Saveliy - the Holy Russian hero and Matryona Timofeevna - the embodiment of the author’s dream about the spiritual powers of the people (based on the poem by N. A. Nekrasov “Who Lives Well in Rus'”)
In the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus',” Nekrasov is looking for an answer to a question that has long troubled humanity. The work presents the happiness of the priest, the landowner, and local people.
But most often Nekrasov reflects on the happiness of the people and dreams that sooner or later the people will perk up and gather strength to actively fight against the existing system for their freedom and a decent life.
The images of peasants presented in the poem confirm the writer’s hopes and meet his aspirations. And one of the main figures of the poem, standing out for its extraordinary physical strength and spiritual power, is Savely, the Holy Russian hero:
It’s a sin to remain silent about grandfather,
He was also lucky...
This is what Matryona Timofeevna says about Savely.
We learn about Savelia from the chapter “Peasant Woman,” which says that this man grew up in a remote region near the Korezh River. The name itself - Korezhsky region - attracted the writer as a symbol of a hard-working, heroic people with enormous strength, of which Saveliy is a prominent representative. The word “korezhit” means “to bend”, “to break”, “to work”, and therefore Korezhina is a land of persistent and hardworking people.
Savely’s appearance personifies the mighty forest element: “With a huge gray mane, uncut for twenty years, with a huge beard, the grandfather looked like a bear. “
Nekrasov shows the complex path along which Savely’s rebellious sentiments grew: from silent patience to open resistance. Prison and Siberian hard labor did not break Savely and did not destroy his self-esteem. “Branded, but not a slave,” he says about himself. He went through all the trials that befell him, but was able to preserve himself. Saveliy treats his resigned fellow villagers with contempt and calls for mass action for final reprisal against the oppressors, but his thoughts are not without contradictions. It is no coincidence that he is compared with Svyatogor, the strongest, but also the most motionless hero of the epic epic. At the same time, the image of Savely is very contradictory. On the one hand, he called for struggle, on the other, for patience:
We can't find the truth!
Saveliy advises Matryona Timofeevna. These words sound despair, hopelessness, and disbelief in the possibility of changing the bitter fate of the peasant. In the image of Matryona Timofeevna, Nekrasov embodied the best character traits of Russian peasant women. Matryona's highly moral qualities are harmoniously combined with her external beauty.
With her restrained and strict beauty, filled with self-esteem, Matryona represents the type of stately Slavic woman revealed by Nekrasov in the poem “Frost, Red Nose.” The story of her life confirms that Matryona’s character was formed in the conditions of latrine fishing, when most The male population went to the cities. On the shoulders of a woman lay not only the entire burden of peasant labor, but also a huge amount of responsibility for the fate of the family, for raising children.
From the chapter “Before Marriage” we learn about Matryona’s youth, and from the chapter “Song” - about the difficult fate of the heroine after marriage. Matryona's songs are popular, so her personal fate reflects the typical fate of a peasant woman, ceasing to be her own. Short joys were followed by frequent and severe misfortunes that could break even a strong person. But Matryona persevered and found the spiritual and physical strength to fight for her happiness. Her beloved first-born Demushka dies, she saves her second son Fedotushka from terrible punishment at the cost of severe trials, she had to put in a lot of effort to achieve the release of her husband - and we see that no obstacles stop her, she is ready to fight for her happiness on her own to the last .
The image of Matryona Timofeevna was created in such a way that she seemed to have been through all the vicissitudes that a Russian woman could experience. The voice of Matryona Timofeevna is the voice of the entire Russian people, all Russian women who had the same difficult fate.
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The secret of the nickname of Savely, the Holy Russian hero
The reader learns about Savelia, the grandfather of Matryona’s husband, from her story. The image of Savely combines two heroic types of the Russian people. On the one hand, he is a hero - a man of extraordinary strength, a defender of his land and his people, although not a warrior: “And his life is not a military one, and death is not written for him in battle - but a hero!”
