Date and place of death: September 3, 1883 (age 64), Bougival, Seine-et-Oise, French Third Republic

Russian realist writer, poet, publicist, playwright, translator. One of the classics of Russian literature who made the most significant contribution to its development in the second half of the 19th century. Corresponding member of the Imperial Academy of Sciences in the category of Russian language and literature, honorary doctor of the University of Oxford.

"Fathers and Sons"

A novel by Russian writer Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev, written in the 60s of the 19th century. The novel became iconic for its time, and the image of the main character Evgeniy Bazarov was perceived by young people as an example to follow.

The actions in the novel take place in the summer of 1859, that is, on the eve of the peasant reform of 1861.

Bazarov and Arkady Kirsanov come to Maryino and spend some time staying with the Kirsanovs (father Nikolai Petrovich and uncle Pavel Petrovich). Tensions with the elder Kirsanovs force Bazarov to leave Maryino and go to the provincial town of ***.

Arkady goes with him. Bazarov and Arkady spend time in the company of local “progressive” youth - Kukshina and Sitnikov. Then, at the governor’s ball, they meet Odintsova. Bazarov and Arkady go to Nikolskoye, Odintsova’s estate, and Mrs. Kukshina, wounded by them, remains in the city. Bazarov and Arkady, infatuated with Odintsova, spend some time in Nikolskoye. After an unsuccessful declaration of love, Bazarov, who frightened Odintsova, is forced to leave.

The main characters of the novel

Evgeniy Vasilievich Bazarov- nihilist, student, studying to become a doctor. In nihilism, he is Arkady's mentor, protests against the liberal ideas of the Kirsanov brothers and the conservative views of his parents. Revolutionary-democrat, commoner. By the end of the novel, he falls in love with Odintsova, changing his nihilistic views on love. Love turned out to be a test for Bazarov, he understands that there is an obvious romantic in him - he even declares his love to Odintsova. At the end of the book he works as a village doctor. Opening up a man who died of typhus, he himself becomes infected through carelessness. After death, a religious ceremony is performed over him.

Nikolay Petrovich Kirsanov- landowner, liberal, father of Arkady, widower. Loves music and poetry. Interested in progressive ideas, including in agriculture. At the beginning of the novel, he is ashamed of his love for Fenechka, a woman from the common people, but then marries her.

P avel Petrovich Kirsanov- the elder brother of Nikolai Petrovich, a retired officer, an aristocrat, proud, self-confident, an ardent supporter of liberalism. He often argues with Bazarov about love, nature, aristocracy, art, and science. Lonely. In my youth I experienced tragic love. He sees in Fenechka Princess R., with whom he was in love. He hates Bazarov and challenges him to a duel, in which he is slightly wounded in the thigh.

A Rkady Nikolaevich Kirsanov- son of Nikolai Petrovich’s first wife, Maria. Recent candidate of sciences at St. Petersburg University and friend of Bazarov. He becomes a nihilist under the influence of Bazarov, but then abandons these ideas.

Asiliy Ivanovich Bazarov- Bazarov’s father, a retired army surgeon. Not rich. Manages his wife's estate. Moderately educated and enlightened, he feels that rural life has left him isolated from modern ideas. He holds generally conservative views, is religious, and loves his son immensely.

A Rina Vlasevna- Bazarov's mother. It is she who owns the village of the Bazarovs and 22 souls of serfs. A devout follower of Orthodoxy. Very superstitious. She is suspicious and sentimentally sensitive. She loves her son and is deeply concerned about his renunciation of faith.

A Nna Sergeevna Odintsova- a rich widow who welcomes nihilistic friends to her estate. He sympathizes with Bazarov, but after his confession he does not reciprocate. Counts quiet life without worries, everything is more important, including love.

K Atherina (Ekaterina Sergeevna Lokteva)- Anna Sergeevna Odintsova’s sister, a quiet girl, invisible in her sister’s shadow, plays the clavichord. Arkady spends a lot of time with her, languishing in love with Anna. But later he realizes his love for Katya. At the end of the novel, Catherine marries Arkady.

