Moral issues in the novel Eugene Onegin. What moral questions are posed in Pushkin’s novel “Eugene Onegin” (Unified State Examination in Literature). A unique Russian novel

The writer did not immediately conceive the idea of this work and its main idea. In 1867, he published “The Story of the Governor with a False Head” of a fairy-tale-fantastic nature, which became the basis for the chapter “Organchik”. In 1868, he began work on the novel and completed it only in 1870. The work was published in the magazine “Otechestvennye zapiski”.

Important! The novel can easily be called innovative. It is written, but clearly has parallels with real story Rus'. The author emphasizes this specifically, hinting that all rulers have real prototypes in the persons of the Russian heads of state.

Main characters

Main actors of the novel are the mayors. The author depicted many heads of the city of Foolov, but we will highlight the most striking characters:

Giants- the third mayor, who became famous for killing the director of economic affairs and introducing a tax of 3 kopecks. Then he started an affair with the wife of Peter I and was sent into exile.
Busty- very categorical, uncommunicative and gloomy. For any reason, he loudly exclaimed “I will not tolerate it” and “I will ruin it!” People called him “Organchik” because he had a mechanism in his head. When they were about to take the head for repairs, the coachman got scared and threw it out of the carriage. Although then, in some miraculous way, she returned to him and he carried her next to him.
Dvoekurov- carries out unusually “important” reforms regarding mustard and bay leaf. Pretty harmless. He tidied up appearance city, wanted to found an academy and brewing.
Wartkin- fights with its population “for enlightenment”. He ruled the city the longest. He destroyed all the settlements, almost prepared the city for burning, but died before this plan was realized.
Ferdyshchenko- a very lustful and greedy person, whose vices almost destroyed the Foolov.
Grustilov- occupied the upper strata of Foolov with balls and readings, he did not care about the people, which led to poverty and hunger.
Acne- he did not interfere in any matters and the people lived too well with him.
Gloomy-Burcheev- an extremely stupid person, a scoundrel. He tried to realize a crazy idea - to build a new city of Nepreklonsk. This almost killed the entire people.
People- a collective image. He is distinguished by his humility, obeys the ruler in everything, and is ready to endure any oppression. This is a mass without face and character, which can rebel only if people begin to die en masse from serious disasters or famine.

Brief summary of the novel “The History of a City”

The story is told by the chronicler in the first person. It tells about the inhabitants of one locality, their leaders and history.

From the publisher

The author says that this work is a chronicle of a small town located in the province. It was written by four chroniclers who lived here in different periods. The events mentioned in the novel cover the period 1731-1825.

Appeal to the reader from the last archivist-chronicler

Appeal from the last author of the chronicle named Pavlusha Masloboynikov. He explains that the book contains information about 22 mayors and their reforms, as well as about the week when the people lived without a ruler for 7 days.

About the roots of the origin of the Foolovites

The reader is told where the people of Foolov came from and how the city was founded. In Rus' in ancient times There lived a people of blockheads who were not distinguished by developed mental abilities. He did not make friendly relations with his neighbors and enmity often arose within him.

Realizing that they were tired of living in chaos, the bunglers decided to choose a head who would put everything in order. They chose for three days, after which they found a prince who was so stupid that he agreed. He called his people “Foolovites” and founded a city called “Foolov”.He did not live with them and left in place of the ruler - his deputy, the thief-innovator.

Inventory of the mayors appointed at different times to the city of Glupov by the higher authorities (1731-1826)

The reader is given a list of 21 mayors with a short description of each of them. Detailed story We see further about their reign.

Organ

At the head of Foolov is Brudasty. He is harsh and rude, very hot-tempered. One day the people realize that their head is actually musical instrument- organ A commotion began and a double of the mayor appeared. As a result, both of them are removed from their posts.

The Tale of the Six City Leaders. Picture of the Foolovsky civil strife

After the mayor left, there was no ruler in Foolov for a whole week. This leads to the fact that locality anarchy takes over. Six ordinary women are vying for a seat on the board. They build obstacles for each other, but none of them gets power.Finally, Dvoekurov was sent to the city, and he managed to restore order.

News about Dvoekurov

Dvoekurov was a man who was determined to work. The boss forces the population to grow and eat bay leaves and mustard en masse. He also wants to open educational institution, but it doesn’t work out for him. His next step was to start a business for brewing beer and honey. He flogs the people a lot to keep them humble. In 1770 he dies.

Hungry City

Ferdyshchenko comes to office in 1772 to replace the Marquis de Sanglot. For six years, while he holds this post, the Foolovites live well. But the seventh year is memorable because he falls in love with Alenka, a married lady. He exiles her husband and lives with Alenka illegally. At this time, the population begins to suffer greatly. Residents think that this woman is to blame for everything, that she is a witch. They kill her by throwing her from the bell tower. Ferdyshchenko calls in troops to pacify the people.

Straw City

The mayor experiences the death of a woman and falls in love with Domashka (the archer). He also takes her in with him. Fires suddenly break out in the city, and the population again blames the woman mayor for this. Then he returned Domashka to her home and again calls the army to restore order in the city.

Fantastic traveler

One day Ferdyshchenko decides to go on a trip around the city. He was bored, he communicated with the population, he was treated to a lot. At one of the meals he suddenly dies.

Wars for enlightenment

Wartkin becomes the next ruler. He diligently wages wars for education among the population. Under his leadership, mass production of mustard and chamomile began. Soon there are so many of them that a crisis begins. The Foolovites are rapidly becoming poorer. At this moment they learn that there is a revolution in France. The head of the city fears that unrest will begin in his city, which leads to the start of a war against education. He destroys houses, his paranoia leads to the fact that he almost burned down the entire Foolov, but his unexpected death saved the inhabitants.

The era of retirement from wars

Wartkin is replaced by Negodyaev. He remains in office for 4 years. His actions lead to the fact that the city is completely ruined, the population becomes wild and even grows wool. Prince Mikaladze becomes the next head of Glukhov. It is inconspicuous and quiet, the residents eventually come to their senses and become more cheerful. Mikaladze has an extraordinary passion for women, this leads him to exhaustion and death.

Benevolensky became the next mayor. He loved to draw up laws. He has no right to do this, but he cannot restrain himself. He comes up with decrees and secretly conveys them to the people. In 1811 he began correspondence with Napoleon. This becomes known and he is arrested. Pimple, who was previously an officer, takes the reins. He is not concerned with work and gives the people complete freedom. Most of He is busy with fun and hunting.

