The theme of the work in Rus' is to live well. Poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'. Genre, kind, direction

Dream 1 (Northern Tavria, October 1920)

A conversation is taking place in the cell of the monastery church. The Budennovtsy just came and checked the documents. Golubkov, a young St. Petersburg intellectual, wonders where the Reds came from when the area is in the hands of the Whites. Barabanchikova, pregnant, lying right there, explains that the general, who was sent a dispatch that the Reds were in the rear, put off decoding. When asked where General Charnota's headquarters is, Barabanchikova does not give a direct answer. Serafima Korzukhina, a young St. Petersburg lady who is fleeing with Golubkov to Crimea to meet her husband, offers to call a midwife, but Madame refuses. The clatter of hooves and the voice of the white commander de Brizard are heard. Recognizing him, Barabanchikova throws off her rags and appears as General Charnota. He explains to de Brizard and his traveling wife Lyuska, who ran in, that his friend Barabanchikov in a hurry gave him not his documents, but those of his pregnant wife. Charnota proposes an escape plan. Then Seraphima starts to have a fever - it's typhus. Golubkov takes Seraphima into the gig. Everyone is leaving.

Dream 2 (Crimea, early November 1920)

The station hall has been turned into the White headquarters. General Khludov is sitting where the buffet was. He is sick with something and is twitching. Korzukhin, comrade of the Minister of Trade, Serafima’s husband, asks to push wagons with valuable fur goods into Sevastopol. Khludov orders these trains to be burned. Korzukhin asks about the situation at the front. Khludov hisses that the Reds will be here tomorrow. Korzukhin thanks and leaves. A convoy appears, followed by the white commander-in-chief and Archbishop Africanus. Khludov informs the commander-in-chief that the Bolsheviks are in Crimea. African prays, but Khludov believes that God has abandoned the whites. The commander in chief leaves. Serafima runs in, followed by Golubkov and the messenger Charnota Krapilin. Serafima shouts that Khludov is not doing anything, but just hanging him. The staff whispers that this is a communist. Golubkov says that she is delirious, she has typhus. Khludov calls Korzukhin, but he, sensing a trap, renounces Seraphima. Serafima and Golubkov are taken away, and Krapilin, in oblivion, calls Khludov a world beast and talks about a war that Khludov does not know. He objects that he went to Chongar and was wounded there twice. Krapilin, waking up, begs for mercy, but Khludov orders him to be hanged for “starting well, ending badly.”

Dream 3 (Crimea, early November 1920)

The head of counterintelligence Tikhy, threatening with a deadly needle, forces Golubkov to show that Serafima Korzukhina is a member of the Communist Party and came for the purpose of propaganda. Having forced him to write a statement, Tikhy releases him. Counterintelligence officer Skunsky estimates that Korzukhin will give $10,000 to pay off the deal. Quiet shows that Skunsky's share is 2000. Seraphim is brought in, she is in a fever. Quiet gives her his testimony. Charnota's cavalry marches outside the window with music. Seraphima, having read the paper, breaks out the window glass with her elbow and calls Charnota for help. He runs in and defends Seraphim with a revolver.

Dream 4 (Crimea, early November 1920)

The Commander-in-Chief says that for a year now Khludov has been covering up his hatred of him. Khludov admits that he hates the commander-in-chief for being dragged into this, that he cannot work knowing that everything is in vain. The commander in chief leaves. Khludov alone talks to the ghost, wants to crush him... Golubkov enters, he came to complain about the crime committed by Khludov. He turns around. Golubkov is in a panic. He came to tell the commander-in-chief about Seraphima’s arrest and wants to find out her fate. Khludov asks the captain to take her to the palace if she is not shot. Golubkov is horrified by these words. Khludov makes excuses before the ghost messenger and asks him to leave his soul. When Khludov asks who Serafima is to him, Golubkov replies that she is a random stranger, but he loves her. Khludov says that she was shot. Golubkov is furious, Khludov throws him a revolver and tells someone that his soul is in two. The captain comes in with a report that Seraphima is alive, but today Charnota with a weapon fought her off and took her to Constantinople. Khludov is expected on the ship. Golubkov asks to take him to Constantinople, Khludov is sick, speaks to the messenger, they leave. Dark.

