Ivan Flyagin is a hero. Analysis of the work “The Enchanted Wanderer” (Leskov)

Leskov's story “The Enchanted Wanderer” has a number of its own characteristics. A wide system of themes and problems, a dynamic plot, devoid of details, makes this work difficult to perceive - sometimes the idea of ​​the work is lost behind numerous events.

History of creation

Plans to create a story about the life of monks visited Leskov during his trip to Lake Ladoga. During the trip, Leskov had to visit the islands of Valaam and Korelu - at that time this was a place of settlement for monks. The landscapes I saw contributed to the idea of ​​writing a work about the life of these people. By the end of 1872 (almost six months after the trip), the story was written, but its publication was not so quick.
Leskov sent the story to the editors of the Russian Bulletin magazine, whose editor at that time was M. Katkov. Unfortunately, the editorial committee thought this story was unfinished and they did not publish it.

In August 1873, readers finally saw the story, but in the newspaper Russkiy Mir. Its title changed and was presented in expanded form: “The Enchanted Wanderer, His Life, Experiences, Opinions and Adventures.” A dedication was also added to the story - to Sergei Kushelev - it was in his house that the story was first presented to the general public.

Symbolism of the name

Leskov’s story was originally planned to be called “Black Earth Telemacus.” It is impossible to unequivocally answer the question of why such a specific name was chosen. With the first word - “chernozem” everything is quite logical - Leskov planned to emphasize the territorial affiliation of the protagonist and limited his range of action to the area of ​​distribution of chernozem as a typical type of soil. With Telomak, things are somewhat more complicated - in ancient mythology, Telemacus is the son of Odysseus and Penelope. He begins to search for his father and helps him get rid of his mother's suitors. It is difficult to imagine the similarities between Telemakos and Ivan. However, it is still present and lies in the search. Telemachus is looking for his father, and Ivan is looking for his place in the world, which allows him to exist harmoniously, “the charm of life itself.”

It was the last concept - “charm with life” that became the key concept in the second version of the title of the story. Ivan Flyagin spends his entire life wandering - fate and chance do not provide him with the opportunity to finally settle down.

However, at the same time, Flyagin does not experience extreme dissatisfaction with his fate; he perceives every new turn on the path of life as the will of fate, predestination in life. The actions of the protagonist, which entailed significant changes in his life, always occur as if unconsciously, the hero does not think about them or plan them, they occur spontaneously, as if by the will of witchcraft, a kind of “charm”.

According to researchers, there is one more episode in the story that allows us to talk about the “charm” of the main character - Ivan’s mother, even before birth, “promised God her son,” which predetermined his fate.

Heroes

All chapter-stories of “The Enchanted Wanderer” are united by the personality of Ivan Severyanych Flyagin (Golovin), who tells the unusual story of his life.

The second most important image in the story is the image of the gypsy Grusha. The girl became the subject of Flyagin's unrequited love. Grusha’s unrequited love for the prince did not allow the girl to consider Flyagin’s feelings towards her and contributed to her death - Grusha asks Flyagin to kill her.

All other characters have generalized character traits - they are represented by typical heroes in their social stratum.

• Count and Countess from Oryol Province- landowners, to whose estates Flyagin belonged from birth.
• Barin from Nikolaev- a man for whom Flyagin served as a nanny - looked after his little daughter.
• Girl's mother- the natural mother of the girl entrusted to Flyagin, who ran away with a certain officer from her husband.
• Officer- a young man in love with a girl’s mother. He offers Flyagin money to give them the child. Helps Flyagin financially after his escape from the master.
• A person with magnetism- a casual acquaintance of Flyagin, who hypnotized him about alcohol intoxication and addiction.
• Prince- a landowner for whom Flyagin serves as a coneser.
• Evgenia Semenovna- the prince's mistress.
• Gypsies– a generalized image of the gypsy community.
• Tatars– a generalized image.
• Natasha- Flyagin’s two wives, who appeared to him while living with the Tatars.

Plot

Ivan was a late child - his mother could not get pregnant for a long time, but fate was unfair to her - she never managed to experience the happiness of motherhood - the woman died during childbirth. The born child had an unusually large head, for which he was named Golovan. One day, due to carelessness, Ivan caused the death of a monk and from that moment he learned about a certain prophecy of his life - the deceased monk said in a dream that Ivan would always be saved from death, but at a critical moment he would enter a monastery and become a monk.

Dear readers! We invite you to read what Nikolai Leskov wrote.

The prediction begins to come true: first, Ivan miraculously remains alive after the carriage he was driving fell from a cliff, then a gypsy saves him from committing suicide by hanging.

Flyagin decides to join the gypsies - at the request of a new acquaintance, he steals horses from his master. Together with the gypsy, Ivan sells horses at the market, but does not receive the proper monetary reward for this. Ivan says goodbye to the gypsy and goes to Nikolaev.

Here Ivan begins to serve the master - he takes care of his daughter. After some time, the girl’s mother appears and asks to give the child to her. At first, Ivan resists, but at the last moment he changes his mind and runs away with the girl’s mother and her new husband. Then Ivan ends up with the Tatars - Flyagin takes part in a duel with the Tatar and defeats his opponent, unfortunately, the Tatar dies, and Ivan was forced to join the Tatars in order to avoid punishment. To prevent Flyagin from running away from them, the Tatars sew chopped horsehair into his heels - after this, Ivan could not walk normally - his hair was severely pricked. Ivan was in Tatar captivity twice - both the first and second time he was given two wives. From the wives of Flyagin’s second “marriage” children are born, but this did not bring any changes to Flyagin’s life - Ivan is indifferent to them. After escaping from the Tatars, Ivan serves the prince. Falling in love with the gypsy Grusha became tragic in Ivan’s life - Flyagin experienced the pangs of unrequited love.

Pear, in turn, was unrequitedly in love with the prince, the news of whose wedding caused the girl’s emotional breakdown. Grusha is afraid that her actions could cause irreparable harm to the prince and his wife and therefore asks Flyagin to kill her. After the murder of Grunya, Ivan goes into the army - having escaped from the prince, Flyagin met old men whose only son was taken into the army, out of pity for the old men, Ivan pretends to be another person and goes to serve instead of their son. The next point in Flyagin’s life was the monastery - Ivan ends up there after retirement. An officer's rank, not supported by proper knowledge, did not allow Ivan to realize his potential.

The strange behavior of Flyagin became the reason that the monks sent him to travel to holy places. The story ends here. During the trip, Flyagin himself expresses hope of returning to the front.

Structure

The story by Nikolai Leskov is part of a cycle of stories united by the theme of monasticism and religiosity. The structure of the work is as follows: the story consists of 20 chapters. Compositionally, they are divided into exposition and development of action. Traditionally, the first chapter is an exposition. According to the canons of literary criticism, it should be followed by a plot, but in Leskov’s story this does not happen - this is due to the structure of the story itself - subsequent chapters are fragments from the life of the main character, which in their essence are completely independent and, moreover, are placed in violation of the chronological framework . In essence, these fragments in the structure of the composition are the development of the action.

It is also impossible to single out a culmination from these elements - each memory is special, and is associated with a certain turning point in the hero’s life - it is unrealistic to determine which event was more significant. Some researchers are inclined to believe that the climax can be attributed to a fragment of the text telling about Flyagin’s meeting with Grusha - it is at this moment in his life that Flyagin experiences the most severe devastation - he drinks a lot and binge-drinks, and is actually depressed. The story also lacks a denouement - the hero's journey across Lake Ladoga is another fragment that will most likely lead to new changes in the character's life. All chapters are designed in the form of small, logically designed stories, each of which actually has a meaningful ending.