On the other hand, Savely is a hero of Holy Rus', of Christian heritage, a believer, a martyr. He has many hallmarks of holiness: he endured bodily torture, has a mutilation, committed more than one mortal sin (by killing the manager and becoming the involuntary cause of Dyomushka’s death), before his death he prophesies, promising men three roads (tavern, prison and hard labor), and women three nooses (silk white, red and black). Savely is taught to read and write, prays a lot and reads the calendar.
Holy Rus' for the Orthodox is that strong country of times Kievan Rus, when the people fought the enemy “for the Orthodox faith, for the Russian land.” Savely is similar at the same time to both the heroes and the saints of antiquity, born in a free land, living according to Orthodox laws, the true laws of conscience.
Portrait of Savely
Savely is very old. In total, he lived for 107 years, and met Matryona at the age of 100. He is enormously tall, so that Matryona thinks that, straightening up, he will break through the ceiling. Matryona compares him to a bear. His enormous mane, uncut for 20 years, is called gray, and his beard is also enormous (repeated epithets enhance the quality).
Savely's bent back is a symbol of the Russian man, who bends, but does not break or fall. In his youth, in the forest, Savely stepped on a sleepy bear, and, being frightened once in his life, he thrust a spear into her, injuring his back in the process.
Explaining his heroic nature to Matryona, Savely gives a generalized portrait of the hero, coinciding with his own: his arms are twisted with chains, his legs are forged with iron, entire scaffolding is broken on his back, Elijah the prophet rides on his chest and rattles his chariot (hyperbole).
The character of Savely and the circumstances that shaped him
At the time of his acquaintance with Matryona, Savely lived in a special upper room and did not allow anyone into it, despite the protests of his family. He built this room after returning from hard labor. Later, he made an exception for his little great-grandson and Matryona, who was fleeing the wrath of her father-in-law.
The family did not favor Savely when he ran out of money accumulated in hard labor. He did not argue with his family, although he could play a joke over his son, who called him a convict and branded. Grandfather's smile is compared to a rainbow.
The old man had a habit of sometimes saying aphorisms related to his past life and hard labor: “To not endure is an abyss, to endure is an abyss.”
He does not repent of his crime, for which Savely was sent to hard labor. From his point of view, it was impossible to tolerate, although patience- this is the property of a Russian hero. But Savely repents that he caused the death of his great-grandson. He crawls to Matryona on his knees, goes into the forests, and then to the monastery to repent. At the same time, Savely is capable support Matryona, sympathize to her.
The history of relations between the Koryozhinsky men and their masters is the history of the enslavement of Holy Rus'. Savely seems to come from those ancient Russian “blessed” times when the peasants were free. His village was in such remote swamps that the master could not get there: “The devil has been looking for our side for three years.” Life in the wilderness was associated with brutal hunting, so Savely “ petrified, he was fiercer than a beast,” and only love for Dyomushka softened him.
The peasants gave the rent to master Shalashnikov only when he tore them. For them it was the same as a military feat: they stood for their patrimony, they defeated Shalashnikov.
Savely is a man simple and direct, to match master Shalashnikov. He could not cope with the cunning of the German Vogel, the managing heir, who quietly enslaved the peasants and ruined them completely. Savely calls this state hard labor.
The men endured for eighteen years: “Our axes lay there for the time being.” And then they buried the German Vogel alive, whom Nekrasov called Khristyan Khristianich (sarcasm). It was Savely who first pushed the German into the pit, and it was he who said: “Pump it up.” Savely has the qualities rebel.
Savely knew how to use any circumstances to his advantage. In prison he learned to read and write. After 20 years of hard labor and 20 years of settlement, Savely returned to his homeland, having saved money. Starting the story about Savelya, Matryona ironically calls him lucky. Taking the blows of fate, Savely did not lose heart and was not afraid.
- Images of landowners in Nekrasov’s poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'”
- The image of Grisha Dobrosklonov in Nekrasov’s poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'”
- The image of Matryona in the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'”
The poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” is the result of N.A.’s entire work. Nekrasova. It was conceived “about the people and for the people” and was written from 1863 to 1876. The author considered his work “an epic of modern peasant life.” In it, Nekrasov asked the question: did the abolition of serfdom bring happiness to the peasantry? To find the answer, the poet sends seven men on a long journey across Russia in search of at least one happy person.