Dream 5 (Constantinople, summer 1921)

Street of Constantinople. There is an advertisement for cockroach races. Charnota, drunk and gloomy, approaches the cash register of the cockroach race and wants to put it on credit, but Arthur, the “cockroach king,” refuses him. Charnota is sad and remembers Russia. He sells silver gazyri and a box of his toys for 2 lire 50 piastres, and bets all the money he receives on the favorite of the Janissary. People are gathering. Cockroaches living in a box "under the supervision of a professor" run with paper riders. Shout: “The Janissary is malfunctioning!” It turns out that Arthur gave the cockroach a drink. Everyone who bet on the Janissary rushes at Arthur, who calls the police. A beautiful prostitute encourages the Italians, who beat the British, who bet on another cockroach. Dark.

Dream 6 (Constantinople, summer 1921)

Charnota quarrels with Lyusya, lies to her that the box and gazyri were stolen, she realizes that Charnota lost the money, and admits that she is a prostitute. She reproaches him that he, the general, defeated counterintelligence and was forced to flee the army, and now he is a beggar. Charnota objects: he saved Seraphim from death. Lyusya reproaches Seraphim for her inaction and goes into the house. Golubkov enters the yard and plays the organ. Charnota assures him that Serafima is alive and explains that she went to the panel. Seraphima arrives with a Greek laden with shopping. Golubkov and Charnota rush at him, he runs away. Golubkov tells Serafima about love, but she leaves saying that she will die alone. Lyusya, who has come out, wants to open the Greek package, but Charnota does not allow it. Lucy takes the hat and says that she is leaving for Paris. Khludov enters in civilian clothes - he has been demoted from the army. Golubkov explains that he found her, she left, and he will go to Paris to Korzukhin - he is obliged to help her. They will help him cross the border. He asks Khludov to take care of her, not to let her go to the panel, Khludov promises and gives 2 liras and a medallion. Charnota goes with Golubkov to Paris. They are going away. Dark.

Dream 7 (Paris, autumn 1921)

Golubkov asks Korzukhin for a $1,000 loan for Seraphima. Korzukhin won’t give it, he says that he has never been married and wants to marry his Russian secretary. Golubkov calls him a terrible soulless person and wants to leave, but Charnota comes, who says that he would sign up with the Bolsheviks to shoot him, and after shooting him, he would be discharged. Seeing the cards, he invites Korzukhin to play and sells him a Khludov medallion for 10 dollars. As a result, Charnota wins $20,000 and buys the medallion for $300. Korzukhin wants to return the money, and Lyusya comes running to his cry. Charnota is amazed, but does not betray her. Lyusya despises Korzukhin. She assures him that he himself lost the money and will not get it back. Everyone leaves. Lyusya quietly shouts out the window for Golubkov to take care of Seraphim, and for Charnot to buy some pants for himself. Dark.

Dream 8 (Constantinople, autumn 1921)

Khludov alone talks with the ghost of the messenger. He is suffering. Seraphima enters, tells him that he is ill, he is executed, and that he has released Golubkov. She is going to return to St. Petersburg. Khludov says that he will also return, and under his own name. Seraphima is terrified; she thinks he will be shot. Khludov is happy about this. They are interrupted by a knock on the door. This is Charnota and Golubkov. Khludov and Charnota leave, Serafima and Golubkov confess their love to each other. Khludov and Charnota return. Charnota says that he will stay here, Khludov wants to return. Everyone dissuades him. He calls Charnota with him, but he refuses: he has no hatred for the Bolsheviks. He's leaving. Golubkov wants to return the medallion to Khludov, but he gives it to the couple and they leave. Khludov alone writes something, rejoices that the ghost has disappeared. He goes to the window and shoots himself in the head. Dark.

