The history of the creation of Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy’s story “Prisoner of the Caucasus. Caucasian captive analysis of the work Historical and literary sources of the Caucasian captive

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

“Prisoner of the Caucasus”: who wrote it?

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

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

"Prisoner of the Caucasus". Lermontov

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

Tolstoy

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

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

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

In the school course of Russian literature, the question is considered why the story is called “Prisoner of the Caucasus” by L.N. Tolstoy. After all, he could have used any other name that would reflect the essence of the work. For example, “Zhilin”, “Escape”, “Escape from Caucasian Captivity” or, finally, “Prisoner of the Caucasus”. For answers, you should turn to the life of Lev Nikolaevich or to the plot of the story itself.

It is impossible to say for sure about the influence of famous works, we can only speculate. Most likely, Tolstoy decided to create a more vital work, without romance. His story has a happy ending, unlike the tragedies that played out in the poems of Pushkin and Lermontov. After all, the work was written for children by special order for ABC.

2. Coverage of the current issue of Russian prisoners in the Caucasus.

In the mid-19th century there was a fierce war in the Caucasus. It is reflected in many works of Russian literature. Lev Nikolaevich outlined his vision of the issue of captivity. That's why he chose the appropriate name.

3. Memories of an incident from your life.

In his diaries, the writer describes an incident that occurred in the Caucasus. He almost got captured. Perhaps the story reveals his feelings at that moment. It can also be assumed that Zhilin is the personification of Lev Nikolaevich himself, this is how he would behave if he was captured by the highlanders.

4. Compliance with content.

Is it worth looking for complex subtext where there was none? It’s just that out of all the possible options for names about the prisoner, this one was chosen.

Summary

The main character is officer Zhilin, who served in the Caucasus. He once received a letter from his mother, in which the woman reported that she had found a wonderful match for her son. It was time for him to come home to stay and, if possible, to have a wedding.

The soldier set off on his journey. The time was turbulent - there was a war between Russia and the Caucasus. Therefore, the movement of the population of the fortress was carried out by wagon train, accompanied by soldiers several times a week.

Zhilin could not ride with the convoy due to its leisurely movement, so he took the lead. He was joined by another Russian military man, Kostylin. Having become separated from the escort, they are attacked by the Tatars, who take the Russians prisoner.

The prisoners are locked in a barn and forced to write letters to their relatives asking them to send a ransom. Kostylin immediately obeyed. And Zhilin wrote a letter, but the address he indicated was incorrect, because his elderly mother did not have that kind of money, and her son did not want to upset her.

Kostylin is impatiently waiting for an answer from home, and his “roommate” is developing an escape plan. Zhilin does not waste time in vain: he does handicrafts and repairs various things. He puts clay dolls on the roof so that girls living nearby can see them.

Only the owner's daughter Dina dared to take the doll. She played with it with pleasure: dressed it up, rocked it, put it to bed. But the woman who lived under the same roof with the girl got angry and broke her. Then Zhilin made the toy even better than the previous one and gave it to Dina. As a token of gratitude, she brought the captive a jug of milk.

That's how they became friends. The owner's daughter became attached to Zhilin and secretly brought him milk and cheese cakes. He enjoys making different dolls for her. Having learned that the prisoner had golden hands, the owner brought him a broken watch. Because Zhilin repaired them, the Tatar gave him one of his old beshmets.

Soon the whole neighborhood knew that the Russian prisoner was a jack of all trades. And then the Tatars began to come to him, each with their own request. Once they even asked to cure a patient. So Zhilin established good relations with many residents of the settlement. His kind heart even won over his owner’s dog, which he was able to tame.

The officer digs into the barn and gradually studies the best way to escape. A few days after the wake of the murdered Tatar, Zhilin decides to escape. He persuades Kostylin to run away with him. At night, the prisoners accomplish their plan.

Having reached the forest, Kostylin slows down, his legs are bleeding. He asks to leave him, but Zhilin doesn’t even want to hear about it and drags his comrade on his back. It so happened that the fugitives were seen by a Tatar driving through the forest. He informed the owner and other residents about the escape. The Russians were quickly caught up with the dogs.