Features of character images

Leskov's story is indicated by a number of features in the image acting characters.
First of all, this concerns the main character. Ivan Flyagin does not look like a typical monk - in his appearance he resembles a hero. Ivan is a tall, broad-shouldered, physically developed man, it seems that he stepped out of the pages of epic stories. Ivan has wisdom and the ability to make logical conclusions, but at the same time he tends to act extremely stupidly and recklessly, which often turns fatal for other characters, and also brings irreparable, negative consequences into his life.

The image of Grusha is also not without contradictions and its own characteristics - both a typical gypsy - passionate and impulsive - and an angel coexist in her. Pear realizes that because of her emotionality, she will not be able to come to terms with unrequited love and will become the cause of tragedy in the life of her lover or his future wife. Classically, she should have followed her emotions, but here her other side of her personality is revealed - Grusha is a virtuous person - she prefers to die herself rather than bring misfortune.

The life of any serf is not without interference from representatives of the aristocracy. Leskov's story was no exception. The author actively introduces some features into the description of characters of this type. Leskov deliberately creates a negative image of representatives of high society - in the story, all landowners are presented as selfish tyrants who mistreat their serfs.

Ivan Flyagin served in the army for 15 years, but the story says very little about this period.

The only image of a military man that can be seen in the story is the colonel. In general, the image of this man is typical of a military man: “he was brave and loved to pretend to be Suvorov,” however, he coexists with another personality that resembles the image of his father. The colonel listens carefully to Flyagin’s life story, but not only does not take everything said into account, but also convinces Ivan that it all happened only in his fantasies. On the one hand, this seems like an unreasonable action on the part of the colonel, but at the same time it saves Flyagin from punishment instead of an officer rank.

The next category of images relates to foreigners - in the story, in addition to Russian people, three nationalities are also depicted - Gypsies, Tatars and Poles. All representatives of these nationalities are endowed with exaggerated negative qualities - the life of foreigners is presented as immoral, illogical and therefore artificial, devoid of the colors of real, sincere feelings and emotions. Foreigners (with the exception of Grusha) do not have positive character traits - they are always hypocrites and dishonest people.

The story also contains representatives of monasticism. The image of these people contains canonicity. They are strict and stern people, but at the same time sincere and humane. Ivan's atypicality causes them bewilderment and concern, but at the same time they empathize with him and express concern for his fate.

Story idea

The idea of ​​the story lies in the deep connection of man with his homeland and religion. With the help of these attributes, Leskov tries to reveal the characteristics of the Russian soul and its mental qualities of character. The life of an ordinary Russian person is closely connected with disappointments and injustice, however, no matter how often and to what extent these troubles occur in a person’s life, the Russian person never loses hope for a miracle - according to Leskov, it is in this optimistic ability that the mystery of the Russian lies. souls.

The author leads readers to the conclusion that without a homeland and religion, a person cannot fully exist. No matter how many sins there are in a person’s life, sincere repentance allows you to start your life with a clean slate.

Theme of the story

Leskov's story is filled with a wide system of themes. The questions raised in the work have a diverse expression and are able to comprehensively outline the features and complexities of the life of an ordinary person.

Religion and its influence on human life

Of course, the influence of religion in Flyagin’s time on human life was much stronger - at the present time, other social institutions have taken on some of the responsibilities of the social sphere. At that time, the church was the bearer of morality, taught the interaction of people in society, developed in people positive traits character. Religion at that time also helped people find answers to their questions in the field of science. Some of the information perceived by society at that time could well be perceived as the action of an otherworldly mystical force, which added even more significance to the church in the eyes of people.

Thus, religion helped a person find the right path on his life's path, outline the ideal of a real person and stimulate people's interest in achieving this ideal.

Love and its truth

It seems that Leskov’s story was created in order to trace the importance and essentiality of love (in every sense of the word). This is love for the homeland, and love for life, and love for God, and love for representatives of the opposite sex. The diversity of Ivan Flyagin's life allowed him to experience love in all its manifestations. Of particular interest to the reader are Flyagin’s relationships with representatives of the opposite sex.

While Flyagin’s feelings towards his Tatar wives are natural - since they arose as a “necessity”, his feelings for the gypsy Grusha are regrettable - like any other manifestation of unrequited love.

Ivan is captivated by the girl, but the hope of finding happiness between Flyagin and Grusha is fading just as quickly as Grusha’s love for the prince is ignited.

Fatherly feelings

During his stay with the Tatars, Ivan is “given” wives - these are women with whom Ivan did not experience feelings of kinship. In the “family” children are born with these women, but the man does not feel a kinship with them and, as a result, he does not develop parental feelings towards them. Ivan explains this by the fact that his children were not of the Christian faith. At that time, the influence of religion on a person was more significant than today, so this could cause alienation. Similar motives appear repeatedly in the literature. So, for example, in the poem by the Ukrainian literary figure T.G. Shevchenko "Haydamaky" main character does not prevent the death of his children because they were of a “different” faith, while the man does not experience repentance or regret. Based on such motives, Ivan Flyagin’s attitude towards his children looks quite humane.

Understanding the Motherland and its significance for humans

Fate decreed that Ivan Flyagin had a chance to learn about the peculiarities of life different nations. First of all, of course, these were the peculiarities of the life of the Russian people - from childhood, Ivan knew about the complexities of relationships between the social elements of the Russian people, mental characteristics that also cause certain difficulties. However, not only this is an integral part of the Russian person - the peculiarities of nature and the relationship of man with it, folklore’s focus on the perception of the beauty of life, became the reason for Flyagin’s special attachment to his people.

Faced with a community of gypsies, Flyagin clearly understands that “such a life is not for him” - the traditions of these people and their moral principles are too different from those that Flyagin is used to being guided by.

Life among the Tatars also did not attract Ivan - undoubtedly, the life of these people was not absolutely immoral or unattractive, but Flyagin did not manage to feel “at home” - image native land was constantly on his mind. Perhaps this is due to the fact that his stay with other nationalities was forced - Ivan ended up in this society not because he experienced a spiritual kinship, but because the circumstances turned out that way.

Issues

Deviating from the traditions of the genre, Leskov places increased emphasis on the problems of his work. Like the theme, the problems of the story also have a developed structure. The key concepts still remain patriotism and the place of man in society, but these concepts are acquiring new symbolic elements.

Social inequality

No matter how sad it may sound, the problem of social inequality has always been relevant and has been repeatedly understood by artists. Aristocratic origin has always been highly valued in society and in fact opened any doors, bypassing intellectual and moral criteria. At the same time, an intellectually developed person with high morality, but simple origin(peasant) has always remained on the sidelines of fate.

The unspoken law of “social equality” often became the cause of the unhappy lives of not only serfs, but also aristocrats, who could be happy in a marriage with a person of simple origin, but were unable to step over the demands of society.

In most cases, representatives of aristocratic origin did not consider peasants to be people - they could sell them, force them to do backbreaking work that led to injury, beat them, and generally worry more about their animals than about the serfs.

