In 1831-1832, the stories were published in two collections under the general title “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka.”
When creating his stories, Gogol skillfully and widely used folk art, drawing from there not only plots, but also many images (a funny devil, an evil woman, a simpleton peasant, a gypsy scoundrel), the character and techniques of folk humor, apt folk words, the very nature of speech.
“Evenings” are valuable because in them Gogol showed the spiritual strength of the people, their deep humanity, the depth and completeness of their feelings, the richness of their language.
The boys and girls who live a simple and integral life are beautiful. The living embodiment of people's strength and true patriotism are brave, determined fighters for their homeland, like Danila Burulbash from the story “Terrible Revenge.”
But the life of the people does not flow smoothly and happily. The natural desire of the people for a full life in their native land is hampered by hostile forces. They are embodied in Gogol in terrible images. Such, for example, are Basavryuk and the witch in the story “The Evening on the Eve of Ivan Kupala”, who with the power of gold killed a working man - the farm laborer Petrus, a sorcerer who sells his homeland to his enemies (“Terrible Revenge”).
And as long as there are evil forces in the world, there cannot be true happiness and a cloudless life, real fun for the people. The serfdom reality surrounding Gogol clearly spoke to him about the difficult fate of man in this cruel world, about life’s hardships, about human grief. That is why even in such cheerful stories of “Evenings” as “Sorochinskaya Fair”, notes of sadness and sorrow are heard. “And the heart becomes heavy and sad, and there is nothing to help it” - with these words Gogol ends the story “Sorochinskaya Fair”.
And it is no coincidence that at the end of the second part of “Evenings” there is a story “Ivan Fedorovich Shponka and his Aunt”, which in its themes and strictly realistic character is completely different from the fairy-tale-poetic stories of “Evenings”. Here Gogol first appears as a satirist, exposing the spiritual squalor and serfdom of the landowners.
“Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka” was an important stage in Gogol’s creative path. They became the seed from which the subsequent works of the great writer grew. Here Gogol’s ideological orientation was determined: love for the people, the source of beauty and fullness of life, and hatred of the “vulgarity of a vulgar person,” “a sky-smoker,” “an existent.”
"Evenings" was a great success. Already upon receipt of the first part of the collection, Pushkin wrote in one of his letters: “I have just read “Evenings near Dikanka.” The Okies amazed me. This is real gaiety, sincere, relaxed, without affectation or stiffness. And in places what poetry! What sensitivity! All this is so unusual in our current literature that I still haven’t come to my senses.”
Alogism is a type of logical (speech) error, consisting of violations of logical connections in the text, in logical breaks, in unsubstantiated, incorrect conclusions.
In Gogol's tale, the technique of inconsistent grouping in enumeration is often used. This can be observed in “The Overcoat,” where the narrator tries to explain the origin of the main character’s surname: “The official’s surname was Bashmachkin. Already from the name itself it is clear that it once came from a shoe; but when, at what time and how it came from the shoe, none of this is known. “And father, and grandfather, and even brother-in-law, and all the completely Bashmachkins, walked in boots, changing the soles only three times a year.” In this passage, the comic effect is achieved through an inconsistent listing of the hero’s parents: after the words both father and grandfather, the reader logically expects great-grandfather, but the expected word is imperceptibly replaced by the author with brother-in-law, who falls out of the “all Bashmachkins” group.
Typical Gogolian techniques for creating a comic effect, which are based on alogism, can also be seen in the texts of the cycle “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka”.
For example, a discrepancy between cause and effect: “It was the Cossack Sverbyguz. This could no longer be hidden in a bag, because such a bag could not be found. He was heavier in body than his head and taller than Chubov's godfather. And so Solokha took him out into the garden to hear from him everything that he wanted to explain to her.”
Or the inconsistency of premises and conclusions: Vakula explains to Oksana that he is going to drown himself “in an ice hole”: “Lost soul! - an old woman passing by muttered piously, “go and tell me how the blacksmith hanged himself.” Or: Patsyuk, despite his small stature, was quite heavy in width...
Alogism in “speaking names”: the names of two drunkards - Hoffmann and Schiller.
