"History of one city": analysis of the work by chapters. Saltykov-Shchedrin: History of the city: Organchik A detailed summary of the history of one city
According to original documents, published by M. E. Saltykov (Shchedrin)
From the publisher
For a long time already I had the intention to write the history of some city (or region) in a given period of time, but various circumstances prevented this enterprise. Mostly, however, the lack of material, any reliable and plausible, prevented. Now, rummaging through the Foolovsky city archives, I accidentally came across a rather voluminous bunch of notebooks, bearing the general name of the "Folupovsky Chronicler", and, having examined them, I found that they can serve as an important help in the implementation of my intention. The content of the Chronicler is rather monotonous; it is almost exclusively limited to the biographies of the city governors, who for almost a whole century controlled the fate of the city of Glupov, and a description of their most remarkable actions, such as: an early ride on the post office, the energetic collection of arrears, campaigns against the townsfolk, the construction and disorder of pavements, the taxation of tax-farmers, etc. Nevertheless, even from these meager facts, it is possible to grasp the physiognomy of the city and trace how its history reflected the various changes that simultaneously took place in the higher spheres. So, for example, the mayors of Biron's time are distinguished by their recklessness, the mayors of Potemkin's time by diligence, and the mayors of Razumovsky's time by unknown origin and chivalrous courage. All of them whip the townsfolk, but the first ones absolutely whip, the second explain the reasons for their management by the requirements of civilization, the third want the townsfolk to rely on their courage in everything. Such a variety of events, of course, could not but affect the innermost warehouse of philistine life; in the first case, the townsfolk trembled unconsciously; in the second, they trembled with the consciousness of their own benefit; in the third, they rose to a trembling full of confidence. Even an energetic ride on the postal - and that inevitably had to have a certain amount of influence, strengthening the philistine spirit with examples of horse vigor and restlessness. The chronicle was maintained successively by four city archivists and covers the period from 1731 to 1825. This year, apparently, even for archivists, literary activity has ceased to be accessible. The appearance of the "Chronicler" has a very real look, that is, one that does not allow for a moment to doubt its authenticity; its sheets are just as yellow and dotted with scribbles, just as eaten by mice and polluted by flies, like the sheets of any monument of Pogodin's ancient repository. One can feel how some archival Pimen was sitting over them, illuminating his work with a tremulously burning tallow candle and in every possible way protecting him from the inevitable curiosity of Messrs. Shubinsky, Mordovtsev and Melnikov. The chronicle is preceded by a special code, or "inventory", compiled, obviously, by the last chronicler; in addition, in the form of supporting documents, several children's notebooks are attached to it, containing original exercises on various topics of administrative and theoretical content. Such, for example, are the arguments: “On the administrative unanimity of all city governors”, “On the plausible appearance of city governors”, “On the saving effect of pacification (with pictures)”, “Thoughts when collecting arrears”, “The perverse course of time” and, finally, a rather voluminous dissertation "About severity." We can affirmatively say that these exercises owe their origin to the pen of various city governors (many of them are even signed) and have the precious property that, firstly, they give an absolutely correct idea of the current state of Russian spelling and, secondly, they depict their authors. much fuller, more demonstrative and more figurative than even the stories of the Chronicler. As for the internal content of the Chronicler, it is predominantly fantastic and in places even almost unbelievable in our enlightened time. Such, for example, is the completely inconsistent story about the mayor with music. In one place, the Chronicler tells how the mayor flew through the air, in another - how another mayor, whose feet were turned back with his feet, almost escaped from the boundaries of the city administration. The publisher, however, did not consider himself entitled to withhold these details; on the contrary, he thinks that the possibility of such facts in the past will point the reader even more clearly to the abyss that separates us from him. Moreover, the publisher was also guided by the idea that the fantastic nature of the stories does not in the least eliminate their administrative and educational significance, and that the reckless arrogance of the flying mayor can even now serve as a saving warning for those of today's administrators who do not want to be prematurely dismissed from office. In any case, in order to prevent malicious interpretations, the publisher considers it his duty to make a reservation that all his work in this case consists only in the fact that he corrected the heavy and outdated style of the Chronicler and had proper supervision of spelling, without in the least touching the content of the chronicle . From the first minute to the last, the formidable image of Mikhail Petrovich Pogodin did not leave the publisher, and this alone can already serve as a guarantee with what respectful trepidation he treated his task.History of one city
This story is a "genuine" chronicle of the city of Glupov, "Glupovsky Chronicler", embracing the period from 1731 to 1825, which was "successively composed" by four of Stupov's archivists. In the chapter "From the Publisher" the author especially insists on the authenticity of the "Chronicler" and invites the reader to "catch the physiognomy of the city and follow how its history reflected the various changes that simultaneously took place in the higher spheres."
"Chronicler" opens with "Appeal to the reader from the last archivist-chronicler". The archivist sees the task of the chronicler in "being a depiction" of "touching correspondence" - the authorities, "daring in measure", and the people, "thankfully giving thanks". History, therefore, is the history of the reign of various city governors.
First, a prehistoric chapter "On the origin of the Foolovites" is given, which tells how the ancient people of the bunglers defeated the neighboring tribes of walrus-eaters, onion-eaters, kosobryukhy, etc. But, not knowing what to do so that there was order, the bunglers went to look for a prince . They turned to more than one prince, but even the most stupid princes did not want to "rule the stupid" and, having taught them with a rod, let them go with honor. Then the bunglers called in a thief-innovator who helped them find the prince. The prince agreed to “volunteer” them, but did not go to live with them, sending a thief-innovator instead. The prince himself called the bunglers "stupid", hence the name of the city.
The Foolovites were a submissive people, but the Novotor needed riots to pacify them. But soon he was stealing so much that the prince "sent a noose to the unfaithful slave." But the newcomer "and then dodged:<...>without waiting for the loop, he stabbed himself with a cucumber.
The prince and other rulers sent him - Odoev, Orlov, Kalyazin - but they all turned out to be sheer thieves. Then the prince "arrived in his own person to Foolov and cried out:" I'll screw it up. "With these words, historical times began."
