In 1833, while in Boldin, Pushkin wrote the poem “ Bronze Horseman" What questions did the poet raise in this work? Questions about social contradictions and the future of Russia. But his contemporaries, unfortunately, did not know about this. The poem was banned by Nicholas I. It was first published without censorship edits only in 1904.

Below is summary and analysis of The Bronze Horseman. It was in this work that the “little man” first appeared - an image that became the most popular in Russian XIX literature century. Offended, oppressed and lonely - this is main character"The Bronze Horseman" The problem of Pushkin's character is his social insecurity, his inability to withstand the blows of fate.

History of creation

In 1812, Alexander I wanted to remove the monument to Peter from the capital. However, the day before, one of the majors had a bizarre dream: the monument suddenly came to life and began to gallop through the streets of St. Petersburg. At the same time, the major assured that the bronze Peter I in a dream, which was in some way significant, uttered terrible words. Namely: “What they have brought Russia to!” As long as I’m here, my city has nothing to fear!” The emperor was informed about the major's dream, and the monument was left in its original place.

There is a version that it was this story that inspired Pushkin to write the famous poem “The Bronze Horseman”. True, some researchers claim that the work is based on a completely different legend. However, the bronze statue at one time gave rise to many myths. It is unknown which of them began the creation of the poem.

The work “The Bronze Horseman” was completed in 1833 in Boldin. Shortly before this, Pushkin traveled to the Urals in order to collect materials about Pugachev uprising. According to Pushkinists, work on the work about the monument to Peter did not last long - about a month. Although, undoubtedly, the idea arose even before arriving in Boldino.

Despite the fact that the poem was written in a short time, it cost the author incredible strength. Pushkin rewrote each verse many times, and thus he managed to achieve the ideal form. “The Bronze Horseman” is a small work. You can read it in 15-20 minutes. The poem consists of five hundred verses, and includes the reflections of the Great Reformer after the significant Battle of Poltava, and the events of the 19th century. And most importantly, this work conveys the sad events of 1824 in a very vivid and original way.

At that time, it was impossible to simply publish a work of art. Moreover, the creation of Pushkin, who did not inspire confidence in the emperor. The writer sent The Bronze Horseman to the censors. They, in turn, made many edits to the poem, which almost significantly distorted the author's intention.

The poet sincerely believed that the emperor personally made corrections to his works. However, researchers claim that this was done by employees of the Third Department. The poem was not officially banned. But with numerous comments from the “highest censorship,” there was no talk of any publication.

The poem was never published during the author's lifetime. Only a small excerpt was published, namely “Introduction,” which has no direct connection with the main plot. In 1837, after Pushkin’s death, the work appeared in the Sovremennik magazine. But it was an incomplete publication. Before going into print, the poem was revised by Zhukovsky, who had to comply with all the wishes of official criticism. Thus, a scene expressing the main idea of ​​the poem was cut out of the work.

Pushkin’s work was first published in its entirety, without extraneous edits, only in the twentieth century. Below is a summary. The poem is short, consists of an “Introduction” and two parts. The content is presented according to the following plan:

• Introduction.
• Evgeny.
• The torment of the main character.
• Dreams.
• After.
• Tsar.
• On Petrova Square.
• Life is an empty dream.
• The misfortune of the Neva banks.
• Idol on a bronze horse.
• Madness.

Introduction

The Great Reformer stands there and dreams of a new city, which will soon be built here “to spite the arrogant neighbor,” that is, the Swede. As you know, Peter I realized his dream. A hundred years pass, a beautiful city rises on the banks of the river, built, as they will later say, on human bones.

Moscow faded before St. Petersburg, “as before new queen porphyry-bearing widow” - this is the metaphor Pushkin uses in the introduction to the poem “The Bronze Horseman”. The author admires the beauty of the city of Petra. And then he warns the reader: his story will be sad.

Evgeniy

The main character of the poem “The Bronze Horseman” has the same name as Onegin. It is no coincidence: this name sounds pleasant, and besides, the author’s pen “is friendly to it.” Events take place in November. The waves of the Neva lash noisily. The weather is restless, windy, in a word, typical for autumn St. Petersburg.

Evgeniy heads towards his house. He lives in Kolomna, serves somewhere - he probably works in one of the faceless St. Petersburg departments. It just so happens that in Russian literature the most touching characters are petty officials. The main character of Pushkin's poem "The Bronze Horseman" is a "little man", a modest, socially vulnerable person. Literary scholars compare Evgeny with Bashmachkin from Gogol’s “The Overcoat.”

The torment of the main character

So, Evgeniy came home. He took off his overcoat and lay down, but could not sleep. The main character of “The Bronze Horseman” is in thought. What is he worried about? First of all, he is poor, and therefore forced hard work to gain at least relative independence. He has neither money nor talent. But there are idle lucky people who live easily and naturally! Alas, Evgeniy is not one of them.

The hero of The Bronze Horseman is in love with a certain Parasha, who lives on the other bank of the Neva. And on this day he is also upset that the bridges were removed. This means that Eugene will not see his beloved for another two or three days. He sighs heartily and daydreams.

