Artistic analysis of the poem “The Bronze Horseman”. Bronze Horseman

The monument to Peter I, facing the Neva, is the compositional center of Senate Square. In this place, back in 1718, stood the second St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, built according to the design of the architect G.I. Mattarnovi.
Under Catherine II, the building was dismantled, construction began on a new St. Isaac's Cathedral according to the design of A. Rinaldi, but further from the bank of the Neva. On the vacated site, one of the central squares of St. Petersburg, the Senate, was gradually formed, in the center of which on August 7, 1782, on the centenary of the accession of Peter I to the throne, a monument to the tsar-founder of the city was inaugurated.

The opening of the monument was organized on a grand scale as a national holiday, with a huge gathering of troops, officials of all classes, and ordinary people. The celebrations, which lasted until late in the evening, were followed by a broad amnesty.

Unveiling of the monument to Peter I on Senate Square. Melnikov A.K.

Portrait of the sculptor Falconet Marie Anne Collot, 1773 (GE)

View of Senate Square. 1850s. (GE)

This monument, on which Falconet worked for twelve years, became the main work of the French sculptor.

A.S. Pushkin called the monument “The Bronze Horseman” in his poem of the same name and today it is one of the symbols of St. Petersburg.
First of all, the image of the reformer king is embodied in bronze and stone. You can read about this in the “Historical news about the sculptured equestrian image of PETER THE GREAT, composed by a collegiate assessor and librarian Imperial Academy Sciences Ivan Backmeister" in 1786, where, in the words of Falcone himself, the author points out: "The artist’s intention was to depict not so much a winner and conqueror; but more than the creator of his people and the legislator of his state.” This is a monument not only to Emperor Peter I, but to the entire Petrine era.
Peter is depicted on a rearing horse, which quickly rose to the crest of a steep cliff. The king's head, crowned with a laurel wreath, is proudly raised. An imperious look is matched by an energetic gesture right hand. Proud posture reveals powerful will and confidence.
The rider is dressed in wide, light clothing that does not restrict freedom of movement. The clothing is not historical, but created by the imagination of the sculptor and is a combination of antique clothing with Russian folk clothing. Peter is wearing a long shirt below the knees, with embroidery along the hem and on the sleeves. A wide strip of fabric is draped over the emperor's chest and shoulders, like a cloak. Laurel wreath the winner and a short sword at his belt indicate that the king more than once won victories on the battlefield.
Holding the reins in his left hand, the rider sits on the horse not in the saddle, but on an animal skin.

Bronze Horseman. Bronze snake (works by sculptor F.G. Gordeev)

Fragment. Monument to Peter 1

Inscription on the pedestal Bronze Horseman

A mighty horse, obeying the will of the rider, prances over the cliff, standing on its hind legs. A bronze snake writhes at the horse’s feet (the work of sculptor F.G. Gordeev). It is considered an allegorical depiction of the evil, dark reactionary forces that stood in the way of Peter's reforms. In addition, the snake also plays a functional role, in contact with the horse’s tail, it serves as a third point of support. To give the statue stability, the thickness of the walls of its front part is kept to a minimum, and the tail is massive and heavy. For ballast, four tons of iron were inserted into the horse's croup and tail.

All basic principles of monumental plastic art are observed. The monument has a circular viewpoint and is perceived differently from different angles. According to the heroic interpretation of the image, the monument undoubtedly belongs to the classicism style. At the same time, its inherent dynamics are an integral feature of the Baroque.
An art connoisseur, French philosopher, writer and educator D. Diderot, who visited Russia in 1773 at the invitation of Catherine II and examined the model of the monument in Falcone's workshop, in his letter to the sculptor, highly appreciated the work.

The letter contains the following lines: “The hero and the horse together make up a beautiful Centaur, whose human and thinking part is surprisingly calm in contrast to the part of the furious animal.”

It took three years to create the small model. At the end of May 1770, a small model was cast in plaster and put on public display in the sculptor's workshop. This was the first time such a demonstration was carried out in St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg Vedomosti wrote:
“From the 19th of this May, in the morning from 11 to 2, and in the afternoon from 6 to 8 o’clock, for two weeks henceforth the model of the monument to the blessed and eternal glory worthy of the memory of the Sovereign Emperor PETER the Great in a building located on the site of the former winter wooden palace on the Neva Perspective.”

The sculptor’s St. Petersburg workshop was located on the corner of Kirpichny Lane and Bolshaya Morskaya Street. Over the course of two weeks, a lot of people visited here. The assessments were very different, but not everyone immediately understood and accepted figurative language Falcone.

Bronze Horseman Saint Petersburg


Bronze Horseman Saint Petersburg

Portrait of Marie-Anne Collot. Pierre Etienne Falconet (son of Etienne Maris Falconet). 1777

In Russia, chronologically according to the time of its establishment, the Monument to Peter I was the first equestrian monument. As is known, only in early XVIII century, during the reign of Peter, such a form of art as secular sculpture came to Russia from Europe.

When creating the Falconet monument, he used three most important principles: knowledge of the classics, creative imagination and careful study of nature.
While working on the monument, General P.I. Melissino, whose height and figure resembled Peter the Great, posed for the sculptor. Falcone also turned to nature when creating the horse. Initially, he thoroughly studied the classical equestrian statue of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, cast in the 2nd century, but refused to directly imitate antiquity.

Equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius. Bronze. 160-170s Rome, Capitoline Hill.

monument to Peter I at the third St. Isaac's Cathedral

monument to Peter I at the fourth St. Isaac's Cathedral

A platform with the required slope was built in the workshop yard. Two horses, Diamond and Caprice, were selected from the royal stables and the stables of Count A.G. Orlov. Bereitor A. Telechnikov and other riders took off along the platform on their horses, rearing them, and the sculptor made countless sketches.
After it has been completed big model, a difficulty arose, since among the Russian foundries there was no one to entrust the complex casting of an equestrian statue in bronze. And foreign masters asked very high price. Then Falcone himself began to study foundry.

The form was placed in a special pit. It was connected to the smelting furnace by inclined pipes, which were constantly heated so that they would not burst when molten metal entered them.

