It is in vain that Leo Tolstoy is considered a purely serious, “adult” writer. In addition to “War and Peace”, “Sunday” and other complex works, he wrote a number of stories and fairy tales for children, developed the “ABC”, which he used to teach literacy to peasant children. The story " Prisoner of the Caucasus"is included in it and enjoys constant interest among all generations of girls and boys from the end of the 19th century to the present day.

Genre and place of the work in the writer’s work

"Prisoner of the Caucasus" by Tolstoy, summary which we will now consider, researchers call a short story or big story. The confusion in the genre nature of the work is associated with its non-standard sizes, big amount characters, multiple storylines and conflicts. The author himself defined it as “truth”, i.e. a narration of real-life deeds and events. The story takes place in the Caucasus, during the war with the highlanders. It is worth noting that this topic was not completed for the writer, and Tolstoy’s “Prisoner of the Caucasus” (a summary follows below) was not the only work related to it. “Cossacks” and “Hadji Murat” are also devoted to the description of military clashes and the peculiarities of human relationships different cultures and nationalities and contain many interesting observations and colorful sketches. The story was published in 1872 in the magazine “Zarya”. Since Soviet times and to this day, it has been part of school programs most of the former Soviet republics.

History of creation

What is Tolstoy’s “Prisoner of the Caucasus”? Its brief content can be correlated with real events, in which Tolstoy became a participant. He himself served in the Caucasus, was a participant in the fighting and once almost was captured. Lev Nikolaevich and his comrade Sado, a Chechen by nationality, miraculously escaped. The sensations they experienced during the adventure formed the basis of the story. As for the name, there are some literary associations associated with it. In particular, with Pushkin’s southern romantic poem. True, Tolstoy’s “Prisoner of the Caucasus” (a brief summary of the story gives a complete idea of the writing method) belongs to realistic works, but the corresponding “exotic” flavor is clearly felt in it. I would like to note one more detail. Tolstoy gave the story great importance, because it was a sample of his new prose, a kind of experiment in the field of language and style. Therefore, when sending the work to critic Nikolai Strakhov, I asked him to pay attention to this aspect of the work.

Plot and characters

So, what did Tolstoy tell us about (“Prisoner of the Caucasus”)? The summary of the story can be reduced to several storylines. A poor Russian officer Zhilin, serving in a remote fortress, receives a letter from his old mother asking him to come on leave and see him. Having asked for leave, he and the convoy set off on the road. Another officer, Kostylin, is traveling with Zhilin. Since the convoy is moving slowly, the road is long, and the day is hot, the friends decide not to wait for an escort and cover the rest of the journey on their own. Kostylin has a gun, the horses under both are good, and even if they catch the eye of the mountaineers, they will be able to avoid a skirmish. However, due to Kostylin's oversight and cowardice, the officers are captured. Their behavior gives a clear idea of the character and personality type of each. Kostylin is heavy on the outside and equally apathetic and clumsy on the inside. When in trouble, he resigns himself to the circumstances, sleeps or grumbles, complains. When the Tatars demand to write a ransom request, the hero fulfills all the conditions. He is passive, phlegmatic, devoid of any enterprise. Zhilin is a completely different matter. He clearly sympathizes with Tolstoy. “Caucasian Prisoner” (a brief summary allows us to reveal the meaning of the title) is named in the singular because this character is the main character, a real hero. Not wanting to burden his mother with debt, Zhilin signs the letter incorrectly, gains authority and respect from the village residents, and finds mutual language with the girl Dina and organizes an escape twice. He does not lose heart, fights against circumstances, and does not abandon his comrade. Strong-willed, energetic, enterprising, courageous, Zhilin achieves his goal. It’s not scary to go on reconnaissance missions with this one. This is a reliable, simple person who has always been close and interesting to the writer.

It is in the charm of Zhilin’s personality, the entertaining plot, and the simplicity and brevity of the language that lies the secret of the story’s enormous popularity.

Introduction

In the history of Russian literature there are such facts when writers different directions, aesthetic positions refer to the same titles of their works. I was interested in three “Prisoners of the Caucasus” by A.S. Pushkin, M.Yu. Lermontov, L.N. Tolstoy. Why do authors name their works the same? Maybe this indicates continuity between the works? Or maybe they are polemically opposed to each other?

Goal of the work: identify the features of the plot of A.S.’s poems Pushkin and M.Yu. Lermontov “Prisoner of the Caucasus”, story by L.N. Tolstoy "Prisoner of the Caucasus".