Brief summary of the novel “Fathers and Sons”

Why, Peter, can’t you see it yet? - asked on May 20, 1859, going out without a hat onto the low porch of the inn on the *** highway, a gentleman of about forty years old, in a dusty coat and checkered trousers, asked his servant, a young and cheeky fellow with whitish down on his chin and small dull eyes.
The servant, in whom everything: the turquoise earring in his ear, the pomaded multi-colored hair, and courteous body movements, in a word, everything revealed a man of the newest, improved generation, looked condescendingly along the road and answered: “No way, sir, not to be seen.”
- You can’t see it? - the master repeated.
“Not to be seen,” the servant answered again.
The master sighed and sat down on the bench. Let us introduce the reader to him while he sits with his legs tucked under him and thoughtfully looking around.
His name is Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov. Fifteen miles from the inn, he has a good estate of two hundred souls, or, as he puts it since he separated himself from the peasants and started a “farm,” two thousand dessiatines of land. His father, a military general in 1812, a semi-literate, rude, but not evil Russian man, pulled his weight all his life, commanded first a brigade, then a division, and constantly lived in the provinces, where, due to his rank, he played a fairly significant role. Nikolai Petrovich was born in the south of Russia, like his older brother Pavel, who will be discussed below,

May 20, 1859 Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov, a forty-three-year-old but already middle-aged landowner, nervously waits at the inn for his son Arkady, who has just graduated from university.

Nikolai Petrovich was the son of a general, but destined for him military career did not take place (he broke his leg in his youth and remained “lame” for the rest of his life). Nikolai Petrovich married the daughter of a lowly official early and was happy in his marriage. To his deep grief, his wife died in 1847. He devoted all his energy and time to raising his son, even in St. Petersburg he lived with him and tried to get closer to his son’s friends and students. Lately he busily began transforming his estate.

The happy moment of the date arrives. However, Arkady does not appear alone: ​​with him is a tall, ugly and self-confident young man, an aspiring doctor who agreed to stay with the Kirsanovs. His name, as he attests to himself, is Evgeniy Vasilyevich Bazarov.

The conversation between father and son does not go well at first. Nikolai Petrovich is embarrassed by Fenechka, the girl whom he keeps with him and with whom he already has a child. Arkady, in a condescending tone (this slightly offends his father), tries to smooth out the awkwardness that has arisen.

Pavel Petrovich, their father’s elder brother, is waiting for them at home. Pavel Petrovich and Bazarov immediately begin to feel mutual antipathy. But the yard boys and servants willingly obey the guest, although he does not even think about seeking their favor.

The very next day, a verbal skirmish occurs between Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich, and it was initiated by Kirsanov Sr. Bazarov does not want to polemicize, but still speaks out on the main points of his beliefs. People, according to his ideas, strive for one or another goal because they experience different “sensations” and want to achieve “benefits.” Bazarov is sure that chemistry is more important than art, and in science the practical result is most important. He is even proud of his lack of “artistic sense” and believes that there is no need to study the psychology of an individual: “One human specimen is enough to judge all others.” For Bazarov, there is not a single “resolution in our modern life... that would not cause complete and merciless denial.” He talks about his own abilities high opinion, but assigns a non-creative role to his generation - “first we need to clear the place.”

To Pavel Petrovich, the “nihilism” professed by Bazarov and Arkady, who imitates him, seems to be a daring and unfounded teaching that exists “in the void.”

Arkady tries to somehow smooth out the tension that has arisen and tells his friend the life story of Pavel Petrovich. He was a brilliant and promising officer, a favorite of women, until he met the socialite Princess R*. This passion completely changed the existence of Pavel Petrovich, and when their romance ended, he was completely devastated. From the past he retains only the sophistication of his costume and manners and his preference for everything English.

Bazarov’s views and behavior irritate Pavel Petrovich so much that he again attacks the guest, but he quite easily and even condescendingly breaks down all the enemy’s “syllogisms” aimed at protecting traditions. Nikolai Petrovich seeks to soften the dispute, but he cannot agree with Bazarov’s radical statements in everything, although he convinces himself that he and his brother are already behind the times.