One of the fires went out, the pipe cooled down, and when metal flowed through it, it cracked. There was a fire and the threat that the bronze would not fill the entire mold. Falcone lost consciousness and the others left the workshop in panic. Khailov extinguished the fire, sealed the crack with clay and wrapped his pipe in cloth, after wetting it. The danger passed, but the bronze did not completely fill the mold, so the head and neck of the horse, as well as part of the figure of the rider, were cast only two years later. Khailov was seriously injured, receiving severe burns and losing one eye. Only a long time later, Catherine II, having learned about his feat, promoted the former cannon foundry master to second lieutenant of the artillery (a rank only for nobles) and ordered that the hero be given 2,500 rubles in gold from the treasury.
Long before the casting of the statue, the search began for natural stone to make a pedestal. They organized two search expeditions, the first of which did not find the required stone, but the second found it completely. suitable stone on Kotlin Island (Kronstadt). But it was not possible to deliver the Kronstadt block. Then they announced a nationwide competition for the search and delivery of the stone, placing an advertisement in the St. Petersburg Gazette.

In September 1768, a peasant from Lakhta, Sergei Vishnyakov, responded to the ad, saying that in the Lakhta forests lay a giant Thunder-stone, “a better one for a pedestal.”

view of the thunder stone found on Lakhta. Jacob van de Schlei 1770s. (GE)

view of the beginning of processing thunder stone. Jacob van de Schlei 1770s. (GE)

view of the thunder stone during transportation. Jacob van de Schlei 1770s. (GE)

It was called the Thunder Stone because, according to legend, during a thunderstorm, a corner of it was knocked off and a crack of 15 inches was formed. According to the peasant, there is a legend that Peter I more than once climbed onto this block to survey the surrounding area, and also watched naval battles from here. An expedition was sent to Lakhta, which confirmed that the stone was quite suitable in its parameters.
The dimensions of the stone are about 13 meters long, 8 meters high and 6 meters wide and weigh about 1800 tons, inspired horror and doubt that it could be moved at all. It took four months to clear the stone from the ground, after which it was surrounded by forests.

A block gate was installed at the edge of the pit, then an underground trench was dug a hundred fathoms (216 meters) long. A lot of forest was uprooted around the stone and on the way to the Gulf of Finland, and in 1768 a road was built, reinforced with piles. Then they built a reliable wooden platform. On the lower side, along the edges, longitudinally running bronze gutters were reinforced, on which the platform was supposed to roll on bronze balls placed in the groove-rails. As soon as the platform moved from one pair of “rails” to the one in front, the rear gutters were removed and laid at the beginning of the track. The thunder stone was securely mounted on the platform and secured. The platform was pulled by ropes by horses and by hand using gates. While moving on the stone mass, a bugler blew and two drummers gave a signal to those who were pulling in a fractional beat.

remnants of the thunder stone on Lakhta

The Bronze Horseman. Photo from the beginning. XX century

Monument to Peter I on Senate Square

Forty stonemasons did not stop working, cutting off the edges. Along with them, a small forge was also installed on the stone for repairing and sharpening tools. A special pier was built on the shore of the bay.

The stone took nine months to move towards the water. The Thunderstone was transported twelve miles across the water. For this purpose, a special vessel with a length of almost 54 meters, a width of 32 meters and a height of 3.6 meters was built at the Admiralty. In September 1770, the Thunder Stone arrived at its destination on Senate Square.

In memory of the safe delivery of the Thunder Stone, Catherine II ordered the minting of a medal with the inscription: “Like daring. January 20, 1770.”
The inscription on the pedestal “Catherine II to Peter the Great” is a laconic expression of the political significance of the monument. Catherine called herself “Petrov’s daughter” and considered herself a follower of Peter’s reforms.
The installation of the monument and its opening took place without Falconet’s participation. While working on the monument, the sculptor encountered opposition from the President of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts I.I. Betsky, who headed all the work. By the time the monument was cast, the relationship between Falconet and the empress had also become complicated. In addition, the elderly sculptor became seriously ill.
After E.M. Falcone left St. Petersburg, the management of the installation of the monument was entrusted to the architect Yu.M. Felten.

Monument to Peter I (Bronze Horseman) on Senate Square. Saint Petersburg.

M.A. Collo. Model of the head for the monument to Peter I. Russian Museum

Monument to Peter I (Bronze Horseman). Senate square

I. Bart. Senate (Petrovskaya) Square.

K. A. Ludwig. Senate Square and the monument to Peter I. 1799

Monument to Peter I (Bronze Horseman). Senate square. Photo beginning XX century.

Illustration from the 11th scroll "Kankai Ibun". The monument to Peter was drawn by a Japanese artist from the words of interrogated sailors, washed up in a shipwreck on the shores of Russia and many years later returned to Japan Russian embassy led by N.P. Rezanov

(1833)
PREFACE

The incident described in this story is based on truth. Details of the flood are taken from magazines of the time. The curious can consult the news compiled by V. N. Berkh.

INTRODUCTION

On the shore of desert waves
He stood there, full of great thoughts,
And he looked into the distance. Wide before him
The river rushed; poor boat
He strove along it alone.
Along mossy, marshy banks
Blackened huts here and there,
Shelter of a wretched Chukhonian;
And the forest, unknown to the rays
In the fog of the hidden sun,
There was noise all around.

And he thought:
From here we will threaten the Swede,
The city will be founded here
To spite an arrogant neighbor.
Nature destined us here
Cut a window to Europe (1),
Stand with a firm foot by the sea.
Here on new waves
All flags will visit us
And we’ll record it in the open air.

A hundred years have passed, and the young city,
There is beauty and wonder in full countries,
From the darkness of the forests, from the swamps of blat
He ascended magnificently and proudly;
Where was the Finnish fisherman before?
Nature's sad stepson
Alone on the low banks
Thrown into unknown waters
Your old net is now there,
Along busy shores
Slender communities crowd together
Palaces and towers; ships
A crowd from all over the world
They strive for rich marinas;
The Neva is dressed in granite;
Bridges hung over the waters;
Dark green gardens
Islands covered her,
And in front of the younger capital
Old Moscow has faded,
Like before a new queen
Porphyry widow.