“Sitting in front of him was Schiller, not the same Schiller who wrote “William Thel” and “The History of the Thirty Years’ War,” but the famous Schiller, a tinsmith on Meshchanskaya Street. Standing next to Schiller was Hoffmann, not the writer Hoffmann, but a rather good shoemaker from Officers Street, a great friend of Schiller... These worthy artisans were drunk, like shoemakers.”
From numerous examples it is clear that alogism is a striking feature of Gogol’s style, one of the techniques for creating a comic effect.
"Christmas Eve"
Nowadays, it is difficult to meet a person who would not be familiar with the heroes of N.V. Gogol’s book “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka” and especially the story “The Night Before Christmas”. They have become an integral part of our lives, they help us to better know and understand the past and present. The main theme of N.V. Gogol’s work was the theme of the people. He lovingly reflected the same theme in the story “The Night Before Christmas”; he picturesquely recreated in his work the way of life of Ukrainians, their way of life, traditions and customs. The story describes Christmas Eve - the evening before Christmas. According to the Bible, Christmas marks the birth of Jesus Christ. Since ancient times, people have considered Christmas Eve a magical time. At this time, the birth of another, unknown life took place, and people always attribute extraordinary properties to everything new and unknown. Likewise, the night before Christmas is credited with the ability to endow ordinary objects with magical powers. In addition, it was believed that on this evening all evil spirits manifest themselves most fully. It is no coincidence that Gogol depicts on this very night the appearance of a witch and a devil in the sky, the theft of the month by the devil. Gogol, who knew the traditions of the Ukrainian people well, very accurately, with all the details, describes the celebration of Christmas. For a long time, this event has been accompanied by various folk rituals, such as fortune telling, caroling and others. People believed that if you make a wish that evening, it will certainly come true. Every family set a festive table, where kutia was always present - a sign of a rich harvest, as well as fish, borscht, dumplings, all kinds of pies, “varenukha, saffron-distilled vodka and a lot of other edibles.”
The whole story is filled with a joyful, bright holiday atmosphere. The great master of words, N.V. Gogol so vividly depicted the Christmas customs of the people that, reading his work, we ourselves seem to plunge into the atmosphere of the national holiday, becoming its participants. The story “The Night Before Christmas” allows you to better understand folk traditions and the entire way of life of the Ukrainian peasantry.
“Terrible Revenge” is the only historical story in “Evenings on a Farm.” The writer depicts in it the turbulent era of the struggle of the Ukrainian people for their independence with the Polish feudal lords - a struggle in which the Ukrainian people turned to the weakness and support of the Russian people. In this story, Gogol conveys an ancient folk legend, telling about the terrible crime of a traitor to his homeland - a disgusting sorcerer. Despite the fantastic element, the story reflected the real historical events of the struggle of the Cossacks against foreign invaders and the Polish gentry. Gogol, using the motifs of folk legends, exposes the black, disgusting nature of the traitor, whose crimes cannot find forgiveness and oblivion even after centuries. Using the bright epic colors of the folk arctic foxes, Ukrainian “dumas,” Gogol paints the image of Danila Burulbaid - a valiant patriot, a courageous fighter for his homeland.
It began in 1829. A year later, the story “The Evening on the Eve of Ivan Kupala” was published in the journal Otechestvennye zapiski. The first book “Evenings...” was published in 1831, and the second in 1832.
When creating the cycle, the aspiring writer made extensive use of folk legends and folklore, many handwritten sources, and the works of German romantic writers.
Opinion of contemporaries
The most famous and characteristic response to “Evenings...” was the reaction of printing workers who, upon seeing the author, began to “snort and spray into their hands.” The head of the printing house admitted to Gogol that his “things... are extremely funny.” Regarding this episode, Pushkin wrote: “Moliere and Fielding would probably be glad to make their typesetters laugh.”
Pushkin also gave more weighty arguments in favor of “Evenings...”: “This is real gaiety, sincere, relaxed, without affectation, without stiffness.” V.F. Odoevsky predicted “great talent.” Most critics noted the simplicity and truthfulness of the novice author.
Along with positive ones, negative judgments were also expressed. The young writer was accused of ethnographic inaccuracies, “flaws of style,” and inappropriateness in depicting common heroes. However, this category of critics was in a clear minority.
