Taras Bulba events. Reflection of the era in the story (what kind of time, historical events)

The gray and inexpressive reality of life in Ukraine in the first half of the 19th century did not at all inspire the imagination of the great talent that seethed in the soul of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol. The writer, a Ukrainian at heart, was more interested in the past. He was completely embraced by the times when Ukraine lived a stormy life filled with historical events. These were the hours of the birth of the free Ukrainian Cossacks, when the life of every Cossack was completely overwhelmed with the struggle for freedom, fatherland and faith in Christ.

Thus, the idea of writing a small but capacious epic work from the life of the Ukrainian Cossacks at the end of the 15th century arose. Gogol writes a vivid historical narrative "Taras Bulba". The whole essence of the artistic images and characters depicted on the pages of the work is real, almost epic Cossack heroes, elevating the soul of the reader.

Gogol - researcher of Ukrainian antiquity

Being an artist and poet, Gogol, like no one else, managed to be inspired by the chants and legends of the people of Ukraine. It was this environment that influenced the formation of the spirit of the Ukrainian Cossacks. On the other hand, Gogol can be fully called a historian-researcher of the Ukrainian “long time ago”. And this activity was very organic for him. Even the youthful historical experiences of the writer Gogol show how deeply and penetratingly he was interested in the almost mystical images of the same Pan Danila in the story "Terrible Revenge" or Pan Chub in the fairy tale "The Night Before Christmas".

Being an educated man of his time, Gogol conscientiously studied all the primary sources that told about the great past. And these were the works of scientists, and folk works, and records of contemporaries. But, first of all, he was interested in Zaporizhzhya Sich. This is the source for the historical, heroic and artistic understanding of the past of their homeland. Gogol, a romantic at heart, could not ignore such a deep historical theme.

The idea of writing a story

According to Gogol himself, the idea of writing "Taras Bulba" arose overnight. Shortly before this, Nikolai Vasilyevich finished writing "Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka" - a programmatic ethnic work about the life of ordinary people in Ukraine dear to him. After that, he takes up writing a historical cycle called "Mirgorod". Part one of this epic just consisted of two narratives - "Taras Bulba" and "Old World Landowners". They were printed in 1835. Such is the historical basis of the story "Taras Bulba".

The main character of the conceived story is an already elderly Cossack, the father of two beautiful sons, the colonel of the Zaporozhian army - Taras Bulba. It is in him that the author embodies best qualities Zaporizhzhya Cossack of the end of the 15th century. The story itself is, without a doubt, a historical work. It contains a wide variety of both domestic and battle scenes with a description of a huge number of characters.

The plot of the story

The historical basis of the story "Taras Bulba" is confirmed by the very plot of this literary masterpiece. The story begins merrily and beautifully. Two former students come to their parents' house. The father of the Bursaks, an experienced Cossack Taras Bulba, immediately arranges a test for his adult sons, checking their behavior in battle. Being a real Cossack, the father strives for his sons to adopt courage and militancy from him. Therefore, immediately upon the arrival of their sons, they all go together to the Zaporizhzhya Sich, despite the prohibitions of the mother.

Reading and rereading the scenes of the movement of Taras Bulba and his sons to the Sich, you understand that Gogol simply rested his soul when he wrote this work. What a colorful description of the steppe, nature, life, life and mood of the Cossack community! The scope of Gogol's creative vein in this short story is grandiose. In the images of the characters in the story, the author managed to embody the entire epoch-making moment of the war and the history of the entire people of Ukraine.

Fortress siege

The historical basis of the story "Taras Bulba" is quite accurately revealed in the episodes that describe the siege of the Dubno fortress. It is in these plots that the historical peculiarity of "Taras Bulba" and the main characters of the story are verified. At first, Taras Bulba, together with his sons, fight bravely. The offspring behave very boldly, but the main test of their characters is already on the way. The glorious Cossack Taras is proud of his sons. Yes, and he himself is faithful to his main mission as a defender of his native land and the Orthodox faith.