The young people go to the provincial town, where they meet with Bazarov’s “student”, the son of a tax farmer, Sitnikov. Sitnikov takes them to visit the “emancipated” lady, Kukshina. Sitnikov and Kukshina belong to that category of “progressives” who reject any authority, chasing the fashion for “free thinking.” They don’t really know or know how to do anything, but in their “nihilism” they leave both Arkady and Bazarov far behind them. The latter openly despises Sitnikova, and with Kukshina he “is more interested in champagne.”

Arkady introduces his friend to Odintsova, a young, beautiful and rich widow, in whom Bazarov immediately becomes interested. This interest is by no means platonic. Bazarov cynically says to Arkady: “There is profit...”

It seems to Arkady that he is in love with Odintsova, but this feeling is feigned, while mutual attraction arises between Bazarov and Odintsova, and she invites young people to stay with her.

At Anna Sergeevna's house, guests meet her younger sister Katya, who behaves stiffly. And Bazarov feels out of place, he began to get irritated in the new place and “looked angry.” Arkady is also uneasy, and he seeks solace in Katya’s company.

The feeling instilled in Bazarov by Anna Sergeevna is new to him; he, who so despised all manifestations of “romanticism,” suddenly discovers “romanticism in himself.” Bazarov explains to Odintsova, and although she did not immediately free herself from his embrace, however, after thinking, she comes to the conclusion that “peace<…>better than anything else."

Not wanting to become a slave to his passion, Bazarov goes to his father, a district doctor who lives nearby, and Odintsova does not keep the guest. On the road, Bazarov sums up what happened and says: “... Better stones beat on the pavement than to allow a woman to take possession of even the tip of a finger. This is all<…>nonsense".

Bazarov’s father and mother can’t get enough of their beloved “Enyusha,” and he gets bored in their company. After just a couple of days, he leaves his parents’ shelter, returning to the Kirsanov estate.

Out of heat and boredom, Bazarov turns his attention to Fenechka and, finding her alone, kisses the young woman deeply. An accidental witness to the kiss is Pavel Petrovich, who is deeply outraged by the act of “this hairy guy.” He is especially indignant also because it seems to him that Fenechka has something in common with Princess R*.

According to his moral convictions, Pavel Petrovich challenges Bazarov to a duel. Feeling awkward and realizing that he is compromising his principles, Bazarov agrees to shoot with Kirsanov Sr. (“From a theoretical point of view, a duel is absurd; well, from a practical point of view, this is a different matter”).

Bazarov slightly wounds the enemy and himself gives him first aid. Pavel Petrovich behaves well, even makes fun of himself, but at the same time both he and Bazarov feel awkward. Nikolai Petrovich, from whom the true reason for the duel was hidden, also behaves in the most noble manner, finding justification for the actions of both opponents.

The consequence of the duel is that Pavel Petrovich, who had previously strongly opposed his brother’s marriage to Fenechka, now himself persuades Nikolai Petrovich to take this step.

And Arkady and Katya establish a harmonious understanding. The girl astutely notes that Bazarov is a stranger to them, because “he is predatory, and you and I are tame.”

Having finally lost hope of Odintsova’s reciprocity, Bazarov breaks himself and breaks up with her and Arkady. In parting, he says to his former comrade: “You are a nice fellow, but you are still a soft, liberal gentleman...” Arkady is upset, but soon enough he is consoled by Katya’s company, declares his love to her and is assured that he is loved too.

Bazarov returns to his parents’ home and tries to lose himself in his work, but after a few days “the fever of work disappeared from him and was replaced by dreary boredom and dull anxiety.” He tries to talk to the men, but finds nothing but stupidity in their heads. True, the men also see in Bazarov something “like a clown.”

While practicing on the corpse of a typhoid patient, Bazarov wounds his finger and gets blood poisoning. A few days later he notifies his father that, by all indications, his days are numbered.

