Composition: The image of Peter in the poem by Alexander Pushkin The Bronze Horseman. The image of Peter in the poem "The Bronze Horseman

But the northern city is like a foggy ghost, We, people, pass like shadows in a dream. Only you through the centuries, unchanging, crowned, With an outstretched hand, you fly on a horse.
V.Ya.Bryusov

Before the poem " Bronze Horseman"(1833) Pushkin several times referred to the image of the reformer tsar: in the poem" Poltava "(1829), in the unfinished novel" Arap of Peter the Great "(1830), in the materials for the" History of Peter the Great ". Throughout his entire career, the poet evaluated the activities of Peter in different ways.

At first, Peter seemed to Pushkin as an exceptional historical figure. "The genius of Peter broke out beyond the limits of his century," wrote Pushkin in "Notes on the Russian history XVIII century "(1822). This view of the tsar was reflected in the poem "Poltava", where Peter is depicted as a romantic hero:

Peter comes out. His eyes
Shine. His face is terrible.
The movements are fast. He is beautiful.
He's all like a storm of God. (III)

Peter is depicted as an active sovereign, "inspired from above" (III), who knows what is needed for his power in order to continue reforms for the good of Russia - a victory over the Swedish troops and over Karl is necessary. Therefore, he actively intervenes in the Battle of Poltava. His behavior is contrasted with the gloominess, lethargy of the wounded Swedish king. Before the Swedish troops

In a rocking chair, pale, motionless,
Suffering from a wound, Karl appeared. (III)

The poem "Poltava" ends with lines where the poet recognizes Peter's extraordinary services to Russia in the military, political, administrative and cultural fields. Modern Russia, according to Pushkin, is primarily the creation of Peter the Great:

In the citizenship of the northern state,
In her warlike destiny
Only you erected, hero of Poltava,
A huge monument to myself. (Epilogue)

However, the poet saw in the king an extreme manifestation of autocracy - direct despotism. "Peter despised mankind, perhaps more than Napoleon," continues Pushkin in Notes on Russian History of the 18th Century. In the unfinished novel The Arap of Peter the Great, Peter is portrayed more realistically than in Poltava. On the one hand, the king is presented as a wise statesman who is in constant toil and worries about his state. Ibrahim observes Peter while dictating decrees, while working in a lathe, etc. The tsar is attentive to his favorite: he understands that Ibrahim needs to get married, because the African feels like a stranger and lonely in Russian society. The tsar himself is looking for and wooing him a bride - Natalia from the boyar family of the Rzhevsky.

On the other hand, in Peter, Pushkin sees not only statesmanship and humanity, but also autocratic self-will, when he does not want to delve into the circumstances of an individual, for example, does not want to take an interest in the feelings of the bride herself, and, helping Ibrahim, the tsar breaks Natasha's life. In other words, in the novel, the author notes how positive features character of Peter (active activity, statesmanship, sincere concern for pets), and negative (impudence, unwillingness to delve into the life problems of his subjects, the belief that everything is subject to him).

A critical attitude towards Peter does not prevent the poet from recognizing the outstanding services of the tsar and marveling at his energy, efficiency, and the breadth of his soul. The poem "Stanza" (1826) was written as a kind of instruction to the new Tsar Nicholas the First, whom the author calls on to be like the great ancestor in everything. The poem notes the creative activity of Peter, his patriotism:

Autocratic hand
He boldly sowed enlightenment,
I did not despise my native country:
He knew her purpose.

In the poem "The Feast of Peter the First" (1835), the poet emphasizes the generosity and wisdom of the tsar, who was able not only to repulse enemies, but also to multiply the number of his supporters and friends. The tsar arranged the feast in the "Piterburg-Gorodok" not because he was celebrating a military victory; not because it celebrates the birth of an heir; not because he is happy with the new ship:

No! He makes peace with his subject;
Guilty guilt
Releasing, having fun;
The mug is foaming with him alone;
And kisses his forehead,

Luminous in heart and face;
And forgiveness triumphs
Like a victory over the enemy.

In "The Bronze Horseman" features of power and autocracy in the image of Peter are brought to the limit. In the introduction, the tsar is portrayed as a far-sighted statesman: Pushkin cites Peter's reasoning as to why a new capital should be built. These are military goals ("From here we will threaten the Swede"), and state political considerations ("To cut a window to Europe"), and trade interests ("All flags will visit us"). At the same time, Peter does not seem to pay attention to the fact that a fisherman is sailing along the river in a canoe, that "here and there" the poor huts turn black; for him the banks of the Neva are still deserted, he is carried away by a great dream and does not see "little people". Further in the introduction follows a description of the beautiful city, which was built on swampy swamps, on the low banks of the Neva and became the beauty and pride of Russia, a symbol of the power of the country, which even nature obeys. So, Peter in the introduction is presented as a true creative genius who “creates everything from nothing” (J.-J. Rousseau).

Already in the first part of the poem, which shows the riot of the elements (flood), Peter turns into a “proud idol” - a monument to E. Falcone, remarkable for its emotional expressiveness. The Bronze Horseman is depicted as a higher being. A descendant of Peter, Alexander the First, humbly declares in the poem: "The Kings cannot cope with the elements of God" (I), and Peter on his bronze horse rises above the elements, and the waves that rise around the monument, like mountains, cannot do anything with him :

Over the indignant Neva
Stands with outstretched hand
An idol on a bronze horse. (I)

In the second part, describing a man's rebellion, the Bronze Horseman is called the lord of Fate, who, with his fatal will, directs the life of an entire people. Petersburg, this beautiful city, was built “under the sea” (II). In other words, when Peter was choosing a place for a new capital, he thought about the greatness and wealth of the state, but not about ordinary people who will live in this city. Because of the great-power plans of the tsar, the happiness and life of Eugene collapsed. Therefore, the mad Eugene reproaches the Bronze Horseman and even threatens him with his fist: a protest against the violence of someone else's will over his fate is born in the madman's soul.