Dreams

Evgeniy is sad, but at the same time full of hope. He is young, healthy, will work hard and someday will certainly marry Parasha. Evgeniy does not dream of anything unattainable. Just about a modest house, about a service that will bring him a small income. He marries Parasha. She will take care of the house and children. They will live this way until their death, and their grandchildren will bury them. The dreams of the hero of the poem “The Bronze Horseman” by Pushkin are quite earthly. But they are not destined to come true.

Flood

Evgeny dreams, while the wind outside the window howls sadly. The young official falls asleep, and the next day something terrible happens. The Neva is overflowing its banks. In the morning, people admire the splashes, the “foam of angry waters.” Pushkin compares the river with a beast that, going berserk, rushed at the city. The Neva sweeps away everything in its path: fragments of huts, roofing, logs, the goods of a spare merchant, the modest belongings of residents, coffins from the cemetery.

Tsar

People are powerless in the face of nature's violence. Who should they ask for help, who will save them from the flood? According to the then tradition, they go to the king. He goes out onto the balcony, sad and embarrassed. And he announces to the people: kings cannot control the elements. This episode is worth paying attention to. Pushkin emphasizes that the autocrat, despite his seemingly unlimited power, should not compete in strength with nature.

However, in the poem “The Bronze Horseman” the image of the ruler Russian state embodied in a huge monument towering in the center of St. Petersburg. After all, it was Peter who early XVIII centuries dared to build a city on the Neva. His idea cost a lot of blood. The above-mentioned expression “a city built on human bones” did not appear by chance. After more than a hundred years have passed since the founding of St. Petersburg, a flood occurs that destroys ordinary people. The predecessor of the Great Reformer hastily leaves the capital.

Worth doing here small excursion into history. The flood depicted in Pushkin's poem "The Bronze Horseman" is not a work of fiction. The event took place in 1824. This is the most destructive flood in the entire history of St. Petersburg.

On January 7, it was raining and a strong southeast wind was blowing. A sharp rise in water began in the canals. This initially attracted onlookers, as the author of “The Bronze Horseman” also mentions. But very quickly almost the entire city was under water. Only a small part of St. Petersburg was not damaged. The next day there was a severe frost. Several hundred St. Petersburg residents drowned; later researchers were unable to determine the exact number of deaths.

On Petrova Square

While the Tsar is leaving St. Petersburg, Eugene, pale, amazed, sits on a marble beast. What kind of animal is this? This is one of the most famous attractions of St. Petersburg. Evgeny perched himself on the marble beast, the rain lashing his face. He is afraid, but not for himself. His desperate gaze is directed to the other bank of the Neva. Evgeniy tries to examine his beloved’s house.

The contents of “The Bronze Horseman” can be summarized in a nutshell. But we will not do this, because, firstly, this poem is one of the greatest creations of Russian literature, and secondly, there are many interesting episodes related to the history of St. Petersburg. So, what are these guard lions that, as the author of “The Bronze Horseman” said, stand as if alive?

Many illustrations have been created for Pushkin’s poem. The author of one of the most famous is the artist Ostroumova-Lebedeva. However, there is a factual error in this work. The illustration shows a lion from the Palace Pier. This monument was erected several years after the flood. In fact, the hero of the poem “The Bronze Horseman,” which depicts the tragic days in the history of the Northern capital, was sitting astride a lion near the house of Lobanov-Rostovsky. This building was erected in 1817. In everyday life it is called the “house of lions.” In the photo below you can see how this building looks today. Of course, the “house with lions” has undergone repeated restoration.

Life is an empty dream

It is this thought that comes to Evgeniy’s head when the next day he sees terrible destruction. Reading the summary of “The Bronze Horseman” may inspire you to get acquainted with the original source. This is a wonderful work, filled with vivid metaphors and images. Pushkin compares the Neva with a ferocious bandit gang that burst into the village, destroyed and robbed everything for a long time, and then disappeared in a hurry. The river was saturated with the destruction it caused in St. Petersburg, and then “pulled back.”

The water has left the pavement. Evgeny hurries to the shore in alarm: he wants to see Parasha. Sees the boat, finds the carrier. He transports him to the other side to his beloved for a dime. Finally, Eugene reached the shore. He walks along familiar streets and is horrified. Everything around was destroyed, demolished, bodies all around, as if “in a battlefield.” He rushes headlong, not remembering anything and exhausted from torment, to where his bride is waiting. But suddenly he stops. There are no more gates or the house in which the widow and her daughter Parasha lived. Only a lonely willow...

The misfortune of the Neva banks

Petersburg came to life again, as if there had never been a flood. True, a certain Count Khvostov immediately wrote a poem dedicated to the tragedy. Still, people walk along the free streets with “cold insensibility.” Officials go to work. The merchant is also not discouraged, opening his shop, plundered by the Neva. And it seems that in St. Petersburg on this day there is only one person who, after a terrible flood, cannot continue ordinary life. This is Eugene, the main character of the poem “The Bronze Horseman”.

Peter I is mentioned in the work, of course, not only in the “Introduction”. This is an important image, symbolizing power and strength, against which the “little man” is absolutely defenseless. It is worth saying a few words about the monument depicting the founder of St. Petersburg.

Idol on a bronze horse

The central image in the poem “The Bronze Horseman” is the famous monument to Peter. Pushkin calls him “Idol on a bronze horse.” Monuments to Peter were erected in 1782. The name “copper” was assigned to this moment because before the 19th century in Russian copper was often called bronze.