Before his death, Bazarov asks Odintsova to come and say goodbye to him. He reminds her of his love and admits that all his proud thoughts, like love, have gone to waste. “And now the giant’s whole task is to die decently, although no one cares about this... All the same: I won’t wag my tail.” He says bitterly that Russia does not need him. “And who is needed? I need a shoemaker, I need a tailor, I need a butcher..."

When Bazarov is given communion at the insistence of his parents, “something similar to a shudder of horror was instantly reflected on his dead face.”

Six months pass. Two couples are getting married in a small village church: Arkady and Katya and Nikolai Petrovich and Fenechka. Everyone was happy, but something in this contentment felt artificial, “as if everyone had agreed to act out some kind of simple-minded comedy.”

Over time, Arkady becomes a father and a zealous owner, and as a result of his efforts, the estate begins to generate significant income. Nikolai Petrovich takes on the responsibilities of a peace mediator and works hard in the public sphere. Pavel Petrovich lives in Dresden and, although he still looks like a gentleman, “life is hard for him.”

Kukshina lives in Heidelberg and hangs out with students, studying architecture, in which, according to her, she discovered new laws. Sitnikov married the princess who pushed him around, and, as he assures, continues Bazarov’s “work”, working as a publicist in some dark magazine.

Decrepit old men often come to Bazarov’s grave and cry bitterly and pray for the repose of the soul of their untimely deceased son. The flowers on the grave mound remind of more than just the tranquility of “indifferent” nature; they also talk about eternal reconciliation and endless life...

Source – Wikipedia, Library of World Literature, All masterpieces of world literature in summary. Plots and characters. Russian literature XIX century

Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev – “Fathers and Sons” – summary novel updated: February 18, 2017 by: website

Creativity of I.S. Turgenev made a huge contribution to the development of Russian literature. Many of his works are well known to readers different ages. But the most popular was and remains Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons,” which became the answer to many of the writer’s contemporary questions. The history of the creation of the novel “Fathers and Sons” began in 1860, with the idea that visited Ivan Sergeevich.

First stage

Thoughts about creating a new work describing the surrounding reality arose in Turgenev when he was in England on the Isle of Wight. Then he conceives a major story, the hero of which should be a young doctor. The prototype of Bazarov was accidentally met by Turgenev while traveling around railway young doctor. In him he saw the beginnings of nihilism, which was just emerging at that time. This amazed Ivan Sergeevich. He was simply fascinated by the views of this young man.

Beginning of work

Turgenev began work directly in 1860. He leaves with his daughter for Paris, settles there and plans to finish work with a new work in a short time. During the first year of working on Fathers and Sons, the writer completes the first half of the novel. He feels great satisfaction from his work. He is madly attracted to the image of Yevgeny Bazarov. But over time, he feels that he can no longer work in Paris. The writer returns to his homeland.

Completion of the novel

Returning to Russia gives Turgenev the opportunity to plunge into the atmosphere of modern social movements. This helps him complete the novel. Shortly before the end of work on Fathers and Sons, a significant event took place in Russia - the abolition of serfdom. The last chapters of the work are being completed by Ivan Sergeevich in his native village of Spassky.

First publications and disputes

For the first time, “Fathers and Sons” appeared to the world on the pages of the popular literary publication “Russian Messenger”. As Turgenev feared, the controversial image of Bazarov caused a strong reaction in literary circles. Its discussion gave rise to a lot of controversy in the press. Many excellent critics devoted their articles to analyzing the ideological content of the novel and characterizing the main character. The appearance of a new image, denying everything familiar and beautiful, became a kind of hymn to the young nihilistic movement.

Latest edition of the novel

After the novel appeared in the Russian Messenger, Turgenev was engaged in a slight reworking of the text of the work. It smoothes out some particularly harsh character traits of the main character, and makes the image of Bazarov more attractive than in the original version. In the fall of 1862, an edited version of the novel was published. On the title page there is a dedication to Vissarion Grigorievich Belinsky. Turgenev and Belinsky were very close friends, and thanks to the influence of Vissarion Grigorievich, some of Ivan Sergeevich’s social views were formed.

