In one of the remote villages (in Little Russia they are called old-world villages), dear old men Tovstogub Afanasy Ivanovich and his wife Pulcheria Ivanovna live in seclusion. Their life is quiet and calm. For a random guest, who stopped by their low manor house, which is simply buried in the greenery of the garden, it seems that all the passions and anxieties outside world don't exist here at all. The rooms are full of different things, the pantries are filled with supplies, and all the doors in the house sing in different tunes.
The economy of the old landowners is constantly robbed by both the clerk and the lackeys, but fertile land around gives such quantities of everything that Pulcheria Ivanovna and Afanasy Ivanovich do not notice the thefts.
Old people never had children. All their care and affection is focused on themselves. Their mutual love has not weakened over the years, but has become even more touching. They guess each other’s desires without words and communicate with each other exclusively affectionately, but in a “you” manner. Old people love to eat themselves and love to treat guests. From morning to evening, Pulcheria Ivanovna guesses her husband’s wishes and carefully offers one dish or another.
Afanasy Ivanovich loves to make fun of his wife, sometimes starting a conversation about a fire or war, which is why Pulcheria Ivanovna gets scared and begins to cross herself so that nothing like this happens. Soon bad thoughts are forgotten, and quiet, calm days go on as usual. There is harmony and understanding between the two in the house. loving hearts.
But one day a sad event happens that changes life in this house forever. Pulcheria Ivanovna’s beloved cat has disappeared. The owner searched for three days for her pet, and when she found her, the feral fugitive did not even allow herself to be petted and ran away again through the window, forever. After this event, the old woman became thoughtful and one day announced that death was coming for her and that she would soon be destined to go to the next world. She strictly ordered her housekeeper Yavdokha to look after Afanasy Ivanovich when she herself was gone.
Soon Pulcheria Ivanovna dies. Afanasy Ivanovich behaves at the funeral as if he does not understand what is happening. Returning home, he sees empty rooms and sobs inconsolably for his wife.
Five years pass. The house is gradually deteriorating, having lost its owner, and Afanasy Ivanovich is weakening every day. Shortly before his death, while walking in the garden, he hears his wife's voice calling him. He is glad to obey this call. The only thing the old man asks for before his death is to bury him next to Pulcheria Ivanovna. His wish was granted. Their house was empty, some of the goods were stolen by the men, and the rest was thrown to the wind by a visiting relative-heir.
I have prepared a retelling for you nadezhda84
Old men Afanasy Ivanovich Tovstogub and his wife Pulcheria Ivanovna live alone in one of the remote villages, called old-world villages in Little Russia. Their life is so quiet that to a guest who accidentally drops by at a low manor house, immersed in the greenery of a garden, the passions and anxious worries of the outside world seem not to exist at all. The small rooms of the house are filled with all sorts of things, the doors sing in different tunes, the storerooms are filled with supplies, the preparation of which is constantly occupied by the servants under the direction of Pulcheria Ivanovna. Despite the fact that the farm is robbed by the clerk and lackeys, the blessed land produces such quantities that Afanasy Ivanovich and Pulcheria Ivanovna do not notice the thefts at all.
The old people never had children, and all their affection was focused on themselves. You can’t look without sympathy at their mutual love, when with extraordinary care in their voices they address each other as “you”, forestalling every desire and even something that has not yet been said. sweet Nothing. They love to treat - and if it were not for the special properties of the Little Russian air, which helps digestion, then the guest, without a doubt, would find himself lying on the table after dinner instead of a bed. Old people love to eat themselves - and from early morning until late evening you can hear Pulcheria Ivanovna guessing her husband’s wishes, offering first one dish or another in a gentle voice. Sometimes Afanasy Ivanovich likes to make fun of Pulcheria Ivanovna and will suddenly start talking about a fire or a war, causing his wife to be seriously frightened and cross herself, so that her husband’s words could never come true. But after a minute, the unpleasant thoughts are forgotten, the old people decide that it’s time to have a snack, and suddenly a tablecloth and those dishes that Afanasy Ivanovich chooses at the prompting of his wife appear on the table. And quietly, calmly, in extraordinary harmony of two loving hearts, days go by.