The image of Taras Bulba

Taras Bulba in the history of the Zaporozhye Cossacks is very organic. He is endowed with specific historical features and fully corresponds to the essence of the hero of the era of the Hetmanate in Ukraine. The historical events in the story "Taras Bulba" reveal all the features of the character of this extraordinary Cossack. In the constant and intense struggle and in the actions of Bulba, as in a mirror, the times of the glorious past of Ukraine are reflected.

Cossack colonel Taras Bulba. Historical figures like him came to the fore at a time when fierce liberation wars were going on throughout the Dnieper region. It was a grandiose time when the fight against the insatiable Poles and the irresistible Mongol-Tatars was waged by one Ukrainian Cossacks - the main military and spiritual force of the Hetmanate.

The image of the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks

The artistic dominant of the story is the way of life of the Zaporozhye Cossacks romanticized by Gogol. From this point of view, the very historical basis of the story "Taras Bulba" is called into question. But this is far from true. Historical penetration into the plot of the story leads to the realization that Gogol in this case acts as the compiler of a new original epic about the unique characters and glorious deeds of our distant Cossack ancestors.

The spiritual basis of the image of Taras Bulba is majestic, first of all, with its deep and conscious sacrifice. Taras is destined to carry a quarter sacrifice for the honor of his Cossack family, which in its magnitude flows into a sacrifice for the nation and faith. The plot of this sacrifice is very cruel: the father own hand kills the son of Andrei, who committed treason. The same father accepts the heroic death of another heroic son, Ostap, and then the death of his dear wife and mother of his sons. Before our eyes, the father, husband and warrior Taras turns into that spirit that with all its strength opposes the enemies of the native land and faith.

Historical figures

Gogol did not set himself the goal of describing specific historical figures in the story. He was fascinated not by them, but by the general image of the heroes of the liberation movement of Ukraine at the end of the 15th century. The author emphasizes the historical basis of the story Taras Bulba in chapter twelve: “the young, but strong-willed hetman Ostranitsa led all the countless Cossack strength.”

It is in the lines of the narrative of "Taras Bulba" that the powerful and unrestrained desire of the people of Ukraine to defend their independence and will is reflected. Through historical centuries Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol addresses all the Slav brothers from the pages of his immortal story.

Taras Bulba is a true patriot of his land

The real spirit of patriotism pervades the whole story, emphasizing the dramatic events. Taras Bulba is a hero who is not characterized by hesitation. He is a patriotic warrior and considers it his highest duty to serve his homeland. He is a courageous and fearless defender of his land and faith. Even the last moments of Taras' life are overflowing with true love for his brothers in struggle and faith.

The main feature of a work of art on a historical theme is that the author organically combines in it a story about events that actually took place with the author's fiction. In this regard, the story of N.V. Gogol "Taras Bulba" is somewhat unusual in this regard: historical events are not specified in it, moreover, when reading, it is sometimes quite difficult to determine at what time the actions unfold - in the 15th, 16th or 17th century. In addition, none of the heroes is a historical person, including Taras himself. Despite this, since the appearance of the work, it has been considered an epic story, sometimes called a novel. What is the strength and scale of "Taras Bulba"?

History of the creation of the story

The writer's appeal to the theme of the Cossacks was not accidental. A native of the Poltava province, from childhood he had heard a lot about the heroic deed of the people during the struggle against numerous external invaders. Later, when Gogol had already begun to write, such brave and devoted people as Taras Bulba were of particular interest to him. There were many of them in the Sich. Often, former serfs became Cossacks - they found a home and comrades here.

N.V. Gogol studied many sources devoted to this issue, including manuscripts of Ukrainian chronicles, historical studies of Beauplan and Myshetsky. Not satisfied with what he read (in his opinion, they contained meager information, which was not enough to understand the soul of the people), Gogol turned to folklore. and thoughts dedicated to talking about the characteristics of the characters, customs and life of the Cossacks. They gave the writer excellent "live" material, which became an excellent addition to scientific sources, and some storylines in a revised form entered the story.

The historical basis of the story

"Taras Bulba" is a book about free people who inhabited the territory of the Dnieper region in the 16-17th centuries. Their center was the Zaporizhian Sich - its name is due to the fact that it was fortified on all sides by a fence of fallen trees - notches. It had its own way of life and management. Subjected to frequent attacks by the Poles, Turks, Lithuanians, the Cossacks had a very strong, well-trained army. They spent most of their time in battles and military campaigns, and the trophies obtained became the main means of subsistence. It is no coincidence that the rooms in the house where his wife lived alone include numerous signs of the host's camp life.