Important! The population at this time is becoming very rich. Then it becomes known that the mayor’s head is fake, and the leader of the nobility kills him.

Worship of Mammon and repentance

The next post of head of Foolov is occupied by Ivanov. He doesn’t use his head and the people are still thriving. Then he dies. There were 2 hypotheses about how this happened. The first suggested that he died of fright upon seeing the decree of his superiors. And the second is that he was fired because his head had shrunk because he didn’t use it. Viscount Du Chariot is appointed in his place. This man was cheerful and rather stupid. Under him, people live so joyfully that they literally begin to become crazy. People have returned to the pagan faith, wear wonderful clothes, invent their own language and completely give up work.It then turns out that the Viscount is a lady and she is kicked out. Grustilov takes the place of the head of the city and finds the population mired in debauchery. He follows the same path and gives up all sorts of things. But then there was a crop failure and Grustilov began to act actively. He brought the people back to faith, but could not make it work. During his reign, he meets with representatives of high circles to read articles by a banned publicist. They find out about this and he is arrested.

Confirmation of repentance. Conclusion

Ugryum-Biryuchev comes to rule the city. He is a rare idiot and scoundrel. The Foolovites are forced to obey strict discipline. The mayor goes so far as to destroy Foolov and try to build a new city here - Nepreklonsk. The people, suffering from lawlessness and oppression, cannot stand it and start a riot. Then a tornado hits the city and the ruler disappears without a trace.

Supporting documents

This is an appendix to the work. It contains three works written by Borodavkin, Benevolensky and Minaladze. The story “The History of a City” was not written to make the reader laugh. M. Saltykov-Shchedrin sought to evoke in him a feeling of shame for the actions of the people, their thoughtless submission. He ironically notes that such people need a strict boss who holds everyone under a tight rein, otherwise anarchy begins and everything collapses. To better understand storyline and character characteristics, we recommend that you also watch the video.

The story describes the life of the city of Foolov for a hundred years until 1825. During this time, the chronicle of the city was kept by four archivists. The history of Foolov is directly related to the period of rule of various mayors. In the first prehistoric chapter, the author examines the question of the origin of the city's population. The people of the bunglers were able to defeat other tribes. The bunglers decided to find a prince to rule them. Many rulers refused to rule over stupid people. One of them agreed, but did not live in the city, leaving instead

Himself as a governor - a novotor. The governor turned out to be a thief. The prince sent a noose to the dishonest newcomer. But he did not wait and stabbed himself with a cucumber. After this, the prince appointed several more rulers in his place. But they all stole terribly. The prince himself arrived in Foolov and from that moment began historical period in the life of the city. Further in the work there is a description of the mayors of Foolov, and the biographies of the most significant ones are told.

Dementy Varlamovich Brudasty was very gloomy and taciturn. He always used two phrases: “I will not tolerate it and I will ruin it.” One day the clerk saw an incredible picture.

The busty man was sitting at the table as usual, but his head lay separately and was completely empty. It turned out that the mayor’s head contained only two organs with melodies: I won’t tolerate it and I’ll ruin it. But somehow, due to the dampness, the head became unusable. Watchmaker Baibakov ordered a new head in the capital. But she didn’t come on time, so Brudasty was without a head.

After this, two self-proclaimed bosses found themselves in the city. A messenger from the province quickly picked them up. And Foolov plunged into anarchy. For a week, the city was governed by six female mayors. Residents quickly got tired of such confusion. Semyon Konstantinovich Dvoekurov became the new mayor. His activities had a positive impact on the city; he even dreamed of opening an academy in the city.

Pyotr Petrovich Ferdyshchenko ruled the city very smoothly for the first six years; Foolov flourished during these years. But then the mayor was confused by a demon. He was inflamed with feelings for the coachman's wife Alenka. She refused the mayor. Then Ferdyshchenko exiled her husband to Siberia, and Alenka had to submit. But as punishment for such actions, drought came to the city, followed by famine. Residents then threw Alenka from the bell tower. Ferdyshchenko wrote various letters to his superiors, and a detachment of soldiers even arrived in Glupov. When the mayor fell in love with Domashka again, severe fires began in the city. The ruler got scared and refused Domashka. Ferdyshchenko's power ended during the trip when he died from overeating.

Vasilisk Semyonovich Borodavkin became the new mayor. He considered himself an intelligent ruler and even waged wars to educate the people. During his reign, Foolov began to decline.

Another ruler, Theophylact Irinarkhovich Benevolsky, loved to issue various laws, although he did not have the right to do so. So he dropped out law flyers at night. The mayor was fired for collaborating with Napoleon.

Then Foolov was controlled by Lieutenant Colonel Pyshch. He actually did not participate in the management, but the city surprisingly developed due to excellent harvests. It turned out that Pimple had a stuffed head, which the leader ate, smelling truffles from it.

Under the next mayor, State Councilor Erast Andreevich Grustilov, Glupov did not develop at all. Laziness and debauchery have become characteristic features Foolovites. The mayor spent all his time at balls. Soon famine came to Foolov. Grustilov was soon removed. Over a hundred-year period of time, the last mayor was Gloomy Burcheev. He was not particularly smart; in fact, he was an idiot. Burcheev decided to completely rebuild the city. Foolov was completely destroyed. The river interfered with new construction, but Burcheev failed to block its channel, although he tried very hard. Therefore, Burcheev led the Foolovites to the lowland, and it was decided to build a city there. But something went wrong. The mayor literally disappeared into thin air and disappeared without a trace. The story ends here.

Essays on topics:

In a certain kingdom, in a certain state, there lived a landowner, “and he had enough of everything: peasants, grain, and livestock,...
Two generals found themselves on a desert island. “Generals served all their lives in some kind of registry; they were born there, raised and grew old, therefore, nothing...
This happened in those distant times when Kievan Rus often attacked by steppe peoples. One of them, the Pechenegs, came one day...
Sovereign Vladimir is throwing a feast with his sons and close friends, as they have a great holiday coming up - their daughter’s wedding...

This story is the “true” chronicle of the city of Foolov, “The Foolov Chronicler,” covering the period of time from 1731 to 1825, which was “successively composed” by four Foolov archivists. In the chapter “From the Publisher,” the author especially insists on the authenticity of the “Chronicle” and invites the reader to “catch the face of the city and follow how its history reflected the various changes that were simultaneously taking place in the highest spheres.”