Nostalgia for the Motherland

In a modern multicultural society, the problem of nostalgia for the Motherland is not so relevant - modern means of scientific and technological progress make it possible to minimize this feeling. However, in the world contemporary to Leskov, awareness of oneself as a unit of a nationality and a bearer of its mental qualities occurs more thoroughly - a close and dear image of the Native Land, national symbols and traditions is deposited in a person’s mind. The denial of these attributes makes a person unhappy.

Patriotism

The problem of patriotism is closely related to the problem of nostalgia for the Motherland. In the story, Leskov reflects on whether it is important to recognize oneself as a representative of a certain nationality and how important this is. The author raises the question of why people are ready to perform feats in the name of their Motherland and why they do not stop loving their Fatherland, despite the existing problems in the system of their state.

This problem is revealed not only with the help of the image of Ivan Flyagin, but also with the help of representatives of other nationalities who, while coming into contact with other cultures, remain faithful to their people.

Missionary

In fact, every religion faces the problem of missionary work, especially at the stage of its formation - adherents of the faith often went to preach the foundations of their religious vision among other believers. Despite the peaceful method of enlightenment and conversion to their religion, many nationalities were hostile towards such people - using the example of Christian missionaries and their attitude towards the Tatars, Leskov summarizes: some peoples can only be converted to their faith by force, acting through fear and cruelty.

Comparison of secular and monastic life

The destiny of Ivan Flyagin’s life created a favorable environment for comparing secular and monastic life. While the life of the laity goes on as usual, in fact guided only by civil and moral laws. The life of a monk is full of hardships. Ivan’s fate developed in such a way that he was able to experience both secular and monastic life. However, neither the first nor the second allowed him to find peace. Ivan always experiences some kind of internal dissatisfaction, his life has always been full of suffering, and he has become so accustomed to this state of affairs that he no longer recognizes himself outside of these feelings. Suffering has become a necessary condition for his life; the calm and everydayness of monastic life drives him crazy and “populates his consciousness with demons.”

Predestination of human destiny

The Problem of Predestination human destiny in the story it is considered in a wide and narrow expression. Narrow expression presented life situation Ivan Flyagina - his mother, even before birth, promised the child to God, but Ivan’s lack of education prevented the implementation of this postulate.

In a broad sense, the predestination of life is shown in the tragic position of serfs in society - peasants at that time could become free people by receiving the appropriate document, but even such a seemingly positive event did not bring them happiness - without education and the ability to behave in society at the level For the aristocracy, such a will was just Filka’s letter, since the former serfs had no opportunity to settle down in the world of “free people.”

Education problem

Among the peasants, the problem of education was one of the most significant. The point here was not only the acquisition of general knowledge and basic knowledge of grammar and arithmetic. In fact, all the serfs did not understand the basics of ethics, did not know how to logically construct their speech within the framework of rhetoric, and therefore were absolute ignoramuses in every sense, which significantly aggravated their situation.

Justice

Life is often devoid of fairness. Bias in most cases becomes an integral part of the common man. From time to time a person interacts with injustice and finds his own life experience. In addition, Leskov raises the question of the existence of justice in general - no matter how difficult life path Flyagina and no matter how many dishonest people he meets, Ivan still subconsciously believes that there is justice in the world.

The relationship between “The Enchanted Wanderer” and “The Parable of the Prodigal Son”

Leskov's story is essentially an allusion to the parable of the prodigal son. Ivan was originally promised to God - and the house of God was supposed to become his home, but Flyagin moves away from this destiny, this is accompanied by a series of events that defy logic and common sense, Ivan goes further and further into the labyrinths of worldly life. However, this same confluence of circumstances brings Ivan back to his home - after receiving the officer rank, Flyagin’s life became significantly more difficult - on simple work They didn’t want to hire him, and he couldn’t do the work that his rank required due to his lack of education. Disillusioned with the acting craft, Flyagin ends up in a monastery.

Thus, Leskov’s story “The Enchanted Wanderer” in many points departs from the classic story - the variety of problems and themes allows us to consider life in all its complexities and surprises. The author avoids typicality in the work - all elements of the story are endowed with individual, atypical qualities. However, it should be noted that Leskov artificially, with the help of grotesque and hyperbole, containing a negative message, depicts the images of foreigners and aristocrats. In this way, a beneficial accentuation of the idea of ​​the work is achieved.

The image of Ivan Flyagin, despite its apparent simplicity and simplicity, is ambiguous and complex. Leskov, learning the secrets of the Russian character, seeks the origins of holiness in the deeds of a sinner, portrays a truth-seeker who has committed many unrighteous acts, but through suffering, comes to repentance and faith.

We first meet the hero on a ship sailing to Valaam. He was a monk of heroic stature, fifty-three years old, dark-skinned, with thick, graying hair, a beard and mustache. After talking with his fellow travelers, he told the story of his wanderings. He was a serf, his mother died, and his father served as a coachman for the master.

He spent his entire childhood at the stables and learned to understand horses well. As a teenager, he is assigned to be a horse driver, to help manage six horses. Once, when the horses rushed, he almost died saving the count’s family, and as a reward he asked for an accordion, which speaks of his selflessness and innocence. Once, Ivan whipped a monk who had dozed off in a cart and was blocking the road, and he fell under the wheels and died. Ivan dreamed of this monk and told him that he was a child prayed for and promised to God, and therefore should go to a monastery. This prophecy haunted him all his life.

More than once he looked into the eyes of death, but neither earth nor water took him. Many trials fell to his lot. Having escaped with the gypsies from the count's estate, he will wander for many years. He would endure ten years of captivity among the Gentiles, after escaping he would work as a coneser for the prince, then he would go as a recruit to the Caucasus, where he would fight for more than fifteen years, and become an officer and Knight of St. George. After returning, I had the opportunity to work as an information officer in an address office and as an actor in a booth. In the end, he goes to the monastery.

Ivan did not have the chance to lead a settled life, to find a home and family. He is "an inspired vagabond with an infant soul." He is not characterized by Christian humility, because he cannot put up with evil and injustice, but he is a deeply religious person. But he feels that his purpose is not just faith in God, church services are boring for him, he dreams of serving with faith for the fatherland. He has an independent, honest and open nature. Ivan considers himself a terrible sinner, because he is involved in the deaths of three people, suffers and repents; although the monk died due to his negligence, the Tatar accepted death in a fair fight, and pushed Grushenka off a cliff into the river, swearing to her that he would do this, saving her from a shameful fate. Having entered a monastery, he wanders as a pilgrim to holy places, atonement for his sins, and becomes a righteous man.

Essay about Ivan Flyagin

“The Enchanted Wanderer” is a story by Nikolai Leskov, published by him in 1837. The main attention in the story is given to Ivan Severyanovich Flyagin, whose life is described in detail by the author. Leskov was able to present in his story new image, which has no analogues in Russian literature.

Why did Leskov create the image of an “enchanted wanderer” in his hero? He perceives the world around him as a true miracle. As the main thing actor, he does not have a specific dream in life, which for him is endless. This person always moves forward along the path of life and sees every new challenge as a challenge from fate.

It should be noted that Leskov’s character took on his appearance from the legendary Ilya Muromets. Flyagin has a gigantic stature, a dark face and a truly heroic physique. At first glance, he is not even fifty years old. Ivan Severyanovich cannot sit in one place throughout the entire story. You might think that he is not inclined to trust anyone. But main character later refutes this. And the salvation of Count K. is proof of this. This is exactly what Flyagin did with the prince and a young girl named Grusha.