The year 1596 became fatal for the Ukrainian people, who at that time were under the rule of Lithuanians and Poles. adopted a union about the unification under the authority of the Pope of Rome of two Christian religions: Orthodox and Catholic. The decision made further complicated the difficult relations between the Poles and the Cossacks, which resulted in open military confrontations. Gogol devoted his story to this period.

Image of the Zaporozhian Sich

The main school for the education of persistent, courageous warriors was a special way of life and management, and experienced Cossacks, who more than once showed their prowess in battle, became teachers. One of them was Colonel Taras Bulba. His biography is a story about the formation of a true patriot, for whom the interests and freedom of the fatherland are above all else.

It reminded me of a large republic based on the principles of humanism and equality. Koshevoy was chosen by general decision, usually from among the most deserving. During the battle, the Cossacks had to obey him unconditionally, but in peacetime it was his duty to take care of the Cossacks.

In the Sich, everything was arranged to ensure the life and military campaigns of its inhabitants: all kinds of workshops and forges worked, and cattle were bred. Ostap and Andriy will see all this when Taras Bulba brings them here.

The history of the short existence of the Zaporozhye Republic showed a new way of organizing people's lives, based on brotherhood, unity and freedom, and not on the oppression of the weak by the strong.

The main school for the Cossack - military brotherhood

How the formation of young warriors took place can be judged by the example of the sons of Taras, Ostap and Andriy. They graduated from the bursa, after which their path lay in Zaporozhye. The father meets his sons after a long separation not with hugs and kisses, but with a test of their strength and dexterity on his fists.

The life of Taras Bulba was unpretentious, as evidenced by the feast in honor of the arrival of his sons (“bring ... the whole ram, the goat ... and more burners” - with these words the old Cossack addresses his wife) and sleep in the open, under the open sky.

Ostap and Andriy did not even stay at home for a day, when they set off for the Sich, where the best camaraderie in the world and glorious deeds for their homeland and religion awaited them. Their father was convinced that only participation in military battles could become a real school for them.

Cossacks

Approaching the Sich, Taras and his sons saw a Cossack sleeping picturesquely in the middle of the road. He sprawled out like a lion and was admired by all. Wide trousers like the sea, proudly tossed forelock (he was certainly left on a shaved head), a good horse - this is what a real Cossack looked like. Not by chance main character The story appeals to his sons with an appeal to immediately change their "demonic" clothes (in which they came from the bursa) to another, worthy of a Cossack. And they really immediately changed in morocco boots, wide trousers, scarlet Cossacks and mutton hats. The image was complemented by a Turkish pistol and a sharp saber. Admiration and pride were caused by the good fellows sitting on glorious stallions from the father.

The historical basis of the story "Taras Bulba" obliged the author to treat the Cossacks impartially. With all due respect to them and their valor, Gogol truthfully says that sometimes their behavior caused condemnation and misunderstanding. This referred to the riotous and drunken life that they led in between battles, excessive cruelty (for the murder of the criminal they buried him in the grave along with the victim alive) and a low cultural level.

The power of camaraderie

The main advantage of the Cossacks was that at the moment of danger they could quickly mobilize and act as a single army against the enemy. Their selflessness, partisanism, courage and devotion to the common cause had no boundaries. In the story, Taras Bulba himself proved this more than once. The biography of other prominent warriors, including the experienced Tovkach, Kukubenko, Pavel Gubenko, Mosiy Shilo and the young Ostap, also emphasizes this.

Bulba said well about the unity and main purpose of the Cossacks in his speech on the eve of the decisive battle: “There are no ties holier than camaraderie!” His speech is an expression of great wisdom and holy faith that he and his brethren are defending a just cause. At a difficult moment, the words of Taras encourage the Cossacks, remind them of their sacred duty to protect their comrades, always remember the Orthodox faith and devotion to the motherland. The most terrible thing for a Cossack was betrayal: this was not forgiven to anyone. Taras kills his own son, having learned that because of his love for a beautiful Polish woman, he preferred personal interests to public ones. So the bonds of brotherhood were more important than blood. The fact that this fact corresponded to reality is evidenced by the historical basis of the story.

