In childhood, each child has his own fictional world, which was created by his imagination. Children often invent unusual plots for games.

Socio-political the situation in the country in the 60-70s of the 19th century was characterized by instability and the protest of the masses against the existing system. The autocracy was the main enemy of the people and, of course, could not but arouse the indignation of the advanced people of that time, to which many Russian writers belonged. One of these writers, who openly hated autocracy as a cruel and inhuman system, was M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin.

All my creative life Saltykov-Shchedrin brought down furious, angry blows on the representatives of the administrative-political system of that time, on the bureaucracy and serfdom. Having chosen accurate satire and all available methods of accusation as his weapon, the writer created vivid works in which he ridiculed, criticized, exposed all the vices of society, pointing not only to the injustice, cruelty and limitations of the authorities, but also to the unforgivable, shameful slave psychology of the townsfolk. The most striking and frank political satire was the work of Saltykov-Shchedrin "The History of a City", created in 1869-1870.

In this work, the subject angry sarcasm and caustic irony for the first time became the supreme state. Saltykov saw that the country was filled with evil, requiring immediate eradication. Under this evil, he understood the outdated autocracy, bureaucratic dominance and serfdom, the remnants of which hindered the development of Russia along the path of progress. However, the writer could not openly denounce the authorities. Therefore, he resorted to a complex artistic disguise, clothed his satire in the form of an historical chronicle of the 18th century. Although anyone who carefully read his "History of a City", it became clear that the author had in mind not the past, not history, but the present. He directed his decisive and well-aimed blow against the survivals of serfdom that choked the country after the reform, against all sorts of liberal illusions that distracted from the real struggle.

“Satire,” wrote I. S. Turgenev, “exaggerates the truth, as if by means of a magnifying glass, but never distorts its essence.” The "magnifying glass" of Saltykov-Shchedrin's satire turned out to be very timely. It was this genre, with its penchant for the grotesque, for extremely conventional images, that became the art form that allowed the author of The History of a City to solve the problem he set for himself.

Central theme works became the relationship of power to the people. The writer painted a true and accurate picture of the life of the city of Glupov - a typical city in Russia of those times. This life appears to the author as "a life on the verge of insanity." Therefore, it is shown in the work in an ugly comic form: everything here is fantastic, incredibly exaggerated, everything here is funny and at the same time scary. The most vividly drawn by the satirist are the figures of twenty-two Foolov's mayors, in whose images Shchedrin exposes the power in Russia, the entire autocratic-feudal regime. All the mayors are brought together by the writer, who claims that each of them has the same vices, stupidity, ignorance, and therefore none of them is able to manage either the city, let alone the country. Because they are all alien to the interests of their people, selfish, proud, marked by signs of obvious idiocy and senselessness.

Amadeus Manuylovich Klementy, who skillfully cooked pasta in Italy, having arrived in the city of Foolov, "not only did not leave the occupation of pasta, but even forced many to do so, and glorified himself." A fugitive Greek "without a name and patronymic and even without a rank" Lavrokakis traded Greek soap, sponge and nuts at the market, which, apparently, was enough for him to later become the mayor. Pimple, a major with a "stuffed head", was "exposed" by a local street leader of the nobility. The actions of the "former scoundrel" Ugryum-Burcheev were reduced to drill, leveling, "correct construction." Ferdyshchenko, who, having become a ruler, suddenly “takes it into his head to travel” from corner to corner of the city pasture, turned out to be incapable of managing anything at all, therefore he replaces real work with bright effects. The mayor Borodavkin, a representative of "civilizing measures", struggling with arrears, "burned 33 villages and, with the help of these measures, recovered the arrears of two rubles and a half." Velikanov became famous for the fact that he imposed a tribute of three kopecks from the soul in his favor on the inhabitants. Intercept-Zalikhvatsky, having become the ruler of the city and having entered the city on a white horse, at one moment "burned the gymnasium and abolished the sciences." Benevolensky, who wrote the "Charter on Respectable Cookie Pies", again introduced into use "as if useful, mustard, bay leaf and olive oil".

busty, who had a certain "organ" in his head, uttering only two words: "I will not tolerate it!" and “I’ll ruin it!” Arriving in the city, I locked myself in my office, didn’t drink, didn’t eat, and kept scratching something with a pen. Bogdan Pfeifer, a "Holstein native", "having accomplished nothing, was replaced in 1762 for ignorance." Cormorant Ivan Matveyevich "bragged about what was happening in a straight line from Ivan the Great" - a well-known bell tower in Moscow. Scoundrels Onufry Ivanovich was famous for "constantly testing whether the Foolovites are firm enough in disasters". Dvoekourov "showed strong hope", as he wrote a note about the need to "consider the sciences", but he did not take real actions, because decisiveness "was not at all in his morals." Sadtilov raised the tribute from the ransom to five thousand rubles a year and in general had "many inclinations, undoubtedly vicious." Other city governors also had such inclinations: the Marquis de Sanglot loved to sing obscene songs, du Chario dressed up in women's dresses and ate frogs, Benevolensky had a love affair with the merchant Raspopova, who ate pies with filling on Saturdays.

All these colorful the images are intended to show the reader the senselessness and stupidity of the administrative system of the city, the ruler of which can be any brainless creature, with the help of threats and various obscene actions, causing the inhabitants to tremble. Depicting the representatives of the Foolov government, Saltykov-Shchedrin emphasizes their anti-human nature. Even the nature of their death is ominously comic. All of them die from insignificant, unnatural or curious causes, as if following the popular saying: "a dog and a dog's death": one was torn to pieces by dogs, the other was bitten by bedbugs, the third died of gluttony, the fourth - from damage to the head instrument, the fifth - from strain and etc.

For mayors corresponds to the collective image of the officials of the city of Foolov as the personification of backwardness, darkness, fear, "trembling", lack of rights and humility of the masses, who are under the "yoke of madness".

Saltykov-Shchedrin in his work shows how shallow, meaningless, useless all the actions of the authorities. They all do the same iniquities. And yet they always go unpunished. But this is temporary. The finale of the "History of a City" shows how unpromising the old government is. Yes, the mayors themselves see the approaching end of their rule. “It has come...”, “It will come...” - Grim-Grumbling says mysteriously, before disappearing. “The north darkened and covered with clouds; from these clouds something rushed to the city: either a downpour, or a tornado. Full of anger, it rushed, drilling the ground, roaring, humming and groaning, and from time to time belching out some kind of deaf, croaking sounds from itself ... It approached, and as it approached, time stopped its run. Finally, the earth shook, the sun went dark... the Foolovites fell on their faces. Inscrutable horror appeared on all faces, seized all hearts ... "

This picture of the Apocalypse- a formidable prophecy of the inevitable death of the monarchical regime and a call for an active struggle against it.

Need to download an essay? Click and save - ""The history of one city": denunciation of a stupid administration. And the finished essay appeared in the bookmarks.