You can add to the characteristics of this person the fact that he is completely devoted to higher powers, for which he received his protection from them. Flyagin is not vulnerable to death. Death overtook him many times, but he could not die. He thinks that the earth does not want to accept him for the terrible sins that he committed. The hero believes that it was his fault that many murders occurred. Ivan Severyanovich has his own morality in life, but he always remains honest with himself and the other characters in the story. Sometimes he is too simple and naive, good-natured to the core and open to everyone in his soul, but when evil comes, which he has to deal with, he can even be cruel.

The main driving force of his actions is no small force from nature. And this forces Flyagin to do reckless things. In his youth, Ivan was not very worried about this, but later he realizes that he is responsible for this. The author of the work does not hesitate to mention that his character is a man with enormous internal and physical strength. This lies in his ability in any situation to do what is necessary and what is right. Ivan Flyagin is in complete harmony with those around him and, like true hero, always ready to help.

In conclusion, we can say that all the features of the Russian national character are evident in the image of this man. But that doesn't mean he's flawless. He is more prone to inconsistency. In some places he is smart and quick-witted, and in others he is the opposite. He can do crazy things, but at the same time he is drawn to do good deeds. So, we can say with confidence: Ivan Severyanovich is the personification of the broad Russian personality, its infinity.

Details

In the story "The Enchanted Wanderer" Ivan Flyagin has the main role.

His image appears before us in the form of a strong Ilya Muromets. Even at the beginning of the story, the Author compares him with this knight. He was tall, of strong build with a dark complexion.

Our main character was born in the name of a count, his father and mother were serfs and... Mom died while giving birth to Ivan. And my father worked in a stable. The boy spent all his time with horses. And when he more or less grew up, he was put to work with his dad. Once they were taking the count near the temple. And one priest began to daydream. And Vanya hit him with a whip.

When Ivan was taking the Duke to Voronezh, a large cliff appeared in front of them. . Ivan managed to slow down, but he himself fell into it. But he inexplicably survived. The Duke, of course, thanked him. And instead of going to the monastery, Ivan chose the accordion, which he never knew how to play.

Soon Flyagin was sent to crush stone for garden paths. But he got tired of everyone laughing at him and decided to run away and hang himself. As soon as he hung in the noose, someone cut the rope. It turned out to be a gypsy, who then suggested that Ivan steal. And so that he would not betray him, he ordered the horses to be stolen from the stables of the count for whom Ivan served. Ivan did it. And when they sold these horses, he received only one ruble. In the end, he went to surrender to the police. This speaks to his next quality - honesty. Even though he went to steal horses, he still confessed later.

Soon Ivan got a job with the master, his wife left him for a military man and abandoned her infant daughter. And Flyagin nursed this girl. This shows his love for children.

One day, Ivan and the master’s little daughter went to the shore of the bay; the girl had sore legs and the doctor said that they should be buried in the squeak. But her mother saw the girl on the shore. She asked Ivan to give her the child, but he did not agree. Then the cavalryman husband of this young lady appeared and wanted to pay money so that the child could be given to them, but nothing more self made he didn't get it under his eye. The uhlan did not raise any money, and this pleased Ivan. Flyagin at first did not want to give up the child, but when he saw the girl’s mother stretching out her hands to her, he still took pity. Suddenly a gentleman with a pistol appeared on the beach and Ivan had to leave with the cavalryman and the girl’s mother.

After they arrived in the city, the uhlan said that he could not keep serfs who had escaped. I gave him money and let him go. At that moment I felt very sorry for Ivan. He had nowhere to go. He wanted to go and surrender to the police. But I decided to go have some tea and bagels. Later I saw how Khan Dzhangar and the king were selling a mare, and people were fighting for her. After this, a cavalryman entered the battle, but Ivan went to fight in his place. This speaks of his positive quality - bravery. But the fact that he whipped the Tatar with a whip speaks of his mercilessness. They wanted to take him to prison, but the Tatars took pity on Ivan and took him in with them.

Ivan lived with them for ten years, was a doctor, but when he wanted to run away, the Tatars caught him, cut his heels and put cut horsehair there. Initially, it was very painful for him to walk. And so Ivan lived in this horde for many years. He had two wives and many children. Once the khan ordered him to cure his wife and let Ivan into his yurt, after which he had two more wives.

Once the priests came to the Tatars, they wanted them to accept Christianity, but the Tatars refused. And after some time, the main character of the story found one dead priest in the field, but never found the second. The next time unknown people came to them, they were in bright clothes. These people wanted to buy horses. One evening they set off fireworks and all the horses ran away, and the Tatars, in turn, ran to catch them. Ivan understood what scared the horses and Tatars, and repeated the same thing. One fine day he found earth that corrodes the skin. And he came up with this plan: to pretend to be sick and when the earth corroded his feet, horse hair came out, and pus along with it. Then our hero decided to set off the last fireworks and left.

After some time, Ivan went to the Caspian Sea, and then came to Astrakhan. I earned money there and drank it away. When he woke up he was in prison. From prison he was sent to his native estate. But Father Ilya refused to accept his confession, since he had lived in sin among the Tatars for a very long time. The count, who began to pray to God after the death of his wife, refused to have non-communion servants, gave him his passport and let him go.

When he left the estate, Ivan came to the market. I saw a gypsy trying to sell a bad horse to a simple peasant. Since Ivan was offended by the gypsies, he helped the peasant. Afterwards, he began to walk around the bazaars and help the peasants, advising which horses they could buy and which they could not. Soon he became the king of gypsies and profiteers.

Once the prince asked to tell him the secret of how he chooses horses. Ivan began to teach him, but the prince did not understand anything, then he invited Ivan to work with him. And they became friends with the prince. In order not to spend extra money, Ivan left it to the prince. But one day the prince went to the market and ordered that a mare be sent there, which Ivan really liked; he wanted to drink it hot, but there was no one to leave the money with. Then he went to the tavern to drink tea, and saw a man there who was drinking and not getting drunk. Then Ivan asked to teach him this way too. Then the man told him to drink glass after glass but make passes with his hands before each one, so Ivan learned to drink and not get drunk and kept checking to see if he had all the money in his bosom. By evening, the friends quarreled.

They were kicked out of the tavern, then the beggar led Ivan to a “guest place” where there were only gypsies. And then Ivan sees a gypsy woman who was singing songs, they called her Grusha. Then Ivan gave her all his savings.

When he sobered up, he admitted to the prince that he had spent his entire treasury on one gypsy woman. After which he fell ill with alcoholic psychosis. When Ivan recovered, he learned that the prince had spent all his money to ransom Grusha from the crowd. She fell in love with the prince very much, and he began to be burdened by her, taking advantage of her lack of education. Ivan, in turn, felt very sorry for her.

One day the gypsy woman suspected that the prince had a mistress and sent Ivan to the city to find out. He went to the prince’s former mistress and found out that he wanted to marry Grusha to Ivan. When Flyagin returned from the market, he saw that Grusha was nowhere to be found. Then he found a gypsy woman on the shore, it turned out that the prince locked her in a house in the forest, guarded by girls, and she ran away from them. She asked to kill the prince’s bride, otherwise she would become “the most shameful woman.” Ivan could not stand it and threw her off the cliff.

Then Ivan ran away and began to wander around the world until Grusha appeared to him and showed him the right path, on which he met two old people. These old men made Ivan new documents according to which he was Pyotr Serdyukov.