Taras Bulba - the best representative of the Cossacks

A colonel with a stern character, who went through a glorious military path. A glorious ataman and comrade who could support with an encouraging word and give good advice in difficult times. He had a burning hatred for the enemy who encroached on the Orthodox faith, and did not spare his own life for the sake of saving his homeland and his brothers in arms. Accustomed to a free life, he was content with a clean field and was absolutely unpretentious in everyday life. This is how Gogol portrays the main character. He spent his whole life in battles and always found himself in the most dangerous place. Weapons, a smoking pipe and the glorious horse of Taras Bulba were his main wealth. At the same time, he could joke and joke, he was satisfied with life.

The hero, disappointed in his youngest son, felt great pride in Ostap. Risking his life, Bulba came to the place of execution to see him for the last time. And when Ostap, who endured deathly torments, called him at the last minute, he expressed his pride, approval and support not only to his son, but to his comrade-in-spirit, comrade-in-arms with one word that made the whole square shudder. Until the end of his life, Taras will grieve for his son and avenge his death. The experience will add to him cruelty and hatred for the enemy, but will not break his will and fortitude.

The story does not contain the usual description of Taras Bulba for the hero, since this is not so important. The main thing is that he has such qualities, thanks to which it was possible to survive in that cruel time.

Hyperbolization of Taras in the execution scene

The characterization of the hero is supplemented by a description of his death, which is largely absurd. The hero is captured, as he bends down to pick up the fallen pipe - even he does not want to give it to the damned enemy. Here Taras resembles a folk hero: a dozen or three people could hardly defeat him.

In the last scene, the author does not describe the pain from the fire that the hero experienced, but his anxiety for the fate of his brothers floating down the river. At the moment of death, he behaves with dignity, remaining true to the main principles of fellowship. Most importantly, he was sure that he had not lived his life in vain. This is what a real Cossack was like.

The significance of the work today

The historical basis of the story "Taras Bulba" is the liberation struggle of the people against the invaders who encroached on their country and faith. Thanks to such strong spirit people, like Taras Bulba, his son and comrades, managed to defend their independence and freedom more than once.

The work of N.V. Gogol and his heroes have become a model of masculinity and patriotism for many, so it will never lose its relevance and significance.

The time of the story "Taras Bulba" is related to the events in the Zaporizhzhya Sich. However, Gogol, violating historical chronology, mixed up incidents and episodes from different centuries. He did not observe historical accuracy at all, because for him it is not historical, but artistic time that is more important.

Artistic time is called conditional time, which is depicted in a work of art.

In Gogol, as in other writers, it does not coincide with the historical time and with the time of the image. Gogol, firstly, describes the events of almost three centuries, but places them in one artistic time. It is quite clear that even such a hero as Taras Bulba could not live two hundred or three hundred years. Secondly, about the historical era of the Zaporizhian Sich, which by the time of Gogol had long disappeared, is written not by her contemporary, but by a distant descendant. Therefore, the time depicted in the story does not coincide with the time of the image. In other words, a person of the 19th century writes about the era of the XV-XVII centuries. artistic time conditionally, and the writer, in this case Gogol, needs it for special purposes.

There are two such features of artistic time in Taras Bulba: it is glorious for its feats and heroes, and it is epic, that is, it was a long time ago. The story is created in the spirit of the heroic epic, like the epic of Homer or the knightly epic, only that arose in a different place.