On their way, wanderers meet many faces, heroes, destinies. Savely becomes one of the people they meet. Nekrasov calls him “the hero of Holy Russia.” The travelers see in front of them an old man, “with a huge gray mane, ... with a huge beard,” “he is already a hundred years old, according to fairy tales.” But, despite his age, this man felt enormous strength and power: “...will he straighten up? The bear will punch a hole in the light with his head!”
This strength and power, as the wanderers later learned, was manifested not only in Savely’s appearance. They are, first of all, in his character, inner core, moral qualities.
The son often called Savely a convict and “branded.” To which this hero always answered: “Branded, but not a slave!” Love of freedom, the desire for internal independence - this is what made Savely a real “Holy Russian” hero.
Why did this hero end up in hard labor? In his youth, he rebelled against the German manager sent by the landowner to their village. Vogel made sure that “hard labor came to the Korezh peasant - he ruined him to the bone!” At first the whole village endured it. In this Savely sees the heroism of the Russian peasant in general. But what is his heroism? In patience and endurance, the peasants endured Vogel’s yoke for seventeen years:
And it bends, but does not break,
Doesn't break, doesn't fall...
Isn't he a hero?
But soon the peasant’s patience came to an end:
Happened, I'm lightly
Pushed him with his shoulder
Then another pushed him,
And the third...
The people's anger, having received an impetus, fell like an avalanche on the monster manager. The men buried him alive in the ground, in the very hole that he ordered the peasants to dig. Nekrasov, thus, shows here that the people’s patience is coming to an end. Moreover, although patience is national trait character, it must have its boundaries. The poet calls on you to start fighting for the improvement of your life, for your destiny.
For crime committed Savely and other peasants were sent to hard labor. But before that they kept him in prison, where the hero learned to read and write, and was flogged. But Savely doesn’t even consider this a punishment: “If they didn’t tear it out, they anointed it, it’s a bad fight!”
The hero escaped from hard labor several times, but was returned and punished. Saveliy spent twenty years in strict penal servitude, twenty years in settlements. Returning home, he built his own house. It would seem that now you can live and work in peace. But is this possible for Russian peasants? Nekrasov shows that no.
Already at home, probably the most terrible event happened to Savely, worse than twenty years of hard labor. Old hero did not look after his great-grandson Demushka, and the boy was eaten by pigs. Saveliy could not forgive himself for this sin until the end of his life. He felt guilty before Demushka’s mother, and before all people, and before God.
After the boy’s death, the hero almost settled at his grave, and then completely went to the monastery to atone for his sins. It is the last part of Savely’s life that explains the definition that Nekrasov gives him - “Holy Russian”. The poet sees the great strength and invincibility of the Russian man precisely in morality, the inner core of a simple peasant, largely based on faith in God.
But probably no one can speak better about his fate and destiny better than Savely himself. This is how the old man himself evaluates his life:
Eh, the share of Holy Russian
Homemade hero!
He's been bullied all his life.
Time will change its mind
About death - hellish torment
In the other world they are waiting.
In the image of Saveliy, the Holy Russian hero, are embodied enormous forces Russian people, their powerful potential. This is expressed both in the hero’s physical appearance and in his inner purity, love of freedom, and pride. However, it is worth noting that Savely has not yet decided on a complete rebellion, a revolution. In anger, he buries Vogel, but his words, especially at the end of his life, sound humility. Moreover, Savely believes that torment and suffering will await him not only in this life, but also in the next world.
That is why Nekrasov places his revolutionary hopes on Grisha Dobroskonov, who must understand the potential of such Savelievs and raise them to revolution, to lead them to a better life.