The model of the statue was designed by Etienne Falconet, a French sculptor and representative of classicism. Several other urban legends are associated with this monument. Including the story of how Emperor Paul I saw the ghost of Peter. Moreover, he dreamed of it exactly where the “Bronze Horseman” is located today.

It is worth saying that the sculpture depicting Peter I received its name precisely because of Pushkin’s work. Later, Dostoevsky conveyed the motif of the revived monument in his novel “The Teenager.” He is also mentioned in the works of later authors. However, let's return to Pushkin's hero. What happened to him after he learned about the death of his beloved?

Madness

Poor Evgeniy could not control his shock. He couldn't resist. For a long time, the rebellious noise of the river and the terrible whistle of the Neva winds resounded in his mind. Having learned about the death of Parasha, he did not return home. I went wandering. For about a month, the former official, who had once thought about simple earthly happiness, wandered the city streets, slept on the pier, and ate alms. Angry children threw stones after Evgeniy, and the coachman's fences lashed him on the back. From now on, he could not make out the roads and seemed to see nothing around him. Evgeniy lost his mind from grief.

The miraculous builder

One day, Eugene’s inflamed consciousness was visited by a terrible thought. He decided that the “idol with an outstretched hand” - that is, Peter - was to blame for his tragedy. A terrible and brilliant ruler once founded a city on the Neva. This means that it is he, this “miraculous builder,” who is responsible for the death of Parasha.

Eugene seemed to have forgotten about the event that turned him into a madman. And suddenly he woke up, saw the square, and the lions, and the Bronze Horseman. And he stood calmly in the darkness. Peter I, on whose whim the city under the sea was once founded, looked into the distance sternly and calmly.

The madman approached the monument. He stopped at the foot and looked into the face of the bronze king and began to threaten the “proud idol.” But suddenly it seemed to Eugene that the formidable king had come to life. The madman started to run, and the rider, as it seemed to him, was overtaking him on his bronze horse. Soon the body of poor Eugene was discovered by fishermen on a small deserted island. This is the summary of The Bronze Horseman.

The image of the “little man” in Pushkin’s poem

The theme of an individual who is offended, whose rights are infringed, was raised more than once in the works of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. It was quite topical in his time, and has not lost its relevance today. What is the main idea of ​​the poem “The Bronze Horseman”? Main idea This work is that people who do not have connections and money and are incapable of cunning and meanness often become victims of a terrible combination of circumstances. There is no one to take care of people like Samson Vyrin from “The Station Agent”, Evgeniy from the poem discussed in today’s article. The theme of “The Bronze Horseman” is the criminal indifference of others.

Pushkin introduces the reader to his hero at the beginning of the first chapter. All of Evgeniy's ambitions and aspirations are centered around the dream of marrying Parasha. He indulges in dreams about the future family life, and that is why the image of a poor petty official is so touching. After all, he never finds happiness. Dreams little man absorb harsh natural elements.

Pushkin did not give the main character a surname. This emphasized his facelessness. There were many people like Eugene in St. Petersburg in the 19th century. His position and character are typical of that time. We can say that Eugene from the poem “The Bronze Horseman” is not a person, but a reflection of St. Petersburg society. That society, which was located far from luxurious palaces and estates.

There is a flood. People are dying. The emperor makes a short speech to the people and disappears. It has been this way since time immemorial. The rulers went far ahead, while the common people suffered far from the nobility: timidly, quietly, hard. Eugene from Pushkin's poem symbolizes the suffering of representatives of a low social class.

Pushkin, of course, did not share the views of his hero. Evgeniy does not strive for high goals, he has no ambitions. His desires are limited to everyday joys. There is nothing extraordinary or outstanding about him. At the same time, the author feels compassion for the poor official.

But what is ambition? Are they always attractive and inspiring to implement high ideas? Of course not. The ambitions and ambitions of those in power often lead to tragic consequences. This is what Pushkin showed in his poem “The Bronze Horseman”. The image of the founder of St. Petersburg symbolizes the ruling class, which does not care about the suffering of ordinary people. Those in power have always disposed of their lives carelessly and cruelly. After all, in 1824, when a terrible flood occurred, no one cared about the residents of the poor areas of St. Petersburg, no one saved them.

Image of Peter I

Pushkin had previously turned to the image of the reformer tsar. This historical figure is present in the works “Poltava” and “Arap of Peter the Great”. It is worth saying that the writer’s attitude towards the emperor was ambiguous. In the poem "Poltava", for example, the tsar is depicted as a romantic hero. And this image is radically different from that created in the last poem.

At the early stage of his work, Pushkin saw in him an active sovereign who knew exactly what was necessary for his state. The reforms carried out by Peter I, according to Pushkin, were aimed at the benefit of Russia. After all, the victory over the Swedes strengthened the country’s position in the eyes of Europeans. At the same time, the author of the poem “The Bronze Horseman” was critical of the despotism of the founders of St. Petersburg.

Pushkin collected materials about Peter for many years. In one of his works he said: “This king despised humanity more than Napoleon.” But such a vision of Peter’s character and activities appeared later. More realistically than in “Poltava”, the tsar is depicted in the story “Arap of Peter the Great”. And in "The Bronze Horseman". the features of the unlimited power of the Great Reformer are taken to the limit.