There is a conversation going on in the cell of the monastery church. Budennovtsy just came and checked the documents. Golubkov, a young St. Petersburg intellectual, wonders where the Reds came from when the area is in the hands of the Whites. Barabanchikova, pregnant, lying right there, explains that the general, who was sent a dispatch that the Reds were in the rear, postponed the decoding. When asked where General Charnota’s headquarters is, Barabanchikova does not give a direct answer. Serafima Korzukhina, a young St. Petersburg lady who is fleeing with Golubkov to Crimea to meet her husband, offers to call a midwife, but Madame refuses. The clatter of hooves and the voice of the white commander de Brizard are heard. Recognizing him, Barabanchikova throws off her rags and appears as General Charnota. He explains to de Brizard and his traveling wife Lyuska, who ran in, that his friend Barabanchikov in a hurry gave him not his documents, but those of his pregnant wife. Charnota proposes an escape plan. Then Seraphima starts to have a fever - it's typhus. Golubkov takes Seraphima into the gig. Everyone is leaving.

Dream 2. Crimea, early November 1920

The station hall was turned into the White headquarters. General Khludov is sitting where the buffet was. He is sick with something and is twitching. Korzukhin, comrade of the Minister of Trade, Serafima’s husband, asks to push wagons with valuable fur goods into Sevastopol. Khludov orders these trains to be burned. Korzukhin asks about the situation at the front. Khludov hisses that the Reds will be here tomorrow. Korzukhin promises to report everything to the commander-in-chief. A convoy appears, followed by the white commander-in-chief and Archbishop Africanus. Khludov informs the commander-in-chief that the Bolsheviks are in Crimea. African prays, but Khludov believes that God has abandoned the whites. The commander in chief leaves. Serafima runs in, followed by Golubkov and the messenger Charnota Krapilin. Serafima shouts that Khludov is not doing anything, but just hanging him. The staff whispers that this is a communist. Golubkov says that she is delirious, she has typhus. Khludov calls Korzukhin, but he, sensing a trap, renounces Seraphima. Serafima and Golubkov are taken away, and Krapilin, in oblivion, calls Khludov a world beast and talks about a war that Khludov does not know. He objects that he went to Chongar and was wounded there twice. Krapilin, waking up, begs for mercy, but Khludov orders him to be hanged for “starting well, ending badly.”

Dream 3. Crimea, early November 1920

The head of counterintelligence Tikhy, threatening with a deadly needle, forces Golubkov to show that Serafima Korzukhina is a member of the Communist Party and came for the purpose of propaganda. Having forced him to write a statement, Tikhiy lets him go. Counterintelligence officer Skunsky estimates that Korzukhin will give $10,000 to pay off the deal. Quiet shows that Skunsky's share is 2000. Seraphim is brought in, she is in a fever. Quiet gives her his testimony. Charnota's cavalry is walking outside the window with music. Seraphima, having read the paper, breaks out the window glass with her elbow and calls Charnota for help. He runs in and defends Seraphim with a revolver.

Dream 4. Crimea, early November 1920

The Commander-in-Chief says that for a year now Khludov has been covering up his hatred of him. Khludov admits that he hates the commander in chief because he was drawn into this, that he cannot work knowing that everything is in vain. The commander in chief leaves. Khludov alone talks to the ghost, wants to crush him... Golubkov enters, he came to complain about the crime committed by Khludov. He turns around. Golubkov is in a panic. He came to tell the commander-in-chief about Seraphima’s arrest and wants to find out her fate. Khludov asks the captain to take her to the palace if she is not shot. Golubkov is horrified by these words. Khludov makes excuses before the ghost messenger and asks him to leave his soul. When Khludov asks who Serafima is to him, Golubkov replies that she is a random stranger, but he loves her. Khludov says that she was shot. Golubkov is furious, Khludov throws him a revolver and tells someone that his soul is in two. The captain enters with a report that Seraphima is alive, but today Charnota with a weapon fought her off and took her to Constantinople. Khludov is expected on the ship. Golubkov asks to take him to Constantinople, Khludov is sick, speaks to the messenger, they leave. Dark.