In 1762, Dementy Varlamovich Brodasty arrived in Foolov. He immediately struck the Foolovites with his sullenness and reticence. His only words were "I won't stand it!" and "I'll break it!". The city was lost in conjecture, until one day the clerk, entering with a report, saw a strange sight: the body of the mayor, as usual, was sitting at the table, while his head was completely empty on the table. Foolov was shocked. But then they remembered about the watch and organ affairs of master Baibakov, who secretly visited the mayor, and, having called him, they found out everything. In the head of the mayor, in one corner, there was an organ that could play two pieces of music: "I will ruin!" and "I will not stand it!". But on the way, the head got damp and needed to be repaired. Baibakov himself could not cope and turned to St. Petersburg for help, from where they promised to send a new head, but for some reason the head was delayed.
Anarchy ensued, ending with the appearance of two identical mayors at once. "The impostors met and measured each other with their eyes. The crowd slowly and in silence dispersed." A messenger immediately arrived from the province and took away both impostors. And the Foolovites, left without a mayor, immediately fell into anarchy.
The anarchy continued throughout the next week, during which six mayors changed in the city. The townsfolk rushed from Iraida Lukinichna Paleologova to Clementine de Bourbon, and from her to Amalia Karlovna Stockfish. The claims of the first were based on the short-term activity of the mayor of her husband, the second - of her father, and the third - she herself was a mayor's pompadour. The claims of Nelka Lyadokhovskaya, and then Dunka the fat-footed and Matryonka the nostrils, were even less substantiated. In between hostilities, the Foolovites threw some citizens from the bell tower and drowned others. But they are also tired of anarchy. Finally, a new mayor arrived in the city - Semyon Konstantinovich Dvoekurov. His activity in Foolovo was beneficial. "He introduced mead and brewing and made the use of mustard and bay leaves obligatory," and also wanted to establish an academy in Foolov.
Under the next ruler, Peter Petrovich Ferdyshchenko, the city flourished for six years. But in the seventh year, "Ferdyshchenko was embarrassed by the demon." The mayor was inflamed with love for the coachman's wife Alenka. But Alenka refused him. Then, with the help of a series of successive measures, Alenka's husband, Mitka, was branded and sent to Siberia, and Alenka came to her senses. A drought fell upon the Foolovs through the sins of the mayor, and famine followed it. People started dying. Then came the end of Foolov's patience. First they sent a walker to Ferdyshchenko, but the walker did not return. Then they sent a petition, but this did not help either. Then they finally got to Alenka, and they threw her off the bell tower. But Ferdyshchenko did not doze off either, but wrote reports to his superiors. No bread was sent to him, but a team of soldiers arrived.
Through the next hobby of Ferdyshchenko, archer Domashka, fires came to the city. Pushkarskaya Sloboda was on fire, followed by Bolotnaya Sloboda and Scoundrel Sloboda. Ferdyshchenko again shied away, returned Domashka to the “optism” and called the team.
The reign of Ferdyshchenko ended with a journey. The mayor went to the city pasture. In different places, the townspeople greeted him and dinner was waiting for him. On the third day of the journey, Ferdyshchenko died of overeating.
Ferdyshchenko's successor, Vasilisk Semyonovich Borodavkin, took up his post resolutely. Having studied the history of Glupov, he found only one role model - Dvoekurov. But his achievements were already forgotten, and the Foolovites even stopped sowing mustard. Wartkin ordered that this mistake be corrected, and added Provence oil as punishment. But the fools did not give in. Then Borodavkin went on a military campaign against Streletskaya Sloboda. Not everything in the nine-day campaign was successful. In the dark, they fought with their own. Many real soldiers were fired and replaced with tin soldiers. But Wartkin survived. Having reached the settlement and not finding anyone, he began to pull the houses into logs. And then the settlement, and behind it the whole city, surrendered. Subsequently, there were several more wars for enlightenment. In general, the reign led to the impoverishment of the city, which finally ended under the next ruler, Negodyaev. In this state, Foolov found the Circassian Mikeladze.
No events were held during this period. Mikeladze stepped aside from administrative measures and dealt only with the female sex, to which he was a great hunter. The city was resting. "The visible facts were few, but the consequences are innumerable."
The Circassian was replaced by Feofilakt Irinarkhovich Benevolensky, a friend and comrade of Speransky in the seminary. He had a passion for law. But since the mayor did not have the right to issue his own laws, Benevolensky issued laws secretly, in the house of the merchant Raspopova, and scattered them around the city at night. However, he was soon dismissed for relations with Napoleon.
The next was Lieutenant Colonel Pryshch. He did not deal with business at all, but the city flourished. The harvests were huge. The fools were worried. And the secret of Pimple was revealed by the leader of the nobility. A great lover of minced meat, the leader sensed that the head of the mayor smelled of truffles and, unable to stand it, attacked and ate the stuffed head.
After that, state councilor Ivanov arrived in the city, but "turned out to be so short that he could not contain anything spacious," and died. His successor, the immigrant Vicomte de Chario, constantly had fun and was sent abroad by order of his superiors. Upon examination, it turned out to be a girl.
Finally, State Councilor Erast Andreevich Sadtilov appeared in Foolov. By this time the Foolovites had forgotten the true God and clung to idols. Under him, the city was completely mired in debauchery and laziness. Hoping for their happiness, they stopped sowing, and famine came to the city. Sadtilov was busy with daily balls. But everything suddenly changed when she appeared to him. The wife of the pharmacist Pfeifer showed Sadtilov the path of goodness. The holy fools and the wretched, who experienced hard days during the worship of idols, became the main people in the city. The Foolovites repented, but the fields remained empty. The Glupovsky beau monde gathered at night to read Mr. Strakhov and "admiration", which the authorities soon learned about, and Sadtilov was removed.
The last Foolovsky mayor - Ugryum-Burcheev - was an idiot. He set a goal - to turn the Foolovs into "the city of Nepreklonsk, eternally worthy of the memory of the Grand Duke Svyatoslav Igorevich" with straight identical streets, "companies", identical houses for identical families, etc. Gloomy-Burcheev thought out the plan in detail and proceeded to execution. The city was destroyed to the ground, and it was possible to start building, but the river interfered. She did not fit into the plans of Ugryum-Burcheev. The indefatigable mayor led an offensive against her. All the garbage, all that was left of the city, was put into action, but the river washed away all the dams. And then Moody-Grumbling turned around and walked away from the river, leading the Foolovites with him. A completely flat lowland was chosen for the city, and construction began. But something has changed. However, the notebooks with the details of this story were lost, and the publisher gives only the denouement: "... the earth shook, the sun went dark<...>Oh, it came." Without explaining what exactly, the author only reports that "the scoundrel instantly disappeared, as if dissolved in the air. History has stopped flowing."