General overview of the cycle
“Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka” consists of two parts, including eight stories. All the stories are united by the image of the beekeeper Rudy Panka, on whose behalf the stories are told. Before each part there are prefaces by the narrator and brief dictionaries of Little Russian terms.
First part
Sorochinskaya fair
A funny story that happened during the Little Russian fair. The young Cossack Gritsko, taking advantage of the help of the gypsies and the people's fear of the “red scroll,” seeks a wedding with the beautiful Paraska.
The evening before Ivan Kupala
A sad story about poor Petro, who, out of despair and love, entered into an agreement with evil spirits. By killing an innocent child, Petro achieved apparent happiness and wealth, but as punishment he went crazy and died.
May Night, or the Drowned Woman
A romantic love story about Levko and Hanna. Courage and willingness to do anything for the sake of his beloved help the young man to expose the terrible witch. In gratitude for this, the suffering soul of the drowned woman frees Levko from his father’s punishment and successfully arranges his fate with Hanna.
Missing certificate
One of the funniest stories in the series. The narrator’s grandfather loses the “hetman’s letter” and, in search of the loss, ends up on the Sabbath of evil spirits. The decisive duel between good and evil turns into a game of “fool”. The sign of the cross helps the grandfather leave the main witch in the cold.
Second part
Christmas Eve
The most famous story in the series, telling about the unusual adventures of the blacksmith Vakula. The main character has all the advantages of a young man of his era and class: courage, efficiency, strength, unshakable faith, talent. However, he still cannot win the heart of the proud beauty Oksana. Vakula bows to the evil spirit, but does not submit to it, but, on the contrary, forces the devil to fulfill his wishes. For the sake of the beauty, the blacksmith obtains the “royal slippers,” but it turns out that the girl fell in love with her most devoted gentleman even without a gift.
Terrible revenge
The most serious story preceding Gogol's work on Taras Bulba. The tragic death of Pan Danila, Katerina and their son at the hands of the sinister Sorcerer is not just a fairy tale. It is based on the history of the long-term struggle of the Ukrainian Cossacks against Polish enslavement.
Ivan Fedorovich Shponka and his aunt
A story in which the images and motives of Gogol's future works are guessed. This is the writer's first attempt at critical realism. The image of Ivan Fedorovich personifies the type of “existent” (as the writer himself defines it). The life of “existents” is spiritless and meaningless, characterized by pettiness and inertia. Satire becomes an effective way to combat these everyday negative phenomena.
Enchanted place
The final story brings a humorous conclusion to Panka's thoughts about the futility of man's struggle with evil spirits. All the grandfather’s efforts to overcome the demonic spell and find the treasure lead to nothing. The grandfather admits his defeat and prefers to avoid the “cursed place.”
Themes and problems of “Evenings...”
Gogol did not simply limit himself to the transcription of Ukrainian traditions and legends, but set himself the task of recreating the poetic appearance of his people. The writer used typical means of romanticism: the confrontation between good and evil, unusual situations, heroic images. At the same time, he sought to depict living reality. In particular, pathetic phrases and reflections organically merge with vivid colloquial speech, the description is replete with everyday details, etc.
With the exception of “Ivan Fedorovich...” in the entire cycle, a huge role is played by evil spirits, with which the main characters are forced to fight. Fabulousness does not devalue their images, but emphasizes their best qualities.
In “The Evening on the Eve of Ivan Kupala”, “Terrible Revenge” and partly “May Night”, evil acts as a merciless destructive force. In other stories, “demonic spells” cause laughter. Just look at the devil “tamed” by Vakula and the witch fooled by her grandfather.
The author is ironic about the very belief in evil spirits. In many situations, doubt arises: have the heroes really encountered a manifestation of the supernatural or have they become victims of their own superstition?
Standing apart from the depiction of the bright and joyful, and sometimes sad and sorrowful life of the common people are two stories that mark the writer’s transition to a higher level of creativity. In “Terrible Revenge,” Gogol thinks about the great historical past of the Cossacks. The story “Ivan Fedorovich...” becomes one of the cornerstones of Russian critical realism, an example of artistic exposure of social vices.
The idea for the series of stories “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka.”