“He was also lucky”... With such ironic words the image of grandfather Savely is introduced into Nekrasov’s poem. He lived a long, difficult life and is now living out his life in the family of Matryona Timofeevna. The image of Savely, the Holy Russian hero in the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” by Nekrasov is very important, because he embodies the idea of Russian heroism. The theme of strength, endurance and long-suffering of the people in the poem grows from chapter to chapter (remember the story of the strongman at the fair, which serves as a prerequisite for the story of Savely) and is ultimately resolved in the image of the hero Savely.
Savely comes from a remote forest region, where even “the devil looked for a way for three years.” The very name of this region breathes power: Korega, from “to distort”, i.e. bend, break. A bear can damage something, and Savely himself “looked like a bear.” He is also compared with other animals, for example, with elk, and it is emphasized that he is much more dangerous than a predator when he walks through the forest “with a knife and a spear.” This strength stems from a deep knowledge of one’s land, complete unity with nature. Savely’s love for his land is visible, his words “My forest! “sound much more convincing than the same statement from the lips of the landowner Obolt-Obolduev.
But the master’s hand will reach into any, even the most impassable region. Savely's free life ends with the arrival of a German manager in Korega. At first, he seemed harmless and did not even demand the due tribute, but set a condition: to work off the money by chopping wood. Simple-minded men built a road out of the forest and then they realized how much they had been deceived: gentlemen came to Korezhina along this road, the German brought his wife and children, and began to suck all the juice out of the village.
“And then came the hard labor
To the Korezh peasant -
Ruined me to the bone!”
For a long time, the peasants endured the bullying of the German - he beats them and forces them to work beyond measure. A Russian peasant can endure a lot, that’s why he is a hero, says Savely.
This is what he says to Matryona, to which the woman answers ironically: even a mouse can eat such a hero. In this episode Nekrasov plans important problem of the Russian people: their irresponsibility, unpreparedness for decisive action. It is not for nothing that Savely’s characterization coincides with the image of the most motionless of epic heroes– Svyatogor, who at the end of his life grew into the ground.
“To not endure is an abyss, to endure is an abyss.” This is how the hero Savely thinks, and this simple but wise folk philosophy leads him to rebellion. Under the word he invented, “Pump it up!” the hated German manager is buried in the ground. And although Savely ends up in hard labor for this act, the beginning of liberation has already been made. For the rest of his life, the grandfather will be proud that he, although “branded, is not a slave!”
But how does his life develop next? He spent more than twenty years in hard labor, and his settlements were taken away another twenty. But even there Savely did not give up, he worked, was able to raise money, and, returning to his homeland, built a hut for himself and his family. And yet his life was not allowed to end peacefully: while his grandfather had money, he enjoyed the love of his family, and when they ran out, he was met with dislike and ridicule. The only joy for him, as well as for Matryona, is Demushka. He sits on the old man’s shoulder “like an apple in the top of an old apple tree.”
But something terrible happens: through his fault, Savely, the grandson dies. And it was this event that broke the man who had gone through whips and hard labor. The grandfather will spend the rest of his life in a monastery and wandering, praying for remission of sins. That is why Nekrasov calls it Holy Russian, showing another feature inherent in all people: deep, sincere religiosity. Grandfather Savely lived for “one hundred and seven years,” but his longevity did not bring him happiness, and his strength, as he himself recalls bitterly, “was gone in small ways.”
In the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus',” Savely embodies precisely this deeply hidden strength of the Russian peasant and his enormous, although so far unrealized, potential. It is worth waking up the people, convincing them to abandon humility for a while, and then they will win happiness for themselves, this is what Nekrasov is talking about with the help of the image of the hero Savely.
Work test
N. Nekrasov created many wonderful peasant images in the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'.” Among them stands out a hundred-year-old man, who has endured many hardships in his lifetime. But, despite his age, he still retained strength and fortitude. “The hero of the Holy Russian” - this is the definition given to grandfather Savely in the work.
“Who lives well in Rus'”: a summary of chapters 3,4 of part 3
The wandering men, who decided to definitely find the answer to the question posed in the title of the poem, learned about this hero from a young woman, Matryona Timofeevna. “He was also a lucky man,” she notes while talking about her life.