The story is closed by "acquittal documents", that is, the writings of various city governors, such as: Borodavkin, Mikeladze and Benevolensky, written as a warning to other city governors.
"The history of one city", a summary of which is given in this article, is an ironic, grotesque chronicle of the city of Foolov. The satire of Saltykov-Shchedrin is transparent, so the face of modern Russia is easily guessed in the text.
Only at first glance it seems that the story, like an inventory of city governors, is a gallery of madness and human moral deformities. In fact, each image is recognizable in its own way.
Unfortunately, the work does not lose its uniqueness to this day.
The history of the creation of the "History of one city"
The idea of the work was nurtured by the author for several years. In 1867, a story appears about a mayor with a stuffed head, eaten with appetite at the end. This hero was transformed into a governor named Pimple. And the story itself became one of the chapters of the story.
Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin (1826-1889)
A year later, the author began writing the chronicle of Glupov. The work lasted over a year. Initially, the work was called "Glupovsky Chronicler", the final title appeared later. The name change is due to the fact that the second carries a wider semantic load.
In the year of graduation, the story was first published in the almanac "Notes of the Fatherland", where Mikhail Evgrafovich signed with the pseudonym N. Shchedrin. A self-published edition comes out six months later. The text is somewhat different. The sequence of chapters has been changed, and the characteristics and descriptions of the governors have been rewritten in abbreviation, but have become more expressive.
Main characters and their characteristics
The main characters of the work are the mayors and townspeople - the inhabitants of Glupov. Below is a table with specifications. A brief overview of the main characters is given.
Amadeus Manuylovich Klementy | Italian. At home he served as a cook. His signature and most delicious dish was pasta. The Duke of Courland, admiring his culinary skills, took him with him as a family cook. After Amadeus Manuylovich received a high status, which helped him to take the post of mayor. Klementy forced all the Foolovites to make pasta. Sent into exile for high treason. |
Fotiy Petrovich Ferapontov | He was the personal hairdresser of the Duke of Courland. Then he began to rule the city. Big spectator. Never missed public punishments on the square. He was always present when someone was flogged with rods. In 1738, the manager was torn to pieces by dogs. |
Ivan Matveyevich Velikanov | He is famous for drowning the director responsible for the economy and the economy in a pond. For the first time introduced a tax from the townspeople. From each, a few kopecks to the treasury of the board. Often severely beat police officers. Seen in an indecent relationship with the first wife of Peter I (Avdotya Lopukhina). After that, he was taken into custody, where he remains to this day. |
Manyl Samylovich Urus-Kugush-Kildibaev | Brave soldier, guardsman. Control methods are appropriate. He was remembered by the townspeople for his courage bordering on madness. Once even took the city of Foolov by storm. There is little information about him in the chronicle. But it is known that in 1745 he was dismissed from the post of governor. |
lamvrokakis | A fugitive Greek citizen of unknown origin, name and family. Before becoming a mayor, he traded soap, oils, nuts and other small things in the market of a neighboring city. He died in his own bed in an unequal battle with bedbugs. |
Ivan Matveyevich Baklan | He is famous for his height of more than two meters. Died during a hurricane. A strong wind broke the man in half. |
Dementy Varlamovich Brodysty | The role of the brain in his head was performed by a peculiar mechanism resembling an organ. But this did not interfere with the performance of the duties of the governor, the preparation and execution of papers. Therefore, the inhabitants affectionately called him Organchik. He did not contact the public, but constantly uttered the only formidable phrase “I will not tolerate!” Why the inhabitants of the city were in perpetual fear. Actively collected taxes and taxes. After his reign, there was anarchy for about a week. The image symbolizes the stupidity, emptiness and limitations of most officials and managers. |
Semyon Konstantinovich Dvoekurov | Active and proactive manager. Paved roads (as many as two). Organized local production of beer and honey drinks. He forced the inhabitants to cultivate and use mustard, as well as bay leaves. He collected arrears more actively than others. For any infractions and without them, stupid people are beaten with rods. The only one who died of natural causes. |
Petr Petrovich Ferdyshchenko | Former soldier. He was Potemkin's batman himself, which he was pretty proud of. The first six years passed quietly. But then the brigadier seemed to be crazy. The depth of the mind did not differ. He had a speech impediment, so he was tongue-tied. Died from overeating. |
Vasilisk Semenovich Borodavkin | Appears in the Enlightenment Wars chapter. The portrait of the hero corresponds to the surname. The longest reign in the history of the city. The predecessors launched arrears, so Wartkin took it sternly. In the process, more than 30 villages burned down, and only two and a half rubles were saved. Equipped one area, planted trees on one street. Constantly fastened with all the buttons, put out fires, created false alarms. Solve problems that didn't exist. He forced the Foolovites to build houses on foundations, plant Persian chamomile, and use Provence oil. He dreamed of annexing Byzantium, and then renaming Constantinople to Ekaterinograd. Tried to open an academy, failed. So he built a prison. He fought for education, but at the same time against it. True, the inhabitants of the city did not see the difference. Could do a lot more "useful", but suddenly died. |
Onufry Ivanovich Negodyaev | Man of the people. He served as a stoker in Gatchina. He ordered the destruction of the streets paved by his predecessors. And from the resulting stone to rebuild the monuments and memorials. Foolov fell into decay, devastation was all around, and the townspeople became wild, even overgrown with wool. He was fired from his post. |
Gloomy-Grumbling | In the past, a military man, therefore he is obsessed with the army and military operations. Empty limited, stupid, like most of the characters in the book. He preferred to destroy Foolov and rebuild another city nearby, making a military fortification out of it. He forced the inhabitants to walk in military uniform, live according to the army schedule, carry out absurd orders, line up and march. Ugryumov always slept on bare ground. Went missing during a natural phenomenon that no one could explain. |
Erast Andreevich Sadilov | He always looked offended, upset, which did not prevent him from being depraved, vulgar. During his reign, the city was mired in debauchery. He wrote melancholy odes. He died of inexplicable anguish. |
Acne | Like many rulers of the city, from the former military. Was in office for several years. Decided to take over management to take a break from work. The Foolovites unexpectedly became rich under him, which aroused suspicion and unhealthy reactions among the masses. Later it turned out that the governor had a stuffed head. The ending is deplorable and unpleasant: the head was eaten. |
Minor characters
Prince | A foreign ruler whom the Foolovites asked to become their prince. He was stupid but cruel. He solved all questions with the exclamation: “I’ll screw up!” |
Iraida Lukinichna Paleologova | An impostor who appeared during the period of unrest after the death of Brodystoy (Organchik). Based on the fact that her husband reigned for several days, and her historical surname (a hint of Sophia Paleolog - the grandmother of Ivan the Terrible) demanded power. Rules for a few days outside the city. |
Interception-Zalkhvatsky | He appeared victorious on a white horse. Burned down the high school. Zalikhvatsky became the prototype of Paul I. |
Foolovites | City dwellers. The collective image of the people, blindly worshiping the tyranny of power. |
The list of heroes is not complete, it is given in abbreviation. Only in times of turmoil, more than ten rulers were replaced, of which six were women.