“Introduction” depicts a visionary political figure. The author cites Peter's reasoning about the role of the future capital in the fate of Russia. In the construction of the new city, the king pursued trade, military, and other goals. The Tsar, admiring the beauty of the Neva, does not pay attention to the shuttle sailing along it, to the blackening poor huts. He is passionate about his dream and does not care about ordinary people.

In the first part, which talks about the consequences of the natural disaster, the author calls the Bronze Horseman a “proud idol.” Peter is a higher being here. His descendant, Alexander I, humbly declares that he cannot control the natural elements. Peter, meanwhile, proudly rises above the raging waves.

In the second part, the author uses an even more emotional expression in relation to Peter - “Lord of Fate.” The emperor, with his fatal will, once changed the life of an entire people. Beautiful St. Petersburg was built “under the sea.” Peter, choosing a place for the new capital, thought about the greatness and wealth of the country, but not about ordinary people who will live here. Against the background of the great power plans of Peter I, the happiness of Eugene and others like him seems, of course, a trifle.

In the poem “The Bronze Horseman”, in the form of an allegory, the author expressed another important thought for him. Evgeniy, distraught with grief, wanders around the city for some time. Suddenly he turns his gaze to the monument and realizes that this “proud idol” is to blame for all its troubles. The unfortunate official plucks up courage, approaches the monument and makes angry speeches.

But Evgeniy’s fuse doesn’t last long. Suddenly he sees with horror, or rather, he imagines, that the bronze Peter comes to life. This deprives Pushkin’s hero of the remnants of his sanity. Soon he dies. What is this episode about?

It is no coincidence that Pushkin’s work was banned by Nicholas the First. The last lines of the poem, in a veiled form, talk about a popular uprising, which always ends tragically. The power of an autocrat cannot be defeated. At least, that’s what Pushkin, who died eighty years before the revolution, believed.

Time of creation of the poem. Plot basis and time of action. Subjects

A.S. Pushkin wrote the poem “The Bronze Horseman” in October 1833 in Boldin.

The plot basis of the work is St. Petersburg flood of 1824. Pushkin emphasizes the strict historical accuracy of the events described in the poem. Thus, in the author’s preface to the work, he notes: “The incident described in this story is based on the truth.”

The time frame of the poem is wider than its plot action. The poet commits excursion into the era of Peter I, talks about grandiose things the autocrat's plan. He then talks about the changes that took place a hundred years later. The author describes the flood of 1824 and the events immediately following it. The most important theme of the work also becomes the fate of the “little man”.

Issues

The main problem posed in The Bronze Horseman is personalityand the state. Pushkin comprehends the deep contradiction between the personality of the “little man” and autocratic power. In the context of this problem, Pushkin reveals the historical inconsistency of the activities of Peter I. On the one hand, the reforms he implemented strengthened the Russian State. The city, built on the Neva, became a symbol of the greatness and glory of Russia. On the other hand, this city turned out to be the cause of misfortune, suffering, and death of the “little man.”

Another important problem of the work is man and nature. In the natural elements, Pushkin showed the formidable Divine power, disobedient to man, not subject to the will of the kings.

Ideological orientation

The ideological meaning of the poem is ambiguous.

On the one side, Pushkin glorifies the deeds of Peter, admires the beautiful city on the Neva, bows to the greatness and glory of Russia.

On the other side, the poet deeply sympathizes and sympathizes with the “little man”, who became an involuntary victim of Peter's reforms.

Genre originality

"The Bronze Horseman" is lyric poem. It combines the narration of events and characters with the lyrical self-expression of the author. For example, the introduction to the poem includes an excited monologue of the poet praising St. Petersburg.

Pushkin also gives his own genre definition to “The Bronze Horseman”. In the subtitle he calls the work "Petersburg story". With his work, Pushkin affirms a new genre in Russian literature, the St. Petersburg story about a poor official, a “little man.” Subsequently (already in prose form) this genre will be developed in the works of N.V. Gogol, F.M. Dostoevsky, and other Russian writers.

Composition: plot structure, main images

The poem includes introduction And two parts.

Introduction contains exposition image of Peter I. The Tsar appears here as an outstanding statesman who has set himself the task of transforming Russia, making it a great state, and opening a “window to Europe.”

Although the king is described in the introduction as a real historical figure, he already looks monumental here 1 . The majestic figure of the autocrat is shown against the backdrop of wild, pristine nature:

On the shore of desert waves

stood He, full of great thoughts,

And he looked into the distance.

The poet talks about Peter's grandiose plan:

And he thought:

From here we will threaten the Swede,

The city will be founded here

To spite an arrogant neighbor.

Nature destined us here

Open a window to Europe,

Stand with a firm foot by the sea.

Here on new waves

All the flags will visit us,

A hundred years have passed, and the young city,

There is beauty and wonder in full countries,

From the darkness of the forests, from the swamps of blat

He ascended magnificently, proudly...

Pushkin does not hide his admiration for Peter's creation. Hence the high style, use Slavicisms(“young city”, “beauty and wonder of full countries”, “from the swamp of blat”).