The Chronicler opens with an “Address to the Reader from the Last Chronicler Archivist.” The archivist sees the chronicler’s task as “to be a depicter” of “touching correspondence” - the authorities, “to the extent daring,” and the people, “to the extent of giving thanks.” History, therefore, is the history of the reigns of various mayors.

First, the prehistoric chapter “On the Roots of the Origin of the Foolovites” is given, which tells how ancient people The bunglers defeated the neighboring tribes of walrus-eaters, bow-eaters, scythe-bellies, etc. But, not knowing what to do to ensure order, the bunglers went to look for a prince. They turned to more than one prince, but even the stupidest princes did not want to “deal with fools” and, having taught them with a rod, released them with honor. Then the bunglers called a thief-innovator, who helped them find the prince. The prince agreed to “lead” them, but did not go to live with them, sending a thief-innovator in his place. The prince called the bunglers themselves “Fools,” hence the name of the city.

The Foolovites were a submissive people, but the Novotor needed riots to pacify them. But soon he stole so much that the prince “sent a noose to the unfaithful slave.” But the novotor “and then dodged: “…› without waiting for the loop, he stabbed himself to death with a cucumber.”

The prince also sent other rulers - an Odoevite, an Orlovets, a Kalyazinian - but they all turned out to be real thieves. Then the prince “...arrived in person to Foolov and shouted: “I’ll screw it up!” With these words began historical times».

In 1762, Dementy Varlamovich Brudasty arrived in Glupov. He immediately struck the Foolovites with his sullenness and taciturnity. His only words were “I will not tolerate it!” and “I’ll ruin you!” The city was at a loss 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, but his head was lying on the table completely empty. Foolov was shocked. But then they remembered about the watchmaker and organ maker Baibakov, who secretly visited the mayor, and, calling him, they found out everything. In the head of the mayor, in one corner, there was an organ that could play two musical pieces: “I’ll ruin it!” and “I won’t tolerate it!” But on the way, the head became damp and needed repairing. Baibakov himself could not cope and turned for help to St. Petersburg, 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 dispersed slowly and in silence.” A messenger immediately arrived from the province and took both impostors away. And the Foolovites, left without a mayor, immediately fell into anarchy.

The anarchy continued throughout the next week, during which the city changed six mayors. The inhabitants rushed from Iraida Lukinichna Paleologova to Clementine de Bourbon, and from her to Amalia Karlovna Shtokfish. The claims of the first were based on the short-term mayoral activity of her husband, the second - her father, and the third was herself a mayor's pompadour. The claims of Nelka Lyadokhovskaya, and then Dunka the Thick-Footed and Matryonka the Nostrils were even less justified. In between hostilities, the Foolovites threw some citizens from the bell tower and drowned others. But they too are tired of anarchy. Finally, a new mayor arrived in the city - Semyon Konstantinovich Dvoekurov. His activities in Foolov were beneficial. “He introduced mead making and brewing and made it mandatory to use mustard and bay leaves,” 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, “Ferdyshchenka was confused by a demon.” The city ruler was inflamed with love for the coachman's wife Alenka. But Alenka refused him. Then, with the help of a series of consistent measures, Alenka’s husband, Mitka, was branded and sent to Siberia, and Alenka came to her senses. Through the sins of the mayor, drought fell on the Foolov, and after it came famine. People started dying. Then Foolov’s patience came to an end. At first they sent a walker to Ferdyshchenka, but the walker did not return. Then they sent a request, but that didn’t help either. Then they finally got to Alenka and threw her off the bell tower. But Ferdyshchenko was not dozing, but wrote reports to his superiors. No bread was sent to him, but a team of soldiers arrived.

Through Ferdyshchenka's next passion, the archer Domashka, fires came to the city. The Pushkarskaya Sloboda was burning, followed by the Bolotnaya and Negodnitsa settlements. Ferdyshchenko again became shy, returned Domashka to the “optery” and called the team.

Ferdyshchenko's reign ended with a journey. The mayor went to the city pasture. IN different places he was greeted by the townspeople and had lunch waiting for him. On the third day of the journey, Ferdyshchenko died from overeating.

Ferdyshchenko's successor, Vasilisk Semenovich Borodavkin, took up his post decisively. Having studied the history of Foolov, 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 as punishment he added Provençal oil. But the Foolovites did not give in. Then Wartkin went on a military campaign to Streletskaya Sloboda. Not everything on the nine-day hike was successful. In the darkness 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 tear away the houses for 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. It was in this state that Foolov found the Circassian Mikeladze.

There were no events held during this reign. Mikeladze withdrew from administrative measures and dealt only with the female sex, for whom he was very keen. The city was resting. “The visible facts were few, but the consequences were countless.”

The Circassian was replaced by Feofilakt Irinarkhovich Benevolensky, Speransky’s friend and comrade at the seminary. He had a passion for legislation. 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 fired for having relations with Napoleon.

Next was Lieutenant Colonel Pimple. He was not involved in business at all, but the city flourished. The harvests were huge. The Foolovites were wary. And the secret of Pimple was revealed by the leader of the nobility. A big fan of minced meat, the leader sensed that the mayor’s head smelled of truffles and, unable to bear it, attacked and ate the stuffed head.

After that, State Councilor Ivanov arrived in the city, but “he turned out to be so small in stature that he could not accommodate anything spacious,” and died. His successor, the emigrant Viscount de Chariot, was constantly having fun and was sent abroad by order of his superiors. Upon examination, she turned out to be a girl.

Finally, State Councilor Erast Andreevich Grustilov came to Glupov. 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. Relying on their own 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 Pfeiffer showed Grustilov the path of good. The foolish and wretched, who experienced difficult days during the worship of idols, became the main people in the city. The Foolovites repented, but the fields remained empty. The Foolov elite gathered at night to read Mr. Strakhov and “admire” him, which the authorities soon found out about, and Grustilov was removed.

The last Foolov mayor, Gloomy-Burcheev, was an idiot. He set a goal - to turn Foolov into “the city of Nepreklonsk, eternally worthy of the memory of Grand Duke Svyatoslav Igorevich,” with straight identical streets, “companies,” identical houses for identical families, etc. Ugryum-Burcheev thought out the plan in detail and began to implement it. The city was destroyed to the ground, and construction could begin, but the river got in the way. It did not fit into Ugryum-Burcheev’s plans. The tireless mayor launched an attack on her. All the garbage was used, everything that was left of the city, but the river washed away all the dams. And then Gloomy-Burcheev turned around and walked away from the river, taking 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 have been lost, and the publisher provides only the denouement: “... the earth shook, the sun darkened ‹…› It came.” Without explaining what exactly, the author only reports that “the scoundrel instantly disappeared, as if he had disappeared into thin air. History has stopped flowing."