Dream 5. Constantinople, summer 1921

Street of Constantinople. There is an advertisement for cockroach races. Charnota, drunk and gloomy, approaches the cash register of the cockroach race and wants to bet on credit, but Arthur, the “cockroach king,” refuses him. Charnota is sad and remembers Russia. He sells silver gazyri and a box of his toys for 2 lire 50 piastres, bets all the money received on the favorite of the Janissary. People are gathering. Cockroaches living in a box "under the supervision of a professor" run with paper riders. Shout: “The Janissary is malfunctioning!” It turns out that Arthur gave the cockroach a drink. Everyone who bet on the Janissary rushes at Arthur, who calls the police. A beautiful prostitute encourages the Italians, who beat the English who bet on another cockroach. Dark.

Dream 6. Constantinople, summer 1921

Charnota quarrels with Lyusya, lies to her that the box and gasyri were stolen, she realizes that Charnota lost the money, and admits that she is a prostitute. She reproaches him that he, the general, defeated counterintelligence and was forced to flee the army, and now he is a beggar. Charnota objects: he saved Seraphim from death. Lyusya reproaches Seraphim for her inaction and goes into the house. Golubkov enters the yard and plays the organ. Charnota assures him that Serafima is alive and explains that she went to the panel. Seraphima arrives with a Greek laden with shopping. Golubkov and Charnota rush at him, he runs away. Golubkov tells Serafima about love, but she leaves saying that she will die alone. Lyusya, who has come out, wants to open the Greek’s package, but Charnot does not allow it. Lucy takes the hat and says that she is leaving for Paris. Khludov enters in civilian clothes - he has been demoted from the army. Golubkov explains that he found her, she left, and he will go to Paris to Korzukhin - he is obliged to help her. They will help him cross the border. He asks Khludov to take care of her, not to let her go to the panel, Khludov promises and gives 2 liras and a medallion. Charnota goes with Golubkov to Paris. They are going away. Dark.

Dream 7. Paris, autumn 1921

Golubkov asks Korzukhin for a $1,000 loan for Seraphima. Korzukhin won’t give it, he says that he has never been married and wants to marry his Russian secretary. Golubkov calls him a terrible soulless person and wants to leave, but Charnota comes, who says that he would sign up with the Bolsheviks to shoot him, and after shooting him, he would be discharged. Seeing the cards, he invites Korzukhin to play and sells him the Khludov medallion for 10 dollars. As a result, Charnota wins $20,000 and buys the medallion for $300. Korzukhin wants to return the money, and Lyusya comes running to his cry. Charnota is amazed, but does not betray her. Lyusya despises Korzukhin. She assures him that he himself lost the money and will not get it back. Everyone leaves. Lyusya quietly shouts out the window for Golubkov to take care of Seraphim, and for Charnot to buy himself some pants. Dark.

Dream 8. Constantinople, autumn 1921

Khludov alone talks with the ghost of the messenger. He is suffering. Seraphima enters, tells him that he is ill, he is executed, and that he has released Golubkov. She is going to return to St. Petersburg. Khludov says that he will also return, and under his own name. Serafima is terrified; she thinks he will be shot. Khludov is happy about this. They are interrupted by a knock on the door. This is Charnota and Golubkov. Khludov and Charnota leave, Serafima and Golubkov confess their love to each other. Khludov and Charnota return. Charnota says that he will stay here, Khludov wants to return. Everyone dissuades him. He calls Charnota with him, but he refuses: he has no hatred for the Bolsheviks. He's leaving. Golubkov wants to return the medallion to Khludov, but he gives it to the couple and they leave. Khludov alone writes something, rejoices that the ghost has disappeared. He goes to the window and shoots himself in the head. Dark.

Retold

“Running” is a play written by M. Bulgakov in 1926-1927. Many performances were created based on this play, which, unfortunately, were staged after the death of the author, because Stalin banned all rehearsals.

The first performance took place in 1957 at the Stalingrad Theater. But in 1970, the magnificent film “Running” was shot, directed by A. Alov and V. Naumov. The plot concerns the time of the Civil War after the October Revolution, where the remaining troops of the White Army wage desperate resistance and fight the Reds on the Crimean Isthmus.