Matryona met grandfather Savely when he was about a hundred years old. He lived separately from his son’s family, in his own room, and was the only one who treated his grandson’s young wife kindly and caringly. The hero always loved the forest, where even in his old age he loved to pick mushrooms and berries, and set snares for birds. This is the first characteristic of Savely.
“Who Lives Well in Rus'” is a poem about the life of peasants before and after the milestone year of 1861. The old man’s life story, which he told his daughter-in-law, introduces us to the times when men were considered more resilient and decisive, and bondage was not felt so strongly: “Once every three years we give something to the landowner and that’s enough,” said the hero. And although many difficulties befell him: serf life, long hard labor, and settlement - however, the main test lay ahead of Savely. In his old age, he neglected to look after his great-grandson, who was killed by pigs. After this he left home, and soon settled in a monastery, where he last days in this world I prayed for sins: my own and others.
What is so attractive about the image of Savely in the work “Who Lives Well in Rus'”?
Hero's appearance
According to Matryona, the old man looked tall and strong even at a hundred years old, so that he looked more like a huge bear. With a large gray mane that had not been cut for a long time. Bent over, but still striking with his greatness - in his youth, according to his stories, he single-handedly opposed a bear and raised her on a spear. Now, of course, the power was not the same: the hero often asked the question: “Where did the former strength go?” Nevertheless, it seemed to Matryona that if grandfather straightened up to his full height, he would certainly punch a hole in the light with his head. This description complements Savely’s characterization.
“Who Lives Well in Rus'” tells the story of the hero’s early years, including the story of how he ended up in hard labor.
Free life
During his grandfather’s youth, his native Korezh places were remote and impassable. The forests and swamps that spread around were well known to the local peasants, but they struck fear into strangers, including the master. Nekrasov introduces the combination “Korezhsky” region into the poem for a reason - this is essentially where Savely’s characterization begins - “Who lives well in Rus'”. It in itself already symbolizes incredible physical strength and endurance.
So, the landowner Shalashnikov did not visit the peasants at all, and the police came once a year to collect tribute. The serfs equated themselves with the free: they paid little and lived in abundance, like merchants. At first they also gave rent in honey, fish, and animal skins. Over time, as the hour for payment approached, they dressed up as beggars. And although Shalashnikov flogged them so much that the “skin” was hardened for a century, the peasants who stood for the estate turned out to be adamant. “No matter how you try, you can’t shake out your whole soul,” Savely thought so too. “Who Lives Well in Rus'” shows that the character of the hero was tempered and strengthened in conditions when he and his comrades felt their freedom. And therefore, until the end of his life, it was impossible to change either this conviction or his proud disposition. At the age of one hundred, Savely also advocated the right to be independent, including from relatives.
In his story, the grandfather drew attention to one more point - the Russian man did not always tolerate bullying. He remembered the time when the people wanted and could stand up for themselves.
Protest against arbitrariness
After the death of Shalashnikov, the peasants hoped that freedom would now come. But the heirs sent a German manager. At first he pretended to be quiet and calm, and did not demand quitrent. And he himself, by cunning, forced the peasants to dry up the swamp and cut a clearing. When they came to their senses, it was too late: out of stupidity they paved the way to themselves. This is where their life as a merchant ended, Savely notes in his story.
“Who Lives Well in Rus'” is a work in which the best are presented. In the case of the German, the author shows the unity of the people that he has always dreamed of. It turned out that it was not easy to break the men who were accustomed to a free life. For eighteen years they somehow endured the authority of the manager, but their patience had reached its limit. One day Christian Khristyanich forced them to dig a hole, and by the end of the day he was indignant that nothing had been done. In tired people - they worked tirelessly - the anger that had accumulated over the years boiled up, and suddenly a decision came. Savely lightly pushed the German towards the pit with his shoulder. Nine of his comrades standing nearby immediately understood everything - and a few minutes later the hated Vogel was buried alive in that very pit. Of course, such an act was punished, but in everyone’s soul there remained satisfaction from the fact that they did not submit. It is no coincidence that the old man, to the word “convict” addressed to him by his son, answered every time: “Marked, but not a slave.” And this is one of the main qualities of the hero, which he was always proud of.