Its main character - Taras Bulba - is endowed with epic integrity and carries the conventional ethical values of the Zaporizhian Sich. And they lie in the fact that the Zaporizhzhya Sich is an Orthodox world, a special "nomadic" and free cultural and historical community. Its irreconcilable enemy is Catholic and “sedentary” Poland. Poland has already established statehood. The Zaporizhzhya Sich is a wild freeman, which rests on "partnership", brotherhood, on conditional equality, excluding property. All concepts of good and evil in the Zaporizhzhya Sich are special, they belong to the bygone world, and they should be judged not according to modern, but according to the laws of that time. For example, a Cossack needs a will, but not a hut, because if a person has a house or any property, he loses his courage. Brave is he who is homeless. Everyone needs a wife to bear children. Otherwise, it is a burden and only fetters the will. For a Cossack, mother and wife are lower than a friend. Above all, even family ties, camaraderie. The two sons of Taras Bulba are first of all comrades, brothers, then sons. Old Taras is proud of Ostap, because he follows the laws of brotherhood without changing them. Andriy is not worthy to be the son of Taras, as he violated the commandments of partnership. He must certainly die in order for the Cossack community to maintain unshakable unity. Since Taras gave birth to a traitor, he is obliged to save the Cossacks from Andriy.

Another feature of the Cossack community is the Orthodox faith. It does not at all act as a teaching of the church, but is thought of as a simple belonging to Orthodoxy, to Christ. Therefore, faith is a sign, a symbol of the Sich.

The Cossacks know literacy, but they consider it bookish wisdom, which is lower than military wisdom. True education in the spirit of camaraderie will only be completed when Ostap and Andriy master the martial art and take part in the battles with the Catholic Poles. War is a bloody test of loyalty to comradeship, of loyalty to Orthodoxy. Those who fought receive an indisputable right to a place of honor in the sacred Fatherland. The significance of the feasts in Taras Bulba is understandable, when a barrel of red wine is rolled out and with this wine and simple bread the Cossacks partake of faith and fellowship before battles.

Zaporizhzhya Sich - a special conditional art world in which their moral values, their concepts of good and evil operate. When Gogol describes them, he takes the side of the main character - Taras Bulba. Taras Bulba is the guardian of the holy laws of fellowship and faith. He is the bearer of the epic consciousness and its spokesman. Therefore, his point of view appears as objective and always correct, undeniable. This is how the chronicler writes, this is how the folk storyteller tells, completely trusting the epic hero. In other words, Taras Bulba is always right. Even when in the actions of the Zaporizhzhya freemen one can feel the robbery revelry, both from the modern point of view, and from the point of view of a person of the 19th century, many of Taras Bulba's actions are anti-human and disgusting. But Gogol portrays them epically calmly. They are not subject to critical evaluation, moral judgment, because Taras Bulba is the ideal hero of Slavic antiquity and because he acted in full accordance with the mores that reigned in his era.

As soon as the common feelings and concepts that unite people (of the Fatherland, faith, consanguinity, tribal, property belonging to all and the brotherhood and partnership based on them) are replaced by personal feelings and concepts, individual preferences, the epic world immediately decays and collapses.

In historical terms, the satisfaction of personal interests, individual aspirations, of course, meant a decisive step towards humanity, spiritual subtlety, and deeper individual development. But for Gogol, as well as for other writers, this process was revealed from the other side: as the triumph of individualism, egoistic passions over common interests, over common faith, over patriotic feelings. The power of egoism and the superiority of individualistic passions meant the end of the epic era, where man had not yet emerged from the general whole. In Taras Bulba, the Cossack unity is placed above Andriy's individualism, but it perishes, loses its power and is supported only by tradition. The epic world is still able to defend itself for a while and protect itself from the triumph of egoistic manifestations, it is still able to punish and punish the hero who has fallen away from family and tribal fraternal unity, but gradually the epic world itself, and time, and its heroes also perish. Together with them, the heroic epic goes into the past, the place of which goes to the novel, including the love story, which glorifies refined personal feelings, revelations of individual love. Andriy becomes such a novelist. Contrary to his preferences, Gogol describes with exceptional lyricism his inherent feeling of love, the beauty of the Polish woman, who appears to Andrii both in traditionally epic and folklore images and in individual sensations (pallor, comparison with pearls, etc.). The writer presents this personal feeling as a satanic temptation, as a devilish obsession, as a manifestation of individualism, but through such an image, admiration for beauty, refinement of feelings, spiritual wealth also breaks through. Gogol cannot hide the ecstasy of girlish beauty.