The story closes with “exculpatory documents,” that is, the writings of various mayors, such as Wartkin, Mikeladze and Benevolensky, written for the edification of other mayors.

Summary of “The History of a City” by Saltykov-Shchedrin

Main characters of the story

Main characters:

The main characters of the story are the mayors, each of whom managed to be remembered for something in the history of the city of Foolov. Since the story describes many portraits of mayors, it is worth dwelling on the most significant characters.
Busty - shocked the residents with his categoricalness, with his exclamations on any occasion, “I’ll ruin it!” and “I won’t tolerate it!”
Dvoekurov, with his “great” reforms regarding bay leaves and mustard, seems completely harmless compared to subsequent mayors.
Wartkin - fought with his own people “for enlightenment.”
Ferdyshchenko - his greed and lust almost destroyed the townspeople.
Pimple - the people were not ready for a ruler like him - people lived too well under him, who did not interfere in any matters.
Gloomy-Burcheev - with all his idiocy, he managed not only to become the mayor, but also to destroy the entire city, trying to bring his crazy idea to life.

Other characters:

If the main characters are the mayors, the secondary ones are the people with whom they interact. The common people are shown as a collective image. The author generally portrays him as obedient to his ruler, ready to endure all oppression and various oddities of his power. Shown by the author as a faceless mass that rebels only when there is a massive death toll from hunger or fires around them.

“The History of a City” very briefly

The history of one city, a brief summary for reader's diary:

“The History of a Town” is the story of life in the small town of Flood.

Once upon a time in Rus' there lived stupid people - bunglers. One day, the bunglers decided to find a boss for themselves so that he would restore order in the tribe. The bunglers had difficulty finding one very stupid prince who agreed to lead them. The prince gave the bunglers a new name “Foolovites,” founded the city of Foolov and began to rule it.

Then, over the course of a century, from 1731 to 1826, 21 mayors came to power in Foolov in turn. All these mayors turn out to be stupid and limited people. Some mayors make life in Foolov unbearable. Others make improvements, but not for long. Still others do nothing at all.

As a result, life in Foolov turns out to be very unstable: the residents either get rich, then go broke, then have crazy fun, then fall into depression, etc. The city repeatedly suffers from fires, crop failures, etc.

The Foolovites themselves are to blame for these troubles - very stupid, ignorant and careless people. Foolovites suffer from “love of authority” and are in dire need of superiors. Therefore, they tolerate the most incredible quirks of their mayors. When it gets too hard for the Foolovites, they rebel, but their riots are stupid and stupid.

The story of Foolov in the novel is described until 1826. What happens in the city then is unknown. It can be assumed that nothing changes in Foolov.

Read also: Summary of the fairy tale “e” by M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin.

A short retelling of “The Story of a City” in 3 minutes

The Chronicler opens with an “Address to the Reader from the Last Chronicler Archivist.” The archivist sees the task of the chronicler in “being an exponent” of “touching correspondence” - the authorities, “to the extent daring,” and the people, “to the extent of thanking.” History, therefore, is the history of the reigns of various mayors.

First, the prehistoric chapter “On the roots of the origin of the Foolovites” is given, which tells how the ancient people of bunglers defeated the neighboring tribes of walrus-eaters, bow-eaters, scythe-bellies, etc. But, not knowing what to do to ensure order, the bunglers went to look for a prince . They turned to more than one prince, but even the stupidest princes did not want to “deal with fools” and, having taught them with a rod, released them with honor. Then the bunglers called a thief-innovator, who helped them find the prince. The prince agreed to “lead” them, but did not go to live with them, sending a thief-innovator in his place. The prince called the bunglers themselves “Fools,” hence the name of the city.

The prince also sent other rulers - an Odoevite, an Orlovets, a Kalyazinian - but they all turned out to be real thieves. Then the prince “... arrived in person in Foolov and cried out: “I’ll lock it up!” With these words, historical times began."

But then they remembered about the watchmaker and organ maker Baibakov, who secretly visited the mayor, and, calling him, they found out everything. In the head of the mayor, in one corner, there was an organ that could play two musical pieces: “I’ll ruin it!” and “I won’t tolerate it!” But on the way, the head became damp and needed repairing. Baibakov himself could not cope and turned for help to St. Petersburg, from where they promised to send a new head, but for some reason the head was delayed.

The anarchy continued throughout the next week, during which the city changed six mayors. The inhabitants rushed from Iraida Lukinichna Paleologova to Clementinka de Bourbon, and from her to Amalia Karlovna Shtokfish. The claims of the first were based on the short-term mayoral activity of her husband, the second - of her father, and the third was herself a mayor's pompadour. The claims of Nelka Lyadokhovskaya, and then Dunka the Thick-Footed and Matryonka the Nostrils were even less justified.

In between hostilities, the Foolovites threw some citizens from the bell tower and drowned others. But they too are tired of anarchy. Finally, a new mayor arrived in the city - Semyon Konstantinovich Dvoekurov. His activities in Foolov were beneficial. “He introduced mead making and brewing and made it mandatory to use mustard and bay leaves,” and also wanted to establish an academy in Foolov.

Through the sins of the mayor, drought fell on the Foolov, and after it came famine. People started dying. Then the end of Foolov’s patience came. At first they sent a walker to Ferdyshchenka, but the walker did not return. Then they sent a request, but that didn’t help either. Then they finally got to Alenka and threw her off the bell tower. But Ferdyshchenko was not dozing, but wrote reports to his superiors. No bread was sent to him, but a team of soldiers arrived.

Ferdyshchenko's reign ended with a journey. The mayor went to the city pasture. In various places he was greeted by townspeople and had lunch waiting for him. On the third day of the journey, Ferdyshchenko died from overeating.

In the darkness 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 tear away the houses for 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. It was in this state that Foolov found the Circassian Mikeladze.

Finally, State Councilor Erast Andreevich Grustilov came to Glupov. 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. Relying on their own 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 Pfeiffer showed Grustilov the path of good. Foolish and wretched, worried hard days during the worship of idols, they became the main people in the city. The Foolovites repented, but the fields remained empty. The Foolov elite gathered at night to read Mr. Strakhov and “admire” him, which the authorities soon found out about, and Grustilov was removed.