I love you, Petra's creation,
I love your strict, slender appearance,
Neva sovereign current,
Its coastal granite,
Your fences have a cast iron pattern,
of your thoughtful nights
Transparent twilight, moonless shine,
When I'm in my room
I write, I read without a lamp,
And the sleeping communities are clear
Deserted streets and light
Admiralty needle,
And not letting the darkness of the night
To golden skies
One dawn gives way to another
He hurries, giving the night half an hour (2).
I love your cruel winter
Still air and frost,
Sleigh running along the wide Neva;
Girls' faces are brighter than roses,
And the shine and noise and talk of balls,
And at the time of the feast the bachelor
The hiss of foamy glasses
And the punch flame is blue.
I love the warlike liveliness
Amusing Fields of Mars,
Infantry troops and horses
Uniform beauty
In their harmoniously unsteady system
The shreds of these victorious banners,
The shine of these copper caps,
Shot through and through in battle.
I love you, military capital,
Your stronghold is smoke and thunder,
When the queen is full
Gives a son to the royal house,
Or victory over the enemy
Russia triumphs again
Or, breaking your blue ice,
The Neva carries him to the seas,
And, sensing the days of spring, he rejoices.

Show off, city Petrov, and stand
Unshakable like Russia,
May he make peace with you
And the defeated element;
Enmity and ancient captivity
Let the Finnish waves forget
And they will not be vain malice
Disturb Peter's eternal sleep!

It was a terrible time
The memory of her is fresh...
About her, my friends, for you
I'll start my story.
My story will be sad.

PART ONE

Over darkened Petrograd
November breathed the autumn chill.
Splashing with a noisy wave
To the edges of your slender fence,
Neva was tossing around like a sick person
Restless in my bed.
It was already late and dark;
The rain beat angrily on the window,
And the wind blew, howling sadly.
At that time from the guests home
Young Evgeniy came...
We will be our hero
Call by this name. It
Sounds nice; been with him for a long time
My pen is also friendly.
We don't need his nickname,
Although in times gone by
Perhaps it shone,
And under the pen of Karamzin
In native legends it sounded;
But now with light and rumor
It's forgotten. Our hero
Lives in Kolomna; serves somewhere
He shies away from the nobles and does not bother
Not about deceased relatives,
Not about forgotten antiquities.

So, I came home, Evgeniy
He shook off his overcoat, undressed, and lay down.
But for a long time he could not fall asleep
In the excitement of various thoughts.
What was he thinking about? About,
That he was poor, that he worked hard
He had to deliver to himself
And independence and honor;
What could God add to him?
Mind and money. What is it?
Such idle lucky ones,
Mindless sloths,
For whom life is much easier!
That he serves only two years;
He also thought that the weather
She didn’t let up; that the river
Everything was coming; which is hardly
The bridges have not been removed from the Neva
And what will happen to Parasha?
Separated for two or three days.
Evgeny sighed heartily here
And he daydreamed like a poet:

Marry? Well…. Why not?
It's hard, of course.
But well, he's young and healthy,
Ready to work day and night;
He'll arrange something for himself
Shelter humble and simple
And it will calm Parasha.
“Perhaps another year will pass -
I’ll get a place - Parashe
I will entrust our farm
And raising children...
And we will live - and so on until the grave,
We'll both get there hand in hand
And our grandchildren will bury us..."

That's what he dreamed. And it was sad
Him that night, and he wished
So that the wind howls less sadly
And let the rain knock on the window
Not so angry...
Sleepy eyes
He finally closed. And so
The darkness of a stormy night is thinning
And the pale day is already coming... (3)
Terrible day!
Neva all night
Longing for the sea against the storm,
Without overcoming their violent foolishness...
And she was unable to argue...
In the morning over its banks
There were crowds of people crowded together,
Admiring the splashes, mountains
And the foam of angry waters.
But the strength of the winds from the bay
Blocked Neva
She walked back, angry, seething,
And flooded the islands.
The weather became more ferocious
The Neva swelled and roared,
A cauldron bubbling and swirling,
And suddenly, like a wild beast,
She rushed towards the city. In front of her
Everything started running; all around
Suddenly it was empty - suddenly there was water
Flowed into underground cellars,
Channels poured into the gratings,
And Petropol emerged like a newt,
Waist-deep in water.

Siege! attack! evil waves,
Like thieves, they climb into windows. Chelny
From the run the windows are smashed by the stern.
Trays under a wet veil,
Wrecks of huts, logs, roofs,
Stock trade goods,
The belongings of pale poverty,
Bridges demolished by thunderstorms,
Coffins from a washed-out cemetery
Floating through the streets!
People
He sees God's wrath and awaits execution.
Alas! everything perishes: shelter and food!
Where will I get it?
In that terrible year
The late Tsar was still in Russia
He ruled with glory. To the balcony
Sad, confused, he went out
And he said: “With God's element
Kings cannot control.” He sat down
And in the Duma with sorrowful eyes
I looked at the evil disaster.
There were hundreds of lakes
And in them there are wide rivers
The streets poured in. Castle
It seemed like a sad island.
The king said - from end to end,
Along nearby streets and distant ones
On a dangerous journey through stormy waters
The generals set off (4)
To save and overcome with fear
And there are drowning people at home.

Then, on Petrova Square,
Where a new house has risen in the corner,
Where above the elevated porch
With a raised paw, as if alive,
There are two guard lions standing,
Riding a marble beast,
Without a hat, hands clasped in a cross,
Sat motionless, terribly pale
Eugene. He was afraid, poor thing,
Not for myself. He didn't hear
How the greedy shaft rose,
Washing his soles,
How the rain hit his face,
Like the wind, howling violently,
He suddenly tore off his hat.
His desperate glances
Pointed to the edge
They were motionless. Like mountains
From the indignant depths
The waves rose there and got angry,
There the storm howled, there they rushed
Debris... God, God! there -
Alas! close to the waves,
Almost at the very bay -
The fence is unpainted, but the willow
And a dilapidated house: there it is,
Widow and daughter, his Parasha,
His dream... Or in a dream
Does he see this? or all ours
And life is nothing like an empty dream,
The mockery of heaven over earth?
And he seems to be bewitched
As if chained to marble,
Can't get off! Around him
Water and nothing else!
And my back is turned to him
In the unshakable heights,
Above the indignant Neva
Stands with outstretched hand
Idol on a bronze horse.

PART TWO.