Then he asked me to go to the Caucasus and served there for more than fifteen years. Then he was ordained an officer and sent into retirement. In St. Petersburg, he worked as a “registration officer” and earned little because he received the letter “fita”, and there were very few surnames with this letter. And he decided to leave this job. They didn’t hire him as a coachman and he had to go work as an actor. There he is, pretending to be a demon.

The others asked him if the demon pretending to be a gypsy was bothering him? He overcame the demon with prayer, but little devils began to brainwash him. Because of them, Ivan killed the monastery's cow. For this and other sins he was locked in a cellar, and there he read newspapers and began to prophesy. Then they took him into the forest and put him in a hut, and locked him there. Then they called a doctor to him and he could not understand the prophet Ivan or the crazy one. And the doctor told him to let him out.

He found himself on the ship making his way to a church service. At this point, the passengers did not ask him anything else.

The image of Ivan Flyagin in the story “The Enchanted Wanderer” was at one time honest and correct, and at another time cunning and merciless. I liked Ivan Flyagin because it seems to me that he has more good qualities than bad ones.

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Composition

The story "The Enchanted Wanderer" was written by Nikolai Semenovich Leskov (1831 - 1895) in 1872-1873. Apparently, Leskov’s idea for the message arose during a trip in the summer of 1872 to the Valaam Monastery on Lake Ladoga.

Leskov’s work was first published in the Russkiy Mir newspaper on August 8 - September 19, 1873 under the title “The Enchanted Wanderer, His Life, Experiences, Opinions and Adventures.” A year later, a separate publication, “The Enchanted Wanderer. The Story of N. Leskov,” was published.

Genre and compositional originality of the story

"The Enchanted Wanderer" is a work of complex genre nature. This is a story that uses motifs from ancient Russian biographies of saints (lives) and folk epics (epics), reinterpreting the plot scheme common in the literature of the 18th century. adventure novels.

“The Enchanted Wanderer” is a kind of story - a biography of a hero, composed of several closed, completed episodes. Lives are constructed in a similar way, consisting of separate fragments describing various events in the lives of saints. The same principle is characteristic of an adventurous novel, a novel of adventures, in which the most unexpected incidents happen to the hero on his life’s path, in his wanderings around the world, by the will of fate. By the way, the very title of the story in the first edition was undoubtedly stylized after the titles of Russian adventurous philosophical and morally descriptive novels of the 18th century.

Elements of the hagiographic genre and the adventure novel in The Enchanted Wanderer are obvious. The hero of the story, Ivan Flyagin, like a character from his life, a repentant and transformed sinner, walks through the world from sin (the senseless “daring” murder of a nun, the murder of the gypsy Grushenka, albeit committed at her own prayer, but still, according to Flyagin, sinful) to repentance and atonement for guilt.

“Having experienced a deep moral shock with the death of a gypsy, Ivan Severyanych is imbued with a completely new moral desire for him to “suffer.” If earlier for many years of his life he himself felt like a free son of nature, now for the first time he is filled with a sense of duty to another person. In his own way Admittedly, Grusha’s death “crossed out all of him.” He thinks “only one thing, that Grusha’s soul is now lost” and his duty is “to suffer for her and rescue her from hell.” Following this conviction, he voluntarily takes upon himself the burden of someone else’s recruiting. , he himself asks to be sent to dangerous place to the Caucasus, and there he walks under bullets, arranges a crossing over a mountain river" (Stolyarova I.V. Leskov and Russia // Leskov N.S. Complete collection works: In 30 volumes. M., 1996. T. 1. P. 56).

Leskovsky's wanderer, like the saint - the hero of life, goes to the monastery, and this decision, as he believes, is predetermined by fate, by God.

True, going to the monastery also has an everyday motivation: “in the context of the story, that life step that seems to inevitably take place in the life of Ivan Severyanych, regardless of any everyday vicissitudes - going to the monastery - takes on not so much a providential meaning, but a social meaning─ psychological, almost everyday. “I was left completely homeless and without food,” he explains his action to the listeners, “so he took it and went to the monastery.” what to do, sir - there was nowhere to go.” So, the moment of freedom, choice is completely absent, the dictates of everyday necessity act, and not the hero’s own desire and will” (Stolyarova I.V. Leskov and Russia. P. 58).

This interpretation is fair, but somewhat one-sided. The ordinary motivation, obviously, does not exclude the second, providential plan in the story: God’s plan for Flyagina is manifested through outwardly ordinary events. The lives of saints also contain more unexpected cases of the embodiment of providence. Thus, in the life of St. Theodosius of Pechersk, the saint’s mother, preventing, in particular, the removal of her son to the Holy Land, is obsessed with an unenlightened, selfish attachment to Theodosius, and she acts at the instigation of the devil. However, ultimately, without knowing it, she serves to fulfill the providential plan for Theodosius, which God destined to become the “great lamp.”
t; Russian land, one of the founders of Russian cenobitic monasticism.

The story is close to the lives of people and is prophetic in dreams and visions that reveal to the hero, like a saint, his future. The saint in his life was pre-elected to serve God. Thus, in the life of St. Theodosius of Pechersk, written by Nestor, the priest sees the future of the baby at his baptism; this episode goes back probably. To the translated Greek life of St. Euthymius the Great, compiled by Cyril of Scythopolis. And in the life of St. Sergius of Radonezh, the destined holy calling to be a special admirer of the Holy Trinity is evidenced by the threefold proclamation of the unborn baby from the womb of the mother at the liturgy. In Leskov's story, these motives correspond to a vision in which Flyagin is shown a monastery on the White Sea - the Solovetsky Monastery, where he is now heading his way. The traditional hagiographic motif - the temptation of a saint by demons - is also reflected in the story, but in a comic refraction: this is “the pestering of demons” to Flyagin, who has become a novice.

And such key motive, like the birth of Ivan through the prayers of his parents, ultimately goes back to the Old Testament biblical story about the miraculous birth of Isaac, the promised son of Abraham and Sarah. The monastic name of Ivan, Ishmael, which is identical to the name of the first (not promised) son of Abraham from the slave Hagar, seems to refer to this biblical legend. But Ishmael is the progenitor of wild nomadic peoples who do not know the true God. Flyagin is also “wild” in his own way, and he has not comprehended much in the Christian faith.

Possessing genre-forming features, the plot and hero of Leskov’s story resemble the event outline and characters not only of hagiographic literature, but also of an adventure novel. Flyagin is constantly beset by vicissitudes, he is forced to change many social roles and professions: serf, postilion, servant of Count K.; nanny-"caretaker" for a young child; a slave in Tatar nomads; horse buster; soldier, participant in the war in the Caucasus; actor in a St. Petersburg booth; director of the capital's address desk; novice in a monastery. And this same role, the last in the story, Flyagin’s service, is not final in the circle of his “metamorphoses”. The hero, following his inner voice, prepares for the fact that “soon he will have to fight,” he “really wants to die for the people.”