All the garbage was used, everything that was left of the city, but the river washed away all the dams. And then Gloomy-Burcheev turned around and walked away from the river, taking 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 provides only the denouement: “... the earth shook, the sun darkened ‹…› It came.” Without explaining what exactly, the author only reports that “the scoundrel instantly disappeared, as if he had disappeared into thin air. History has stopped flowing."

The story closes with “exculpatory documents,” that is, the writings of various mayors, such as Wartkin, Mikeladze and Benevolensky, written for the edification of other mayors.

This is interesting: Satirical tale"" M. Saltykov-Shchedrin wrote in 1884. In his work, the author, with a fair amount of satire, reflected the features of the social structure of the second half of XIX century. We recommend reading the summary of “Crucian the Idealist” for the reader’s diary. The retelling will also be useful for preparing for a literature lesson.

Contents “The History of a City” by chapters

From the publisher

“The History of a City” tells about the city of Foolov and its history. The chapter “From the Publisher,” in the author’s voice, assures the reader that “The Chronicler” is genuine. He invites the reader to “catch the face of the city and follow how its history reflected the various changes that were simultaneously taking place in the highest spheres.” The author emphasizes that the plot of the story is monotonous, “almost exclusively limited to biographies of mayors.”

Appeal to the reader from the last archivist-chronicler

In this chapter, the author sets himself the task of conveying the “touching correspondence” of the city authorities, “to the extent of daring” to the people, “to the extent of giving thanks.” The archivist says that he will present to the reader the history of the reign of mayors in the city of Foolov, one after another succeeding in the highest post. The narrators, four local chroniclers, set out one by one the “true” events that took place in the city from 1731 to 1825.

About the roots of the origin of the Foolovites

This chapter tells about prehistoric times, about how the ancient tribe of bunglers won a victory over the neighboring tribes of bow-eaters, thick-eaters, walrus-eaters, frogs, scythe-bellies, etc. After the victory, the bunglers began to think about how to restore order in their new society, since things were not going well for them: either “they kneaded the Volga with oatmeal,” or “they dragged a calf to the bathhouse.” They decided that they needed a ruler. To this end, the bunglers went to look for a prince who would rule them. However, all the princes to whom they turned with this request refused, since no one wanted to rule stupid people. The princes, having “taught” with the rod, released the bunglers in peace and with “honor.” Desperate, they turned to the innovative thief, who managed to help find the prince. The prince agreed to manage them, but did not live with the bunglers - he sent an innovative thief as his governor.

Golovotyapov renamed it “Foolovtsy”, and the city, accordingly, began to be called “Foolov”.

It was not at all difficult for the novotoro to manage the Foolovites - these people were distinguished by their obedience and unquestioning execution of the orders of the authorities. However, their ruler was not happy about this; the novotor wanted riots that could be pacified. The end of his reign was very sad: the innovative thief stole so much that the prince could not stand it and sent him a noose. But Novotor managed to get out of this situation - without waiting for the noose, he “stabbed himself to death with a cucumber.”

Then other rulers, sent by the prince, began to appear in Foolov one by one. All of them - Odoevets, Orlovets, Kalyazinians - turned out to be unscrupulous thieves, even worse than the innovator. The prince was tired of such events and personally came to the city shouting: “I’ll screw it up!” With this cry the countdown of “historical time” began.

Inventory for mayors, in different times appointed to the city of Glupov by the higher authorities (1731 - 1826)

This chapter lists Foolov's mayors by name and briefly mentions their “achievements.” It speaks of twenty-two rulers. So, for example, about one of the city governors the document says: “22) Intercept-Zalikhvatsky, Archangel Stratilatovich, major. I won’t say anything about this. He rode into Foolov on a white horse, burned the gymnasium and abolished the sciences.”

Organ

The year 1762 was marked by the beginning of the reign of mayor Dementy Varlamovich Brudasty. The Foolovites were surprised that their new ruler was gloomy and did not say anything except two phrases: “I will not tolerate it!” and “I’ll ruin you!” They didn’t know what to think until Brudasty’s secret was revealed: his head was completely empty. The clerk accidentally saw a terrible thing: the mayor’s body, as usual, was sitting at the table, but his head was lying separately on the table. And there was nothing in it at all. The townspeople did not know what to do now. They remembered Baibakov, a master of watchmaking and organ making, who had recently come to Brudasty. After questioning Baibakov, the Foolovites found out that the mayor’s head was equipped with a musical organ that played only two pieces: “I won’t tolerate it!” and “I’ll ruin you!” The organ failed, having become damp on the road. The master was unable to fix it on his own, so he ordered a new head in St. Petersburg, but the order was delayed for some reason.

Anarchy set in, ending with the unexpected appearance of two absolutely identical impostor rulers at the same time. They saw each other, “measured each other with their eyes,” and the residents who watched this scene silently and slowly dispersed. A messenger who arrived from the province took both “city governors” with him, and anarchy began in Foolov, which lasted a whole week.

The Tale of the Six Mayors (Picture of Foolov's civil strife)

This time was very eventful in the sphere of city government - the city experienced as many as six mayors. Residents watched the struggle of Iraida Lukinichna Paleologova, Klemantinka de Bourbon, Amalia Karlovna Shtokfish. The first insisted that she was worthy of being a mayor because her husband was engaged in mayoral activities for some time, the second’s father was engaged in mayor’s work, the third was once a mayor herself. In addition to those named, Nelka Lyadokhovskaya, Dunka the Thick-Footed and Matryonka the Nostril also laid claim to power. The latter had no grounds at all to claim the role of mayors. Serious battles broke out in the city. The Foolovites drowned and threw their fellow citizens from the bell tower. The city is tired of anarchy. And then finally a new mayor appeared - Semyon Konstantinovich Dvoekurov.

News about Dvoekurov

The newly-minted ruler Dvoekurov ruled Foolov for eight years. He is noted as a man of progressive views. Dvoekurov developed activities that became beneficial for the city. Under him, they began to engage in honey and beer brewing, and he ordered that mustard and bay leaves be consumed in food. His intentions included the establishment of the Foolov Academy.

Hungry City

The reign of Dvoekurov was replaced by Pyotr Petrovich Ferdyshchenko. The city lived for six years in prosperity and prosperity. But in the seventh year, the city governor fell in love with Alena Osipova, the wife of the coachman Mitka. However, Alenka did not share Pyotr Petrovich’s feelings. Ferdyshchenko took all sorts of actions to make Alenka fall in love with him, even sent Mitka to Siberia. Alenka became receptive to the mayor’s advances.