But now, having had enough of destruction
And tired of insolent violence,
The Neva was drawn back,
Admiring your indignation
And leaving with carelessness
Your prey. So villain
With his fierce gang
Having burst into the village, he breaks, cuts,
Destroys and robs; screams, gnashing,
Violence, swearing, alarm, howling!….
And burdened with robbery,
Afraid of the chase, tired,
The robbers are hurrying home,
Dropping prey on the way.

The water has subsided and the pavement
It opened, and Evgeny is mine
He hurries, his soul sinking,
In hope, fear and longing
To the barely reconciled river.
But victories are full of triumph
The waves were still boiling angrily,
As if a fire was smoldering under them,
The foam still covered them,
And Neva was breathing heavily,
Like a horse running back from battle.
Evgeny looks: he sees a boat;
He runs to her as if he were on a find;
He calls the carrier -
And the carrier is carefree
Willingly pay him for a dime
Through terrible waves you are lucky.

And long with stormy waves
An experienced rower fought
And hide deep between their rows
Every hour with daring swimmers
The boat was ready - and finally
He reached the shore.
Unhappy
Runs along a familiar street
To familiar places. Looks
Can't find out. The view is terrible!
Everything is piled up in front of him;
What is dropped, what is demolished;
The houses were crooked, others
Completely collapsed, others
Shifted by waves; all around
As if in a battlefield,
Bodies are lying around. Eugene
Headlong, not remembering anything,
Exhausted from torment,
Runs to where he is waiting
Fate with unknown news,
Like with a sealed letter.
And now he’s running through the suburbs,
And here is the bay, and home is close...
What is this?...
He stopped.
I went back and came back.
He looks... walks... still looks.
This is the place where their house stands;
Here is the willow. There was a gate here -
Apparently they were blown away. Where is home?
And full of gloomy care
Everything goes on, he goes around,
Talks loudly to himself -
And suddenly, hitting him on the forehead with his hand,
I started laughing.
Night haze
She came down to the city in trepidation
But the residents did not sleep for a long time
And they talked among themselves
About the day gone by.
Morning ray
Because of the tired, pale clouds
Flashed over the quiet capital
And I haven’t found any traces
Yesterday's troubles; purple
The evil was already covered up.
Everything returned to the same order.
The streets are already free
With your cold insensibility
People were walking. Official people
Leaving my night shelter,
I went to work. Brave trader
Not discouraged, I opened
Neva robbed basement,
Collecting your loss is important
Place it on the nearest one. From the yards
They brought boats.
Count Khvostov,
Poet beloved by heaven
Already sang in immortal verses
The misfortune of the Neva banks.

But my poor, poor Evgeniy...
Alas! his confused mind
Against terrible shocks
I couldn't resist. Rebellious noise
The Neva and the winds were heard
In his ears. Terrible thoughts
Silently full, he wandered.
He was tormented by some kind of dream.
A week passed, a month - he
He did not return to his home.
His deserted corner
I hired him out when the deadline passed,
The owner of the poor poet.
Evgeniy for his goods
Didn't come. He'll be out soon
Became alien. I wandered on foot all day,
And he slept on the pier; ate
A piece served into the window.
His clothes are shabby
It tore and smoldered. Angry children
They threw stones after him.
Often coachman's whips
He was whipped because
That he didn't understand the roads
Never again; it seemed he
Didn't notice. He's stunned
Was the noise of internal anxiety.
And so he is his unhappy age
Dragged, neither beast nor man,
Neither this nor that, nor the inhabitant of the world
Not a dead ghost...
Once he was sleeping
At the Neva pier. Days of summer
We were approaching autumn. Breathed
Stormy wind. Grim Shaft
Splashed on the pier, grumbling fines
And hitting the smooth steps,
Like a petitioner at the door
The judges do not listen to him.
The poor man woke up. It was gloomy:
The rain fell, the wind howled sadly,
And with him far away, in the darkness of the night
The sentry called to each other...
Evgeny jumped up; remembered vividly
He is a past horror; hastily
He got up; went wandering, and suddenly
Stopped - and around
He quietly began to move his eyes
With wild fear on your face.
He found himself under the pillars
Big house. On the porch
With a raised paw, as if alive
The lions stood guard,
And right in the dark heights
Above the fenced rock
Idol with outstretched hand
Sat on a bronze horse.

Evgeny shuddered. cleared up
The thoughts in it are scary. He found out
And the place where the flood played,
Where the waves of predators crowded,
Rioting angrily around him,
And lions, and the square, and that,
Who stood motionless
In the darkness with a copper head,
The one whose will is fatal
The city was founded under the sea...
He is terrible in the surrounding darkness!
What a thought on the brow!
What power is hidden in it!
And what fire there is in this horse!
Where are you galloping, proud horse?
And where will you put your hooves?
O mighty lord of fate!
Aren't you above the abyss?
At the height, with an iron bridle
Raised Russia on its hind legs? (5)

Around the foot of the idol
The poor madman walked around
And brought wild glances
The face of the ruler of half the world.
His chest felt tight. Chelo
It lay down on the cold grate,
My eyes became foggy,
A fire ran through my heart,
Blood boiled. He became gloomy
Before the proud idol
And, clenching my teeth, clenching my fingers,
As if possessed by black power,
“Welcome, miraculous builder! —
He whispered, trembling angrily,
Already for you!..." And suddenly headlong
He started to run. It seemed
He is like a formidable king,
Instantly ignited with anger,
The face quietly turned...
And its area is empty
He runs and hears behind him -
It's like thunder roaring -
Heavy ringing galloping
Along the shaken pavement.
And, illuminated by the pale moon,
Stretching out your hand on high,
The Bronze Horseman rushes after him
On a loud galloping horse;
And all night long the poor madman.
Wherever you turn your feet,
Behind him is the Bronze Horseman everywhere
He galloped with a heavy stomp.

And from the time when it happened
He should go to that square,
His face showed
Confusion. To your heart
He hastily pressed his hand,
As if subduing him with torment,
A worn out cap,
Didn’t raise embarrassed eyes
And he walked aside.

Small Island
Visible at the seaside. Sometimes
Lands there with a seine
Late fisherman fishing
And the poor man cooks his dinner,
Or an official will visit,
Walking in a boat on Sunday
Deserted island. Not an adult
There's not a blade of grass there. Flood
Brought there while playing
The house is dilapidated. Above the water
He remained like a black bush.
His last spring
They brought me on a barge. It was empty
And everything is destroyed. At the threshold
They found my madman,
And then his cold corpse
Buried for God's sake.