Tasks:

Analysis of the plot of A.S. Pushkin’s poem “Prisoner of the Caucasus”, highlighting its structural elements;
Determine the influence of Pushkin’s poem on the plot of M.Yu. Lermontov’s poem, finding common and different things in them;
Study of the features of the Caucasian plot in the story of L.N. Tolstoy;
Conduct a comparative analysis of three works.

Object of study- works by A.S. Pushkin, M.Yu. Lermontov, L.N. Tolstoy “Prisoner of the Caucasus”.

Subject of study: plots of these works.

Practical significance: The work can be used in literature lessons, as well as in preparation for olympiads and the Unified State Exam in literature.

Research methods: comparison, juxtaposition.

Hypothesis: We believe that the implementation of the plot about the Caucasian captive depends entirely on the author's concept and the literary movement to which the author belongs.

Poem by A. S. Pushkin “Prisoner of the Caucasus”

“Prisoner of the Caucasus” is a romantic poem by Pushkin, written by him during his southern exile in 1822. The author set himself the goal of reproducing the character young man of his time, dissatisfied with reality and seized by a thirst for freedom. The hero, who has neither a name nor a past, went to the Caucasus - the land of strong and freedom-loving people - to find the freedom of spirit he desired and needed, but was captured.

In the romantic poem, the epic line (the Caucasus, the exotic life of the highlanders, the arrival of Russian conquerors) is intertwined with the lyrical line (the love of a captive Russian and a Circassian woman). Highlanders are “natural” people who live in harmony with the world. Stranger to the wild world, the captive brings destruction to him: because of him, a young Circassian woman throws herself into the abyss of the sea.

It is in the poem by A. S. Pushkin that one can highlight the main structural elements the so-called Caucasian plot, which were transformed in the works of the same name by M. Yu. Lermontov and L. N. Tolstoy.

Basic plot elements:

Russian in the Caucasus;
he is amazed by the beauty of the area;
disappointed hero;
love story;
motives for capture and escape.

Poem by M.Yu. Lermontov “Prisoner of the Caucasus”

My romantic poem M.Yu. Lermontov wrote in 1828, when he was only 14 years old. The poem was created under the strong influence of Pushkin's poem of the same name. It is clear that by giving the same name to your work, young poet consciously refers to the plot of the poem by A.S. Pushkin "Prisoner of the Caucasus". In his poem, he raises the same problems as his idol, showing the moral superiority of the “children of nature” over the “children of civilization.” To show that over time the problems raised by A.S. Pushkin, have not lost their relevance, Lermontov uses the technique of poetic roll call. Some of Pushkin’s poems were included in their entirety in the poem, others in slightly altered form.

The author of the poem is an aspiring poet, trying to give expression to his own moods, thoughts and feelings using someone else's material. By calling his poem this way, young Lermontov boldly strives to measure his strength with the greatest poet modernity, he wants to tell the story that excited him, captured him in his own way, to convey it somehow in his own way. Lermontov did not imitate, did not copy, but assimilated from Pushkin’s experience that which could contribute to the expression of his own creative individuality.

General and different in poems

Both poems are romantic. Like A.S. Pushkin, Lermontov’s hero is nameless. There is a lot of Pushkin in the depiction of the captive; the hero is a lonely wanderer. It is not surprising that certain features, such as proud loneliness, mystery, and ardent passion, unite the heroes of the two poems:
And the shine of his eyes is cold.../...Feelings, passions,

Burnt in the eyes forever/Lurking like a lion in a cave/Deep in the heart...
Plot-wise, Lermontov’s “Prisoner of the Caucasus” is close to Pushkin’s work of the same name, but Lermontov has increased the number of characters and their characters are different. The prisoner is devoid of the traits of disappointment and satiety with life. The hero yearns for his homeland and freedom, seeks the support of friends. The Circassian woman has more decisive character than Pushkin’s heroine, she demands the love of a captive.

In Pushkin’s poem, the captive invites the Circassian woman to leave with him:

“Oh my friend!” the Russian cried, “I am yours forever, I am yours until the grave.

Let’s both leave this terrible land./Run with me!”

The Circassian woman, knowing that he loves another, refuses to follow him and commits suicide. The prisoner happily leaves captivity.

Lermontov gives a completely different outcome. His heroine is a more decisive and courageous person. She says to the Russian:

“But you said / That you love, Russian, you are different.