Roman I.S. Turgenev’s “Fathers and Sons” became a unique work, reflecting the eternal confrontation between two generations not only within a single family, but also at the level of socio-political life of an entire country.

Of those “children” who appear in the novel, only one Bazarov seems to be an independent and intelligent person; under what influences Bazarov’s character developed is not clear from the novel; it is also unknown where he borrowed his beliefs from and what conditions were favorable

The development of his way of thinking. Be that as it may, Bazarov’s thoughts are independent, they belong to him, to his own mental activity; he is a teacher; the other “children” of the novel, stupid and empty, listen to him and only meaninglessly repeat his words. We will now deal with this best specimen. younger generation. As stated above, he seems to be a cold person, incapable of love, or even the most ordinary affection; He cannot even love a woman with the poetic love that is so attractive in the old generation. If, at the demand of animal feeling, he falls in love with a woman, then he will love only her body; he even hates the soul in a woman; he says “that she doesn’t even need to understand a serious conversation and that only freaks think freely between women.”

We will not protect the young male generation; it really is as it is depicted in the novel. So we agree that the old generation is not at all embellished, but is presented as it really is with all its venerable qualities. We just don’t understand why Mr. Turgenev gives preference to the old generation; the younger generation of his novel is in no way inferior to the old. Their qualities are different, but the same in degree and dignity; as are the fathers, so are the children; fathers to children are traces of nobility. We will not defend the younger generation and attack the old, but will only try to prove the correctness of this formula of equality. Young people are alienating the old generation; this is very bad, harmful to the cause and does not bring honor to the youth. But why doesn’t the older generation, more prudent and experienced, take measures against repulsion and why don’t they try to attract young people to themselves?

Nikolai Petrovich, a respectable, intelligent man, wanted to get closer to the younger generation, but when he heard the boy call him retired, he blushed, began to mourn his backwardness and immediately realized the futility of his efforts to keep up with the times. What kind of weakness is this? If he was aware of his justice, if he understood the aspirations of young people and sympathized with them, then it would be easy for him to win his son over to his side.

And in alliance with Pavel Petrovich, an invincible dialect, he could convert even Bazarov himself; After all, it’s difficult to teach and re-teach old people, but youth is very receptive and mobile, and it’s impossible to think that Bazarov would refuse the truth if it were shown and proven to him? Mr. Turgenev and Pavel Petrovich exhausted all their wit in arguing with Bazarov and did not skimp on harsh and insulting expressions; however, Bazarov did not lose his temper, did not become embarrassed, and remained unconvinced in his opinions, despite all the objections of his opponents, probably because the objections were bad.

So, “fathers” and “children” are equally right and wrong in their mutual repulsion; “children” push away their fathers, and these passively move away from them and do not know how to attract them to themselves; equality is complete.

The main theme of Turgenev's novel is the problem of the relationship between the old and modern generations. The fate of all the characters is closely intertwined with the solution of the pressing problem; each of them defines their life priorities in their own way. In Turgenev’s novel, a conflict of generations is created; the main characters of “Fathers and Sons” are antagonists who do not want to understand each other.

Characteristics of the heroes “Fathers and Sons”

Main characters

Minor characters

This is a characteristic of the heroes of Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons,” which deals with the eternal mutual misunderstanding of generations. The work “Fathers and Sons” are heroes, the old and new generations of which became role models and found a response in the hearts of readers. The names of the characters, this table of characteristics, give a brief idea of ​​the main characters from Turgenev’s book. This compressed data can be used to write essays in literature classes.