Nevertheless, the epic world and epic consciousness, which is leaving the historical arena, is victorious, and not the individualistic world and egoistic consciousness, in which humanity, humanity, personality in general, with their own customs and interests, have contradictoryly manifested themselves. In contrast to the execution, Andria Gogol depicts the execution of Ostap, the eldest son, heir to the tradition. The shameful execution in solitude is replaced by the high solemn execution of Ostap in full view of the entire square: "... the people poured there from all sides." And then Ostap approached the place of execution. His life is directly compared with the execution of Christ, with the cup he drank the day before in the Garden of Gethsemane (“He was the first to drink this heavy cup”). Execution is comprehended by execution for faith, just as Christ sacrificed himself for faith: “Give it, O God, that all, whatever heretics stand here, do not hear, the impious, how a Christian is tormented! So that none of us utter a single word!” And then Ostap, who endures unbearable torments, as befits an epic hero, appeals not to his mother, not to his wife: “... he would like to see a firm husband now ...” And he turns to his father, to the family and family principle, and he responds to his exclamation. Gogol contrasts the bewitching female beauty and her personal experience with the beauty of courage, which is characteristic of a coarse and simple, but whole epic hero.

Taras Bulba is also faithful to the triumph of the masculine. He gathers an army and starts a war to avenge the death of Ostap. New war- an attempt to preserve the Cossack community, the Cossack freemen, who lived by raids, robberies and at the same time firmly defending their independence and Orthodox faith. When Taras is taken prisoner by the Poles, his forthcoming execution - to burn at the stake - is comprehended by a lofty, burning all sins and cleansing sacrifice for the sake of camaraderie. No wonder Taras was given the last joy - to see that the brother of the beautiful Polish woman who seduced Andriy died, and the last minute of happiness to look at how the comrades were saved and the Cossack brotherhood was preserved. This means that the “Russian Orthodox faith” has not died.

Three executions: one execution of the traitor, traitor Andriy, another execution of Ostap, who died for his faith, and the third - Taras for the glory of fellowship. Three last words, three cries: Andria - to the Polish lady, Ostap - to his father, Taras - to his comrades and to the coming Russian power: , which would not submit to him! .. ”The Zaporizhzhya Sich goes into the mythological past, becoming a legend, a tradition, the property of epic tales. She did not die, her memory was preserved. She only gave way to a historical place for the great Russian kingdom, which has such power that there is no force "that would overpower the Russian force!" And although the writer's romantic prophecy came true, the enthusiastic elation of divination in Taras Bulba is still corrected by the general composition of the stories included in Mirgorod.

The historical basis of the story of N. V. Gogol "Taras Bulba".
The story of N. V. Gogol "Taras Bulba" reflects the main events of the XVI century: in Ukraine at that time large landowners became the Polish gentry - "pans", who introduced Polish laws in their lands and planted "their faith" - Catholicism.
The bulk of the population of Ukraine professed Orthodoxy and did not want to convert to Catholicism: apostasy has always been considered a terrible sin by the Russian people. In addition, the arrival of the Polish lords on the Ukrainian lands was accompanied by a deterioration in the life of the people: the peasants were deprived of the best land plots that had belonged to their families for centuries, many were simply driven off their land or resettled on unsuitable for agriculture, infertile lands. Large taxes were imposed on free peasants in order to force them to sell their land to a large landowner.
A “quiet” expansion of foreign territory began: everything Ukrainian, everything national was persecuted, the language, way of life and customs of the Polish people were planted. Some Ukrainian landlords adopted the customs and way of life of the Poles, but the people resisted desperately, resisted Polonization as best they could (Poland in Latin sounds like Polonia) and, if possible, waged an open struggle against the new owners and the new faith.

Expansion (lat. expansio) - expansion, expansion of boundaries or influence beyond the original limits, for example. trade expansion - the capture of new markets. — (Newest
dictionary of foreign words and expressions. — M.: AST; Minsk: Harvest, 2002. - P. 933.)