It is a summary of the work by chapters.
From the publisher
The narrator assures the reader of the authenticity of the document. To prove the absence of artistic fiction, an argument is made about the monotony of the narrative. The text is entirely devoted to the biographies of the mayors and the peculiarities of their government.
The story begins with the address of the last clerk, setting out a chronicle of events.
About the origin of fools
The chapter describes the prehistoric period. A tribe of bunglers waged internecine wars with their neighbors, defeating them. When the last enemy was defeated, the population was confused. Then they began to search for a prince to rule them. But even the most stupid princes did not want to take power over the savages.
They found someone who agreed to "go free", but did not go to live on the territory of the estate. He sent governors who turned out to be thieves. I had to appear to the prince in person.
organ
The reign of Dementiy Brudasty began. The townsfolk were surprised by his lack of emotion. It turned out that he had a small device in his head. The mechanism played only two short compositions: “I will ruin” and “I will not tolerate”.
Then the unit broke down. The local watchmaker was unable to fix it himself. We ordered a new head from the capital. But the package, as is often the case in Russia, was lost.
Because of anarchy, unrest began, and then a week-long anarchy.
The Tale of the Six Mayors
During the anarchist week, six impostors changed. Women's claim to power was based on the fact that their husbands, brothers, or other relatives once ruled. Or they themselves were in the service of the families of the mayors. And some had no reason at all.
The news about Dvokurov
Semyon Konstatinovich stayed in power for about eight years. Ruler of progressive views. Main innovations: brewing, honey brewing, planting and use of bay leaves and mustard.
Reformatory activity is worthy of respect. But the changes were violent, ridiculous and unnecessary.
hungry city
The first six years of the governorship of Petr Ferdyshchenko were measured and calm. But then he fell in love with someone else's wife, who did not share her feelings. A drought began, then other cataclysms. The result: starvation and death.
The people rebelled, caught and threw the chosen one of the official from the bell tower. The uprising was brutally suppressed.
thatched city
After the next love affair of the steward, fires began. The whole area burned down.
fantasy traveler
The governor went on a journey to homes and villages, demanding that food be brought to him. This was the cause of his death. The townsfolk are frightened that they will be accused of deliberately feeding the boss. But everything worked out. A new one has arrived to replace the fantastic traveler from the capital.
Wars for enlightenment
Wartkin approached the post thoroughly. Studied the activities of predecessors. I decided to look up to the reformer Dvoekurov. He ordered to sow mustard again, to collect arrears.
The inhabitants rebelled on their knees. Wars "for enlightenment" began to be waged against them. Power has always been the winner. As a punishment for disobedience, it is ordered to use Provence oil and sow Persian chamomile.
The era of dismissal from wars
Under Negodyaev, the city became even more impoverished than under the previous ruler. This is the only manager of the people who previously served as a stoker. But the democratic principle did not benefit the population.
The Pimple period is noteworthy. He did not engage in any activity, but the people grew rich, which raised doubts. The marshal of the nobility revealed a secret: the chief's head was stuffed with truffles. A quick-witted henchman personally feasted on her.
Worship of mammon and repentance
The successor of the stuffed head, State Councilor Ivanov, died from a decree that he could not understand, burst from mental strain.
The Vicomte de Chario took over. With him, life was fun, but stupid. Nobody was involved in administrative affairs, but there were many holidays, balls, masquerades, and other amusements.
Confirmation of repentance and conclusion
The last manager was Ugryum-Burcheev. Dumb-headed type, martinet. The author calls him "the purest type of idiot." He believed to destroy the city and recreate a new one - Nepreklonsk, making it a military fortification.
supporting documents
Notes created by foremen as a warning to followers and successors are given.
Analysis of the work
The work cannot be classified as a small literary form: a story or a fairy tale. In terms of content, composition and depth of meanings, it is much wider.
On the one hand, the syllable, style of writing resemble real summaries. On the other hand, the content, description of the characters, events, brought to the point of absurdity.
The retelling of the history of the city covers about a hundred years. Four local archivists took part in writing the chronicle in turn. The plot even covers the history of the nation. The locals are descended from an ancient tribe of "thugs". But then they were renamed by neighbors for savagery and ignorance.
Conclusion
The history of the state is reflected from the time of Rurik's calling to the principality and feudal fragmentation. The appearance of two False Dmitrys, the reign of Ivan the Terrible and the turmoil after his death are highlighted. He appears in the form of Brody. Dvokurov, who becomes an activist and innovator, establishing brewing and mead production, symbolizes Peter I with his reforms.
Foolovists unconsciously worship autocrats, tyrants, carrying out the most absurd orders. Residents are the image of the Russian people.
The satirical chronicle could be applied to any city. The fate of Russia is ironically conveyed in the work. The story does not lose its relevance to this day. A film was made based on the work.