One Tatar offers to kill prisoners who are too quick, but the owner refuses. This time the comrades were put in a pit and put on shackles. They forced me to write to my family again about the ransom. And they warned that if there was no money in two weeks, they would be killed.

Under such conditions, Zhilin loses hope of returning home. But Dina, who brings food, turns out to be his salvation. Then Zhilin decided to ask her for help. At night the girl brought a long stick, which the prisoner used to climb up. Kostylin refuses Zhilin’s offer to escape, and then the prisoner escapes himself.

The Russian officer remembered the touching parting with Dina for the rest of his life. The girl cried, she became attached to a kind man. On the way, the owner's daughter put cheese cakes in Zhilin's pockets. As a sign of gratitude, the prisoner patted Dina on the head and disappeared into the darkness.

The block prevents Zhilin from walking, he becomes exhausted, and then begins to crawl. Thus, the fugitive reaches the steppe, behind which there were Russian soldiers. While crossing the open space, Zilina is noticed by the Tatars and begins pursuit. Out of despair, the fugitive begins to call for help and wave his arms.

Fortunately, the soldiers heard the scream and arrived faster than the Tatars. This is how the officer was saved, who after all the events remained to serve in the Caucasus. And he never went home. He thought it was not fate. Kostylin was also saved - his relatives bought him for five thousand.

From the content it is clear that the hero Zhilin is not known to readers by last name. Therefore, if you call a work by his name, it will not be clear what will be discussed. After all, the essence of the story is not to tell about the personality of the Russian officer. The main idea is to tell readers about the fate of Russian prisoners in the Caucasus. After all, Zhilin’s name is never indicated, his appearance is not described, because this image is collective.

This is interesting:

In literature, there are several works with the same name “Prisoner of the Caucasus”, one poem belongs to the hand of A. S. Pushkin, the second - to M. Yu. Lermontov. There are also stories: by an unknown author, signed N.M., and written by L.N. Tolstoy. A similar story was revealed to the world by V. Makanin, which he called “Prisoner of the Caucasus.”

In Vladimir Makanin's story "Asan", which tells about military operations in Chechnya, the main character has the surname Zhilin, like Tolstoy.

Several films of the same name were made based on the work. One of them is a classic film adaptation, and the second takes place during the war in Chechnya.

Perhaps Tolstoy used materials from other works when writing the story. These could be the works of the same name by the same Pushkin or Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov, as well as the unknown N.M. The story of the latter author caused some tension in Tolstoy, because it contained some mistakes that the writer did not allow in his work. Also, the work could be based on “Memoirs of a Caucasian Officer” - notes by Colonel Tornau.

It is an interesting activity to speculate why this or that work is called that way, although some of them had completely different working titles. So, for example, many are interested in why the story is called “Asya” by I. S. Turgenev or “Anna Karenina” by L. N. Tolstoy. Of course, only the author himself can tell for sure.

" One of the most popular works of the writer, reprinted many times and included in the school curriculum.

Prisoner of the Caucasus
Illustration from 1916 (Michael Sevier)
Genre	story
Author	Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy
Original language	Russian
Date of writing
Date of first publication	, Zarya magazine

The title of the story is a reference to the title of Pushkin's poem "Prisoner of the Caucasus".

Story

The plot of the story is partly based on a real event that happened to Tolstoy during his service in the Caucasus in the 1850s. On June 23, 1853, he wrote in his diary: “I almost got captured, but in this case I behaved well, although too sensitive.” According to the memoirs of S. A. Bers, the writer’s brother-in-law,

The peaceful Chechen Sado, with whom L. N. was traveling, was his great friend. And not long before they exchanged horses. Sado bought a young horse. Having tested it, he gave it to his friend L. N-chu, and he himself moved to his pacer, who, as you know, does not know how to gallop. It was in this form that the Chechens overtook them. L.N-ch, having the opportunity to gallop away on his friend’s frisky horse, did not leave him. Sado, like all mountaineers, never parted with his gun, but, unfortunately, it was not loaded. Nevertheless, he aimed it at his pursuers and, threatening, shouted at them. Judging by the further actions of the pursuers, they intended to capture both, especially Sado, for revenge, and therefore did not shoot. This circumstance saved them. They managed to approach Grozny, where a sharp-eyed sentry noticed the pursuit from afar and raised the alarm. The Cossacks who came to meet them forced the Chechens to stop the pursuit.