NOTES
(1) Algarotti said somewhere: “Pétersbourg est la fenêtre par laquelle la Russie regarde en Europe.”

(2) See the verses of the book. Vyazemsky to Countess Z***.

(3) Mickiewicz described in beautiful verse the day preceding the St. Petersburg flood, in one of his best poems - Oleszkiewicz. It's just a pity that the description is not accurate. There was no snow - the Neva was not covered with ice. Our description is more accurate, although it does not contain bright colors Polish poet.

(4) Count Miloradovich and Adjutant General Benckendorf.

(5) See description of the monument in Mickiewicz. It is borrowed from Ruban - as Mickiewicz himself notes.

Goals and objectives of the lesson:

• reveal ideological and artistic originality poems by A.S. Pushkin “The Bronze Horseman”;
• to trace the development of the image of Peter the Great in the works of A.S. Pushkin;
• develop the ability to work with information, summarize and systematize it;
• develop Creative skills students through expressive reading, the ability to analyze poetic text.

During the classes

1. introduction teachers.

“The Bronze Horseman” (1833) is a lyric-epic poem, but A.S. Pushkin, who was very well versed in the characteristics of literary genres, called it “ Petersburg story" It can be assumed that the subtitle of “The Bronze Horseman” is not a definition of the genre, but an indication of the “truth of the incident.” It is in this meaning that the term “atale” (story) was used by J. Byron in relation to his poems. The definition “St. Petersburg” was supposed to emphasize the local flavor of the plot. In accordance with the subtitle, the solemn introduction of the poem ends like this:

It was a terrible time
The memory of her is fresh...
About her, my friends, for you
I'll start the story now.

2. The idea of ​​the poem.

The epic part of the poem raises serious social and philosophical problems. In it, the author talks about the “little man,” the petty official Evgeniy, describes his dreams, worries and his life’s tragedy. That is why this work is socially significant: the poet raises in it the important problem of society’s attitude towards the “little man”.

3. The main characters of the poem “The Bronze Horseman”.

Main characters

At A.S. Pushkin's image of Eugene becomes a symbol of personality, and the idea of ​​autocratic state power is embodied in the image of the second main character of the poem - Peter the Great, presented in the form of the famous monument - the Bronze Horseman. Only in the prologue of the poem does the king appear: Peter is shown as an outstanding statesman, thinking about the benefit and prosperity of his state:

And he thought:
From here we will threaten the Swede.
The city will be founded here
To spite an arrogant neighbor.
Nature destined us here
Cut a window to Europe,
Stand with a firm foot by the sea.
Here on new waves
All flags will visit us
And we’ll record it in the open air.

And in the first and second parts of the poem, the great reformer is depicted as the Bronze Horseman, that is, as a symbol of the autocratic state.

Sympathy to Evgeniy A.S. Pushkin emphasizes the polysemantic word “poor” (the following meanings are noted in the dictionary: poor, unhappy, simple, humble); complex attitude towards Peter - the ambiguous word “idol” (statue of a pagan deity-idol; an object of adoration, enthusiastic worship).

4. The image of Peter the Great in the works of A.S. Pushkin.

Before the poem “The Bronze Horseman,” Pushkin several times turned to the image of the reformer tsar: in the poem “Poltava” (1829), in the unfinished novel “Arap of Peter the Great” (1830), in materials for “The History of Peter the Great.” Throughout his work, the poet assessed Peter’s activities differently.

Conclusion: “The Bronze Horseman” presents the final evolution of the image of Peter the Great in Pushkin’s work: there are no human features in Peter at all, the author calls him “an idol on a bronze horse” - neither the angry elements nor human troubles touch him. The Emperor appears as a symbol of the Russian state, alien to the interests of ordinary people.

Since the poem is the latest major work about Peter, we can conclude that Pushkin came to a multifaceted view of Peter’s personality, which combines both respect and a sharply critical attitude.

5. Genre originality poems by A.S. Pushkin.

Conclusion: Pushkin created a lyric-epic poem of a new (realistic) type, different from the classic heroic poem.

6. Lesson summary.

The obvious decline of the main event and the main character does not prevent the author from expressing deep social and philosophical ideas in the poem. Pushkin gave his understanding of the modern Russian state structure, the role of the state in human life in general. The poet's conclusion is disappointing: the state is opposed to the individual. The Bronze Horseman indifferently turned away from the worries of the little one, but alive person:

AND, turned his back to him,
In the unshakable heights,
Over the indignant Neva
Stands with outstretched hand
Idol on a bronze horse.

The poem is permeated with sympathy for the “little man.” The author depicts Evgeny and Parasha as simple, but sensitive people, innocent of anything and unable to survive separation. Their idyllic description contrasts with the tragic reality in which the “little man” is doomed to death. This view of the heroes revealed the poet’s humanism.

7. Homework.

Answer the question in writing: “Do you think the rebellion of Eugene, who has gone crazy, threatening an idol on a bronze horse (“Wow!”) can lead to any positive changes for the hero, or is this a senseless and punishable rebellion?” Give reasons for your answer.

Pushkin A. S. The Bronze Horseman, 1833 The method is realistic.

Genre: poem.

History of creation . The poem “The Bronze Horseman” was written in Boldin in the fall of 1833. In this work, Pushkin describes one of the most terrible floods, which occurred in 1824 and brought terrible destruction to the city.

In the work “The Bronze Horseman” there are two main characters: Peter I, present in the poem in the form of a coming to life statue of the Bronze Horseman, and the petty official Eugene. The development of the conflict between them determines the main idea of ​​the work.

Plot. The work opens with an “Introduction”, in which Peter the Great and his “creation” - St. Petersburg are glorified. In the first part, the reader meets the main character - an official named Eugene. He lies down, but cannot fall asleep, distracted by thoughts about his situation, that the bridges have been removed from the rising river and that this will separate him from his beloved Parasha, who lives on the other bank, for two or three days. The thought of Parasha gives rise to dreams of marriage and a future happy and modest life in the family circle, with a loving and beloved wife and children. Finally, lulled by sweet thoughts, Evgeniy falls asleep.