In order to somehow “pull” the Ukrainian people to their side, the Polish and Ukrainian landlords, under the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church, came up with a “unia” - an “agreement” between the Orthodox and Catholics, in fact new version Christian religion- Uniatism. Many church rites in Uniatism outwardly resembled the ritual side of Orthodoxy, but in fact Uniatism was and remains an offshoot of the Roman Catholic Church with its dogmas and ideas about how a Christian should live.
Ukrainians opposed the encroachment on the faith and moral foundations of their people in
XVI-XVII centuries, the fictional hero Taras Bulba is also fighting against the "damned pans", "poles".
The story of N.V. Gogol describes Zaporizhzhya Sich is a real historical object, originated in Ukraine in the Middle Ages: often the peasants of the western and middle regions of Ukraine, fleeing the Polish oppression, went to the east, many settled in the lower reaches of the Dnieper. Here, at the Dnieper rapids, on the island of Khortitsa, a large fortified camp of Cossacks and runaway peasants from Great Russia arose. (After the construction of the Dneproges in the 1940s, the island of Khortitsa, like part of the rapids, went under water.) They began to be called Zaporizhzhya Cossacks.
Zaporizhzhya Cossacks usually surrounded their camps with fences - fences made of cut down trees, pointed upwards. From the Ukrainian word sich, (in Russian - notch), the largest camp on Khortytsia got its name - Zaporizhzhya Sich.
The Cossacks is a conditional name, since there was no permanent population in the Zaporozhian Sich: as a rule, in the spring the bulk of the Cossacks gathered in the Sich, united in kurens - a kind of detachment that lived in one hut (kuren - hut), elected their kuren chieftain. For better management such a combined population of kurens united in camps, or kosh, which were headed by kosh chieftains. All the affairs of the Sich were decided at a general meeting - a council.
Many Cossacks were engaged in cattle breeding, hunting or various crafts, less often - agriculture. More often they went on long trips to Poland or the Crimea, to Turkish cities or Tatar settlements on Black Sea coast. It is not worth idealizing the Cossacks: their campaigns were predatory, in the spirit of the Middle Ages.
However, by the end of the 16th century, the oppression of Poland became unbearable for the population of all Ukraine, so the Zaporozhye Cossacks, fugitive peasants and the population of the enslaved regions actively opposed the expansion of the Poles: they attacked Polish lands, burned crops and cities, drove away Polish landowners and "put them in their place" their landlords.
This went on for nearly a hundred years. In the second half XVII century Ukraine voluntarily joined the Muscovite state (1654). Now a strong Orthodox state protected the interests of its citizens, most of whom were
Ukrainians - related to the Russian people.

What period of Ukrainian life is the story dedicated to? How does the writer characterize the creation of this work?

N.V. Gogol was very interested in the history of his native Ukraine, he admired the folk heroes - the Zaporozhye Cossacks, who in the 16th-17th centuries selflessly fought against the oppressors of the Ukrainian and Russian peoples - the Polish gentry. The writer looked in the past for great deeds and heroic characters, opposing them to the petty worries and petty characters of his contemporaries. The creation of the story characterizes N.V. Gogol as a patriot who was proud of the glory of the Cossacks, the heroic history of his homeland.

Do you find the beginning of the story a good one? Why?

The beginning of the story seems to us, its readers, not just successful, but the only possible one: literally from the first lines, the color of the era is recreated, tragic in its essence, but with comic situations in the life and behavior of the characters. The author introduces the reader to the family of an old Cossack, acquaints him with unique manners, customs, relationships, combining heroics and humor in the characters and behavior of his heroes.

What thoughts and feelings of Gogol are expressed in the words: “But are there such fires, torments and such a force in the world that would overpower the Russian force!”? How do they relate to the content of the whole story?

Gogol's story is dedicated to the events of the liberation movement in Ukraine, the struggle of the Cossacks against the Polish invaders, the Turks and the Tatar hordes. These words express the writer's admiration for the courage and greatness of people who fought for the freedom and happiness of their fatherland and gave their lives for it.

What qualities of Taras Bulba as a folk hero are embodied in the story? Make a plan to characterize Taras Bulba (include in it a definition of the main character traits of the hero and episodes that confirm these traits).

Taras is a wise Cossack and an experienced warrior, who is respected by his comrades and elected as their chief chieftain; a brave, courageous and stern man who gave his life to the defense of the fatherland.