“Running” is a play that, according to the author’s idea, consists of four acts and eight dreams. Why sleep? Because a dream is a dramatic convention that represents something unreal and implausible, which is very difficult to believe. Thus, the author himself expressed his attitude to what was happening in Russia at that time: everything was like a bad dream.

The fate of the Russian intelligentsia

Based on the memories of his second wife L. E. Belozerskaya about emigration, Bulgakov wrote his “Running”. An analysis of the biography of this woman shows that she then fled with her first husband to Constantinople, and then lived in Paris, Marseille and Berlin. The writer also used the memoirs of the white general Ya. A. Slashchev.

Mikhail Bulgakov dedicated “Running” to the fate of the Russian intelligentsia, whom he considered the best layer of Russia. She was forced to leave the country and live in exile. The writer tried to talk about the fact that the majority of emigrants wanted to live in Russia, but they had to find a consensus with the Bolsheviks and even refuse to fight them, but without compromising their moral principles. The classic even wrote a letter about this to Stalin himself. He wanted to show that he was superior to the whites and reds, but in the end he was considered an enemy White Guard. Therefore, the publication of “The White Guard” did not happen during the writer’s lifetime, just as “Running” did not see the stage. Bulgakov was able to stage the play “Days of the Turbins” only after a two-year ban, when he received a personal order from Stalin.

"Run". Bulgakov. Summary

So, October 1920. Northern Tavria. There is a battle between the Reds and the Whites. The young St. Petersburg intellectual Golubkov is hiding from stray bullets and grenades in the narthex of the monastery with Serafima Korzukhina, a lady from St. Petersburg. Together with him, she flees to Crimea to meet her husband there. Golubkov is perplexed as to why the Reds are in this area, since it was all in the hands of the Whites.

Then a detachment of Budyonny’s cavalrymen came into the monastery to check the people’s documents. Priests and monks prayed in front of the images; there were many other people in the church, among them the pregnant Baranbanchikova, who suddenly began having contractions. When the Reds left the monastery, they were followed by soldiers led by the white commander De Brizard and Lyuska, the marching wife of General Charnota. As it turned out later, General Charnota himself was hiding in the image of a pregnant lady, who, having heard his voices, could not express in words how happy he was. He hugged them all and began to tell how, instead of fake documents, his friend Barabanchikov, in a hurry, mixed everything up and slipped him the documents of his pregnant wife.

Now they all begin to discuss Charnota's escape plan. But it soon turns out that Seraphima has typhus, and Golubkov does not leave her side. Everyone is leaving.

Khludov

November 1920, Crimea. The headquarters of the White Guards is located in the station hall. The buffet became the command post of General Khludov. He constantly twitches and is clearly sick with something. Then Serafima’s husband, Korzukhin, a fellow minister of trade, appears and asks Khludov to help send trains with smuggled goods to Sevastopol. But he orders everything to be burned. Serafima, Golubkov and Krapilin, Charnota's messenger, appear. Serafima attacks Khludov, saying that he would only hang people, but she is immediately mistaken for a communist. Seeing her husband, Seraphima rushes to him, but he pretends that he does not know her, afraid of the general’s reaction.

In this episode, Bulgakov fills his “Run” with another tragedy. The summary continues with the fact that guard Krapilin, being in a wild trance from everything that is happening around him, also accuses Khludov of atrocities, and then, having come to his senses, kneels before him, but the general orders him to be hanged.

Arrest

Golubkov is interrogated by the counterintelligence chief Tikhy, who forces him to sign a document assuring that Serafima is a communist. Tikhiy and his partner want to make money by blackmailing her husband Korzukhin.

During the interrogation, Serafima sees Golubkov’s testimony, breaks out the office window and calls for help. At that time, Charnota’s cavalry was walking under the windows, who appeared with a revolver and freed Seraphima.