However, very soon the weather deteriorates and the whole of St. Petersburg finds itself under water. At this time, on Petrovaya Square, a motionless Evgeniy sits astride a marble statue of a lion. He looks at the opposite bank of the Neva, where his beloved and her mother live in their poor house very close to the water. With its back to it, towering above the elements, “stands with an outstretched hand an idol on a bronze horse.”

When the water recedes, Evgeniy discovers that Parasha and her mother are dead and their house is destroyed, and he loses his mind. Almost a year later, Evgeny vividly remembers the flood. By chance he finds himself at the monument to Peter the Great. Eugene threatens the monument in anger, but suddenly it seems to him that the face of the formidable king is turning to him, and anger sparkles in his eyes, and Eugene rushes away, hearing the heavy clatter of copper hooves behind him. All night the unfortunate man rushes around the city, and it seems to him that the horseman with a heavy stomp is galloping after him everywhere.

P problemmatics. A brutal clash of historical necessity with the doom of private personal life.

The problem of autocratic power and disadvantaged people

“Where are you galloping, proud horse, and where will you land your hooves?” — the question of the future of the Russian state.

Several thematic and emotional lines: the apotheosis of Peter and St. Petersburg, the dramatic narration of Eugene, the author's lyricism.

Intent: a symbolic clash of two polar opposite forces - an ordinary little man and the unlimited powerful force of an autocratic state

Eugene The image of a shining, lively, lush city is replaced in the first part of the poem by a picture of a terrible, destructive flood, expressive images a raging element over which man has no control. The element sweeps away everything in its path, carrying away in streams of water fragments of buildings and destroyed bridges, “belongings of pale poverty” and even coffins “from a washed-out cemetery.” Among those whose lives were destroyed by the flood is Eugene, whose peaceful concerns the author speaks of at the beginning of the first part of the poem. Evgeny is an “ordinary man” (“little” man): he has neither money nor rank, “serves somewhere” and dreams of setting up a “humble and simple shelter” for himself in order to marry the girl he loves and go through life’s journey with her.

The poem does not indicate the hero's surname or his age; nothing is said about Eugene's past, his appearance, or character traits. Having deprived Evgeny of his individual characteristics, the author turns him into an ordinary, faceless person from the crowd. However, in an extreme, critical situation, Eugene seems to awaken from a dream, and throws off the guise of a “nonentity” and opposes the “brass idol”.

Peter I Starting from the second half of the 1820s, Pushkin was looking for an answer to the question: can autocratic power be reformist and merciful? In this regard, he artistically explores personality and government activities"Tsar-Reformer" Peter I.

The theme of Peter was painful and painful for Pushkin. Throughout his life, he repeatedly changed his attitude towards this epochal image for Russian history. For example, in the poem “Poltava” he glorifies the victorious Tsar. At the same time, in Pushkin’s notes for the work “The History of Peter I,” Peter appears not only as a great statesman and worker-tsar, but also as an autocratic despot, a tyrant.

Pushkin continues his artistic study of the image of Peter in “The Bronze Horseman.” The poem “The Bronze Horseman” completes the theme of Peter I in the work of A. S. Pushkin. The majestic appearance of the Tsar-Transformer is depicted in the very first, sometimes solemn, lines of the poem:

On the shore of desert waves

He stood there, full of great thoughts,

And he looked into the distance.

The author contrasts the monumental figure of the king with the image of harsh and wild nature. The picture against which the figure of the king appears before us is bleak. Before Peter’s gaze is a wide-spread river rushing into the distance; There is a forest around, “unknown to the rays of the hidden sun in the fog.” But the ruler's gaze is directed to the future. Russia must establish itself on the shores of the Baltic - this is necessary for the country’s prosperity. Confirmation of his historical correctness is the fulfillment of the “thoughts of the great.” A hundred years later, at the time when the plot events begin, the “city of Petrov” became a “full-fledged” (northern) “div.” “Victory banners flutter at parades,” “slender masses crowd along the shores,” ships “in a crowd from all over the earth” come to “rich piers.”

The painting of St. Petersburg not only contains a response to Peter’s plan, it glorifies the sovereign power of Russia. This is a solemn hymn to her glory, beauty, and royal power. The impression is created with the help of elevating epithets (“city” - young, lush, proud, slender, rich, strict, radiant, unshakable), reinforced by the antithesis with the “desert” nature hostile to man and with the “poor, wretched” of its “stepson” - a little person. If the huts of the Chukhonians “turned black... here and there,” the forest was “unknown” to the sun’s rays, and the sun itself was hidden “in the fog,” then main characteristic Petersburg becomes light. (shine, flame, radiance, golden skies, dawn).

Nature itself strives to drive away the night, “spring days” have come for Russia; The odic meaning of the depicted picture is confirmed by the five-fold repetition in the author’s speech of the admiring “I love.”

The author's attitude towards Peter the Great is ambiguous . On the one hand, at the beginning of the work, Pushkin pronounces an enthusiastic hymn to the creation of Peter, confesses his love for “ to the young city", before whose brilliance "old Moscow faded." Peter in the poem appears as an “Idol on a bronze horse”, as a “powerful ruler of fate.”

On the other hand, Peter the autocrat is presented in the poem not in any specific acts, but in the symbolic image of the Bronze Horseman as the personification of inhuman statehood. Even in those lines where he admires Peter and Petersburg, an intonation of alarm can already be heard:

O mighty lord of fate!

Aren't you above the very abyss,

At the height, with an iron bridle

Raised Russia on its hind legs?

The Tsar also appears as a “proud idol” before Eugene. And this idol is contrasted with a living person, whose “brow” is burning with wild excitement, in his heart there is a feeling of “constraint”, “flame”, whose soul is “boiling”.

Conflict . The conflict of “The Bronze Horseman” consists in the clash of the individual with the inevitable course of history, in the confrontation between the collective, public will (in the person of Peter the Great) and the personal will (in the person of Eugene). How does Pushkin resolve this conflict?

Critics have differing opinions about whose side Pushkin is on. Some believed that the poet substantiated the right of the state to dispose of a person’s life and took the side of Peter, since he understood the necessity and benefit of his reforms. Others consider Eugene’s sacrifice unjustified and believe that the author’s sympathies are entirely on the side of “poor” Eugene.