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Work test

I. S. Turgenev's novel "Fathers and Sons" is a multi-themed work. Already in the name it sounds main topic the novel is a problem of generations, eternal problem classical literature. In addition to this problem, the work raises other issues - the conflict of two socio-political forces operating in Russia in the 60s, liberals and democrats.
The novel depicts nobles and commoners of two generations - “fathers” and “children”. Turgenev wants to show us how a commoner democrat will behave in an environment alien to him. In Maryino, where Bazarov arrived with Arkady, Evgeny is a guest who differs in his democratic appearance from his landowner owners. And he disagrees with his friend Arkady on the main thing - his idea of ​​​​life. Throughout the entire novel, we observe the subordination of a weak nature to a stronger one: Arkady to Bazarov. But still, Arkady gradually acquires his own opinion. He no longer blindly repeats Bazarov’s nihilist judgments: in the dispute, Kirsanov Jr. expresses his own point of view. One day their argument almost led to a fight.
The difference between the characters can be seen already from their behavior in Kirsanov’s house. Evgeny studies nature, and Arkady does practically nothing. Judging by the red color of Bazarov’s hand, one can guess that he is a man of action. And indeed, wherever he is, Evgeniy tries to get busy. His vocation is natural sciences. He studies nature and tests theoretical discoveries in practice.
Note that interest in science is a typical feature of the cultural life of Russia in the 60s, which means that Bazarov keeps up with the times. Arkady is the complete opposite of Bazarov. He doesn't do anything, and nothing captivates him. The main thing for Arkady is comfort and peace, and for Bazarov - to work, not to sit idly by.
Friends have different opinions regarding literature. For example, Bazarov denies Pushkin’s poetry, and completely unfoundedly. Arkady, on the contrary, admires the poet. Arkady is always well dressed and has aristocratic manners. Bazarov does not follow the rules of good manners, he simply does not consider it necessary. This is visible in all his actions, habits, manners, speeches, appearance. He does not like, for example, a “beautiful” phrase. “Oh, my friend, Arkady Nikolaevich,” he says to his young admirer, “I ask one thing, don’t talk so beautifully!”
Bazarov is shown as a simple man, alien to any brokenness and, at the same time, strong, powerful in soul and body. He is distinguished by firmness and directness of judgment.
Arkady is naive in the consciousness of his mental superiority over the concepts of his father and uncle. He good-naturedly regrets their backwardness. How quickly he resolves all issues, how easily he copes with everything, how it costs him nothing to break and destroy anything out of pure nihilism. Arkady is not the person he wants to seem. The opinions he flaunts do not penetrate deep inside him; they can disappear like the morning fog. All his impulses are explained by the desire to be like Bazarov, to be the same firm and tough person.
But gradually Arkady realizes the futility of his aspirations. The "student" leaves the power of the "teacher". Arkady's resistance to Bazarov is already evident from the conversation about the role of nature in human life.
Arkady has no enemies, but Bazarov hates many. "You, gentle soul, a weakling," says Bazarov, realizing that Arkady can no longer be his associate. The "disciple" cannot live without principles. In this way, he is very close to his liberal father and Pavel Kirsanov. But Bazarov appears before us as a man of a new generation, which replaced the “fathers” who were unable to solve the problems of the era. Arkady belongs to the old generation, the generation of “fathers”.
Arkady wants to be the son of his age and “puts on” Bazarov’s ideas, which absolutely cannot merge with him. He belongs to the category of people who are always looked after and who always do not notice the care. Bazarov treated him patronizingly and almost always mockingly; he understood that their paths would diverge.
In addition to the main male characters, the novel also presents female images, belonging to the generation of “children”.
So, Anna Sergeevna and Katerina Sergeevna in the novel are opposites. Anna is flirtatious and talkative, while Katerina is timid, silent, “constantly blushes and quickly takes a breath.” She loves to read, think about life, about books, about people, than to dance at balls.
Odintsova had suffered enough in life (“grated kalach”) and now it was as if she only wanted to take a break from her past. More than once in conversations with Bazarov she called herself old. At Anna Sergeevna's a strong character, so she suppressed her little sister a little. Katya is a nice girl, and although at first she is perceived as a pale shadow of Odintsova, she still has character. The individuality of this heroine is gradually revealed, and it becomes clear that in alliance with Arkady Kirsanov she will be the main one.
Thus, in Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons” a whole gallery of images of “children” is presented. Each of the heroes is diverse and individual, however, they are also divided into those who accept “eternal” values ​​and are guided by them, and those who, by denying, come to self-destruction.