A drought began in Foolov, and after it hunger and human deaths began. The Foolovites lost patience and sent an envoy to Ferdyshchenko, but the walker did not return. The submitted petition also did not find an answer. Then the residents rebelled and threw Alenka from the bell tower. A company of soldiers came to the city to suppress the riot.

Straw City

Pyotr Petrovich’s next love interest was the archer Domashka, whom he recaptured from the “optists.” Together with new love Fires caused by drought came to the city. Pushkarskaya Sloboda burned down, then Bolotnaya and Negodnitsa. The Foolovites accused Ferdyshchenko of a new misfortune.

Fantastic traveler

Ferdyshchenko’s new stupidity hardly brought a new misfortune to the townspeople: he went on a journey through the city pasture, forcing the residents to give themselves food supplies. The journey ended three days later with the death of Ferdyshchenko from gluttony. The Foolovites were afraid that they would be accused of deliberately “fostering the foreman.” However, a week later, the fears of the townspeople dissipated - a new city governor arrived from the province. The decisive and active Wartkin marked the beginning of the “golden age of Foolov.” People began to live in complete abundance.

Wars for enlightenment

Vasilisk Semyonovich Borodavkin, the new mayor of Foolov, studied the history of the city and decided that the only previous ruler worth emulating was Dvoekurov, and what struck him was not even that his predecessor paved the streets of the city and collected arrears, but that they sowed under him mustard. Unfortunately, people have already forgotten it and even stopped sowing this crop. Wartkin decided to remember the old days, resume sowing mustard and eating it. But the residents stubbornly did not want to return to the past. The Foolovites rebelled on their knees. They were afraid that if they obeyed Wartkin, in the future he would force them “to eat any more abomination.” The mayor undertook a military campaign against Streletskaya Sloboda, “the source of all evil,” to suppress the rebellion. The campaign lasted nine days and it is difficult to call it completely successful. In absolute darkness, they fought with their own. The mayor suffered betrayal from his supporters: one morning he discovered that larger number the soldiers were fired and replaced tin soldiers, referring to a certain resolution. However, the city governor managed to survive, organizing a reserve of tin soldiers. He reached the settlement, but found no one there. Wartkin began to dismantle houses log by log, which forced the settlement to surrender.

The future brought three more wars, which were also fought for “enlightenment.” The first of three subsequent wars was fought to explain to the city residents the benefits of stone foundations for houses, the second - because of the residents’ refusal to grow Persian chamomile, and the third - against the establishment of an academy in the city.

The result of Wartkin's reign was the impoverishment of the city. The mayor died at the moment when he once again decided to burn the city.

The era of retirement from wars

In short, subsequent events look like this: the city finally became impoverished under the next ruler, Captain Negodyaev, who replaced Wartkin. The scoundrels were very soon fired for disagreeing with the imposition of the constitution. However, the chronicler considered this reason to be formal. The real reason was the fact that the mayor at one time served as a stoker, which to a certain extent was regarded as belonging to the democratic principle. And wars for and against enlightenment were not necessary for the battle-weary city. After the dismissal of Negodyaev, the “Circassian” Mikeladze took the reins of government into his own hands. However, his reign did not in any way affect the situation in the city: the mayor was not concerned with Foolov at all, since all his thoughts were connected exclusively with the fair sex.

Benevolensky Feofilakt Irinarkhovich became Mikeladze's successor. Speransky was a friend from the seminary of the new city governor, and from him, obviously, Benevolensky passed on his love for legislation. He wrote the following laws: “Let every man have a contrite heart,” “Let every soul tremble,” and “Let every cricket know the pole corresponding to its rank.” However, Benevolensky did not have the right to write laws; he was forced to publish them secretly, and scatter his works around the city at night. This did not last long - he was suspected of having connections with Napoleon and was fired.

Lieutenant Colonel Pyshch was appointed next. What was surprising was that under him the city lived in abundance, huge harvests were harvested, despite the fact that the mayor was not at all concerned with his direct responsibilities. The townspeople again suspected something. And they were right in their suspicions: the leader of the nobility noticed that the mayor’s head exuded the smell of truffles. He attacked Pimple and ate the ruler's stuffed head.

Worship of Mammon and repentance

In Foolov, a successor to the eaten Pimple appeared - State Councilor Ivanov. However, he soon died, since “he turned out to be so small in stature that he could not contain anything spacious.”

He was succeeded by the Viscount de Chariot. This ruler did not know how to do anything except have fun all the time and organize masquerades. He “didn’t do business and didn’t interfere in the administration. This last circumstance promised to prolong the well-being of the Foolovites endlessly...” But the emigrant, who allowed the residents to convert to paganism, was ordered to be sent abroad. Interestingly, he turned out to be a special female.

The next to appear in Foolov was State Councilor Erast Andreevich Grustilov. By the time of his appearance, the inhabitants of the city had already become absolute idolaters. They forgot God, plunging into debauchery and laziness. They stopped working, sowing fields, hoping for some kind of happiness, and as a result, famine came to the city. Grustilov cared very little about this situation, since he was busy with balls. However, changes soon occurred. The wife of the pharmacist Pfeier influenced Grustilov, showing the true path of good. And the main people in the city became the wretched and holy fools, who, in the era of idolatry, found themselves on the sidelines of life.

The residents of Foolov repented of their sins, but that was the end of the matter - the Foolovites never started working. At night, the city elite gathered to read the works of Mr. Strakhov. This soon became known to the higher authorities and Grustilov had to say goodbye to the position of mayor.