Forget her, I’m ready / To run with you to the edge of the universe!

Forget her, love me / Your unchanging friend."

The prisoner cannot reciprocate her feelings. The Circassian woman helps him free himself from the chains, but the hero did not have to return to his homeland. Father of a Circassian woman ( new character, brought out by Lermontov), kills the fugitive. Daughter like Pushkin heroine, throws himself into the river and drowns. Her father is tormented by remorse, unable to find peace of mind.

We see that in his poem “Prisoner of the Caucasus,” the young poet is looking for new plot points and depicts the characters of the characters in his own way, although the main structural elements of the Caucasian plot remain Pushkin’s.

The story of L. N. Tolstoy “Prisoner of the Caucasus”

Tolstoy creates a realistic work with Pushkin’s title “Prisoner of the Caucasus”, starting from the same title, Tolstoy, as it were, declares his desire to write about the same thing in a new way.

“Prisoner of the Caucasus” by L.N. Tolstoy is a true story, the material for which was events from the life of the writer and stories he heard while serving in the Caucasus. The story was written in 1872 and is a realistic work.

We found out why Lermontov gave his youthful poem the title “Prisoner of the Caucasus.” But why does L.N. Tolstoy, almost half a century later, give his work the same name? Let's try to figure this out.

In the 60-70s, Tolstoy thought a lot about the true purpose of literature. Analysis critical literature By this work allows us to conclude that by the time L.N. Tolstoy himself began working on the story, he was finally convinced of the need to learn from the people their morality, their views on the world, simplicity and wisdom, the ability to “get accustomed” to any environment, to survive in any situation , without complaining and without shifting your troubles onto the shoulders of others. The writer at this time was completely occupied with public education, he wrote “The ABC” for peasant children, all the literary texts in which are simple, entertaining, and instructive.

"Prisoner of the Caucasus" was originally published in the magazine "Zarya", intended exclusively for adults, and then placed in the 4th book of "Russian children's books for reading", that is, the story was written by Tolstoy specifically for children. Tolstoy addresses children who have not yet been “spoiled” by social and national abnormal relationships. He wants to tell us the truth, teach us to distinguish good from evil, help us follow goodness.

“The Prisoner of the Caucasus” by Leo Tolstoy is not just a story written specifically for children, and that is why it is so instructive. It was a sample of his new prose, a kind of experiment in the field of language and style. Therefore, sending criticism to Nikolai Strakhov of the story “Prisoner of the Caucasus” he wrote for children, Tolstoy explains: “This is an example of the techniques and language with which I write and will write for big people.” IN highest degree This testimony of Leo Tolstoy is noteworthy. He, at that time already a famous author, “ Sevastopol stories", "Cossacks", "Childhood and Adolescence" and "War and Peace", as if learning to write again while working on a book for children. And at the same time he also claimed that he would write for adults in the same way, using the same “techniques of language.”

It is in order to emphasize the polemical nature of his position that Tolstoy gives his story the title “Prisoner of the Caucasus” - a title that evokes direct associations with the poems of Pushkin and Lermontov. With his story, he wanted to expose the “false” poetics of romanticism. IN romantic literature Tolstoy was irritated by many things: both the heroes and the situation that surrounds them. Tolstoy highly valued Pushkin's prose and spoke negatively about his poems. It was surprising to read in Leo Tolstoy’s diary dated June 7, 1856, where he wrote: “Gypsies” are charming<...>, the rest of the poems, excluding Onegin, are terrible rubbish"

Comparative analysis of works

General

In his “Prisoner of the Caucasus,” L.N. Tolstoy leaves the main structural elements of the Caucasian plot intact:

· the Russian is captured by the highlanders;

· meets a Circassian/Tatar woman who brings him food;

· with her help he manages to escape. (In Lermontov’s poem, the hero was unable to reach his homeland: he was overtaken by a Circassian bullet).

But otherwise, Tolstoy’s story in all respects represents a complete antithesis to the other two “Prisoners of the Caucasus” by Pushkin and Lermontov.

Various

Subtitle

The very subtitle of the story (truth) contrasts the truthfully told story with romantic “fables”. It is known that the story is based on a real incident - an attack by highlanders on L.N. Tolstoy and four other officers who had become separated from the convoy.