A sad event changes the life of this peaceful corner forever. Pulcheria Ivanovna's beloved cat, who usually lay at her feet, disappears in the large forest behind the garden, where wild cats lure her. Three days later, having lost her feet in search of a cat, Pulcheria Ivanovna meets her favorite in the garden, emerging from the weeds with a pitiful meow. Pulcheria Ivanovna feeds the feral and thin fugitive, wants to pet her, but the ungrateful creature throws herself out the window and disappears forever. From that day on, the old woman becomes thoughtful, bored and suddenly announces to Afanasy Ivanovich that it was death that came for her and they were soon destined to meet in the next world. The only thing the old woman regrets is that there will be no one to look after her husband. She asks the housekeeper Yavdokha to look after Afanasy Ivanovich, threatening her entire family with God's punishment if she does not fulfill the lady's order.
Pulcheria Ivanovna dies. At the funeral, Afanasy Ivanovich looks strange, as if he does not understand all the savagery of what happened. When he returns to his house and sees how empty his room has become, he sobs heavily and inconsolably, and tears flow like a river from his dull eyes.
Five years have passed since then. The house is decaying without its owner, Afanasy Ivanovich is weakening and is bent twice as much as before. But his melancholy does not weaken with time. In all the objects surrounding him, he sees a deceased woman, he tries to pronounce her name, but halfway through the word, convulsions distort his face, and the cry of a child escapes from his already cooling heart.
It’s strange, but the circumstances of Afanasy Ivanovich’s death are similar to the death of his beloved wife. As he slowly walks along the garden path, he suddenly hears someone behind him saying in a clear voice: “Afanasy Ivanovich!” For a minute his face perks up, and he says: “It’s Pulcheria Ivanovna calling me!” He submits to this conviction with the will of an obedient child. “Place me near Pulcheria Ivanovna” - that’s all he says before his death. His wish was fulfilled. The manor's house was empty, the goods were taken away by the peasants and finally thrown to the wind by the visiting distant relative-heir.
As part of the project "Gogol. 200 years"RIA Newspresents a brief summary of the work “Old World Landowners” by Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol - a story that Pushkin called his favorite of all Gogol’s stories.
Old men Afanasy Ivanovich Tovstogub and his wife Pulcheria Ivanovna live alone in one of the remote villages, called old-world villages in Little Russia. Their life is so quiet that to a guest who accidentally drops by at a low manor house, immersed in the greenery of a garden, the passions and anxious worries of the outside world seem not to exist at all. The small rooms of the house are filled with all sorts of things, the doors sing in different tunes, the storerooms are filled with supplies, the preparation of which is constantly occupied by the servants under the direction of Pulcheria Ivanovna. Despite the fact that the farm is robbed by the clerk and lackeys, the blessed land produces such quantities that Afanasy Ivanovich and Pulcheria Ivanovna do not notice the thefts at all.
The old people never had children, and all their affection was focused on themselves. It is impossible to look without sympathy at their mutual love, when with extraordinary care in their voices they address each other as “you,” forestalling every desire and even an affectionate word that has not yet been spoken. They love to treat - and if it were not for the special properties of the Little Russian air, which helps digestion, then the guest, without a doubt, would find himself lying on the table after dinner instead of a bed.
Old people love to eat themselves - and from early morning until late evening you can hear Pulcheria Ivanovna guessing her husband’s wishes, offering first one dish or another in a gentle voice. Sometimes Afanasy Ivanovich likes to make fun of Pulcheria Ivanovna and will suddenly start talking about a fire or a war, causing his wife to be seriously frightened and cross herself, so that her husband’s words could never come true.
But after a minute, the unpleasant thoughts are forgotten, the old people decide that it’s time to have a snack, and suddenly a tablecloth and those dishes that Afanasy Ivanovich chooses at the prompting of his wife appear on the table. And quietly, calmly, in extraordinary harmony of two loving hearts, days go by.
A sad event changes the life of this peaceful corner forever. Pulcheria Ivanovna's beloved cat, who usually lay at her feet, disappears in the large forest behind the garden, where wild cats lure her. Three days later, having lost her feet in search of a cat, Pulcheria Ivanovna meets her favorite in the garden, emerging from the weeds with a pitiful meow. Pulcheria Ivanovna feeds the feral and thin fugitive, wants to pet her, but the ungrateful creature throws herself out the window and disappears forever. From that day on, the old woman becomes thoughtful, bored and suddenly announces to Afanasy Ivanovich that it was death that came for her and they were soon destined to meet in the next world. The only thing the old woman regrets is that there will be no one to look after her husband. She asks the housekeeper Yavdokha to look after Afanasy Ivanovich, threatening her entire family with God's punishment if she does not fulfill the lady's order.