Tolstoy and his friend Sado accompanied the convoy to the Grozny fortress. The convoy walked slowly, stopped, Tolstoy was bored. He and four other horsemen accompanying the convoy decided to overtake it and ride forward. The road went through a gorge; the mountaineers could attack at any moment from above, from the mountain, or unexpectedly from behind cliffs and rock ledges. Three drove along the bottom of the gorge, and two - Tolstoy and Sado - along the top of the ridge. Before they had time to reach the ridge of the mountain, they saw Chechens rushing towards them. Tolstoy shouted to his comrades about the danger, and he, together with Sado, rushed forward to the fortress with all his might. Fortunately, the Chechens did not shoot; they wanted to capture Sado alive. The horses were playful and managed to gallop away. The young officer was injured; the horse killed under him crushed him and he could not free himself from under it. The Chechens galloping past hacked him half to death with sabers, and when the Russians picked him up, it was already too late, he died in terrible agony.

While actively compiling The ABC, Tolstoy wrote a story about a Caucasian prisoner. Sending the story to N. N. Strakhov in March 1872, Tolstoy noted:

The story “Prisoner of the Caucasus” was published in the magazine “Zarya” (1872, No. 2). It was included in the “Fourth Russian Reading Book,” published on November 1, 1872.

Tolstoy himself highly appreciated his story and mentioned it in his treatise “What is Art? " in the following context:

...I consider my works of art to be in the realm of bad art, with the exception of the story “God Sees the Truth,” which wants to belong to the first kind, and “Caucasian Prisoner,” which belongs to the second.

At the same time, he defines the “second kind” of good art there as “art that conveys the simplest everyday feelings, those that are accessible to all people around the world - world art.”

Commenting on this treatise, the philosopher Lev Shestov notes that “...he actually perfectly understands that his “Caucasian Prisoner” or “God knows the truth, but will not soon tell” (only these two stories of all that he has written, belongs to he is for good art) - will not have for readers the meaning that not only his great novels have - but even “The Death of Ivan Ilyich.”

Plot

The action takes place during the Caucasian War. Officer Ivan Zhilin serves in the Caucasus. His mother sends a letter asking him to visit her, and Zhilin leaves the fortress along with the convoy. The convoy travels slowly, and Zhilin and another officer - Kostylin - decide to go forward alone. Then they come across several mounted “Tatars” (Muslim mountaineers). When Kostylin sees the Tatars, he leaves, leaving Zhilin alone, and they shoot the horse of the remaining officer and take him prisoner.

Zilina is brought to a mountain village, where he is sold to Abdul-Murat. The same owner later ends up with Kostylin, who was also caught by the Tatars. Abdul forces the officers to write letters home so that they can be ransomed. Zhilin indicates the wrong address on the letter, realizing that his mother still cannot collect the required amount.

Zhilin and Kostylin live in a barn, and during the day they put stocks on their feet. Zhilin makes dolls, attracting local children and, above all, Abdul’s 13-year-old daughter, Dina. While walking around the village and its surroundings, Zhilin wonders in which direction he can run back to the Russian fortress. At night he digs in the barn. Dina sometimes brings him flatbreads or pieces of lamb.

When Zhilin notices that the village residents are alarmed because of the death of one of their fellow villagers in a battle with the Russians and can easily take out their anger on prisoners, he decides to escape. He and Kostylin crawl into a tunnel at night and try to get to the forest, and from there to the fortress. However, due to the slowness of the corpulent Kostylin, they do not have time to get there - the Tatars notice them and bring them back. Now they are put in a pit and the pads are not removed at night. Dina sometimes continues to bring food to Zilina.