Flyagin can never stop, freeze, ossify in one role, “dissolve” in one service, like the hero of an adventure novel who is forced to change professions, positions, even his name in order to avoid danger and adapt to circumstances. The motif of wandering and constant movement in space also makes The Enchanted Wanderer similar to an adventure novel. The adventurous hero, like Flyagin, is deprived of his home and must wander around the world in search of a better life. And the wanderings of Ivan Severyanych, and wanderings adventurous hero have only a formal conclusion: the characters do not have a specific goal, having achieved which they can calm down and stop. This alone is the difference between Leskov's story and the hagiographies - its prototypes: the hagiographic hero, having acquired holiness, then remains unchanged. If he goes to a monastery, then his wanderings in the world end. The path of Leskov’s wanderer is open, incomplete. The monastery is just one of the “stops” on his endless journey, the last of Flyagin’s habitats described in the story, but perhaps not the last in his life. It is no coincidence that Flyagin’s life (who, by the way, performs the duties of a novice, but is not tonsured a monk) in the monastery is devoid of peace and peace of mind (the “appearance” of demons and imps to the hero). Misdemeanors committed by a novice through absent-mindedness and inattention bring upon him the punishment of the abbot (“they blessed me to lower me into a cellar without trial”). Flyagin was either released from the monastery or “banished” to Solovki to venerate the relics of Saints Zosima and Savvaty.

The author brings Ivan Severyanich closer not only to the heroes of the lives of adventure novels, but also to epic heroes. Flyagina has in common with the heroes of epics a love for horses and the art of riding them. He repeats the words with which the epic Ilya Muromets scolds his horse: “Well, here I see that he (the horse. - A.R.) is asking for forgiveness, quickly. He got off, rubbed his eyes, took him by the cowlick and said: “ Stop, dog meat, dog food!" - Yes, as soon as I pulled him down, he fell to his knees...”

In "The Enchanted Wanderer" there is also a somewhat transformed plot hook
and typical for epics: a duel between a Russian hero and an infidel warrior, a steppe dweller. Flyagin is "flogged", whipped with the "Tatar" (Kazakh) Savakirey; the reward for winning the competition is a karak foal, which gallops “as if riding through the air” (cf. the flight under the clouds of a heroic horse in epics).

It is no coincidence that Flyagin’s story about his life mentions heroic tales about Bova Korolevich and Eruslan Lazarevich, close to epics.

Leskov’s story is a “medium” (in comparison with the short story, on the one hand, and the novel, on the other) genre, acquiring the features of a large epic form, heroic epic. It is significant that Leskov initially intended to call “The Enchanted Wanderer” “Russian Telemacus” and “Black Earth Telemachus,” bringing Flyagin, searching for the meaning of life and his place in it, closer to the hero of Homer’s “Odyssey,” searching for his father. However, despite the epic setting, Flyagin’s fate does not lose its singularity and concreteness.

Leskov, in a letter to the writer and publicist P.K. Shchebalsky dated January 4, 1874, apparently disagreeing with the addressee’s opinion about the insufficient depiction of Flyagin’s character, obscured by detailed descriptions of the “environment,” noted: “...why is the face of the hero himself must necessarily be glossed over? What kind of demand is this? And Don Quixote, and Telemachus, and Chichikov, why shouldn’t both the environment and the hero go along?”

I. 3. Serman, in the preamble of his commentary to Leskov’s story, interpreted these lines this way: “The form of the story about the adventures in The Enchanted Wanderer really resembles Chichikov’s travels to the surrounding landowners, and Don Quixote’s travels in search of rivals, and even in some at least Fenelon's novel ( French writer XVIII century) about the wanderings of Telemachus in search of Odysseus" (Leskov N. S. Collected Works: In 11 volumes. M., 1956. T. 4. P. 552).

It is important, however, not only the similarity of the “story form” in Leskov’s story and in “ Dead souls", "Don Quixote" and "The Adventures of Telemachus". The works mentioned in Leskov's letter are distinguished by their focus on the most complete, multifaceted depiction of reality and a symbolic understanding of the hero and his wanderings. These are stories that describe a person in general, changing or transforming in the search for truth. The parallels to “The Enchanted Wanderer” cited by Leskov are examples of “epic,” a large epic form in modern European literature.

Features of the story's plot

Famous literary critic N. K. Mikhailovsky noted: “In the story, strictly speaking, there is no plot, but there is a whole series of plots strung like beads on a thread. Each bead is on its own and can be very conveniently taken out, replaced with another, and how many more can be you want to string beads on the same thread" (Mikhailovsky N.K. Literary essays // Russian wealth. 1887. No. 6. P. 97. There is no cross-cutting plot in the work. Events from the youth of the hero, Ivan Severyanych Flyagin (service as a postilion under his master, Count K.), are not directly connected in any way with the incidents that befell him later - a ten-year life in the Tatar steppe nomads, going to a monastery, etc. There are no “cross-cutting” characters in Leskov’s story, with the exception of himself Flyagin. The episodes from which the story is composed have their own “micro-plots”: 1) Flyagin’s rescue of Count K.’s family; 2) punishment (for revenge on the countess’s cat, which ate the Flyagin pigeons), flogging and flight from the count; 3) serving as a “nanny” and running away with the child’s mother and her lover; 4) a duel with Savakirei and departure to the steppe; 5) return to Russia; 6) service under the prince, the story of Grushenka; 7) soldier service; 8) wanderings and coming to the monastery; 8) life in a monastery.

"The Enchanted Wanderer" reflects not only the plot elements of lives, epics and adventure novels, it not only gravitates towards the epic form, but it also transforms collisions and plot episodes of many classical works, in particular " Caucasian prisoner"A. S. Pushkin (Flyagin's stay in captivity among the Tatars), "Gypsy" by A. S. Pushkin (the gypsy Grusha who bewitched Flyagin's heart). (For this, see the notes of I. Z. Serman [Leskov N. S. Collected Works : In 11 vols. T. 4. P. 552-553] and observations by L. A. Anninsky [Anninsky L. The soil of truth. The charm and strangeness of the “Enchanted Wanderer” // Leskov N. S. Collected works: In 6 vols. M., 1993. T. 5. P. 56].)

The obvious literary basis of The Enchanted Wanderer, however, does not indicate the author’s intention to reproduce
acceptance of his text as “secondary” in relation to classical “samples”. Leskov, on the contrary, wants to demonstrate using the example of Flyagin’s fate that real life more whimsical and unpredictable than fictional plots. Moreover, the correlation with romantic poems Pushkin emphasizes the “strangeness” (from the point of view of romantic poetics) of the behavior of the hero, who does not feel anything unusual in the outlandish metamorphoses of his life. Leskov’s hero perceives “romantic” situations (captivity, the Caucasian war) prosaically and soberly (part of the exception is the fascination with Grusha, but this also manifests itself in actions and words that have little in common with the actions and speeches of the romantic character).

All the episodes listed above are “narrated” by the hero himself. Flyagin's story about his fate is listened to by travelers sailing on a ship on Lake Ladoga; one of them is the narrator, introducing us to Ivan Severyanich and completing his story with his commentary. Thus, "The Enchanted Wanderer" in compositional terms is a "story within a story." This construction of The Enchanted Wanderer is significant. Firstly, this is how the author gives credibility to Flyagin’s story about incredible events and the ups and downs of his life. Secondly, the form of the “skaz”, oral speech in the first person, pronounced by a person from the people, motivates the “strange” composition of the plot: a detailed presentation of individual episodes from the life of Flyagin and at the same time extremely short story about the “exotic” (from the point of view of educated listeners) life in captivity; the obscured murder of Grushenka, not described by Flyagin, committed as if in a fog; "magical" transformation of Flyagin, spellbound feminine beauty, a transformation that is given mystery by the story of a hero who is unable to clearly explain both the sudden change and the failure in consciousness that preceded it. at the same time, an extremely brief story about the “exotic” (from the point of view of educated listeners) life in captivity; the obscured murder of Grushenka, not described by Flyagin, committed as if in a fog; the “magical” transformation of Flyagin, mesmerized by female beauty, a transformation that is given mystery by the story of the hero, who is unable to clearly explain both the sudden change and the failure in consciousness that preceded it.