Hero names

The heroes of both poems do not have names, with the exception of Giray, who delivered the prisoner to the village. (In Lermontov's poem). In Tolstoy’s story, all the main characters have names, and the main characters are given “speaking” surnames. (Zhilin and Kostylin)

Age

The characters of Pushkin and Lermontov are young men (typical of romantic poetry). Zhilin is an older man. We learn about this when we mention the old mother.

The reasons why the heroes ended up in the Caucasus

Pushkin's hero, disillusioned with the “unfaithful life” and “dreams of love,” goes to the Caucasus to find freedom there and is captured.

We know practically nothing about the motives for Lermontov’s hero’s stay in the Caucasus. Lermontov says that “in home country The captive “destroyed the holy hearts of hope.” But the reason that forced him to leave his father’s house is not named.

Zhilin serves in the Caucasus, sends money to his mother and plans to get married after leaving the service.

Thus, the romantic motives of escape from civilization and disappointment in love are opposed by rational and completely prosaic motives.

Capture

All three heroes are captured. Neither Pushkin nor Lermontov see the reasons why this happened. For them, the very fact of loss of freedom is important. Tolstoy tells in detail how and why this happened. Zhilin is captured by the Tatars, among other things, because it is important for him to emphasize: Kostylin’s cowardice is to blame.

The hero of Pushkin - Lermontov is captured by a lone warrior who drags his captives to the village on a lasso. The situation described by Tolstoy is more realistic. A whole detachment attacks Zhilin and Kostylin, and the tied Zhilin is placed on a horse. Tolstoy draws attention to the everydayness of the prisoner’s feelings. “Zhilin sits behind the Tatar, sways, rubs his face into the stinking Tatar back. All he sees in front of him is a hefty Tatar back, a sinewy neck, and the shaved back of his head turning blue under his hat.”

The description is also emphatically unromantic appearance hero: “Zhilin’s head is broken, blood is caked over his eyes.” The heroes of the poems of Pushkin and Lermontov also suffered ( From Pushkin:“a cold and dumb captive, / with a disfigured head”;

From Lermontov:"pale face, washed in blood")

In captivity

The heroes of both poems, brought to the village, “lie in heavy oblivion” until noon. Zhilin, on the contrary, maintains clarity of thought throughout the entire journey and even tries to notice the road.

The behavior of the heroes in captivity is completely opposite. The heroes of the poems mainly contemplate what surrounds them and indulge in fruitless hopes.

(from Pushkin: “The night follows the night; / He longs for freedom in vain.". The prisoners in the poems are absolutely inactive: passionately dreaming of escape, they do nothing to achieve freedom.

In captivity, Zhilin is constantly busy with some kind of “handicraft” and at the first opportunity begins preparations for escape. It should be noted that in Tolstoy's story much attention is paid to the unromantic issue of ransom. In the poems of Pushkin and Lermontov this issue is not addressed at all.

All three characters observe the life of the mountaineers with interest. Tolstoy debunks the romantic idea of the “free sons of the Caucasus”, showing readers that the Tatars are the most ordinary people.

In Pushkin, a “hopeless captive” often climbs a mountain near an aul, where “ magnificent paintings»: “Thrones of eternal snow, / Their peaks seemed to the eyes / A motionless chain of clouds, / And in their circle there was a two-headed colossus, / in a crown of shining ice, / Elbrus was huge, majestic, / White in the blue sky.”. Zhilin also climbs the mountain and sees the same landscape: “There is another mountain from the village, even steeper; and behind that mountain there is another mountain. Between the mountains the forest turns blue, and there are more mountains - rising higher and higher. And above all, mountains white as sugar stand under the snow. And one snowy mountain stands taller than the others.”. Emphatically not romantic description: “white as sugar”, “standing like a head”.

The very idea of climbing a mountain in chains to admire beautiful landscape, Tolstoy seems ridiculous. His hero climbs a mountain to choose a route for his future escape.

Heroines

In all three works, the heroine helps the prisoner escape. In the poems of Pushkin and Lermontov, these are young black-haired, black-eyed beauties. ( At Pushkin's: “And a black wave falls / Her hair falls on her chest and shoulders.” At Lermontov's : “And the tears of the black-eyed maiden / did not touch his soul”.) Typically romantic heroines. Tolstoy, trying to exclude any romantic situation, turns his heroine into a “thin, skinny”, black-eyed girl of about thirteen with a black braid.