The third version seems to be the most convincing: Pushkin was the first in Russian literature to show all the tragedy and intractability of the conflict between the state and state interests and the interests of the private individual.

Pushkin depicts tragic conflict two forces (personality and power, man and state), each of which has its own truth, but both of these truths are limited and incomplete. Peter is right as a sovereign, history is behind him and on his side. Evgeniy is right ordinary person, behind him and on his side are humanity and Christian compassion

Plot-wise, the poem is completed, the hero died, but the central conflict remained and was conveyed to the readers, unresolved and in reality itself, the antagonism of the “upper” and “lower”, the autocratic government and the dispossessed people remained.

The symbolic victory of the Bronze Horseman over Eugene is a victory of strength, but not of justice. The question remains: “Where are you galloping, proud horse, and where will you land your hooves?” This is metaphorically expressed main question for the author, the question is about the future of the Russian state.

(Searching for an answer) The problem of the people and the authorities, the theme of mercy - in « The captain's daughter» . Even in troubled times honor and mercy must be preserved.

“...The best and most lasting changes are those that come from improving morals, without any violent upheaval”

Human relationships should be built on respect and mercy

Goodness is life-giving

The image of natural elements in A. S. Pushkin’s poem “The Bronze Horseman”

“The Bronze Horseman” is the first urban poem in Russian literature. The problems of the poem are complex and multifaceted. The poem is a kind of reflection by the poet on the fate of Russia, on its path: European, associated with the reforms of Peter, and original Russian. The attitude towards the actions of Peter and the city that he founded has always been ambiguous. The history of the city was represented in various myths, legends and prophecies. In some myths, Peter was represented as the “father of the Fatherland,” a deity who founded a certain intelligent cosmos, a “glorious city,” a “dear country,” a stronghold of state and military power. These myths originated in poetry and were officially encouraged. In other myths, Peter was the spawn of Satan, the living Antichrist, and Petersburg, founded by him, was a “non-Russian” city, a satanic chaos, doomed to inevitable extinction.

Pushkin created synthetic images of Peter and St. Petersburg. In them, both concepts complemented each other. The poetic myth about the founding of the city is developed in the introduction, oriented towards the literary tradition, and the myth about its destruction and flooding - in the first and second parts of the poem.

The two parts of the story depict two rebellions against autocracy: the rebellion of the elements and the rebellion of man. In the finale, both of these rebellions will be defeated: poor Eugene, who recently desperately threatened the Bronze Horseman, will reconcile, and the enraged Neva will return to its normal course.

The poem itself interestingly depicts the violence of the elements. The Neva, once enslaved, “taken captive” by Peter, has not forgotten her “ancient enmity” and with “vain malice” rebels against the enslaver. The “defeated element” is trying to crush its granite shackles and is attacking the “slender masses of palaces and towers” ​​that arose due to the mania of autocratic Peter. The city turns into a fortress, besieged by the Neva.

The Neva River, on which the city lies, indignant and violent:

In the morning over its banks

There were crowds of people crowded together,

Admiring the splashes, mountains

AND foam of angry waters.

But the force of the wind from the bay

Blocked Neva

I was walking back , angry, seething,

And flooded the islands.

… From the indignant depths

the waves rose and got angry,

There was a storm howling

There were debris flying around...

The story of the flood takes on folklore and mythological overtones. The enraged Neva is compared either to a frenzied “beast,” or to “thieves” climbing through the windows, or to a “villain” who burst into the village “with his ferocious gang.” The poem also mentions a river deity, and the violence of the elements is compared with it:

… water suddenly

Flowed into underground cellars,

Channels poured into the gratings,

And Petropol emerged like a newt,

Waist-deep in water.

For a moment it seems that the “defeated element” is triumphant, that Fate itself is for it: “The people are watching God’s wrath and awaiting execution. \ Alas! everything is dying..."

The revolt of the elements depicted by Pushkin helps to reveal the ideological and artistic originality of the work. On the one hand, the Neva, the water element, is part of the urban landscape. On the other hand, the wrath of the elements, its mythological overtones, remind the reader of the idea of ​​St. Petersburg as a satanic city, non-Russian, doomed to destruction. Another function of the landscape is associated with the image of Eugene, the “little man.” The flood destroys Eugene's modest dreams. It turned out to be disastrous not for the city center and its inhabitants, but for the poor people who settled on the outskirts. For Evgeny, Peter is not "ruler of half the world" and only the culprit of the disasters that befell him is the one “...by whose fatal will \ Under the sea the city was founded...”, who did not take into account the fate of small people not protected from disaster.

The surrounding reality turned out to be hostile for the hero, he is defenseless, but Evgeny turns out to be worthy not only of sympathy and condolences, but at a certain moment arouses admiration. When Eugene threatens the “proud idol,” his image takes on the features of true heroism. At these moments, the pitiful, humble inhabitant of Kolomna, the homeless, the beggarly tramp, dressed in decaying rags, is completely reborn, for the first time the strong passions, hatred, desperate determination, the will for revenge.

However, the Bronze Horseman achieves his goal: Eugene resigns himself. The second rebellion was defeated, just like the first. How after the riot of the Neva, “everything returned to the same order.” Eugene again became the most insignificant of the insignificant, and in the spring his corpse was like a corpse.

tramps and fishermen were buried on a deserted island, “for God’s sake.”

Unified State Examination Pushkin “The Bronze Horseman”

Read the given fragment of text and complete tasks B1-B7; C1-C2.

Complete tasks B1-B7. Write your answer as a word, a combination of words, or a sequence of numbers.

Then, on Petrova Square,

Where a new house has risen in the corner,

Where above the elevated porch

With a raised paw, as if alive,

There are two guard lions standing,

Riding a marble beast,

Without a hat, hands clasped in a cross,

Sat motionless, terribly pale

Eugene. He was afraid, poor thing,

Not for myself. He didn't hear

How the greedy shaft rose,

Washing his soles,

How the rain hit his face,

Like the wind, howling violently,

He suddenly tore off his hat.

His desperate glances

Pointed to the edge

They were motionless. Like mountains

From the indignant depths

The waves rose there and got angry,

There the storm howled, there they rushed

Debris... God, God! there -

Alas! close to the waves,

Almost at the very bay -

The fence is unpainted, but the willow

And a dilapidated house: there it is,

Widow and daughter, his Parasha,

His dream... Or in a dream

Does he see this? or all ours

And life is nothing like an empty dream,

The mockery of heaven over earth?