Pulcheria Ivanovna dies. At the funeral, Afanasy Ivanovich looks strange, as if he does not understand all the savagery of what happened. When he returns to his house and sees how empty his room has become, he sobs heavily and inconsolably, and tears flow like a river from his dull eyes.
Five years have passed since then. The house is decaying without its owner, Afanasy Ivanovich is weakening and is bent twice as much as before. But his melancholy does not weaken with time. In all the objects surrounding him, he sees a deceased woman, he tries to pronounce her name, but halfway through the word, convulsions distort his face, and the cry of a child escapes from his already cooling heart.
It’s strange, but the circumstances of Afanasy Ivanovich’s death are similar to the death of his beloved wife. As he slowly walks along the garden path, he suddenly hears someone behind him saying in a clear voice: “Afanasy Ivanovich!” For a minute his face perks up, and he says: “It’s Pulcheria Ivanovna calling me!” He submits to this conviction with the will of an obedient child.
“Place me near Pulcheria Ivanovna” - that’s all he says before his death. His wish was fulfilled. The manor's house was empty, the goods were taken away by the peasants and finally thrown to the wind by the visiting distant relative-heir.
Material provided by the internet portal briefly.ru, compiled by V. M. Sotnikov
In 1835, N.V. Gogol wrote the first story from the “Mirgorod” cycle entitled “ Old world landowners" Its main characters were two spouses who owned a large farm and lived in perfect harmony for many years. This work tells of the touching mutual care of the characters, while at the same time ironizing their limitations. We will give here summary. “Old World Landowners” is a story that still evokes mixed emotions in readers.
Meet the main characters
In one of the remote villages in Little Russia live the old Tovstogubs: Pulcheria Ivanovna, a serious-looking busybody, and Afanasy Ivanovich, a lover of making fun of his mistress. They own quite a large farm. Their life is quiet and calm. Everyone who visits this blessed corner is amazed at how all the worries of the raging world cease to dominate the minds and souls of people here. It seems that this low manor house, immersed in greenery, lives its own special life. All day long, supplies are prepared in it, jams and liqueurs, jellies and pastilles are boiled, and mushrooms are dried.
The old people's household was mercilessly stolen by the clerk and lackeys. The courtyard girls regularly climbed into the closet and gorged themselves on all kinds of dishes there. But the local fertile land produced everything in such quantities that the owners did not notice the theft at all. Gogol portrayed the main characters as kind and simple-minded. “Old World Landowners,” a brief summary of which is given here, is an ironic story about old people whose whole meaning in life was eating mushrooms and dried fish and constantly caring for each other.
Mutual affection between old people
Afanasy Petrovich and Pulcheria Ivanovna have no children. They turned all their unspent tenderness and warmth towards each other.
Once upon a time, our hero served as a companion, then became a second major. He married Pulcheria Ivanovna when he was thirty years old. There were rumors that he very cleverly took her away from her disgruntled relatives to get married. These lovely people lived their entire lives in perfect harmony. From the outside it was very interesting to watch how touchingly they addressed each other as “you”. Feel the charm of serene and peaceful life The main characters of the story will help you with its summary. “Old World Landowners” is a story of deep heartfelt affection and care for loved ones.
Hospitality of old-world rulers
These old people loved to eat. As soon as morning came, the creaking doors were already singing in every way in the house. Girls in striped underpants ran around the kitchen and prepared all kinds of dishes. Pulcheria Ivanovna walked everywhere, controlling and giving orders, jingling keys, constantly opening and closing numerous locks of barns and closets. The hosts' breakfast always began with coffee, followed by shortcakes with lard, pies with poppy seeds, a glass of vodka with dried fish and mushrooms for Afanasy Ivanovich, and so on. And how hospitable these sweet and kind old men were! If any person had to stay with them, he was treated hourly to the best dishes of home cooking. The owners listened to the stories of the wanderers with attention and pleasure. It seemed that they lived for guests.
If suddenly a person passing by and visiting the old people suddenly got ready to go on the road late in the evening, then with all their fervor they began to convince him to stay and spend the night with them. And the guest always remained. His reward was a rich, aromatic dinner, a welcoming, warming and at the same time soporific story from the owners of the house, and a warm, soft bed. Such were these old-world landowners. A very brief summary of this story will allow you to understand the author’s intention and get an idea of the lifestyle of these quiet, kind inhabitants of the house.