The Circassian woman, on her own initiative, brings a saw and herself frees the captive from his shackles. Zhilin escapes from captivity twice and each time the initiative comes from him. Tolstoy includes in his story the scene of the failed release from the shackles, when Dina tries to knock the lock off Zhilin’s block with a stone. “Yes, the hands are thin, like twigs - there is no strength at all. Threw a stone and cried".

Moon image

Young Caucasian captives leave the village moonlit night, without thinking about conspiracy at all. ( From Pushkin:“The pale light of the moon flashes through the white huts of the village”. From Lermontov: “And above him the golden moon / floated up on a white cloud”.) The moon also appears in Tolstoy’s story, but it causes nothing but trouble for the hero. “I began to approach the forest, a month emerged from behind the mountains - white, light, just like daytime. All leaves are visible on the trees. Quiet, light in the mountains". Tolstoy repeatedly emphasizes that on his first escape, when Zhilin could choose, he was waiting for a moonless night. “The moon had just begun - the nights were still dark.”

River image

In Pushkin and Lermontov, the river is an insurmountable barrier separating the hero from freedom. In both poems it is a mighty stream. Zhilin and Kostylin ford the river, barely getting their feet wet. “We went through the yard under the steep slope to the river, crossed the river, went through the ravine.”

Conclusion

Thus, having considered works of the same name A.S. Pushkin, M.Yu. Lermontov, L.N. Tolstoy, we can conclude that the implementation of the plot about a Caucasian prisoner completely depends on the author’s concept and the literary direction to which the author belongs.

In romanticism (Pushkin and Lermontov) the main ones are the disappointed fugitive and the ideal of the free, natural world, and in realism (Tolstoy) - a description of war and military operations.

Based on the plot of the poem by A.S. Pushkin, the theme of the Caucasian captive subsequently passes through the plots of other works, enriching them and at the same time influencing them, that is, it appears as an invariant for all subsequent post-Pushkin plots.

Job prospects

Pushkin's poem opens the theme of the tragic confrontation between Russia and the Caucasus, a theme that, apparently, will never be exhausted. We would like to continue this work by examining the plot of the Caucasian captive using the example of works of Russian literature of the 20th century: the story by Vladimir Makanin “Prisoner of the Caucasus” (1995) and the documentary story by Irina Kolontaevskaya “Prisoner of the Caucasus” (2001)

Arts and entertainment

"Prisoner of the Caucasus" - who wrote it? Fiction

March 29, 2016

Many poems, poems and stories are dedicated to the Caucasus, but it is not for nothing that many are interested in the work “Prisoner of the Caucasus”. Who wrote it, let's try to figure it out further. Once upon a time literary critic Belinsky wrote that the Caucasus for Russians has become a cherished country of “free will and inexhaustible poetry, vibrant life and bold dreams.” Today, it is not for nothing that Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov and Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy are considered three Caucasian captives. The Caucasus left an indelible mark on their souls, because since the 18th century, this wonderful region in itself began to arouse great interest among writers, historians, and researchers, as a result of which numerous historical, scientific and literary works began to appear.

“Prisoner of the Caucasus”: who wrote it?

Pushkin is considered the discoverer of the Caucasus in Russian poetry. It was here that he drew his inspiration, communicating through poetry with romantic landscapes majestic mountains, green valleys and fast rivers. And the acute and dangerous events of the Caucasian War (1816-1964) and the life of the mountaineers began to serve as sources of various literary plots. It was here that the poet plunged into the atmosphere of various dramatic stories and legends about military confrontation and the heroism of Russian officers in captivity and irreconcilable highlanders.

Pushkin began writing his poem “Prisoner of the Caucasus” in August 1820 in Gurzuf, Crimea. It became the first work dedicated to the Caucasus, which was a huge success among readers. According to the author himself, the character of the captive hero did not turn out very well, but he described the mountains of the fertile region with extraordinary admiration, and the love of the Circassian woman also deeply touched his soul.

"Prisoner of the Caucasus". Lermontov

All my, unfortunately, short life I experienced tremulous love to the Caucasus and M. Yu. Lermontov. In 1825 he visited this fabulously beautiful region. It greatly excited his imagination and subsequently took a central place in his work. He received all the information about the Caucasus from his relatives living in Mineralnye Vody. In addition, Pushkin’s “prisoner” made an indelible impression on him. Therefore, already at the age of 14 (1818), Mikhail Yuryevich began to write his “Prisoner of the Caucasus.” The plots have a strong similarity and tell how a Russian serviceman is captured by the Circassians. A Circassian woman fell in love with him very much, who later helped him escape. Only Lermontov gave this plot his own unique and inimitable facet.