And he seems to be bewitched

As if chained to marble,

Can't get off! Around him

Water and nothing else!

And my back is turned to him

In the unshakable heights,

Above the indignant Neva

Stands with outstretched hand

Idol on a bronze horse.

IN 1. Specify the genre of the work

AT 2. In what city do the events described in this work take place?

Answer: __________________________________

VZ. In The Bronze Horseman Pushkin created a generalized artistic image Evgeniya as a “little man”. What term is used to call such images?

Answer: __________________________________

AT 4. In the given fragment A.S. Pushkin uses a technique based on the repetition of homogeneous consonant sounds. Name it.

… Like mountains

From the indignant depths

The waves rose there and got angry,

There the storm was angry, there they rushed

Debris...

Answer: __________________________________

AT 5. A.S. Pushkin calls Peter I “an idol on a bronze horse.” Indicate a trope that is a replacement of a proper name with a descriptive phrase."

Answer: __________________________________

AT 6. Name a figurative and expressive means of language based on the comparison of objects or phenomena.

… or all ours

And life is nothing like an empty dream,

The mockery of heaven over earth?

Answer: __________________________________

AT 7. The poet in The Bronze Horseman perceives the flood not only as a natural phenomenon, but also as an analogue of life’s storms and hardships. What is the name of such a symbolic image, the meaning of which goes beyond the limits of the objective meaning?

Answer: __________________________________

To complete tasks C1 and C2, give a coherent answer to the question in 5-10 sentences. Rely on author's position, if necessary, express your point of view. Justify your answer based on the text of the work. When completing task C2, select two works by different authors for comparison (in one of the examples, it is acceptable to refer to the work of the author who owns the source text); indicate the titles of the works and the names of the authors; justify your choice and compare the works with the proposed text in a given direction of analysis.

Write down your answers clearly and legibly, following the rules of speech.

C1. What role in this fragment plays a description of various natural phenomena?

(C1. How did Eugene’s fate change under the influence of the devastating flood?)

C2. In what works of Russian literature do natural forces participate in the destinies of the heroes, as in The Bronze Horseman, and in what ways is their role similar?

As in the poem by A.S. Pushkin's "The Bronze Horseman" is the power of the state opposed to the tragedy of the "little man" Evgeniy?

We use quotes and terms!!!

1. In the introduction, it is necessary to say about the time the work was written, about the theme or problematic of the poem, and name the conflict of the work, which is indicated in the topic.

2. In the main part of the essay we reveal the main conflict of the work.

— The majestic image of Peter in the introduction to the poem. Glorification of Russia's sovereign power. Historical necessity for the founding of the city.

— The tragedy of the “little man” Evgeniy.

— A symbolic clash of two polar opposite forces - an ordinary little man and the unlimited powerful force of an autocratic state in the images of the Bronze Horseman and Eugene.

Conflict resolution. Victory of force, but not of justice.

3. In conclusion:

- a specific answer to the question stated in the topic. (How...? - Symbolically in the images of the flood as an analogue of life’s storms and hardships. Symbolically in the images of the bronze horseman and the hunted, resigned Eugene.

The general ideological orientation of The Bronze Horseman largely originates in Poltava and continues in Boris Godunov. It is no coincidence that Pushkin turns to the image of Peter, who in his interpretation becomes a kind of symbol of willful, autocratic power. Despite everything, Peter builds Petersburg on the swamps in order to “threaten the Swede from here.” This act appears in the poem as the highest manifestation of the autocratic will of the ruler, who “raised all of Russia on its hind legs.”

Compared to “Poltava,” Pushkin goes through a certain evolution in his depiction of “autocracy.” If in “Poltava” he still needs “personal characteristics” in order to condemn “autocracy” (that is, his condemnation occurs in someone specific person - Mazepa, Aleko in “Gypsies”), then here “autocracy” appears before the reader in its pure form - in the person of the “Bronze Horseman”, who is not even Peter, but the embodiment of the myth about him - the myth about the ideal autocratic ruler.

Pushkin loves St. Petersburg, admires its beauty and the genius of its architects, but nevertheless, the city has suffered God's punishment for centuries for the original autocracy that was expressed by Peter in the founding of the city in a place unsuitable for this. And floods are just a punishment, a kind of “curse” weighing down on the residents of the capital, a reminder to the inhabitants of Babylon of the crime that they once committed against God.

In the poem, Pushkin refers to the image of an ordinary, ordinary person (one of those who in “Poltava” paid with blood for the autocracy of their rulers).

The image of Eugene is the image of that very “man of the crowd” who is not yet ready to accept freedom, who has not suffered for it in his heart, i.e. the image of an ordinary man in the street. Eugene's rebellion against autocracy, embodied for him in the Bronze Horseman, occurs under the influence of disasters that befell the city and destroyed his personal happiness. “Already for you!” - says Evgeny, threatening the statue. However, the ending of this riot is sad - the hero goes crazy. And the point here is not that Eugene’s rebellion in itself is individualistic, but that Eugene had no right to it. You can get rid of autocracy (that is, get out of the master/slave coordinate system) only through personal acceptance of freedom, internal work, awareness of your involvement in everything and responsibility to everything that happens in the world. An attempt to free oneself from tyranny by “external” means is doomed to failure, since overnight former slaves are only capable of turning into masters and vice versa, i.e. the system of relationships itself is not destroyed (cf. Pugachev’s rebellion in “The Captain’s Daughter”). Thus, the bronze horseman pursuing Eugene on the streets of the city turns into a kind of metaphor, which says that despite the “external* protest, rebellion against autocracy, a person cannot get rid of the very system of autocratic relationships in this way. The “Bronze Horseman” is a part of a person’s soul, his “second self,” which does not disappear by itself. In the words of Chekhov, a person must every day “squeeze a slave out of himself drop by drop”, carry out tireless spiritual work (compare with the idea developed by Gogol in “The Overcoat” that a person was created for a high purpose and cannot live with the dream of acquiring an overcoat ). It is these ideas that will later be embodied in the work of Dostoevsky, who “from the inside” will describe the rebellion of the “little man” - the fruitless rebellion of the “poor in spirit.”