Realizing that the mountaineers are afraid of the arrival of the Russians and may kill the prisoners, Zhilin one day, at nightfall, asks Dina to bring him a long stick, with the help of which he climbs out of the hole. The sick and limp Kostylin remains there. Zhilin tries to knock the lock off the blocks, but cannot do this, including with the help of Dina. Having made his way through the forest, at dawn the main character goes to the location of the Russian troops. Subsequently, Kostylin, with extremely poor health, was ransomed from captivity.

Reviews

“Prisoner of the Caucasus” is written in a completely special, new language. Simplicity of presentation is put in the foreground. There is not a single superfluous word, not a single stylistic embellishment... You can’t help but be amazed at this incredible, unprecedented restraint, this ascetically strict fulfillment of the task undertaken to tell the people the events that are interesting to them “without further ado.” This is a feat that, perhaps, will not be possible for any of the other luminaries of our modern literature. The artistic simplicity of the story in “Prisoner of the Caucasus” is brought to its apogee. There is nowhere to go further, and before this majestic simplicity the most talented attempts of the same kind by Western writers completely disappear and fade into obscurity.

The theme “Russian among the Chechens” is the theme of Pushkin’s “Prisoner of the Caucasus”. Tolstoy took the same title, but told everything differently. His prisoner is a Russian officer from the poor nobles, a man who knows how to do everything with his own hands. He's almost not a gentleman. He is captured because another, noble officer, rode away with a gun, did not help him, and was also captured. Zhilin—that’s the prisoner’s name—understands why the highlanders don’t like Russians. The Chechens are strangers, but not hostile to him, and they respect his courage and ability to fix the watch. The prisoner is freed not by a woman who is in love with him, but by a girl who takes pity on him. He tries to save his comrade, he took him with him, but he was timid and lacking energy. Zhilin was dragging Kostylin on his shoulders, but was caught with him, and then ran away alone. Tolstoy is proud of this story. This is wonderful prose - calm, there are no decorations in it and there is not even what is called psychological analysis. Human interests collide, and we sympathize with Zhilin - a good person, and what we know about him is enough for us, but he himself does not want to know much about himself.

Film adaptations

Audio performances

There are several audio versions of the story:

• Bruno Freundlich, recording from 1960.
• L. Tolstoy. “Prisoner of the Caucasus” (Cycle/Series: Audio collected works. Volume 4) - read by Vyacheslav Gerasimov. Studio ARDIS, 2003.
• L. Tolstoy. “Prisoner of the Caucasus” - read by Vladimir Shevyakov. Artistic director - Honored Artist of Russia Natalia Litvinova. The total playing time is 67 minutes. 1C: Audiobooks, 2006. ISBN 5-9677-0344-6.

Preview:

Open lesson on literature in 6th grade

L.N. Tolstoy “Prisoner of the Caucasus.” Historical events reflected in the story. Extracurricular reading lesson.

Lesson objectives: 1) understanding the content of L.N. Tolstoy’s story “Prisoner of the Caucasus”; the ability to highlight the main problems raised by the author in the work;

2) introducing children to independent research and creative activities; development of the skill of analyzing a work of art, logical thinking;

3) education of a spiritual and moral personality, respecting human dignity, with a tolerant attitude towards the national issue, clearly understanding the concept of “honor”.

Equipment: computer, projector, portrait of the writer, lesson presentation.

During the classes:

Hello, dear guests, hello, dear guys! Today we continue to study the works of Leo Tolstoy. Today we will look at the story “Prisoner of the Caucasus.” (slide No. 1)

So, guys, in a few lessons you received cases with tasks, you had to be divided into groups and prepare. Before group 1 speaks, I want to address group 2: you need to listen carefully to your comrades, understand the task, evaluate the work of the first group: manner of communication, ability to behave in front of an audience, complete disclosure of facts.

Your group's first case assignment.Study the history of the story.