Hard labor
Twenty years of hard labor and the same number of settlements - such was the sentence for the rebels. But he could not change the attitude towards life of the people to whom Savely belonged. The image of the hero from the work “Who Lives Well in Rus'” was tempered even more in new trials. Flogging in prison, and then in Siberia after unsuccessful escapes, in comparison with Shalashnikov’s punishments, seemed to him just a worthless daub. Hard work was also nothing new. Savely even managed to save money, with which, upon returning to his native place, he built a house. The desire for independence and freedom remained the same. This is probably why the old man singled out only his grandson’s wife, Matryona, from the entire family. She was just like him: rebellious, purposeful, ready to fight for her own happiness.
Relationships with household members
This is another important component of the story about the hero - in the end, it is from small details that the characterization of Savely is formed in a short chapter.
“Who Lives Well in Rus'” is a poem about the “lucky ones.” But can we include a person who felt lonely in his family among them? Matryona noted that grandfather did not like to communicate with his relatives and therefore settled in the upper room. The reasons were simple: Savely, pure in soul and kind by nature, could not accept the anger and envy that reigned in the family. The old man's son did not possess any of the qualities characteristic of his father. There was no kindness, no sincerity, no desire for work in him. But there was indifference to everything, a tendency towards idleness and drinking. His wife and daughter, who remained an old wench, differed little from him. In order to somehow teach his relatives a lesson, Savely sometimes began to joke. For example, he tossed a tin “coin” made from a button to his son. As a result, the latter returned from the tavern beaten. And the hero just chuckled.
Later, Savely’s loneliness will be brightened up by Matryona and Demushka. After the death of the child, the old man admits that next to his grandson his hardened heart and soul thawed, and he again felt full of strength and hope.
The story of Demushka
The death of the boy became a real tragedy for the old man, although the origins of what happened must be sought in the very way of Russian life of that time. The mother-in-law forbade Matryona to take her son with her into the field, who allegedly interfered with her work, and hundred-year-old Savely began to look after the child.
“Who Lives Well in Rus'” - the characterization of its heroes does not always turn out to be cheerful - this is a poem about difficult trials that not everyone can cope with. Here in in this case The hero, who had seen a lot in his life, suddenly truly felt like a criminal. He was never able to forgive himself for falling asleep and not looking after the children. Savely did not leave his closet for a week, and then went into the forest, where he always felt freer and more confident. In the fall, he settled in a monastery to repent and pray. He asked God that the heart of the suffering mother would take pity and that she would forgive him, the foolish one. And the old man’s soul also ached for the entire Russian peasantry, suffering, with a difficult fate - he will tell about this when he meets Matryona several years after the tragedy.
Thoughts about the people
The characterization of Savely from the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” will be incomplete without mentioning the hero’s attitude towards the Russian peasantry. He calls the people suffering and at the same time courageous, capable of enduring any trial in this life. The arms and legs are forever chained, as if they have passed down the back, and in the chest - “Elijah the prophet... thunders... in a chariot of fire.” This is how the hero describes the man. Then he adds: a true hero. And he concludes his speech with the words that even after death human suffering does not end - in this, unfortunately, one can hear the motives of the humility of the elder novice. For in the next world the same “hellish torment” awaits the unfortunate, says Saveliy.
“Who lives well in Rus'”: characteristics of the “hero of Svyatogorsk” (conclusions)
To summarize, it can be noted that the appearance of the hero embodies best qualities Russian person. The story itself reminds of him folk tale or an epic. Strong, proud, independent, he rises above the other heroes of the poem and, in fact, becomes the first rebel to defend popular interests. However, the comparison of the hero with Svyatogor is not accidental. It was this hero who was considered in Rus' to be both the strongest and the most inactive. In my thoughts about future fate Saveliy comes to a less than satisfying conclusion: “God knows.” Consequently, this image from the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” is very contradictory and does not answer the question of the wanderers. And therefore the story about the search for happiness does not end until the men meet the young and active Grisha.