HISTORY OF ONE CITY
According to original documents, published by M. E. Saltykov (Shchedrin)
For a long time already I had the intention to write the history of some city (or region) in a given period of time, but various circumstances prevented this enterprise. Mostly, however, the lack of material, any reliable and plausible, prevented. Now, rummaging through the Foolovsky city archives, I accidentally came across a rather voluminous bunch of notebooks, bearing the general name of the "Folupovsky Chronicler", and, having examined them, I found that they can serve as an important help in the implementation of my intention. The content of the Chronicler is rather monotonous; it is almost exclusively limited to the biographies of the city governors, who for almost a whole century controlled the fate of the city of Glupov, and a description of their most remarkable actions, such as: an early ride on the post office, the energetic collection of arrears, campaigns against the townsfolk, the construction and disorder of pavements, the taxation of tax-farmers, etc. Nevertheless, even from these meager facts, it is possible to grasp the physiognomy of the city and trace how its history reflected the various changes that simultaneously took place in the higher spheres. So, for example, the mayors of the time of Biron are distinguished by their recklessness, the mayors of the time of Potemkin - by diligence, and the mayors of the times of Razumovsky - of unknown origin and chivalrous courage. All of them whip the townsfolk, but the first ones absolutely whip, the second explain the reasons for their management by the requirements of civilization, the third want the townsfolk to rely on their courage in everything. Such a variety of events, of course, could not but affect the innermost warehouse of philistine life; in the first case the townsfolk trembled unconsciously, in the second they trembled with the consciousness of their own benefit, in the third they rose to a trembling filled with confidence. Even an energetic ride on the postal - and that inevitably had to have a certain share of influence, strengthening the philistine spirit with examples of horse vigor and restlessness.
The chronicle was maintained successively by four city archivists and covers the period from 1731 to 1825. This year, apparently, even for archivists, literary activity has ceased to be accessible. The appearance of the "Chronicler" has a very real look, that is, one that does not allow for a moment to doubt its authenticity; its sheets are just as yellow and dotted with scribbles, just as eaten by mice and polluted by flies, like the sheets of any monument of Pogodin's ancient repository. One can feel how some archival Pimen was sitting over them, illuminating his work with a tremulously burning tallow candle and in every possible way protecting him from the inevitable curiosity of Messrs. Shubinsky, Mordovtsev and Melnikov. The chronicle is preceded by a special code, or "inventory", compiled, obviously, by the last chronicler; in addition, in the form of supporting documents, several children's notebooks are attached to it, containing original exercises on various topics of administrative and theoretical content. Such, for example, are the arguments: “about the administrative unanimity of all city governors”, “about the plausible appearance of city governors”, “about the salutary pacification (with pictures)”, “thoughts when collecting arrears”, “the perverse course of time” and, finally, a rather voluminous dissertation "About severity." We can affirmatively say that these exercises owe their origin to the pen of various city governors (many of them are even signed) and have the precious property that, firstly, they give an absolutely correct idea of the current state of Russian spelling and, secondly, they depict their authors. much fuller, more demonstrative and more figurative than even the stories of the Chronicler.
As for the internal content of the Chronicler, it is predominantly fantastic and in places even almost unbelievable in our enlightened time. Such, for example, is the completely inconsistent story about the mayor with music. In one place, the Chronicler tells how the mayor flew through the air, in another - how another mayor, whose feet were turned back with his feet, almost escaped from the boundaries of the city government. The publisher, however, did not consider himself entitled to withhold these details; on the contrary, he thinks that the possibility of such facts in the past will point the reader even more clearly to the abyss that separates us from him. Moreover, the publisher was guided by the idea that the fantastic nature of the stories does not in the least eliminate their administrative and educational significance and that the reckless arrogance of the flying mayor can even now serve as a saving warning for those of today's administrators who do not want to be prematurely dismissed from office.
In any case, in order to prevent malicious interpretations, the publisher considers it his duty to make a reservation that all his work in this case consists only in the fact that he corrected the heavy and outdated style of the Chronicler and had proper supervision of spelling, without in the least touching the content of the chronicle . From the first minute to the last, the formidable image of Mikhail Petrovich Pogodin did not leave the publisher, and this alone can already serve as a guarantee with what respectful trepidation he treated his task.
Appeal to the reader from the last archivist-chronicler
If the ancient Hellenes and Romans were allowed to give praise to their godless chiefs and hand over to posterity their vile deeds for edification, will we, Christians, who received light from Byzantium, turn out to be less worthy and grateful in this case? Can it be that in every country there are both glorious Nerons and Caligulas, shining with valor, and only in our own country we will not find such? It is ridiculous and absurd to even think of such a clumsy thing, let alone to preach it aloud, as some freedom-lovers do, who therefore believe their thoughts to be free, that they are in their head, like flies without shelter, flying here and there freely.
Not only a country, but every city, and even every small whole, - and that Achilles has and cannot not have its own valor shining and appointed by the authorities. Take a look at the first puddle - and in it you will find a reptile, which surpasses and obscures all other reptiles with its heroism. Look at the tree - and there you will see some boughs greater and stronger than others, and consequently, the most valiant. Look, finally, at your own person - and there you will first of all meet the head, and then you will no longer leave the belly and other parts unmarked. What, in your opinion, is more valiant: is your head, although stuffed with a light filling, but behind all this grief rushing, or striving to ́ lu belly, for that only and suitable for manufacturing ... Oh, truly your frivolous free-thinking!
Such were the thoughts that prompted me, a humble city archivist (receiving two rubles a month of maintenance, but also glorifying everything), together with my three predecessors, with unwashed lips, to sing the praise of those glorious Nerons, who are not godless and deceitful Hellenic wisdom , but with firmness and bossy boldness, our glorious city of Foolov was prenaturally decorated. Not having the gift of poetry, we did not dare to resort to rattling and, relying on the will of God, began to expound worthy deeds in an unworthy, but characteristic of us language, avoiding only vile words. I think, however, that such a daring undertaking of ours will be forgiven us in view of the special intention that we had when embarking on it.
Retelling plan
1. The chronicler introduces the reader to the purpose of his work and the history of the origin of the Foolovites.
2. Characteristic features of 22 rulers of the city of Glupov.
3. The life of the mayor Brodasty, who had an organ in his head.
4. Struggle for power in Foolovo.
5. Board Dvoekurova.
6. Quiet years and famine under the mayor Ferdyshchenko.
7. "Progressive" activity of Vasilisk Semenovich Borodavkin.
8. Many different rulers of the city, who made changes in his way of life.
9. Corruption of the morals of the city.
10. Gloomy-Grumbling.
11. Composition of Vasilisk Borodavkin about the obligations of the mayor.
12. The work of Xavier Mikaladze on the external and internal appearance of the ruler.
13. The composition of the mayor Benevolsky about the kindness of the ruler.
retelling
Chapter 1. Address to the reader
From the last archivist-chronicler. The work is written in the form of a chronicler's narration, stylized as an old style, then the narration is conducted on behalf of the author, publisher and commentator of archival materials. The goal is to “depict successively the mayors who were appointed to the city of Foolov from the Russian government at different times.”