Fantastic form allows the author to hide “behind the hero,” hide his own assessment and refuse to interpret events. The only view on the life of Ivan Severyanich is the point of view of the character himself, whose explanations and range of ideas are very far from the author’s. By the way, this narrative device outwardly resembles such a feature of the heroic epic as the coincidence of the author’s point of view and the hero’s vision. Leskov does not have such a coincidence, but in the text the author’s “view” and Flyagin’s “view” are not really differentiated, since there are no direct author’s statements.

The tale form also motivates the abundant use of colloquial words, dialectisms, and sometimes intricate folk play with words.

The meaning of the “frame” - the story that frames Flyagin’s narrative - is also multi-valued. Just as Flyagin’s life is a gradual overcoming of his own egoism and curbing his willfulness, movement towards other people, a growing understanding of their souls, worries and experiences, so the very situation of the story is overcoming alienation, the distance between Flyagin and other passengers. At first, Ivan Severyanovich’s companions only expect “anecdotes” from him, funny and interesting stories from the life of the monastery brethren, priests and horse trainers. The merchant, one of the listeners, looks a little down on the wanderer. The originality and strength of Flyagin’s nature are only gradually understood by his random fellow travelers. Their reaction, as it were, programs, “models” the reaction of the readers of Leskov’s story, opens its boundaries. At the same time, the role of the listeners is to outline the distance between the opinions, ideas, and world of feelings of the common man (the former serf Count K.) and the educated “public.”

In addition, the framing story about the boat trip gives an expansive, symbolic meaning the life “journey” of Ivan Severyanych: not only he, but also, as it were, all of Russia is wandering, sailing towards an unknown goal. Ivan Severyanich Flyagin is an eternal wanderer; he talks about his previous wanderings on the way.

Leskov’s framing story also has another meaning. Extraordinary characters and personalities are not uncommon among people, and a chance meeting with them is always possible.

The image of the main character in artistic structure stories

The image of Ivan Severyanych Flyagin is the only “through” image that connects all the episodes of the story. As already noted, he has genre-forming characteristics, since his “biography” goes back to works with strict normative schemes, namely the lives of saints and adventures
ny novels. The author brings Ivan Severyanovich closer not only to the heroes of lives and adventure novels, but also to epic heroes. This is how the narrator describes Flyagin’s appearance: “This new companion of ours... looked like he could have been over fifty years old; but he was in in every sense the words hero, and, moreover, a typical, simple-minded, kind Russian hero, reminiscent of grandfather Ilya Muromets in the beautiful painting by Vereshchagin and in the poem by Count A.K. Tolstoy. [This refers to V. N. Vereshchagin’s painting “Ilya Muromets at a feast with Prince Vladimir” (1871) and A. K. Tolstoy’s ballad “Ilya Muromets” (1871); This ballad is quoted below.] It seemed that he would not walk around in a cassock, but would sit on his “forelock” and ride in bast shoes through the forest and lazily smell how “the dark forest smells of resin and strawberries.”

Flyagin's character is multifaceted. Its main feature is “the frankness of a simple soul.” The narrator likens Flyagin to “babies,” to whom God sometimes reveals his plans, hidden from the “reasonable.” The author paraphrases the Gospel sayings of Christ: “...Jesus said: “... I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes”” (Matthew 11:25). Christ allegorically calls people with pure hearts babies.

Flyagin is distinguished by his childish naivety and simplicity. In his ideas, demons resemble a large family, in which there are both adults and mischievous demon children. He believes in the magical power of the amulet - “a tight belt from the holy brave prince Vsevolod-Gabriel from Novgorod.” Flyagin understands the experiences of tamed horses. He subtly senses the beauty of nature.

But at the same time, the soul of the enchanted wanderer is also characterized by some callousness and limitations (from the point of view of an educated, civilized person). Ivan Severyanich coldly beats a “Tatar” to death in a duel and cannot understand why the story of this competition horrifies his listeners. Ivan brutally deals with the Countess's maid's cat, who strangled his beloved pigeons. He does not consider unbaptized children from Tatar wives in Ryn-Sands to be his own and leaves without a shadow of doubt and regret.

Natural kindness coexists in Flyagin’s soul with senseless, aimless cruelty. So, he, serving as a nanny for a young child and violating the will of his father, his master, gives the child to Ivan’s tearfully begging mother and her lover, although he knows that this act will deprive him of faithful food and force him to wander again in search of food and shelter . And in his adolescence, out of self-indulgence, he whipped a sleeping monk to death.

Flyagin is reckless in his daring: just like that, disinterestedly, he enters into a competition with the “Tatar” Savakirei, promising an officer he knows to give a prize - a horse. He completely surrenders to the passions that take possession of him, embarking on a drunken spree. Struck by the beauty and singing of the gypsy Grusha, without hesitation, he gives her the huge sum of government money entrusted to him.

Flyagin’s nature is both unshakably firm (he sacredly professes the principle: “I will not give my honor to anyone”) and willful, pliable, open to the influence of others and even suggestion. Ivan easily assimilates the ideas of the “Tatars” about the justification of a mortal duel with whips. Hitherto not feeling the bewitching beauty of a woman, he - as if under the influence of conversations with a degraded gentleman-magnetizer and the eaten "magic" sugar - "mentor" - finds himself enchanted by his first meeting with Grusha.

Flyagin’s wanderings, wanderings, and peculiar “quests” carry a “worldly” overtones. Even in the monastery he performs the same service as in the world - coachman. This motive is significant: Flyagin, changing professions and services, remains himself. He begins his difficult journey as a postilion, a rider of a horse in a harness, and in old age returns to the duties of a coachman.

The service of Leskov’s hero “with horses” is not accidental; it has an implicit, hidden symbolism. Flyagin’s changeable fate is like the fast running of a horse, and the “two-stranded” hero himself, who has withstood and endured many hardships in his lifetime, resembles a strong “Bityutsky” horse. Both Flyagin’s temper and independence are, as it were, compared with the proud horse’s temper, which the “enchanted wanderer” told about in the first chapter of Leskov’s work. The taming of horses by Flyagin correlates with the stories of ancient authors (Plutarch and others) about Alexander the Great, who pacified and tamed the horse Bucephalus.

Other works on this work

At the center of the school study of Leskov’s work is the story “The Enchanted Wanderer,” the main character of which will be discussed further. “He was a man of enormous stature, with a dark, open face and thick, wavy, lead-colored hair: his gray streak was so strange. He was dressed in a novice cassock with a wide monastic belt and a high black cloth cap... This new companion of ours looked like he could be over fifty years old, but he was in the full sense of the word a hero, and, moreover, a typical, simple-minded, kind Russian hero, reminiscent of grandfather Ilya Muromets in the beautiful painting by Vereshchagin and in the poem of Count A.K. Tolstoy,” This is how Ivan Severyanich Flyagin appears before the readers. From the very first lines, the author makes it clear that his hero is the true son of his people, the one who has long been considered their protection and support) “Russian hero.” He is fifty-three years old and has a whole life behind him) full of adventure, worries, wanderings. Born a serf, Ivan Severyanych was a coachman for his master and a runaway serf) was a horse thief and nanny of a “school girl”; he lived among the Tatars for ten years, obeying their customs, but when he returned to his homeland, he was punished for escaping from serf captivity and released to freedom; killed the woman he loved, served as a soldier under a false name; awarded the St. George Cross for bravery and promoted to officer, he was forced to serve as a “demon” in the theater, and finally, “left completely homeless and without food,” he went to a monastery.