“Evenings” depicts enchanting idylls of the “beautiful rural life of common people”, corresponding to the people's dream. Already the first pages of the book create a picture of the abundance, well-fed and joyful life of the peasants.
The leitmotif through all the stories of “Evenings” is the joy of people’s free life. It sounds in the triumphant youth of boys and girls, in their strong and morally beautiful feeling of love, overcoming any obstacles, in the incessant songs, laughter, and funny jokes of young people and old people.
The life of a free people is beautiful and amazing. The exhausting burden of forced labor does not weigh on a person. Honor and will are not violated. That is why people live in such a community with each other. That is why virtue and truth almost always triumph over evil and untruth, and evil does not seem so terrible, and its bearers often find themselves in a funny position, because the good principle still prevails. Even mysterious and evil forces often serve the happiness of people.
The blacksmith Vakula, in order to get the shoes from the feet of the queen to his beloved, capricious Oksana, forces the devil to take him to St. Petersburg itself, and the devil obediently carries out his will. Levko, together with the boys, is fooling his father, an old depraved head who has been dragging after his bride, the beautiful Hanna. In the end, not without the participation of mysterious forces, the pan-head is forced to agree to Levko’s marriage.
The positive heroes of “Evenings” are bearers of the best traits of the people: they are honest, noble, fearless and selfless in the fight for truth, against evil forces, even if they are terrible sorcerers or witches, they have high feelings of love, an understanding of the beauty of nature; each of them is talented and beautiful in their own way. Such is Levko in “May Night”, and the blacksmith Vakula in “The Night Before Christmas”, and Danila Burulbash in “Terrible Revenge”, etc. In “Evenings” Gogol showed, emphasizing that the wonderful qualities of a person will unfold fully as soon as his emancipation follows.
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Composition
The most interesting thing was my meeting with the printing house. As soon as I poked my head through the door, the typesetters, seeing me, each began to snort and spray into his hand, turning his back to the wall. This surprised me a little. I went to the factor, and after some deft evasions, he finally said that the things that they deigned to send from Pavlovsk for printing were very extremely funny and brought great amusement to the typesetters. From this I concluded that I am a writer completely in the taste of the mob.
N.V. Gogol - A.S. Pushkin. August 21, 1831
Gogol, unlike Koltsov, was not a native of the people by origin, but he was one in his tastes and mentality.
A. I. Herzen. On the development of revolutionary ideas in Russia
“Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka,” written by N.V. Gogol in 1831-1832, became, according to A.I. Herzen, a series of “truly beautiful paintings depicting the morals and nature of Little Russia - paintings full of gaiety and grace ; painting and love." Taking most of the plots from Ukrainian folklore, which is also close to Russian people, Gogol penetrated into the very essence of people's life, their ideas about what this life should be like.
What heroes appeared before the reader? - The blacksmith Vakula, the daring Gritsko, the gentle Ganna, the minx and enchantress Oksana, the courageous Cossack Danila, the unlucky grandfather... Sometimes far from real people, they embodied both the best and funniest human traits. By painting portraits, Gogol follows the ideal of beauty existing among the people: “The door swung open with a creak, and a girl on the threshold of the seventeenth spring, entwined in twilight, timidly looking around and not letting go of the wooden handle, stepped over the threshold. In the semi-clear darkness, clear eyes glowed welcomingly, like stars; The red coral monastery shone, and even the blush that bashfully flared on her cheeks could not hide from the eagle eyes of the little girl.” His maidens are both poetic and full of life. “That I really am like a child,” she cried out laughing, “I’m afraid to step foot.” And she began to stamp her feet, the further she went, the more boldly; Finally, her left hand dropped and rested on her side, and she began to dance, rattling her horseshoes, holding a mirror in front of her and humming her favorite song...”
Brave and adventurous, impetuous, handsome Cossacks, ready to ride the devil for the sake of their beloved girl or “go to the Crimea and Turechina, win gold and come with kindness” to their beauty. This is how I remember the words of Russian fairy tales, where Ivan Tsarevich goes to distant lands, to the thirtieth kingdom...