Then follows lyrical monologue poet, where he talks about his love for St. Petersburg. The poet admires the architecture of the city, the majestic flow of the Neva, the beauty of the white nights:

I love you, Petra's creation,

I love your strict, slender appearance,

Neva sovereign current,

Its coastal granite,

Your fences have a cast iron pattern,

of your thoughtful nights

Transparent twilight, moonless shine...

Pushkin glorifies military power Russia:

I love the warlike liveliness

Amusing Fields of Mars,

Infantry troops and horses

Uniform beauty

In their harmoniously unsteady system

The shreds of these victorious banners,

The shine of these copper caps,

Shot through and through in battle.

These lines reminded Pushkin’s contemporaries of the glorious victory of Russia in the War of 1812.

The poet especially notes the significance of such solemn moments in the life of the Russian Empire as birth of the heir to the throne And victory over the enemy, and the jubilation caused by these events turns out to be akin to the joy of contemplating the spring awakening of the Neva:

I love you, military capital,

Your stronghold is smoke and thunder,

When the queen is full

Gives a son to the royal house,

Or victory over the enemy

Russia triumphs again

Or, breaking your blue ice,

The Neva carries him to the seas

And, sensing the days of spring, he rejoices.

Thus, Pushkin’s St. Petersburg is a symbol of a new, transformed Russia.

Meanwhile reform activities Petra, according to the poet’s conviction, brought Russia and its people not only greatness, but also great suffering. “My story will be sad,” the poet notes at the end of the introduction, preparing the reader for the sorrowful events described in the first and second parts of the poem.

First part“The Bronze Horseman” opens with a gloomy picture autumn nature. Neva is compared to a sick person:

Over darkened Petrograd

November breathed the autumn chill.

Splashing with a noisy wave

To the edges of your slender fence,

Neva was tossing around like a sick person

At that time from the guests home

Young Evgeniy came...

Exposition the image of the central character occupies first half of the first part poems. The poet explains why he chose the name “Eugene” for his hero:

We will be our hero

Call by this name. It

Sounds nice; been with him for a long time

My pen is also friendly.

Eugene comes from an ancient aristocratic family. However, in the era in which the poem takes place, his name no longer means anything to anyone:

We don't need his nickname.

Although in times gone by

Perhaps it shone,

And under the pen of Karamzin

In native legends it sounded,

But now with light and rumor

It's forgotten...

Evgeniy is typical petty official, “little man”:

Our hero

Lives in Kolomna, serves somewhere,

He shies away from the nobles and does not bother

Not about deceased relatives,

Not about forgotten antiquities.

Let us note that “little people” are the product of Peter’s reforms, which turned Russia into a state of officials.

We should not forget that the gallery of “little people” in Russian literature dates back to Pushkin. Samson Vyrin from The Station Agent is the first in their row, the second is Evgeniy from The Bronze Horseman. Later, Russian literature will include the heroes of Gogol (for example, Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin from “The Overcoat”), writers of the “natural school,” and Dostoevsky.

ABOUT worldview"little man" can be judged by his dreams:

What was he thinking about? About

That he was poor, that he worked hard

He had to deliver to himself

And independence and honor...

Marry? Well... why not?

It's hard, of course.

But well, he's young and healthy,

Ready to work day and night;

He'll arrange something for himself

Shelter humble and simple

And it will calm Parasha.

Eugene, unlike the autocratic tsar, is not concerned about grandiose plans of a state scale, but about pressing matters: he dreams of family happiness, of raising children.

It is also important that Evgeniy’s beloved is not an aristocratic lady, but a simple girl, Parasha, with whom he is going to share a modest and difficult family life.

The poet's poems express sympathy"little man", sincere attention to his concerns.

When creating the images of Peter and Evgeny, Pushkin resorted to antithesis, which emerges already in the introduction to the poem and in its first part. The majestic figure of Peter against the backdrop of the deserted, calm Neva is contrasted with Eugene, immersed in the bustle of everyday life - a “small” and by government standards insignificant man, returning home near a restless, restless river that instills in the hero fear for loved ones.

Second half of the first part the poem is dedicated to describing floods. Raging Neva acts as a merciless natural element that takes revenge on man for trying to limit her freedom by chaining her in granite. When describing a natural disaster, Pushkin uses extensive personifications, comparisons, and colorful epithets. The Neva appears before us as a terrible beast, destroying everything around:

The Neva swelled and roared,

A cauldron bubbling and swirling,

And suddenly, like a wild beast,

She rushed to the city...

It is no coincidence that Alexander I, at the end of whose reign the flood of 1824 occurred, pronounces significant words: “Tsars cannot cope with God’s element.” The forces of nature here symbolize God's wrath towards people who decide to subjugate the elements, and here even the king turns out to be powerless. Nature takes revenge on man for his tyranny over her.

It is significant that Pushkin emphasizes the inextricable connection between the disasters caused by the flood and Peter's long-standing decision to build a city in this very place - contrary to the laws of nature. As a result, the terrible suffering of the inhabitants of St. Petersburg, especially the “little people,” turned out to be a consequence of Peter’s activities in the previous century.