Video on the topic

Tolstoy

And other authors had the work “Prisoner of the Caucasus”. Who wrote a story on this topic? Of course, the “third prisoner” is Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy. He came to the Caucasus when he was 23 years old. And fell in love with these lands. He didn’t know what to do with himself, so he started writing a story about local beauties, people’s lives, and traditions. After more than three years (1851-1854) of living here, he left this region famous writer. Many years later, in his memoirs, he emphasized that the Caucasus became a school of life for him. Here he first learned what it was fighting, danger and death.

As a child, Tolstoy read fascinating Caucasian writings Lermontov, which he enjoyed. Then Chechen mountaineers appeared among his acquaintances, and he recorded their stories and songs, especially about the war. This is how the story “Prisoner of the Caucasus” was born in his head. The author describes in it the life of two Russian prisoners - Zhilin and Kostylin, who ended up in the Caucasus. For Tolstoy, his young years spent in the Caucasian War will evoke the best memories. Here he was lonely and unhappy, so it was the most painful, but good time for reflection, the beginning of writing and the achievement of high thought.

Now, I think, the confusion regarding the question of what “Prisoner of the Caucasus” is, who wrote it and what it tells about, will disappear by itself. As it turned out, there are already three similar works, and not just one.

The story by L. N. Tolstoy was written in 1872 and refers to literary direction realism. The title of the work refers the reader to A. S. Pushkin’s poem “Prisoner of the Caucasus.” However, unlike his predecessor, Tolstoy in his story portrayed not a romantic, idealized character, but an ordinary Russian officer Zhilin - a brave, hardworking and humane hero, capable of always finding a way out of a difficult situation.

Main characters

Zhilin- a gentleman from a poor family, an officer, served in the Caucasus. Heading home, he was captured by the Tatars, from which he escaped only the second time.

Kostylin- the officer with whom Zhilin was captured by the Tatars.

Other characters

Dina- daughter of Abdul-Murat, “thin, skinny, about thirteen years old.” She carried food to Zhilin when he was in captivity and helped him escape.

Abdul-Murat- “owner”, a Tatar who bought Zhilin and Kostylin, Dina’s father.

Chapter 1

Zhilin serves as an officer in the Caucasus. One day he receives a letter from his mother asking him to come home. After thinking, Zhilin “straightened out his vacation,” said goodbye to his friends and got ready to go.

“There was a war in the Caucasus at that time” - the Tatars attacked lonely travelers, so Zilina’s convoy was accompanied by soldiers. Wanting to get there faster, the officer decides to break away from those accompanying him, and Kostylin joins him.

However, on the way they met Tatars. Due to the fault of Kostylin, who got scared and ran away, the unarmed Zhilin was captured and taken to an aul (Tatar village). The prisoner was put in stocks and locked in a barn.

Chapter 2

After some time, Zhilin was informed that the Tatar who captured him also caught Kostylin and sold the captives to Abdul-Murat, who now became their “master”. The Tatar forced the captives to write letters home asking for ransom. Zhilin understood that his mother did not have money, so he wrote a letter with the wrong address so that it would not reach.

Chapter 3

Zhilin and Kostylin lived in the barn for a whole month. The stocks were put on them during the day and removed at night. Zhilin “was a master of all kinds of needlework,” so for the sake of entertainment he began to sculpt dolls from clay for the owner’s daughter Dina. The girl, grateful to the man for the toys, secretly brought him food - milk and cakes.

Chapter 4

Planning his escape, Zhilin began digging a hole in the barn. One night, when the Tatars left the village, the prisoners escaped.

Chapter 5

The officers left the village without hindrance. Soon Kostylin began to complain that he had chafed his feet. They walked through the forest almost all night, Kostylin was far behind, and when his comrade could no longer walk, Zhilin carried him on himself. On the road they were caught by other Tatars and taken to Abdul-Murat.

They wanted to kill the Russians in the village, but Abdul-Murat decided to wait for the ransom. Again the fugitives were put in stocks and this time lowered into a pit five arshins deep.

Chapter 6

“Life has become completely bad for them.” The officers were given raw food, “like dogs,” and the pit itself was wet and stuffy. Kostylin became very ill - “he kept moaning or sleeping,” “and Zhilin became depressed.” One day Dina appeared at the pit - the girl brought them food. Another time she reported that Zilina was going to be killed. The officer asked the girl to bring him a long stick, and at night Dina threw the long pole into the hole.