Flyagin’s whole life has been spent on the road, he is a wanderer, and his wanderings are far from over. And if we detach ourselves from all the external vicissitudes of his fate, then his life path is the path to faith, to that worldview and state of mind, in which we see the hero on the last pages of the story: “I really want to die for the people.” This path does not begin from birth or even from the moment of independent life. The turning point in Flyagin’s fate was his love for the gypsy Grushenka. This bright feeling and became the basis for the moral growth that Ivan Severyanich undergoes. Before meeting his love, he, having germs of goodness in his soul, was often very cruel. By chance, out of “postilion mischief,” having killed a monk, constipated Savakirei to death because of a lawsuit with a horse, Ivan Severyanych does not particularly think about it, and thoughts about the people he killed do not often visit him. But even when the nun he killed appears to him in a dream, “crying like a woman,” Flyagin does not perceive this as something terrible and unusual, but calmly speaks to him, and when he wakes up, “he forgets about all this.” And the point here is not that Ivan Severyanich’s character is cruel, it’s just that his moral sense has not yet been developed in him, but love helped to grow humanity in his soul.
At the very first meeting, the beauty of Grusha strikes Ivan Severyanych to the very heart: “I see various gentlemen repairers and factory owners I know, and I just recognize rich merchants and landowners who are hunters of horses, and among all this public a gypsy walks like this... you can’t even describe her as a woman, but as if like a bright snake, she moves on her tail and bends her whole body, and from her black eyes she burns with fire... “Here it is, I think, where the real beauty is, what nature calls perfection”” (136-137). And then Pear, bought by the “fickle” prince for fifty thousand and almost immediately abandoned by him, finds genuine spiritual, friendly sympathy in the prince’s servant. “You are the only one who loved me, my dear dear friend” (163), she will say to Ivan Severyanych before her death. It was not the love of a man for a woman, but the Christian love of a brother for a sister, full of selfless compassion. Love is “angelic,” as they call it in the story “The Immortal Golovan.” Flyagin kills Grusha to save him from a grave sin: suicide and the murder of the child that she carried under her heart, the murder of the treacherous prince and his young wife. The heartbreaking scene of Ivan Severyanych’s farewell to Grusha can be called the culmination of the moral layer of the story, because everything previous in Flyagin’s life was “crossed out” by this holy love, and the hero becomes different, builds his life according to different, moral laws. This Christian love of man for man, “a high passion, completely free from selfishness,” showed the hero his further path - “the direct path to love, even broader and more comprehensive, love for the people, for the Motherland. The moral feat of self-sacrifice performed by Ivan Severyanich for the sake of Grushenka is the first in a series of manifestations of perseverance, heroism and self-denial. This includes the salvation of the only son of the old Serdyukovs from soldiery, and fifteen years of service “for the faith” in the Caucasus under someone else’s name, performing the most dangerous tasks, and great prophecies in the monastery about the coming war, and the desire to “die for the people.” Great sacrificial love for one person laid in the soul of Ivan Severyanych love for all people, for his people, responsibility for his fate: “And I was filled with fear for my Russian people and began to pray for all others.” He began to exhort with tears, pray, they say, for the subjugation of every enemy and adversary to the king’s tray, for all destruction is near us. And I was given tears, wonderfully abundant!” I kept crying for my homeland.”

Ivan Severyanych fell in love with “an individual person” and only then “mankind in general,” and this is exactly the path that anyone who follows the commandments of Christ should follow. Perhaps it was precisely this ability to intuitively guess the right path of good and follow it that Leskov had in mind when, in the last lines of the story, he spoke about God, “hiding his destinies from the smart and reasonable and only sometimes revealing them to babies” (179). Despite his physical and spiritual heroism, Ivan Severyanych Flyagin is a baby, “fascinated” by life and its poetry, the world around him and its endless beauty. In the story, Ivan Severyanych is more than once called a “fool”, they check whether he is “not damaged in his mind”, he is a person who is not very educated, far from book wisdom, but endowed with deep spirituality, the paths of familiarization with the highest secrets of existence were opened to him,” Ivan Severyanich is wise at heart, and this is his strength. “A pure heart”, a rich spiritual world, combined with a child’s view of life, not clouded by either science or “theories that float in the air”, allow Leskov’s hero to “see God”, see all the beauty of the world and be enchanted by it. Flyagin has an amazing gift for describing everything that is dear to his soul: his native village on holiday, and Grushenka, and the beautiful mare Dido: “we bought from the factory the mare Dido, young, golden bay, for an officer’s saddle, She was a wonderful beauty “: a pretty head, pretty eyes, ... a light mane, a chest that sits deftly between the shoulders, like a boat, and a flexible waist, and legs in white stockings are light, and she tosses them around as she plays,” His descriptions are full of sincere feeling and true poetry, Flyagin’s attitude to the Christian religion is childishly naive, direct and practical. In his hope for liberation from captivity, Ivan Severyanych often resorts to God: “.. and you begin to pray.. and you pray.. you pray so much that even the snow will melt under your knees, and where the tears fell, you will see grass in the morning,” Such faith is limitless, but it is not fanatical, Leskovsky’s hero does not allow himself to be carried away by any myths, no matter how authoritative they may be, Any concepts are tested by the practice of life itself, Sometimes Ivan Severyanych experiences doubts and stops praying, but he never stops believing,
Wise and naive, strong and meek, accustomed to responding to all life events with the heart, and not with the constructs of the mind, who grew up on Russian folk soil and became
personification of the nation, the “enchanted wanderer” parted with us on the way, on the eve of
new roads. The story ends on a note of quest, “carries a victorious optimistic beginning”, faith in the spiritual wealth of the Russian people and in their strength to overcome the obstacles too often encountered on their historical path.

Flyagin Ivan Severyanych is the hero of N. S. Leskov’s story “The Enchanted Wanderer”, the main narrator of the events. This is a completely new image of a person, not comparable to any of the heroes of Russian literature. The features of an epic hero, a fairy-tale character and a hero of adventure novels are organically intertwined in him. This character is invulnerable and successfully overcomes all life's obstacles. Ivan Severyanich does not have a specific travel goal. For him, the world is an endless miracle, and every new refuge is a new adventure. He gets along well with any people. He had the opportunity to live with Orthodox monks, and with unbaptized Tatars, and with wild Kirghiz. But the hero is so flexible that he managed to live according to other people's customs.

By nature, Flyagin is a naive and simple-hearted person. When the owner is ready to shower Ivan with gold as a reward for saving his family, he only asks for an accordion, which he immediately throws away. Somehow this character manages to avoid certain death in all situations. He fought in the Caucasian war, and swam across the river under enemy bullets, and wanted to hang himself, but some gypsy cut the rope. The ability to get out of any difficult situation alive brings him closer to the heroes of adventure novels. At the same time, this hero is quite contradictory. On the one hand, he honors God and avoids sins. He does not want to love his unbaptized wives and children. On the other hand, he also had non-Christian actions. For example, in his youth he beat a monk with a whip, who then appeared to him in a dream.