Not by chance at the end of the first part of the poem there are images of Peter I and Eugene again opposed, only the autocrat appears here no longer as a historical figure, but as a statue, an “idol.” Eugene, fleeing the flood, sits “astride a marble beast” and sees in front of him a motionless statue of Peter. At the same time, the monument turns out to have its “back turned to him”: it turns out that the desperate “little man” cannot count on help:

And with my back turned to him,

In unshakable heights

Above the indignant Neva

Stands with outstretched hand

Idol on a bronze horse.

In the second part the poem talks about death of Parasha, O Evgeniy's madness oh him riot against the authorities, finally about his own death.

Death of Parasha acquires a symbolic meaning in the poem: this is a sign misfortunes everyone ordinary people - residents of St. Petersburg , who found themselves hostage to Peter's reforms. The death of the bride also became the reason for Eugene's madness. His consciousness could not withstand severe tests:

But my poor, poor Evgeniy...

Alas! His confused mind

Against terrible shocks

Couldn't resist...

Let us note that the motive of madness in connection with the theme of St. Petersburg is widely covered in subsequent Russian literature. Let us recall, for example, Gogol’s “Notes of a Madman,” Raskolnikov’s dreams and nightmares in Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment.”

The second part of the poem also contains climax– a story about riot a hero against the power that the statue of Peter represents. The author prepares the reader in advance for this new confrontation between Eugene and the Bronze Horseman. The details of their first meeting, which occurred during the flood, are repeated again:

Evgeny shuddered. cleared up

The thoughts in it are scary. He found out

And the place where the flood played,

Where the waves of predators crowded,

Rioting angrily around him,

And lions, and the square, and that,

Who stood motionless

In the darkness with a copper head...

Poet in lyrical monologue turns to the statue of Peter - a symbol of autocratic power:

Where are you galloping, proud horse?

And where will you put your hooves?

O mighty lord of fate!

Aren't you above the very abyss,

At the height, with an iron bridle

Raised Russia on its hind legs?

Pushkin emphasizes here the grandeur of Peter’s appearance. Meanwhile, the figure of Eugene at the moment of his rebellion against his idol becomes majestic in its own way. It is no coincidence that the poet, in his depiction of the “little man,” as in the description of the statue of the autocrat, uses high-style vocabulary 1 :

Around the foot of the idol

The poor madman walked around

And brought wild glances

The face of the ruler of half the world.

His chest felt tight. Chelo

It lay against the cold grate...

The two opponents are stylistically “equalized”: the “ruler of half the world” has a “face”, the rebel has a “brow”. The hero, in a frenzy, utters words filled with anger:

Welcome, miraculous builder!

Already for you!

The riot ends nightmare Evgenia. The Bronze Horseman pursues his prey.

In a peculiar epilogue, not titled by the author, but highlighted textually, talks about death unfortunate Evgenia, unable to withstand the battle with cruel fate:

They found my madman,

And then his cold corpse

Buried for God's sake.

Play an important role in the work images-symbols. Image St. Petersburg carries the idea of ​​a new, transformed Russia with its greatness and glory. At the same time, St. Petersburg is a symbol of misfortune and suffering of ordinary people.

Raging Neva- a symbol of God’s wrath falling on a person who decided to subjugate the natural elements.

Finally, Bronze Horseman- the personification of autocratic power in its tragic confrontation with the people. Horse - Russian people, The Horseman is an autocrat who raised his subjects “on their hind legs.”

Questions and tasks

1. Where and when did Pushkin write the poem “The Bronze Horseman”? What is the plot of the work? Outline the time frame of the events described in the poem. Name the main themes of the work.

2. What problems does the poet comprehend in “The Bronze Horseman”? What is unique about the author’s interpretation of such a problem as the individual and the state?

3. Describe the ideological orientation of the poem. Why can’t the author’s position be called unambiguous?

4. Why is “The Bronze Horseman” a lyric epic work? What genre definition did Pushkin himself give to the poem? What is unique about The Bronze Horseman as a St. Petersburg story? Which other Russian writers created works in this genre?

5. What parts does Pushkin’s poem consist of? What compositional elements does the introduction include? How does Peter I appear before us in his introduction? What does the poet say about Peter’s plan? How Pushkin depicts Petersburg a hundred years after its founding. Describe the author's lyrical monologue. What exactly fascinates him about “Peter’s work”?

6. What can you say about the exposure of the image of Eugene at the beginning of the first part of the poem? How does the author describe the Neva? How does he introduce the central character to the reader? What does Pushkin write about the hero’s first and last name, about his origin, activities, dreams, ideals? What can you say about Eugene’s beloved? Why can Evgeny be called a “little man”? When and for what reasons did this socio-historical type of people arise? Which Russian writer first discovered it? What other characters - Pushkin himself and other authors - can be classified as this literary type?

What is the meaning of the antithesis “Peter - Eugene”?

7. How does Pushkin depict the raging elements? What artistic techniques does he use here? What is the meaning of the words of Alexander I quoted by the poet? How is the theme of the flood of 1824 related to the theme of Peter the Great's reforms? Reveal the meaning of the episode of the confrontation between Eugene and the statue of Peter during the flood.

8. Name the main events of the second part of the poem. Why do the death of Parasha and Eugene’s madness acquire symbolic meaning in the work?

9. Describe the climax of the poem? Why can we say that the images of Eugene and Peter at the moment of the hero’s rebellion are stylistically equal? What does the hero's rebellion lead to? What is the symbolic meaning of Eugene’s death? What description serves as an epilogue in the poem?