Death of Pulcheria Ivanovna
The life of the dear old men was serene. It seemed that it would always be like this. However, soon an incident happened to the mistress of the house, which had tragic consequences for the couple. Pulcheria Ivanovna had a little white cat, about which kind old lady cared a lot. One day she disappeared: local cats lured her away. Three days later the fugitive showed up. The owner immediately ordered to give her milk and tried to pet the animal. But the cat was running wild, and when Pulcheria Ivanovna extended her hand to her, the ungrateful creature rushed out the window and ran away. Nobody saw the cat again. From that day on, the dear old lady became bored and thoughtful. To her husband’s questions about her well-being, she answered that she had a presentiment of her imminent death. All attempts by Afanasy Ivanovich to cheer up his wife ended in failure. Pulcheria Ivanovna kept repeating that it was, apparently, death that came for her in the form of her cat. She convinced herself of this so much that she soon fell ill and after some time actually died.
But Gogol does not end his story here. "Old World Landowners" (a brief summary is given here) - a work with tragic ending. Let's see what awaits the orphaned owner of the house next?
Loneliness of Afanasy Ivanovich
The deceased was washed, dressed in a dress she had prepared herself and placed in a coffin. Afanasy Ivanovich looked at all this indifferently, as if all this was not happening to him. The poor fellow still could not recover from such a blow and believe that his dear beloved wife was no more. Only when the grave was razed to the ground did he rush forward and say: “Have they buried you? Why?" After this, loneliness and melancholy overwhelmed the once cheerful old man. Coming from the cemetery, he sobbed loudly in Pulcheria Ivanovna’s room. The servants began to worry that he might do something to himself. At first, they hid from him knives and all sharp objects with which he could hurt himself. But they soon calmed down and stopped following the owner of the house. And he immediately took out a pistol and shot himself in the head. He was found with a crushed skull. The wound turned out to be non-fatal. They called a doctor, who put the old man on his feet. But as soon as the household people calmed down and stopped watching Afanasy Ivanovich again, he threw himself under the wheels of the carriage. His arm and leg were injured, but he survived again. Soon he was seen in a crowded entertainment hall playing cards. His young wife stood behind the back of his chair, smiling. All these were attempts to drown out the aching melancholy and grief. You can feel all the hopelessness that has taken possession of the main character of the story even by reading its summary. “Old World Landowners” is a work about the boundless tenderness and affection of people who have lived together all their lives.
Sad ending
Five years after the events described, the author returned to this farm to visit the owner of the house. What did he see here? The once rich economy is desolate. The peasants' huts almost collapsed, and they themselves drank themselves to death and were, for the most part, on the run. The fence near the manor's house almost fell. The absence of a master's hand was felt everywhere. And the owner of the house himself was now almost unrecognizable: he was hunched over and walked, barely moving his legs.
Everything in the house reminded him of the caring mistress who had left him. Often he sat lost in thought. And at such moments hot tears flowed down his cheeks. Soon Afanasy Ivanovich passed away. Moreover, his death has something in common with the death of Pulcheria Ivanovna herself. One sunny summer day he was walking in the garden. Suddenly he thought that someone called him by name. Convincing himself that it was his beloved late wife, Afanasy Ivanovich began to wither, wither and soon died. They buried him next to his wife. After this, some distant relative of the old people came to the estate and began to “raise” the fallen farm. Within a few months it was thrown into the wind. This is the summary of the story “Old World Landowners”. The ending of the work is sad. The era of serenity is irrevocably a thing of the past.
We got acquainted with one of the stories by V. N. Gogol. Here is a summary of it. “Old World Landowners” has been one of the public’s favorite works of the great classic for many decades.
The main characters of the work are landowners from Little Russia Afanasy Ivanovich and Pulcheria Ivanovna Tovstogub. This elderly childless couple lives on their small estate. Afanasy Ivanovich - a tall old man of 60 years old with constant kind smile. Pulcheria Ivanovna turned fifty-five. This lady looks serious, hardly laughs, but her face and eyes radiate kindness. The author, with gentle irony and love, talks about the life and habits of this family.
In his youth, Afanasy Ivanovich was a military man. At the age of thirty, he wooed Pulcheria Ivanovna, but her parents did not want to give their daughter to a retired second major. Then Afanasy Ivanovich very cleverly took away future wife. The venerable couple hardly remembered these stormy events and never spoke about them.