Chapter 2
The chapter is a retelling of the chronicle, an imitation of the "Tale of Igor's Campaign": the inhabitants of the city, who were called bunglers, are described, their life, communication with neighboring tribes is told. The prehistoric times of the city of Foolov seem unreal (fantastic), absurd, and the actions of the peoples living in ancient times are stupid, unconscious.
Chapter 3
This chapter is a commentary on subsequent chapters. Each of the 22 rulers of the city of Glupov passed away for an absurd reason. For example, Fotiy Petrovich Ferapontov was torn to pieces by dogs in the forest; Lamvrokanis - eaten by bedbugs in bed; Cormorant Ivan Matveyevich - broken in half during a storm ... Each image is individual and at the same time typical. In the inventory of city governors, brief characteristics of Foolov's statesmen are given, the most stable negative features of Russian reality are shown satirically.
Chapter 4
With this chapter, the author opens the biographies of Foolov's mayors on the example of the life of Brudasty - a "fool", "scoundrel", "evil dog". In the head of this figure, instead of the brain, something like a hurdy-gurdy operates, periodically playing two shouts: “I will ruin!” and "I will not stand it!". Saltykov-Shchedrin ridicules the brainlessness of the bureaucratic Russian state power.
Brusty would still have ruled the city for a long time, if not for one circumstance. One morning a clerk came into the mayor's office for a report and saw that the chief's body was sitting at a desk, and an empty head was lying in front of him. Following the clerk, an assistant to the mayor, a senior quarterly, and the chief city doctor visited the office. None of them could understand how the head of the mayor could separate from the body without hemorrhage. Rumors spread throughout the city that the mayor, whom everyone obeyed, had an empty vessel on his shoulders instead of a head. In the evening, all the members gathered in the club and began, excitedly, to recall various circumstances and find facts on the above case. And Brudasty's assistant remembered that he had once seen the chief's head on the watchmaker Baibakov's desk. A watchmaker was called in for questioning, who said that one night he was taken to the mayor to have his head repaired. Having examined the head of Brodystoy, the watchmaker realized that it contained an organ that performed simple pieces of music: “I will ruin!” and "I will not stand it!". After listening to Baibakov's testimony, the mayor's assistant sends a telegram to Winterhalter and proceeds to calm the public unrest. A few days later, Winterhalter sends another (new) head. And the Foolovites, who by that time were very agitated, calmed down when they saw the mayor again. The two mayors met in the same office. Baibakov delivered the corrected head of the chief. The fools were so dumbfounded. The impostors met and measured each other with their eyes. The crowd that had been watching this scene dispersed slowly and in silence.
Chapter 5 A picture of Foolov's civil strife
In this chapter, the writer sarcastically describes the reign of the crowned heads. After a short period of dual power, a messenger arrives in the city of Foolov from the province and takes away both impostors. A struggle for power begins in the city.
The first mayor was Iraida Lukinishna Paleologova. She took possession of the treasury of the city by cunning and decided to bribe the people by throwing copper money into the crowd. The next morning, the assistant to the mayor joined the fight, he wanted to take back the reins of government. Iraida ordered all her rivals (enemies) to be seized and, under the threat of reprisal against them, forced them to recognize her as the mayor.
But another woman appears in the city - Clementine de Bourbon - who also set a goal to become the head of the city of Foolov. In the struggle for power, Clementine won.
But things in Foolov became more and more confused. A third contender appeared, a native of Reval, Amalia Karlovna Stockfish, who bribed the townspeople with vodka. The drunken crowd caught Clementine and, putting her in a cage, took her to the square. Meanwhile, Amalia Stockfish took over the reign, and Clementine was in a cage. The townspeople, coming to the square, teased her. In response, she began to say that she, whatever she was, was the daughter of the mayor. Then the Foolovites thought about it and decided that Klemantinka was telling the truth and that she should be released.
Nelka Lyadokhovskaya appeared in the city, who interrogated Amalia, ordered her to be locked in the same cage with Clementine. The next morning, rumors spread around the city that the dissolute girls had eaten each other.
Before the Foolovites had time to get used to the rule of Nelka Lyadokhovskaya, two more appeared: Dunka the fat-footed and Matryona the nostril. Both justified their rights to power by the fact that they had repeatedly visited the mayors for a treat.
The Foolovites had to deal with three applicants at once. The people began to resent. But on the seventh day after the beginning of the indignation, the Foolovites triumphed. Finally, the "existing" mayor arrived in their city - state councilor and gentleman Semyon Konstantinovich Dvoekurov. Thus ended this "idle and laughable frenzy ..." and did not repeat itself.
Chapter 6
The biography of the mayor did not reach his contemporaries, who could understand the theory of his government. Dvoekurov's most important work was a note on the need to establish an academy in Foolov.
One of Dvoekurov's successors, Borodavkin, failed to realize the attempt to open the academy. And the merit of Dvoekurov is that he contributed to the development of education in the city.
Chapter 7
In this chapter, the writer tells how for six years the city of Foolov did not burn, did not starve, did not experience any epidemic diseases or bestial cases, and the people attributed such prosperity to the simplicity of their boss, Pyotr Petrovich Ferdyshchenko.
But in the seventh year of the reign of this mayor, changes took place: he threw off his greasy robe and began to walk around the city in a uniform. At the beginning of 1776, visiting a tavern, the mayor saw Alena Osipova there and fell in love with her. Alenka had a husband - Dmitry Prokofiev. Alenka refused Ferdyshchenko's offer to live with him in love. Then the mayor decided to take revenge on her. He ordered to put two disabled people in the apartment where Alena and her husband lived. Alena drove these invalids away. The next time the foreman again made signs to Alena in the tavern and was again refused. In the evening, the woman, falling at her husband's feet, said that she would have to become the mayor's mistress. Alena's husband, Mitka, rebelled, began to threaten her with violence. Upon learning of this rebellion, the mayor ordered that he be punished for it. The rebel was chained and taken away. Alena rushed to the foreman in the yard. The brigadier tried to persuade her to love, but Alyonka did not cheat on her husband. Mitka was accused of setting fire to the mayor's yard and sent to Siberia. Alenka sobbed.