Witches, mermaids, and devils were also borrowed by Gogol from folklore. And they either scare the heroes, then demand the performance of terrible rituals, then ask for help and reward them. “No, you won’t see gold until you get human blood!” - said the witch and brought to him a child of about six years old, covered with a white sheet, indicating with a sign that he should cut off his head. Petro was dumbfounded. A small thing, cut off a man’s head for no reason, and even an innocent child!” It is unlikely that the reader was less frightened than Petro when he learned that “he pulled off the sheet, ... and what then? Ivas stood in front of him.” Levko from the story “May Night, or the Drowned Woman,” watching how “light, as if shadows, girls in white shirts, like a meadow covered with lilies of the valley,” play as a crow, recognizes the witch who “quickly and boldly chased the string and rushed in all directions to catch her victim,” and her body “didn’t glow as much as the others.” And the lady rewards him by giving permission for the wedding.
Magical transformations and fantastic events in “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka” only take the reader into an unreal world for a few minutes. Sooner or later, Vakula returns to Oksana, the grandfather from the story “The Missing Letter” finds himself on the roof of his hut when “it was already completely dawn,” and the month, stolen by the devil, “flew through the chimney of Solokhina’s hut and smoothly rose through the sky. Everything lit up. The snowstorm was gone. The snow lit up in a wide silver field and was showered with crystal stars. The frost seemed to have warmed up. Crowds of boys and girls showed up with bags. The songs began to ring, and under the rare hut there were no crowds of carolers.”
Accurate descriptions of costumes, the speech of the characters, filled with songs and jokes, details of everyday life - everything that Gogol so diligently studied and recorded while living in his native Vasilyevka, studying at the Nizhyn gymnasium, gave his stories authenticity. As you read, you can easily imagine what the “first lad in the village” should look like: “...dress him in a new zhupan, tie him with a red belt, put a black smushka hat with a smart blue top on his head, hang a Turkish saber at his side, give in one hand a malachai, in the other a cradle in a beautiful frame, then he would have tucked into the belt of all the boys of that time.” He stands before us, like a living, real Cossack: “A reveler, you can see it from his face!” Hot-red trousers, a blue zhupan, a bright colored belt, a saber at his side and a cradle with a copper chain right up to his heels - a Cossack, and that’s all! Eh, people! He will stand, stretch out, move his brave mustache with his hand, rattle his horseshoes and - take off! But how it starts: the legs dance like a spindle in a woman’s hands; like a whirlwind, he pulls his hand along all the strings of the bandura, and then, leaning on his sides, rushes in a squat; bursts into song - the soul walks!”
For the reader - Gogol's contemporary - these living pictures were new, they opened the world of the Ukrainian people, the breadth of their spirit, strength of character and humor. The book, which, in the famous words of A. S. Pushkin, “we were amazed, which made us laugh, we, who had not laughed since the time of Fonvizin!”, was highly appreciated by the Russian reader. Although A. S. Pushkin noted “the unevenness and irregularity of his style, the incoherence and implausibility of some stories,” the true nationality of the book was confirmed by both the first typesetters and V. G. Belinsky: “... Let’s take the works of Mr. Gogol. In them, for the most part, the life of the people themselves, the life of the masses, is poeticized, and it would have been very natural for the author to fall into common people, but he remained only folk, and in the same sense in which Pushkin was folk.”
Other works on this work
Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka Historical, everyday and moral element in “Evenings on a farm near Dikanka” Mysticism in “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka” by N. V. Gogol My first reading of Gogol Folk character in “Evenings on a farm near Dikanka” The image of Oksana in the story by N.V. Gogol's "The Night Before Christmas" ("Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka") Analysis of Gogol's works "Evenings on a farm near Dikanka" Romance of Ukrainian fairy tales and legends Romance of Ukrainian fairy tales and legends in the works of N. V. Gogol (Based on the book “Evenings on a farm near Dikanka”) An essay based on the collection of stories by N. V. Gogol “Evenings on a farm near Dikanka” The spiritual breadth of Gogol's heroes Historical theme in the stories “Evenings on a farm near Dikanka” Comparison of “Mirgorod” and “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka” Gogol essay – Evenings on a farm near Dikanka Folk character Essay based on the book “Evenings on a farm near Dikanka”The cycle of stories “Evenings on a farm near Dikanka” presents in all its glory a picturesque picture of Ukrainian life in the 17th and 18th centuries. The period in which Gogol created his masterpiece was the happiest in the life of the author, full of grandiose literary plans that were subsequently realized. Along with national recognition, the cycle “Evenings on a farm near Dikanka” received high praise from the brilliant writer of our time, Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin.