(Children from group 1 perform)

- In the middle of the 19th century

A difficult and bloody war was going on in the Caucasus. Tsar Nicholas I sent his troops to conquer the Caucasian lands. The mountain peoples who lived there showed stubborn resistance to the tsarist troops. On steep mountain roads, in forests and gorges, at river crossings, the mountaineers set up ambushes and took Russian soldiers and officers prisoner.

L.N. Tolstoy in the Caucasus

At that time, L.N. Tolstoy was in military service in the Caucasian army and participated in the hostilities of the Russian troops. One day, having traveled far from his squad, he was almost captured. The writer was rescued from trouble by his companion and friend, the Chechen Sado. That's how it was.

Shortly before this incident, Sado bought a young horse, which turned out to be a good racer. Friends - Tolstoy and Sado - according to Caucasian custom, exchanged horses. Sado gave Tolstoy his horse, and he gave him his strong pacer. And so, when the Chechens began to overtake his friends, Tolstoy could easily get away from them on a fast horse, but for nothing in the world would he agree to abandon his comrade in trouble. Sado had a gun, but it turned out to be unloaded. However, Sado was not at a loss. He menacingly aimed his gun at the approaching pursuers and shouted at them. But they wanted to take Sado and Tolstoy prisoner alive and therefore did not shoot. They were especially angry with their fellow tribesman Sado, who was friends with the Russian officer. Pursued by the Chechens, Tolstoy and Sado approached the Grozny fortress so much that a sentry saw the chase and raised the alarm. Mounted Cossacks immediately appeared from the fortress; The Chechens, chasing Tolstoy and Sado, turned back and rushed into the mountains. In memory of this incident, Sado gave Tolstoy his saber.(the second group evaluates the answers)

Case assignment for group 2

Study the history of the creation of Leo Tolstoy’s story “Prisoner of the Caucasus”

“Memoirs of a Caucasian officer” by F.F. Tornau

While working on War and Peace, Tolstoy became acquainted with the Memoirs of a Caucasian Officer, published in the Russian Messenger magazine, the author of which was Colonel of the Cuirassier Regiment F.F. Tornau. The author reports under what circumstances he was captured by the mountaineers, how the girl who fell in love with him, Aslan Koz, tried to help him, why his first escape attempt was unsuccessful and how he managed to free himself from captivity. Tolstoy not only became acquainted with Tornau’s memoirs, but also used them for his story “Prisoner of the Caucasus.”

Here is another version. In 1838, a story appeared called “Caucasian Prisoner. True Story.” Tolstoy’s bibliographer N.N. Gusev reports that Lev Nikolaevich could read this story as a child, but the interesting fact is that it is not a girl, but a boy who helps the prisoner , who was previously captured and learned their language. (The first group evaluates the answers)

What conclusion can we draw from everything we listened to? (The story is based on real events that reflected a specific historical era)

Teacher's conclusion: The Caucasian War (1817-1864) lasted 47 years, the longest war of the Russian Empire with the mountain peoples of the North Caucasus (Chechens, Dagestanis, Ossetians)

Many writers addressed the topic of the Caucasus. Returning to Russia, Tolstoy wrote in his diary that he fell in love with this “wild land, in which the two most opposite things - war and freedom - are so strangely and poetically combined.” (slide No. 2)

Another case - the task for group 1 was to study which of the writers addressed the topic of the Caucasus, and whether there are works with a similar name in literature.

In 1821 A.S. Pushkin created a poem in which he portrayed a “renegade of light,” a “friend of nature,” convinced that the natural state of man is his freedom and independence. Seven years later, M.Yu.’s poem appeared. Lermontov, written under the influence of Pushkin and under the same name. And in 1872, readers became acquainted with the story of L.N. Tolstoy’s “Prisoner of the Caucasus” is about a Russian officer who was captured by the Chechens and fled again to his own people. The story was based on a real event and had a plot similarity with the story of the same name published in the magazine “Library for Reading” in 1838, signed by M.N. The theme of the Caucasus is still relevant today, for example, V. Makanin’s story “Caucasian Prisoner”»

Case – task for group 2: study the connection of the story with modernity Slide No.