Confirmation of repentance. Conclusion

The last mayor of Foolov was Ugryum-Burcheev. This man was a complete idiot - “the purest type of idiot,” as the author writes. For himself, he set the only goal - to make the city of Nepreklonsk from the city of Glupov, “eternally worthy of the memory of the Grand Duke Svyatoslav Igorevich.” Nepreklonsk should have looked like this: city streets should be identically straight, houses and buildings should also be identical to each other, people too. Each house should become a “settled unit”, which will be watched by him, Ugryum-Burcheev, a spy. The townspeople called him “Satan” and felt a vague fear of their ruler. As it turned out, it was not unfounded: the mayor developed detailed plan and began to bring it to life. He destroyed the city, leaving no stone unturned. Now came the task of building the city of his dreams. But the river disrupted these plans, it got in the way. Gloomy-Burcheev started with her real war, used all the garbage that was left as a result of the destruction of the city. However, the river did not give up, washing away all the dams and dams being built. Gloomy-Burcheev turned around and, leading the people behind him, walked away from the river. He chose a new place to build the city - a flat lowland, and began to build the city of his dreams. However, something went wrong. Unfortunately, it was not possible to find out what exactly prevented the construction, since records with the details of this story have not been preserved. The denouement became known: “...time stopped running. Finally the earth shook, the sun darkened... the Foolovites fell on their faces. An inscrutable horror appeared on all faces and gripped all hearts. It has arrived...” What exactly came remains unknown to the reader. However, the fate of Ugryum-Burcheev is as follows: “the scoundrel instantly disappeared, as if he had disappeared into thin air. History has stopped flowing."

Supporting documents

At the end of the story, “Exculpatory Documents” are published, which are the works of Wartkin, Mikeladze and Benevolensky, written for the edification of other mayors.

Conclusion

Brief retelling“Stories of a City” clearly demonstrates not only the satirical direction of the story, but also ambiguously points to historical parallels. The images of the mayors were copied from historical figures, many events also refer to palace coups. Full version The story will certainly provide an opportunity to become familiar with the content of the work in detail.

Video summary The story of one city

The publication of “The History of a City” by M. Saltykov-Shchedrin received a wide public response - the writer was accused of ridiculing the Russian people and denigrating facts Russian history. The genre of the work is a satirical story, exposing morals, relationships between government and people in an autocratic society.

“The History of a City,” a brief summary of which is given in this article, is an ironic, grotesque chronicle of the city of Foolov. Saltykov-Shchedrin's satire is transparent, so the appearance of modern Russia is easily guessed in the text.

Only at first glance it seems that the story is like an inventory of city governors - a gallery of human madness and 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 Story of a 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 gusto at the end. This hero transformed into a governor named Pyshch. 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 Foolov's chronicle itself. The work lasted more than a year. Initially, the work was called “The Foolov Chronicler”; the final title appeared later. The name change is due to the fact that the second carries a broader meaning.

In the year of graduation, the story was first published in the anthology “Notes of the Fatherland,” where Mikhail Evgrafovich signed the pseudonym N. Shchedrin. An independent publication comes out in six months. The text is slightly 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.

The main characters and their characteristics

The main characters of the work are the mayors and townspeople - the inhabitants of Foolov. Below is a table with characteristics. A brief overview of the main characters is given.

Amadeus Manuilovich Klementy	Italian. At home he served as a cook. His crowning and most delicious dish there was pasta. The Duke of Courland, admired by his culinary skills, took him with him as the family cook. After Amadeus Manuilovich received a high status, which helped him take the position of mayor. Clementy 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. After which he began to manage the city. A big fan of spectacles. I never missed public punishments in the square. Always present when someone was flogged. In 1738, the manager was torn to pieces by dogs.
Ivan Matveevich Velikanov	He is famous for drowning the director responsible for economics and management in a reservoir. For the first time he introduced a tax on citizens. From each, a few kopecks go into the board’s treasury. He often beat police officers most severely. Spotted in an indecent relationship with the first wife of Peter I (Avdotya Lopukhina). After which he was taken into custody, where he remains to this day.
Manyl Samylovich Urus-Kugush-Kildibaev	Brave military man, guardsman. Management methods are appropriate. The townspeople remembered him for his courage, bordering on madness. Once Foolov even took the city 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	Fugitive Greek citizen of unknown origin, name and family. Before becoming a mayor, he sold soap, oils, nuts and other small items at the market of a neighboring city. He died in his own bed in an unequal battle with bedbugs.
Ivan Matveevich Baklan	Famous tall more than two meters. Killed during a hurricane. Strong wind broke a man in half.
Dementy Varlamovich Brudasty	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. That's why the residents affectionately called him Organchik. He had no contact with the public, but constantly uttered a single menacing phrase: “I will not tolerate it!” Why were the city dwellers in constant fear? He actively collected taxes and taxes. After his reign there was anarchy for about a week. The image symbolizes the stupidity, emptiness and limitations of the majority of officials and managers.
Semyon Konstantinovich Dvoekurov	Active and active manager. Paved roads (two of them). Organized local production of beer and honey drinks. Forced residents to grow and consume mustard and bay leaves. He collected arrears more actively than others. For any offenses and without them, the Foolovites were flogged with rods. The only one who died of natural causes.
Petr Petrovich Ferdyshchenko	Former soldier. He was Potemkin's orderly, of which he was quite proud. The first six years passed quietly. But then the foreman seemed to go crazy. He didn't have much depth of mind. He had a speech impediment and was therefore tongue-tied. Died from overeating.
Vasilisk Semenovich Wartkin	Appears in the chapter "Wars for Enlightenment". The hero's portrait corresponds to his surname. The longest reign in the city's history. His predecessors started arrears, so Wartkin took it strictly. In the process, more than 30 villages burned down, and only two and a half rubles were saved. He arranged one square and planted trees on one street. Constantly buttoned up, put out fires, created false alarms. Solved problems that didn't exist. He forced the Foolovites to build houses on foundations, plant Persian chamomile, and use Provençal oil. He dreamed of annexing Byzantium, and then renaming Constantinople to Ekaterinograd. I tried to open an academy, but it didn’t work. That's why he built a prison. He fought for enlightenment, but at the same time against it. True, the inhabitants of the city did not see the difference. He could have done a lot more “useful” things, but he suddenly died.
Onufriy Ivanovich Negodyaev	A 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, build monuments and monuments. Foolov fell into decay, there was devastation all around, and the townspeople became wild, even overgrown with wool. He was dismissed from his position.
Gloomy-Burcheev	In the past he was a military man, so he is obsessed with the army and military operations. Empty, limited, stupid, like most of the characters in the book. He chose to destroy Foolov and rebuild another city nearby, making it a military fortification. Forced residents to go to military uniform, live according to army regulations, follow absurd orders, line up and march. Ugryumov always slept on the bare ground. went missing during natural phenomenon, which no one could explain.
Erast Andreevich Grustilov	He always looked offended and upset, which did not stop him from being depraved and vulgar. During his reign, the city was mired in debauchery. He wrote melancholic odes. He died of inexplicable melancholy.
Acne	Like many of the city's rulers, they are former military men. He was in office for several years. I decided to take up management to take a break from work. The Foolovites suddenly became rich under him, which aroused suspicion and unhealthy reactions among the masses. It later 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. All questions were resolved with the exclamation: “I’ll screw it up!”
Iraida Lukinichna Paleologova	An impostor who appeared during the period of unrest after the death of Brudasty (Organchik). Based on the fact that her husband reigned for several days, and her historical family(a hint at Sophia Paleolog - the grandmother of Ivan the Terrible) demanded power. Rules for a few days outside the city.
Intercept-Zalikhvatsky	He appeared victoriously on a white horse. He burned down the gymnasium. Zalikhvatsky became the prototype of Paul I.
Foolovites	Residents of the city. Collective image people blindly worshiping the tyranny of power.