History of creation
Gogol spent his childhood in one of the most picturesque places in Ukraine - in the Poltava region, in the village of Dikanka. Since ancient times, there have been many fantastic rumors and legends about this place. Echoes of childhood impressions were fully reflected in a number of Gogol’s stories, which formed a single cycle, “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka.” In 1829, the author began work on the work, and in 1831-1832 the cycle was published and highly appreciated by the literary community. Individual stories from the series “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka” have undergone many theatrical productions and film adaptations.
Analysis of the work
Description of the work
Each part is preceded by an ironic narration by the imaginary author - beekeeper Rudy Panka.
Sorochinskaya fair. The story is about a savvy, dapper lad Gritska, who won the right to marry the rich lady Paraska with his cunning and resourcefulness. The action is accompanied by a colorful description of the fair and is distinguished by a special satirical depiction of the images of some of the heroes.
The evening before Ivan Kupala. The eerie narrative, shrouded in mystical flavor, says that ill-gotten wealth does not bring happiness to its owner.
May Night or the Drowned Woman. This story partly has something in common with the Sorochinskaya Fair. The young Cossack Levka has a beloved girl, Ganna. To reunite with his future bride, the cunning young man has to turn to the help of a mystical girl - the drowned woman Pannochka.
Missing certificate. The story is permeated with a fantastic flavor with elements of lively Gogol's humor. The grandfather, whose letter, money, horses and hat were stolen, uses the sign of the cross to win the stolen goods from the witch at cards.
Christmas Eve. And again the story of the marriage of a simple and savvy lad to a beautiful lady. The blacksmith Vakula seeks the love of the rich rural beauty Oksana. They find their happiness not without the help of evil spirits. Touched by the blacksmith's innocence, the queen gives the coveted slippers for the blacksmith's future bride.
Terrible revenge. A story written in an epic narrative style. The terrible story of the Cossack ataman Danila Burulbash and his wife Katerina, forced to make a terrible choice regarding their sorcerer father. At the end of the story, the sorcerer pays in full for his terrible crimes.
Ivan Fedorovich Shponka and his aunt. The only purely everyday satirical sketch about a small landowner trying to get his inheritance. The only unfinished story in the Gogol cycle.
Enchanted place. A story about the evil jokes of evil spirits. A phantasmagoric story about the search and discovery of “treasure” in an enchanted place.
Main characters
The heroes of the cycle are divided into several groups:
- young boys possessing both innocence and cunning and ingenuity - Gritsko, Levko and Vakula;
- beautiful ladies whose parents are very picky about their future grooms - Paraska, Ganna, Oksana;
- comic characters shown in the fullness of Gogol's humor - Patsyuk, Chub, Shponka, etc.;
- an evil spirit whose tricks often punish the heroes of some stories in the series (Petrus, Grandfather from the last story) for their passion for wealth, and sometimes the evil spirits become an assistant to cunning and savvy characters in achieving their goal.
Structure of the work
Compositionally, the work consists of 8 stories, located in two books (4 stories in each). An introduction to the colorful world of Ukrainian life is the preface of the imaginary publisher Rudy Panko, which precedes each of the books.
True poetry, seen by the author in the life and traditions of the Ukrainian people, unfolds in its most diverse manifestations: everyday scenes of modern life, historical legends and fantastic folk legends. The abundance of phantasmagoric scenes is intended to give greater contrast to good and evil, the struggle between the Christian principle and devilry.
Final conclusion
Gogol's work is of particular value - the personality of a common man, described with great love, is in no way diminished by the presence of satire. Many characters are described with a fair amount of good humor, gleaned by the author from the real life of Ukrainian peasants of that time. The originality of the style, poetic talent for depicting the natural beauties of the Little Russian village, lyricism and kind laughter make the brilliant cycle of the young writer a true masterpiece of world literature