Meanwhile, Khludov has a conversation with the commander-in-chief, whom he hates for involving him in a senseless matter. After all the clarification, they part. Khludov has a mental disorder; he constantly sees the ghost of the fighter Krapilin, who was hanged by him. But then Golubkov enters, who is in a panic over Seraphima’s arrest and wants the general to help free her. Khludov orders his adjutant, Yesaul Golovan, to bring Serafima to him and immediately adds that perhaps she has already been shot. He returns after a while and reports that she is with Charnota, who took her to Constantinople. Khludov is also expected on the ship. The ghost of a messenger periodically comes to him. Golubkov begs him to take him with him to find Seraphim.

Emigration

Summer 1921, Constantinople. Bulgakov does not end his play “Run” here. The summary further tells how, on one of the streets of Constantinople, a drunken and penniless Charnota wants to place a bet on credit in a cockroach race. Arthur Arturovich, nicknamed the Cockroach Tsar, refuses him. Charnota yearns for Russia; he sells toys and silver coins on the street. In the end, he bets everything on the main favorite, the cockroach Janissary. In the midst of the competition, it turns out that Arthur drugged the Janissary. A fight broke out.

Lusya and Charnota

Charnota returns home and quarrels with Lyusya because he lies to her that the box with toys and gassyrs was stolen from him. She understands that he lost the last thing in the race. Seraphima also lives with them. Lyuska admits to him that she is forced to engage in prostitution because they no longer have anything to eat and have nothing to pay for the room. She reproaches him for destroying the counterintelligence headquarters, then running away from the army, and now they live in poverty far from Russia. Charnota constantly objected and made excuses by saying that he was saving Seraphim. And then suddenly Lucy announces that she is leaving with a French friend for Paris. Serafima, having heard this whole conversation, decides not to sit on anyone’s neck anymore, but also to go earn money for the panel.

On the same day, Charnota meets Golubkov on the street playing the organ. He is looking for Serafima, who has already found herself a Greek client and goes with him to the room. Charnota and Golubkov run in after them and drive the Greek away. Golubkov confesses his love to Serafima, but she refuses him because she does not want to ruin his life.

Here Khludov appears. He was demoted from the army, and now he is entrusted with looking after Seraphim. He gives Golubkov a medallion and two liras because he is going to Paris to ask for money from Korzukhin, who has a sick wife. Charnota decides to go with him.

Korzukhin

Autumn 1921, Paris. Golubkov appears on the threshold of Korzukhin’s apartment and asks to lend him a thousand dollars. But he insists that he has no wife and refuses to give money. In addition, he states that he wants to marry his secretary. Golubkov accuses him of callousness. However, Charnota intervenes here and, seeing Korzukhin’s cards on the table, invites him to play and places Khludov’s medallion. As a result, he wins 20 thousand dollars from Korzukhin and buys the medallion back from him for 300 dollars.

Korzukhin is drunk and beside himself with rage, he screams and demands the police. The climax comes. The secretary runs out of the room in response to the scream (she turned out to be Lyuska). She, realizing what’s going on and seeing Charnota, tells Korzukhin that they can’t get the money back, since it’s lost. In parting, she asks Golubkov to take care of Seraphim.

It should be noted that “Running” (Bulgakov’s work) tells about each hero with extraordinary touching and understanding.

Seraphim

In Constantinople, Khludov is still in a mental disorder and often communicates with the ghost of the messenger. Serafima enters and confesses to him that she is ready to accept Khludov’s offer and return with him to St. Petersburg. Khludov says that he will also return to Russia, even under his own name. Here the long-awaited and already rich Golubkov and Charnota appear. The latter understands that he no longer wants to fight the Bolsheviks and he has no hatred for them, so he stays and runs to the Cockroach King Arthur.

Denouement

Serafima and Khludov return to their homeland. Khludov remains alone in the room and, going to the window, shoots himself.

This is how Bulgakov ended his tragic play “Running”. Its summary is just a small part of all the events, so it is better to read the play in the original. And for a better understanding of all the events experienced by the Russian intelligentsia and the Russian people in general, it is advisable to watch this play, because plays are best watched, not read. However, if this is not possible, the excellent film “Running” (1970) will tell you everything best.