Zhilin was going to take Kostylin with him, but he was too weak and refused. With Dina's help, the officer got out of the hole. He was very much in the way of the block, but he couldn’t dislodge the lock, so he had to run away like that. Saying goodbye, Dina began to cry and gave the man some flatbread for the journey.

The officer walked through the forest and, coming out to the field, saw Cossacks on the left sitting around the fires. Zhilin hurried to cross the field, fearing to meet Tatars on the way. And so it happened - before he could run to his own people, three Tatars noticed him. Then Zhilin waved his hands and shouted: “Brothers! Help out! Brothers!” . The Cossacks heard him, ran across the Tatars and saved the fugitive.

Recognizing Zhilin, the officers took him to the fortress. Zhilin realized that it was not his destiny to go home and get married, so he remained to serve in the Caucasus. “And Kostylin was bought out only a month later for five thousand. They brought him barely alive."

Conclusion

In the story “Prisoner of the Caucasus,” Tolstoy, using the example of the images of Russian officers Zhilin and Kostylin, reveals important moral issues- loyalty, friendship, comradely duty, responsiveness, kindness, perseverance and courage. Developing parallel line friendship between Zhilin and Dina, the author shows that true kindness and tolerance can nullify any evil, even confrontation between peoples and war.

A brief retelling of “Prisoner of the Caucasus” helps to familiarize yourself with the main events and brief description story, however, for a better understanding of the story, we advise you to read its full version.

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Many poems, poems and stories are dedicated to the Caucasus, but it is not for nothing that many are interested in the work “Prisoner of the Caucasus”. Who wrote it, let's try to figure it out further. Once upon a time, the literary critic Belinsky wrote that the Caucasus for Russians has become a cherished country of “free will and inexhaustible poetry, vibrant life and bold dreams.” Today, it is not for nothing that Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov and Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy are considered three Caucasian captives. The Caucasus left an indelible mark on their souls, because since the 18th century, this wonderful region in itself began to arouse great interest among writers, historians, and researchers, as a result of which numerous historical, scientific and literary works began to appear.

“Prisoner of the Caucasus”: who wrote it?

Pushkin is considered the discoverer of the Caucasus in Russian poetry. It was here that he drew his inspiration, communicating through poetry with the romantic landscapes of majestic mountains, green valleys and fast rivers. And the acute and dangerous events (1816-1964) and the life of the highlanders began to serve as sources of various literary subjects. It was here that the poet plunged into the atmosphere of various dramatic stories and legends about military confrontation and the heroism of Russian officers in captivity and irreconcilable highlanders.

"Prisoner of the Caucasus". Lermontov

Throughout his, unfortunately, short life, he felt a reverent love for the Caucasus and M. Yu. Lermontov. In 1825 he visited this fabulously beautiful region. It greatly excited his imagination and subsequently took a central place in his work. He received all the information about the Caucasus from his relatives living in Mineralnye Vody. In addition, Pushkin’s “prisoner” made an indelible impression on him. Therefore, already at the age of 14 (1818), Mikhail Yuryevich began to write his “Prisoner of the Caucasus.” The plots have a strong similarity and tell how a Russian serviceman is captured by the Circassians. A Circassian woman fell in love with him very much, who later helped him escape. Only Lermontov gave this plot his own unique and inimitable facet.

Tolstoy

And other authors had the work “Prisoner of the Caucasus”. Who wrote a story on this topic? Of course, the “third prisoner” is Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy. He came to the Caucasus when he was 23 years old. And fell in love with these lands. He didn’t know what to do with himself, so he started writing a story about local beauties, people’s lives, and traditions. After more than three years (1851-1854) of living here, he left this region as a famous writer. Many years later, in his memoirs, he emphasized that the Caucasus became a school of life for him. Here he first learned what combat, danger and death were.

As a child, Tolstoy read Lermontov's fascinating Caucasian works, which he enjoyed. Then Chechen mountaineers appeared among his acquaintances, and he recorded their stories and songs, especially about the war. This is how the story “Prisoner of the Caucasus” was born in his head. The author describes in it the life of two Russian prisoners - Zhilin and Kostylin, who ended up in the Caucasus. For Tolstoy, his young years spent in the Caucasian War will evoke the best memories. Here he was lonely and unhappy, so it was the most painful, but good time for reflection, the beginning of writing and the achievement of high thoughts.