The connection between the story and modernity.Story by L.N. Tolstoy and film by S. Bodrov

The action takes place in the 1990s during the Chechen War (in fact, this is the author’s parallel to the war in Chechnya in the early 90s. The film shows Dagestan. This is confirmed by the pronounced aggressive mountainous terrain and the Avar dialect spoken by local residents. According The landscape and vegetation of the territory of Chechnya are very different from Dagestan). Two Russian servicemen, Sanya and Ivan, are captured by Abdul-Murat, a resident of a mountain village. Abdul-Murat's son is also in captivity and his father wants to organize an exchange. Meanwhile, Abdul-Murat's daughter Dina becomes attached to the prisoner...

Famous actors starred. Maybe some of you are familiar with them.

Oleg Menshikov – Sanya

Sergei Bodrov – Ivan Zhilin

Susanna Mehralieva - Dina

Jemal Sikharulidze - Abdul-Murat

Alexander Bureev - Khasan

Valentina Fedotova - Zhilin's mother

Alexey Zharkov – Maslov

Evdokia Vishnyakova – nurse

Guys, when you read the story, you came across unfamiliar words

(they work in dictionaries, look for the meaning of new words written on the board. You can draw a parallel with the Tatar language, that similar words are found in the Tat language - Bishmet, demonstrate the products of the Arsk national footwear factory - Tatar ichigi (chitek), paying attention to ornament, which is also made of leather.)

Comments from Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary

BESHMET For some peoples of the Caucasus and Central Asia: outer, swinging, usually quilted clothing.

GALUN. Patch made of gold or silver tinsel braid, ribbons on uniforms; It's a braid itself, a ribbon.

SAFIAN Thin and soft goat or sheep leather, specially tanned and dyed in bright colors.

IV. Application of acquired knowledge

We know the plot of the story, we are familiar with the content of the story. Let's test our knowledge using the example of questions about this story. A (+) sign if you think the thesis is correct, a (-) sign if you think it’s incorrect.

1. The events took place in the fall

2. Zhilin was short in stature, but he was brave

3. Zhilin was captured because Kostylin left him alone

4. The Tatars asked for a ransom for Zhilin in the amount of 500 rubles

5. Zhilin wrote the wrong address and decided to run away

6. In captivity, Zhilin was sad, bored and waiting for ransom

7. During his first escape, Kostylin showed himself to be a weak person

8. The second time Zhilin ran alone

9. During his escape, Dina and Russian soldiers helped him

10. After the escape, he remained to serve in the Caucasus, but did not go on vacation

(children receive the task individually, after completion they change with each other - mutual checking)

Guys, how many Russian officers were captured? Pay attention to the title of the story. Why, when talking about two Russian officers, does Leo Tolstoy talk about only one person in the title?

You said that the main characters are Zhilin and Kostylin, but the story is called “Prisoner of the Caucasus.” One prisoner, how can this be? Who does Tolstoy mean? And how do the heroes relate to each other? We have to answer these questions today. To answer this question correctly, let’s write down a comparative description of the heroes.

Group No. 1. 1) Find in the text and write down details that characterize appearance Zhilina and Kostylina. Fill in the table with short quotes.

2) Get acquainted with dictionary entries for words daring and deck and describe the characters.

Daring - brave, courageous, valiant, courageous, moreover, efficient, intelligent, for whom courage always brings success.

Deck – a recumbent thick tree, a log or a considerable thick piece; a clumsy, clumsy person.

3) Think about why the text does not contain a detailed description of the appearance of the characters? What does the author focus the attention of readers on?

Group No. 2. What does the Black Tatar call Zhilin and Kostylin during a conversation about ransom (Chapter 2)? Explain what these words mean through a selection of synonyms. How do they characterize the heroes?

(He calls Zilina “dzhigit” - well done, Kostylina - “meek”). Initially, the word “dzhigit” means “rider”, a person prancing on a horse, this implies qualities such as courage, daring, and daring.