All the Foolovites paid for the sins of the brigadier: famine set in the city, people began to die. Blaming Alena for all the sins, the Foolovites dealt with her: “they carried her to the upper tier of the bell tower and threw from there more than fifteen fathoms to a peal from a height ...” Her body was smashed by hungry dogs. And bread appeared in the city after this bloody drama.
Chapter 8
This chapter is about how the brigadier fell in love with archer Domashka. She, using the location of the mayor (brigadier), pushed the gunners and archers. The city suffered the most from this hatred. On the first day of his voluptuousness with Domashka, the foreman climbed up with her to the tower of the mayor's house and drank dead drunk.
And here again the disaster befell the city. On the eve of the feast of the Kazan Mother of God, on July 7, a fire broke out. The author gives a detailed description of this event. The result of the fire was that the crowd, left without shelter, food and clothing, poured into the city, into its center. Only in the evening the fire began to subside, because it began to pour rain. The Foolovites blamed the foreman for all these troubles and began to demand from him an answer for his sins. The brigadier brought Domashka out to the furious archers. The woman, with her impudent smile, was able to appease the crowd with her behavior: The foreman, repentant, shed crocodile tears, the Foolovites rejoiced at their success. The foreman began to write a denunciation of the Foolovites, who raised a revolt against him, the head of the city. Foolovtsy, having learned about this, were numb with fear.
Chapter 9
No sooner had the Foolovites moved away from the fire, when the brigadier's frivolity almost brought a new disaster upon them. Ferdyshchenko decided to capitalize on the use of pastures. He "imagined that the grasses would turn greener and the flowers would bloom brighter as soon as he rode out into the pasture." He left on Nikolin's Day, and ordered the Glu-Povites to beat in the basins. The foreman told the old men who met on the pasture to show what sights they had. It turned out that there were no sights, except for one dunghill. The foreman got drunk to the point of disgrace and began to frighten the Foolovites that he would burn them all. His batman Vasily Chernostup tried to calm him down.
The next day, driving across the pasture, they met a shepherd. For three days they interrogated him about what happened in the pasture. The shepherd could not explain anything. The Brigadier moved on. The fame of his travels grew by leaps and bounds. The Foolovites decided to celebrate this in the field; while waiting for their boss, they put on new clothes. Coming out of the chaise, the foreman shed a tear when he saw such a picture. He understood that people's love is a force containing something edible.
At lunch the tables were set and dinner began. The brigadier drank two glasses of clean water before dinner and added more during dinner, and suddenly he remembered that he had to run somewhere. The Foolovites tried to keep their mayor, but after the second break (there was a pig in sour cream), he became ill, but he ate another goose with cabbage. After that, his mouth twisted.
A week later, the mayor Vasilisk Semyonovich Borodavkin arrived in the city, from which the "golden age of Glupov" began.
Chapter 10
In this chapter, the author gives a detailed description of the new mayor who replaced Ferdyshchenko. Pointing to the peculiarities of his manner and methods of governing the city, Saltykov-Shchedrin shows as one of the distinguishing features of the character's character his ability to "shout at any time" and shout to achieve a goal. Vasilisk Semyonovich Borodavkin won benefits for the Foolovites. He slept with only one eye, the other, not sleeping eye, was constantly watching everything. Borodavkin was also a writer. For ten years he wrote a project "about the thing of the army and fleets ..." and every day he added one line to it. The mayor's writings were quite a voluminous notebook, which included three thousand six hundred and fifty-two lines.
Borodavkin was waiting for a call - a call to overthrow Byzantium, to rename it the city of Ekaterinograd. But there was no such call. And troops on foot and horseback passed through the city of Foolov. The new mayor considered all the options for managing the city by his predecessors and chose Dvoekurov's version of government to emulate. Dvokurov did a lot for the Foolovites: he paved the streets, collected arrears, patronized the sciences and petitioned for the establishment of an academy, introduced mustard and bay leaves into use. Wartkin decided to do the same with Provence oil. According to the stories and legends of the inhabitants, Borodavkin learned that all the innovations introduced by Dvoekurov were not supported by the two mayors who followed him and dirtied them. And Wartkin set a goal - to save a dying civilization. He decided to start his reforms by enlightening the Foolovites, who were desperately resisting this. The war for education has begun. Wartkin, having made several attempts, realized that in some cases polygamy is tantamount to bewilderment. And he decides to form a trustworthy reserve out of tin soldiers. Mustard was nevertheless approved everywhere.
There were four wars for education in total. But, having won, Wartkin begins the struggle against enlightenment: he burned the settlement, ruined it, squandered it. In 1798 he died.
Chapter 11
This chapter tells that the wars for enlightenment, which later turned into wars against enlightenment, so exhausted the Foolovs that the inhabitants felt the need to free the city from wars in general. The mayor Negodyaev fell in 1802 for disagreeing with Novosiltsev and Stroganov about constitutions. In place of Negodyaev, the mayor was appointed "Circassian" Mikaladze, who hardly "had a clue" about constitutions. The new mayor was in a military rank, always walked in an unbuttoned frock coat, gave his subordinates a hand, indulged in passion in the ladies' society and in this passion found himself an untimely death. Nevertheless, the appointment of Mikaladze was "an extremely gratifying phenomenon" for the Foolovites. During the reign of Mikaladze's predecessor, Captain Negodyaev, the city of Foolov turned into a disorderly heap of blackened and dilapidated huts, only the moving house proudly raised its tower to the sky. There was no food, no clothes, the Foolovites were overgrown with hair and sucked their paws. And so Mikaladze undertook reforms, the essence of which was as follows: stop education, do not issue laws. A month later, the wool on the Foolovts began to shed; after another month, they stopped sucking their paws, and six months later, the first round dance took place in Glupovo, at which the mayor himself was present and treated women with printed gingerbread.
Many, studying the reign of Mikaladze, noted its imperfection. He had his shortcomings and mistakes. Mikaladze died in 1806 from exhaustion.