The list of heroes is not complete, it is given in abbreviation. During the time of unrest alone, more than ten rulers were replaced, six of them women.

It is a summary of the work in chapters.

From the publisher

The narrator assures the reader of the document's authenticity. To prove the absence fiction an argument is made about the monotony of the narrative. The text is entirely devoted to the biographies of mayors and the peculiarities of their reign.

The story begins with the address of the last clerk, who outlined the chronicle of events.

About the root of the origin of fools

The chapter describes the prehistoric period. The tribe of bunglers waged internecine wars with their neighbors, defeating them. When the last enemy was defeated, the population was confused. Then they began the search for a prince to rule them. But even the stupidest princes did not want to take power over the savages.

They found someone who agreed to “volody”, but did not go to live on the territory of the property. He sent governors who turned out to be thieves. I had to appear to the prince in person.

Organ

The reign of Dementy Brudasty began. The townsfolk were surprised by his lack of emotion. It turned out that there was a small device in his head. The mechanism played only two short compositions: “I’ll ruin” and “I won’t tolerate it.”

Then the unit broke down. The local watchmaker couldn't fix it himself. We ordered a new head from the capital. But the parcel, as often happens in Russia, was lost.

Due to anarchy, unrest began, and then a week-long anarchy.

The Tale of the Six City Leaders

During the anarchic week, six impostors were replaced. Women's claims to power were based on the fact that their husbands, brothers, or other relatives had once ruled. Or they themselves were in service in the families of mayors. And some had no reason at all.

News about Dvoekurov

Semyon Konstantinovich remained in power for about eight years. A leader of progressive views. Main innovations: brewing, mead making, planting and eating bay leaves and mustard.

Reform activities are worthy of respect. But the changes were forced, ridiculous and unnecessary.

Hungry City

The first six years of Pyotr Ferdyshchenko's governorship were measured and calm. But then he fell in love with someone else’s wife, who did not share the feelings. A drought began, then other disasters. The result: hunger and death.

The people rebelled, caught and threw the official's chosen one from the bell tower. The uprising was brutally suppressed.

Straw City

After the manager's next love affair, fires started. The whole area burned down.

Fantastic traveler

The mayor went on a journey to homes and villages, demanding that food be brought to him. This was the reason for his death. The townsfolk are afraid that they will be accused of deliberately feeding their boss. But everything worked out. The fantastic traveler from the capital was replaced by a new one.

Wars for enlightenment

Wartkin approached the position thoroughly. Studied the activities of his predecessors. I decided to follow the example of the reformer Dvoekurov. He ordered them to sow mustard again and collect arrears.

Residents rioted on their knees. Wars began to be waged against them “for enlightenment.” Victory has always been with the authorities. As punishment for disobedience, it was ordered to consume Provençal oil and sow Persian chamomile.

The era of retirement from wars

Under Negodyaev, the city became even more impoverished than under the previous ruler. This is the only manager from the people, who previously served as a stoker. But the democratic beginning did not bring benefits to the population.

The Pimple period is noteworthy. He was not engaged in any activity, but the people were getting rich, which raised doubts. The leader of the nobility revealed a secret: the chief's head was stuffed with truffles. The quick-witted henchman feasted on it himself.

Worship of Mammon and repentance

The successor to the stuffed head, State Councilor Ivanov, died from a decree that he could not understand, bursting from mental strain.

The Viscount de Chariot came to replace him. Life under him was fun, but stupid. No one was involved in administrative affairs, but there were many holidays, balls, masquerades, and other fun.

Confirmation of repentance and conclusion

The last manager was Ugryum-Burcheev. A thick-headed guy, a martinet. The author calls him “the purest type of idiot.” He intended to destroy the city and recreate a new one - Nepreklonsk, making it a military fortification.

Supporting documents

Notes created by foremen are presented for the edification of followers and successors.

Analysis of the work

The work cannot be classified as small literary forms: a story or fairy tale. In terms of content, composition and depth of meaning, it is much broader.

On the one hand, the style and style of writing resemble real reports. On the other hand, the content, description of heroes, events, brought to the point of absurdity.

The retelling of the city's history spans about a hundred years. Four local archivists took part in writing the chronicle. The plot even illuminates the history of the people. The local people came from ancient tribe"bunglers". But then they were renamed by their 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 covered. He appears in the form of Brudasty. Dvoekurov, who becomes an activist and innovator, establishing brewing and mead making, symbolizes Peter I with his reforms.

The Foolovites unconsciously worship autocrats and 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 work ironically conveys the fate of Russia. The story does not lose its relevance to this day. A film was made based on the work.

Main characters

Brief summary of the novel “The History of a City”

From the publisher

Appeal to the reader from the last archivist-chronicler

About the roots of the origin of the Foolovites

Inventory of the mayors appointed at different times to the city of Glupov by the higher authorities (1731-1826)

Organ

The Tale of the Six City Leaders. Picture of the Foolovsky civil strife

News about Dvoekurov

Hungry City

Straw City

Fantastic traveler

Wars for enlightenment

The era of retirement from wars

Worship of Mammon and repentance

Confirmation of repentance. Conclusion

Supporting documents

Essays on topics:

Other essays on the topic:

Main characters of the story

“The History of a City” very briefly

A short retelling of “The Story of a City” in 3 minutes

Contents “The History of a City” by chapters

Video summary The story of one city

The history of the creation of “The Story of a City”

The main characters and their characteristics

Minor characters

From the publisher

About the root of the origin of fools

Organ

The Tale of the Six City Leaders

News about Dvoekurov

Hungry City

Straw City

Fantastic traveler

Wars for enlightenment

The era of retirement from wars

Worship of Mammon and repentance

Confirmation of repentance and conclusion

Supporting documents

Analysis of the work

Conclusion