The Tovstogubs address each other exclusively as “you” and by their first and patronymic names, politely and caringly. They are very hospitable hosts and always welcome guests with great pleasure. Afanasy Ivanovich loves to ask the guest about his affairs and problems, is completely sincerely interested in the world around him, listens carefully to stories about various innovations and fashion trends. At the same time, he, unlike most old people, does not grumble that in his youth everything was better and more rationally arranged, does not indulge in lengthy memories and does not conduct long moralizing conversations.
Afanasy Ivanovich and Pulcheria Ivanovna live in a small, low house. Nearby are a garden, a forest, and rickety peasant huts. Tovstogubs love warmth very much, so each room has a large stove that is constantly heated. Out of habit, the guests are stuffy and hot, but the comfort, delicious food and cordiality of the owners still attract neighbors and acquaintances to them. Every guest here is certainly allowed to spend the night, even though he has to travel three or four miles home.
In Pulcheria Ivanovna’s room there are many chests and drawers. A bunch of different little things are stored here, which, according to the owner, might come in handy someday.
Afanasy Ivanovich hardly does any housekeeping. He only occasionally goes out into the field to watch the work of the reapers and mowers. Pulcheria Ivanovna is busy around the house, preparing all sorts of jams, dried mushrooms and fruits for future use. The clerk and the village headman, who in these parts are called a voit, manage at their own discretion and steal shamelessly. But the land is generous, and the needs of the elderly are minimal, so there is enough for everyone.
Tovstogubs love to eat. Early in the morning they drink coffee, then have breakfast. An hour before lunch, Afanasy Ivanovich has a snack and drinks a glass of vodka. At twelve o'clock the couple has dinner, and the owner goes to rest. An hour later, his wife brings him fruit, and the couple go for a walk in the garden. Then Pulcheria Ivanovna leaves on business, and Afanasy Ivanovich sits in the shade and watches the bustle of the household. Soon he's snacking again. The Tovstogubs have dinner at half past nine and immediately go to bed. But it happens that at night Afanasy Ivanovich complains of stomach pain, which is eliminated by another snack.
The old man loves to make fun of his wife. Starts a conversation, for example, about what they will do if the house burns down, or threatens to go to war. Pulcheria Ivanovna has a gray cat. The old lady is used to it, pets it often and loves to look after the animal. At this time, Afanasy Ivanovich talks about the uselessness of a cat, comparing it with a dog.
It all started because of this cat. One day she ran away. She must have been lured into the forest by wild cats. Pulcheria Ivanovna has been looking for the cat for several days, but to no avail. After some time, the cat returns on her own, thin and shabby. The old woman gives her meat and milk, the cat eats everything and quickly runs away.
For some reason, Pulcheria Ivanovna decides that death was coming for her. Not paying attention to her husband’s entreaties, she gives orders on what and how to do at the funeral, and orders the housekeeper to look after Afanasy Ivanovich. The old man is crying bitterly, but Pulcheria Ivanovna is adamant in her confidence about his imminent death.
Indeed, after a few days she can no longer get out of bed and soon dies. The old woman is buried exactly according to her instructions. Afanasy Ivanovich is in some kind of daze. Returning home from the cemetery, he sees that the house is empty and sobs bitterly.
Five years pass. The author argues that during this time even the deepest heart wound heals. He tells of an acquaintance who was so grieved by the death of his lover that he twice tried to commit suicide. Both times he miraculously remained alive, and five years later the author met him. The former sufferer was calmly playing cards, with his new young wife standing nearby.
But Afanasy Ivanovich did not forget about his Pulcheria Ivanovna. When the author comes to visit him, he is surprised by the desolation that has occurred on the estate. There is no one to look after the household, the peasants' houses are completely askew, the servants have become lazy. The old man is hunched over and looks completely decrepit. Those pickles are no longer on the table; the owner brings the spoon to his nose instead of his mouth, and pokes the decanter with a fork.
Afanasy Ivanovich listens to the guest with the same kind smile, but his eyes remain empty. Suddenly he remembers his wife and begins to cry bitterly. The author is shocked: is habit really stronger than passion?
Soon after this visit, he learns that Afanasy Ivanovich has died. The old man went out for a walk in the garden and suddenly heard a voice calling him. There was no one around, and Afanasy Ivanovich decided that it was Pulcheria Ivanovna calling him to her. From that day on, he withers, melts and orders himself to be buried next to his wife. His wish is fulfilled.
The clerk and the voight are taking away what little remains. Suddenly an heir appears, who quickly brings the estate to complete ruin.
- “Old World Landowners”, analysis of Gogol’s story