In place of the mayor of Mikaladze, the State Councilor Feofilakt Irinarkhovich Benevolsky, a friend and comrade of Speransky in the seminary, was appointed. The author notes Benevolsky's inclination from early youth to legislation: being a seminarian, he "drew several laws". Feofilakt Irinarkhovich, continuing the work begun by Mikaladze, introduces his additions and changes. He makes an attempt to make the city of Foolov a second-law city. But his request was not accepted in the province. Nevertheless, the Foolovites lived well. Hiding from the Foolovites in the house of the merchant Raspopova, the mayor began to write sermons, orders and secretly distribute them. The Foolovites did not understand Benevolsky and did not support his orders and the charter on respectable baking pies. He left the city for the region, "where Makar did not drive calves."
Lieutenant Colonel Pryshch appeared to replace Benevolsky. Describing the appearance, character traits, demeanor of the new mayor, the narrator notes his liberality: he did not issue laws, did not arrange parades ... During these years, the Foolovites healed well: "everyone ate real bread, cabbage soup with welding." Pimple looked at the life of the Foolovites and rejoiced. The general abundance was also reflected in him: his barns were bursting with offerings, chests could not contain silver and gold, banknotes lay on the floor. A year has passed. The fortune of the Foolovites doubled and tripled. The townspeople began to notice special qualities of mind and heart in their boss; his stomach was very strong, in it "all sorts of pieces disappeared in the grave", his head was stuffed. Thanks to these circumstances, the Foolovites achieved prosperity.
Chapter 12
The author describes the difficult days for the Foolovites that came after the numerous changes of city governors. Due to the absence of mayors, the city's district governors ruled for some time. There was famine in the city. The quarters decided to poison all the dogs in the Gostiny Dvor in order to have access to the shops at night.
State Councilor Ivanov arrived in the city. But he did not rule the city for long. There are two versions of his death: the first is that Ivanov died of fright, having received too extensive a Senate decree, which he did not hope to understand; the second version was that Ivanov did not die, but was dismissed because his head, due to the gradual drying of the brain (from the uselessness of them in use), went into its infancy. During the reign of Ivanov, the Foolovites continued their prosperous life.
In 1815 Ivanov was replaced by a French native, Viscount du Chario. At that time, Paris was taken; Napoleon was expelled to Saint Helena. Du Chario liked the stuffed pies. Having eaten his fill, he demanded that they show him places where you can have fun. Having fun tirelessly, almost every day the mayor arranged masquerades, "he did not do any business and did not interfere in the administration."
The Foolovites began to build a tower so that its upper end rested against the sky, but they did not complete the tower. The Foolovites got the idols of Perun and Volos from the archive, "noble people of both sexes began to bow to Perun, and the smerds made sacrifices to Volos." In the city of Foolovo, the corruption of morals developed by leaps and bounds. A new language was formed, half-human, half-monkey; noble persons walked the streets and sang. Respect for elders disappeared, self-interest prevailed, and the Foolovites decided to sell the old men and women into slavery. And the Foolovites continued to consider themselves the wisest people in the world.
The State Councilor Erast Andreyevich Sadtilov found Foolov's affairs in this position. He was by nature a sensitive and shy person. He composed the story "Saturn, stopping his run in the arms of Venus", which combined the tenderness of Apuleius with the playfulness of Guys. Under the name of Saturn, he portrayed himself, under the name of Venus - the then-famous beauty Natalia Kirillovna de Pompadour.
The licentiousness of the Foolovites pleased the new mayor. The Foolovites themselves felt happy and content, and as such did not want to hinder the happiness and contentment of others. Everyone was in a hurry to live and enjoy: Sadtilov was also in a hurry. He was careless in his official duties, easily concealed government money. Melancholy thought that everyone could parasitize and that the productive forces of the country would not only not dry up from this, but even increase. This was his first delusion. The second misconception is the fascination with the brilliant side of the domestic politics of their predecessors. Having fallen in love with Aksinyushka, Sadtilov, as it were, was renewed. Aksinyushka helped the poor and the crippled.
Chapter 13
The anti-utopianism and prophetic meaning of this chapter is clear: the perverted idea of equality turns into barracks leveling, unanimity is replaced by unanimity and is supported by a system of total denunciation, and these nightmares are justified in reality by “past and present disasters.” The idea of leveling Gloom-Burcheev is embodied in the outward appearance of the "idiot".
The landscape, which for the writer has become the personification of normal life, is the only opponent of the inhuman, dead idea of the state. The chapter ends with the disappearance of Moody-Grumbling, he has vanished into thin air.
Chapter 14
I. Thoughts on the unanimity of the mayor, as well as on the autocracy of the mayor and other things
The first part of this chapter consists of the writings of Foolov's mayor Vasilisk Borodavkin. He writes about the rights and duties of the head of the city. "Rights - so that the villains tremble, and the rest obey." “Obligations are to use measures of meekness, but not to lose sight of the measures of severity.” He proposes to encourage science, but to fight free thought. Borodavkin warns that mayors should be prudent in considering their own actions. The duties of the mayor are expressed in greetings and wishes, a smile should play on the face.
He gives sound advice to mayors on how to act in a given situation: he proposes to abolish the administration, to establish an educational city governor's institute (to feed the mayors not with mother's milk, but by decrees of the ruling Senate and instructions from the authorities), to educate in each mayor a person who fulfills all the instructions of the highest authorities ; recommends that from time to time secret congresses of town governors be held in provincial cities, and awards be presented to them.
The autocracy of city governors consists in conquering the elements. One city governor complains that the sun rises every day in the east, and he can order that it rise in the west; it is impossible to stop the passage of time.
II. About the plausible appearance of all mayors
In the composition of the mayor, Prince Xavier Georgievich Mikaladze, valuable instructions are given, advice on how the mayor should look outwardly: to have a specious appearance, not huge growth, proportionality in all parts of the body and to have a clean face (without warts and rashes), eyes should be gray, capable of expressing and mercy, and severity. Mikaladze describes in detail why these characteristics are needed. For example, a clean face adorns not only the mayor, but every person. It provides numerous services: it ensures the trust of the authorities, the love and devotion of subordinates. The slightest wart can disturb harmony.
Each mayor must secretly communicate with the female sex.
III. Charter on the kindness characteristic of the city governor
Mayor Benevolsky gives fifteen practical advice on the respectable behavior of mayors. Each city governor must be kind-hearted, have the ability to listen to the inhabitants who come to him, not to interfere with them doing their own business. Punish for the sins of every inhabitant, and protect the mayor himself from this. To issue good laws, not to put pressure on gatherings and festivities, to introduce education with moderation, to avoid bloodshed. For the rest, do as you please.