Performance plan

Taras - father and husband (arrival of sons and decision to take them to the Sich; relationship with his wife).
Bulba is a man of the Sich (freedom and unrestraint of nature and at the same time sternness and asceticism, devotion to the common cause). The main values of his life are the struggle for the Christian faith and fellowship, the highest rating for him is “a good Cossack”.
Taras Bulba - warrior (battle near Dubno, the last battle of Taras).
Attitude towards partnership (talking about partnership, attitude towards the Cossacks Se-chi).
A character born of time. Greatness and tragedy of Taras.

Why, when reading the story, "... you are surprised at him (Taras. - Author), and horrified, and laugh at him" (V. G. Belinsky)?

The character of the protagonist of the story is very multifaceted. Taras is surprised by the impetuousness and rudeness of his nature, combined with devotion and tenderness, we laugh at his spontaneity, simplicity and cheerfulness, we are horrified by his cruelty and mercilessness.

Compose comparative characteristic Ostap and Andria, paying attention to the following questions: what impression does the first acquaintance with the brothers make? What made them different during their studies at the bursa? What is the difference between the behavior of Ostap and Andriy in the Zaporozhian Sich, in battle? How did the brothers die? Using the material of the previous answers and recommendations for comparative characteristics, compare the brothers Osta-pa and Andriy.

Sample Plan

Similarities between Ostap and Andriy:

a) one family

b) education;

c) training in the bursa;

d) encirclement in the Sich.

Brothers difference:

a) appearance, character;

b) attitude towards people;

c) perception of nature and beauty;

d) attitude towards war, behavior in battle;

e) death of brothers.

Find lyrical digressions in the text. How are they related to the main narrative and why are they introduced into the story?

Gogol introduces a number of lyrical digressions into the narrative (a description of the steppe, the Dnieper, etc.), creating an emotional and artistic subtext of the story, expressing the author's feeling for the depicted, correlating the pictures of nature with the fate of the characters.

Can Taras Bulba be called a historical story? Are there genuine historical persons, facts, correlation with a specific historical time in this work?

In "Taras Bulba" there is no depiction of true historical facts, real historical figures. The time depicted in the story can only be determined with approximate accuracy: XV-XVII centuries. There is not a single definite historical fact in the story, that is, Gogol did not set himself the goal of accurately telling about specific historical events, he was not going to recreate a picture of the historical past. The historical background in the story is rather conditional. Gogol set himself tasks not so much historical as epic, therefore Taras Bulba is not a historical story, but a heroic epic. Jacques in folklore works reflect the life ideals born in the people's consciousness, and ideal human characters are recreated in Gogol's story.

At what moments did the greatness of the spirit of Taras Bulba especially manifest itself? What was his last feat?material from the site
The greatness of the spirit of Taras Bulba manifested itself in the most dramatic moments of his life and the life of the Cossacks: here he reminds his comrades-in-arms of what partnership is, and finds the words that were needed, poured new courage into the Cossacks; here he is executing a traitor son; here, risking his life, he supports his second son, the hero Ostap, before the death; now, when the fire has already licked his feet, he thinks not about himself, not about how to save himself, but about how to save his comrades from certain death.
How does the author characterize Taras Bulba and his sons? How does he express his attitude towards them?
What role does the description of the Ukrainian steppe play in the story? Why is this description interesting?
How is the life and customs of the Zaporozhian Sich shown?
Why are the images of the Cossacks attractive?
Why did the Cossacks choose Taras Bulba as the chief ataman? Do you consider them a good choice?
How did the sons of Taras perceive the life and customs of the Zaporozhian Sich? Why did Ostap immediately find his place among the Cossacks, while it was more difficult for Andriy to get close to them?
How and why did Andriy become a traitor? Do you admit that such a fate could befall Ostap?
How is the heroism of the Cossacks shown in the battles near the city of Dubno? Is the author's voice heard here?
How did the second battle near Dubno end for Taras and his sons? What feelings did the story about the death of Andriy at the hands of his father evoke in you? Did this episode change your previous opinion about them?
How did Ostap die? Why does he call his father before he dies?
What lines of the story express its main idea?

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On this page, material on the topics:

episode from Taras Bulba under Dubno
appearance of andrii from taras bulba
questions for chapters 5-7 on the story of Taras Bulba
taras bulba main characters and interesting episodes
questions and answers geography gogol