10. Summarize the meaning of image-symbols in the poem. Why is the symbolic image of St. Petersburg interpreted ambiguously? How can one interpret the meaning of the image of the raging Neva? Comment on Pushkin's interpretation of the image of the Bronze Horseman.

11. Make an outline and prepare an oral report

A. S. Pushkin’s poem “The Bronze Horseman” combines both historical and social issues. This is the author's reflection on Peter the Great as a reformer, a collection of various opinions and assessments about his actions. This poem is one of his perfect works that have a philosophical meaning. We offer for your information brief analysis poems, the material can be used for work in literature lessons in 7th grade.

Brief Analysis

Year of writing– 1833

History of creation– During the period of his “golden autumn”, when Pushkin was forced to stay on the Boldinsky estate, the poet had a creative upsurge. During that “golden” time, the author created many brilliant works that made a great impression on both the public and critics. One of such works of the Boldino period was the poem “The Bronze Horseman”.

Subject– The reign of Peter the Great, the attitude of society to his reforms is the main theme of “The Bronze Horseman”

Composition– The composition consists of a large introduction, which can be considered as a separate poem, and two parts, which talk about the main character, the devastating flood of 1824, and the hero’s meeting with the Bronze Horseman.

Genre– The genre of “The Bronze Horseman” is a poem.

Direction - Historical poem describing actual events, direction– realism.

History of creation

At the very beginning of the history of the creation of the poem, the writer was in the Boldinsky estate. He thought a lot about the history of the Russian state, about its rulers and autocratic power. At that time, society was divided into two types of people - some fully supported the policies of Peter the Great, treated him with adoration, and the other type of people found in the great emperor similarities with evil spirits, considered him a fiend of hell, and treated him accordingly.

The writer listened to different opinions about the reign of Peter, the result of his thoughts and collection of various information was the poem “The Bronze Horseman”, which completed his Boldino heyday of creativity, the year the poem was written was 1833.

Subject

In “The Bronze Horseman” the analysis of the work reflects one of the main topics– power and the little man. The author reflects on the government of the state, on the collision of a small man with a huge colossus.

Myself meaning of the name– “The Bronze Horseman” – contains the main idea of ​​the poetic work. The monument to Peter is made of bronze, but the author preferred a different epithet, more ponderous and gloomy. So, through expressive artistic means, the poet outlines a powerful state machine, which is indifferent to the problems of small people suffering from the power of autocratic rule.

In this poem, conflict between a small person and the authorities has no continuation, a person is so petty for the state when “the forest is cut down - the chips fly.”

One can judge the role of one individual in the fate of the state in different ways. In his introduction to the poem, the author characterizes Peter the Great as a man of amazing intelligence, far-sighted and decisive. While in power, Peter looked far ahead; he thought about the future of Russia, about its power and indestructibility. The actions of Peter the Great can be judged in different ways, accusing him of despotism and tyranny towards the common people. It is impossible to justify the actions of a ruler who built power on the bones of people.

Composition

Pushkin's brilliant idea in the compositional features of the poem serves as proof of the poet's creative skill. The long introduction, dedicated to Peter the Great and the city he built, can be read as an independent work.

The language of the poem has absorbed all the originality of the genre, emphasizing the author’s attitude to the events he describes. In the description of Peter and St. Petersburg, the language is pathetic, majestic, completely in harmony with the appearance of the emperor, great and powerful.

The story of simple Eugene is told in a completely different language. The narrative speech about the hero is in ordinary language, reflecting the essence of the “little man”.

The greatest genius of Pushkin is clearly visible in this poem; it is all written in the same poetic meter, but in different places works sound completely different. The two parts of the poem following the introduction can also be considered a separate work. These parts are about an ordinary man who lost his girlfriend in a flood.

Eugene blames the monument to Peter for this, implying that it is the emperor himself - the autocrat. A person who dreams of simple human happiness has lost the meaning of life, having lost the most precious thing - he has lost his beloved girl, his future. It seems to Evgeniy that the Bronze Horseman is chasing him. Eugene understands that the autocrat is cruel and merciless. Crushed by grief, the young man goes crazy and then dies, left without the meaning of life.

We can come to the conclusion that in this way the author continues the theme of the “little man”, developed at that time in Russian literature. By this he proves how despotic the government is towards the common people.

Main characters

Genre

The work “The Bronze Horseman” belongs to the genre of a poetic poem with a realistic direction.

The poem is large-scale in its deep content; it includes both historical and philosophical issues. There is no epilogue in the poem, and the contradictions between the little man and the whole state remain open.

"The Bronze Horseman"- a philosophical, social and historical poem. Pushkin's poem raises problems of relationships between the state, government and the individual, and sometimes the incompatibility of their interests.
It became the result of the poet’s thoughts about the personality of Peter I, about Russian history and the state, about the place of man in it.
This work organically combines the story of the fate of an ordinary resident of St. Petersburg, who suffered during the flood, Eugene, and historical and philosophical reflections on the state, the formation of which is associated with the personality and activities of Peter.