Select from the text verbal descriptions of actions related to the behavior of the heroes in captivity (Chapter 3) during the escape (Chapter 5). How do keywords characterize Zhilin and Kostylin? Slide No. 6-7

Teacher's conclusion: Life depends on character, on the choice that a person makes himself. We must understand that our fate depends largely on our behavior. War tests people. For many, war is a test of strength, endurance, humanity. Here people are in the border situations, their future fate depends on them: to act or to die indifferently? People who are strong in spirit, responsible for everyone, who have human dignity, in such situations know how to make the right decision.

Let's pay attention to the telling names of the characters (students' answers). So why does the author talk about one prisoner in the title?

Group No. 1. 1) Check out the dictionary entry for the word captivity.

Captivity - bondage.

Captive - taken prisoner, slave.

To captivate – 1) to capture, 2) to seduce, attract, subjugate.

2) Convert the phrase “Caucasian captive” according to the example: seashore - seashore. Write down the resulting options and explain the meaning of the resulting expressions.

1) Whose slaves were the heroes? How did they get out of captivity?

2) Why didn’t Zhilin want to go to his mother after his release, but stayed in the Caucasus? (refer to the ending of the story).

Group No. 2 3) How do you understand the meaning of the proverb “Everyone is a prisoner of his passions.” Who is the Caucasian prisoner, according to this proverb?

1 point of view:

A prisoner of the Caucasians is a person held captive by enemies. Escaped Zhilin and ransomed Kostylin.

2nd point of view:

A prisoner of the Caucasus is a person connected with the Caucasus, attracted by it: “No, apparently this is not my destiny. And he remained to serve in the Caucasus.”He is captivated by the Caucasus, captivated by the mountains. Zhilin's fate is to remain in the Caucasus. If he wants to change his destiny, nothing good will happen. So he tries to leave the Caucasus together with Kostylin - and is captured. Then he escapes from captivity together with Kostylin - and is captured again. Then he escapes from captivity alone and ends up with his own people. If he wants to leave the Caucasus, he will definitely be captured again. And the story will never end. And Zhilin decides to break this chain. He is a Caucasian prisoner. This is his destiny. And he comes to terms with his fate. He decides to remain a prisoner of the Caucasus. The repetitions end. And Tolstoy’s story also ends.

3 point of view:

“Everyone is captive to his passions”. This proverb can be fully correlated with the image of Kostylin. The hero is not only in Tatar captivity, but also in captivity of his weakness, his selfishness, and he cannot escape from this captivity. He does not withstand the tests that Zhilin overcomes. Zhilin managed to survive, take root in a hostile environment, managed to win over even his enemies; solved his problems himself, without shifting them onto the shoulders of others; was strong, “wiry.”

In your opinion, what qualities should an officer have? (children’s answers)

You have one more case task left - What is honor, find definitions in different dictionaries (Ozhegov and Dahl). Pick up a few proverbs about honor. (children’s answers) Slide No.; 4,5

Listen to the wonderful poem by Vladimir Slepak “Officer's Honor”

Officer's honor is conscience and God,

Attack march under heavy fire,

The pain of separation and the wisdom of life's roads,

A hymn to the brave, worthy and courageous. An officer's honor will never be betrayed,

Will not drop the Guards banner,

He will give gratitude to gray-haired veterans

Will not betray the Sacred Oath...

Officer's honor is not intrigue, not revenge,

Not a scandal, not a duel, not treachery,

Simply, if the officer’s honor is alive,

This means there is a pedestal of the state!

Vl.Slepak

Children recite by heart Larisa Ryndova’s poem “Officer’s Honor.”

Teacher's conclusion: War is bloodshed, it is a tragedy, crippled destinies, regardless of when and where it took place. War leaves a bitter aftertaste in hearts, breaks lives, destroys all living things to the ground...

This is how it happens: the one who sets a goal, believes in it and does everything to achieve it, wins. Those who have no will, who are weak in spirit, lose their strength.

Zhilin is an example of a real Russian officer and a real man.

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

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

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

History of creation

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

Plot and characters

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

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