The main idea of ​​the story “The Bronze Horseman” is that ordinary person may go crazy from the storm, from grief and anxiety. Not finding his bride, Parasha, among the rubble and ruins left by the storm, the hero of the poem Eugene goes crazy. In Kotzna, seeing the very place where he watched all the destruction that shocked him so much - stone lions, and next to them a majestic horseman on a horse. From then on, it began to seem to him that the same rider was constantly chasing him, stepping heavily, on his copper horse. He soon died from despair and fear.

Main characters The Bronze Horseman

Bronze Horseman plot

The poem tells about a poor, insignificant St. Petersburg resident Evgeniy, stupid, not original, no different from his brothers. He was in love with Parasha, the daughter of a widow living by the seaside. The flood of 1824 destroyed their house; the widow and Parasha died. Evgeniy could not bear this misfortune and went crazy. One night, passing by the monument to Peter I, Eugene, in his madness, whispered several angry words to him, seeing in him the culprit of his disasters. Eugene’s frustrated imagination imagined that the bronze horseman was angry with him for this and chased him on his bronze horse. A few months later the madman died.

History of creation and analysis of the poem "The Bronze Horseman" by A.S. Pushkin

History of creation The last poem written by Pushkin in Boldin in October 1833, the artistic result of his thoughts about the personality of Peter I, about the “St. Petersburg” period of Russian history. The main themes of the poem “The Bronze Horseman” The main themes of the poem: the theme of Peter, “the miraculous builder,” and the theme of the “simple” (“little”) man, the theme of relationships common man and power.

The story about the flood forms the first historical semantic plan of the poem, which is emphasized by the words “a hundred years have passed.” The story about the city begins in 1803 (this year St. Petersburg turned one hundred years old). Flood historical background the plot and the source of one of the conflicts of the poem - the conflict between the city and the elements. Analysis of the poem "The Bronze Horseman"

The second semantic plan of the poem is literary, fictional, given by the subtitle: “The Petersburg Tale.” Eugene is the central character of this story. The faces of the remaining residents of St. Petersburg are indistinguishable. These are the “people” crowding the streets, drowning during a flood (the first part), and the cold, indifferent St. Petersburg people in the second part. The real background of the story about Evgeniy’s fate was St. Petersburg: Senate Square, the streets and the outskirts, where the “dilapidated house” of Evgeniy’s beloved stood. Analysis of the poem "The Bronze Horseman"

The Bronze Horseman, awakened by the words of Eugene, falling from his pedestal, ceases to be only an “idol on a bronze horse,” that is, a monument to Peter. He becomes the mythological embodiment of the “formidable king”. Having pitted the bronze Peter against the poor St. Petersburg official Eugene in the poem, Pushkin emphasized that state power and man are separated by the abyss. Analysis of the poem "The Bronze Horseman" The third semantic plane, the legendary-mythological one, plays an important role. It is given by the title of the poem “The Bronze Horseman”. This semantic plan interacts with the historical one in the introduction, shades the plot narrative about the flood and the fate of Eugene, and dominates at the climax of the poem (the Bronze Horseman's pursuit of Eugene). A mythological hero appears, a revived statue of the Bronze Horseman.

Evgeniy is the antipode of the “idol on a bronze horse.” He has what the bronze Peter lacks: heart and soul. He is capable of dreaming, grieving, “fearing” for the fate of his beloved, and exhausting himself from torment. Deep meaning the poem is that Eugene is compared not with Peter the man, but with Peter’s “idol”, with a statue. Analysis of the poem "The Bronze Horseman"

Eugene, who has gone mad, wanders around St. Petersburg, not noticing humiliation and human anger, deafened by the “noise of internal anxiety.” It is the “noise” in Eugene’s soul, coinciding with the noise of the natural elements (“It was gloomy: / The rain was dripping, the wind howled sadly”) that awakens the memory in the madman: “Eugene jumped up; remembered vividly / He remembered the past horror.” It is the memory of the flood he experienced that brings him to Senate Square, where he meets the “idol on a bronze horse” for the second time. This is the climax of the poem. Analysis of the poem "The Bronze Horseman"

This climactic episode of the poem, which ended with the Bronze Horseman chasing the “poor madman,” is especially important for understanding the meaning of the entire work. Often in the words of Eugene addressed to the bronze Peter (“Good, miraculous builder! / He whispered, trembling angrily, / For you! is the winner - statehood, embodied in the “proud idol”, or humanity, embodied in Eugene? However, Eugene’s words can hardly be considered a rebellion or rebellion. The words of the mad hero are caused by the memory that has awakened in him. Analysis of the poem "The Bronze Horseman"

In the chase scene, the second reincarnation of the “idol on a bronze horse” takes place. He turns into the Bronze Horseman. A mechanical creature gallops after Man, having become the pure embodiment of power, punishing even a timid threat and a reminder of retribution. Analysis of the poem "The Bronze Horseman"

A senseless and fruitless chase, reminiscent of “running in place,” has a deep philosophical meaning. Contradictions between man and power cannot be resolved or disappear: man and power are always tragically connected. Pushkin, recognizing the greatness of Peter, defends the right of every person to personal happiness. The clash of the “little man” - the poor official Evgeniy - with the unlimited power of the state ends in the defeat of Evgeniy. The author sympathizes with the hero, but understands that the rebellion of a loner against the lord of fate is insane and hopeless. Analysis of the poem "The Bronze Horseman"