Peter in the poem becomes a symbol of the soulless Of the Russian state, trampling on the rights of the "little man". The statue in Eugene's sick imagination comes to life, the Bronze Horseman rushes, "illuminated by the pale moon" (II), and becomes the Pale Horseman on the Pale Horse ("The Revelation of John the Theologian" 6: 8), that is, the biblical image of death. This is what Pushkin comes to thinking about the great creator new Russia... The Bronze Horseman pacifies and frightens the rebellious "little man". Just as the Neva water after the flood slipped back into the river bed, so in state life everything quickly returned to the "old order" (II): the rebellion of a mad loner did not change anything in society, and Eugene died far from people, on the threshold of that very house, where he dreamed of finding happiness.

In conclusion, we can say that over the years, Pushkin's critical attitude to Peter the Great grew stronger. In the materials for the "History of Peter the Great" the author briefly touches upon the Tsar's reforms, which are "the fruits of a vast mind, full of goodwill and wisdom," but gives in detail those decrees that testify to "willfulness and barbarism", "injustice and cruelty." These different grades Pushkin the historian are reflected in his works of art.

At first, the poet treated the tsar as a bright personality, a just and wise sovereign, a magnanimous and modest man. Gradually, the image of Peter becomes complex and contradictory, in it, along with statesmanship and expediency, there are features of an autocrat, confident that he has the legal right to decide and break the fate of people at his own discretion.

The Bronze Horseman presents the finale of the evolution of the image of Peter in Pushkin's work: there are no human features in Peter at all, the author calls him “an idol on a bronze horse” - neither the angry element, nor human misfortunes concern him. The emperor appears as a symbol of the Russian bureaucratic state, alien to the interests ordinary people and serving only itself.

Since the poem is the most recent major work about Peter, it can be argued that Pushkin came to the multifaceted view of the presence of Peter, in which both respect and a sharply critical attitude are combined.

The Bronze Horseman is a work imbued with symbolism. In his creation, A.S. Pushkin concluded deep meaning... The poem is trying to decipher not only historians and literary scholars, but also ordinary readers. The image of Peter 1 is also ambiguous.

It was written by A.S. Pushkin in 1833. During the poet's lifetime, it was never published. Nicholas the First opposed the publication of the work, because he considered that Peter the First was illegally presented as a tyrant and autocrat. There is a version that Pushkin opposed the image of the reformer Peter to the reign of Nicholas the First. But in the very image of Peter, the author sees contradictions, he notes in him both a despot and a great man who played a significant role in the history of the Fatherland.

From the very first lines of the work, readers are presented with the image of the great reformer, who commands "to lay a hailstorm in spite of the arrogant neighbor" among the harsh land of swamps and lakes. Petersburg, built by Peter the Great, is opposed to Moscow. New town was called upon to make a change in the established and outdated way of life, which was asked at that time by Moscow. Pushkin praises the built city: "Flaunt the city of Peter and stand unwavering", in his words, before him "even old Moscow has faded."

The image of Peter 1 is enclosed in the majestic statue of the Bronze Horseman, who, flying up a high rock on his bronze horse, rises above his grandiose creation. Pushkin boldly calls him "the lord of Fate", "the sovereign of half the world." Superhuman power is clearly exaggerated, against its background appears the modest personality of the second hero - Eugene, in which the collective image of the capital's citizens is presented. The conqueror of the elements and an ordinary representative of society met on the banks of the Neva, personifying two extremes: exorbitant human power and the reduced to nothingness image of a faceless crowd of the capital. The city, which was created by the will of Peter, has become alien to people, it drains their souls.

Pushkin sympathizes with poor Eugene, amazed by the power of Peter the Great, but he also understands the purpose of Peter's actions, his desire to “become a firm foot by the sea,” the elements resigned themselves to the rule of the autocrat, the capital was established, there is protection from the sea, Russia is becoming a great power. But at what cost has all this been achieved?

In this confrontation, one sees a discrepancy between the interests of one person and the goals and objectives of the entire state. Should the will of one individual taken from the crowd submit to the will of the entire state, is the happiness of every person really connected with the well-being of the whole country? This question was posed by the author. Pushkin himself does not give an exact answer to it, he invites the reader to draw conclusions on their own. The truth, as often happens, is in the middle, there is no state without a person, but it is not possible to take into account the interests of each individual person. Perhaps this is the dilemma of the work.

The image of Peter the Great in the poem by A.S. Pushkin's "The Bronze Horseman".

In "The Bronze Horseman" the features of power and autocracy in the image of Peter are brought to the limit. In the introduction, the tsar is portrayed as a far-sighted statesman: Pushkin cites Peter's reasoning as to why a new capital should be built. These are military goals ("We will threaten the Swede from here"), and state political considerations ("Cut a window to Europe"), and trade interests ("All flags will visit us"). At the same time, Peter does not seem to pay attention to the fact that a fisherman is sailing along the river in a canoe, that "here and there" the poor huts turn black; for him the banks of the Neva are still deserted, he is carried away by a great dream and does not see "little people". Further in the introduction follows a description of the beautiful city, which was built on swampy swamps, on the low banks of the Neva and became the beauty and pride of Russia, a symbol of the power of the country, which even nature obeys. So, Peter in the introduction is presented as a true creative genius.

Already in the first part of the poem, which shows the rebellion of the elements, Peter turns into a "proud idol". The Bronze Horseman is depicted as a higher being. A descendant of Peter, Alexander the First, humbly declares in the poem: "The Kings cannot cope with the elements of God," and Peter on his bronze horse rises above the elements, and the waves that rise around the monument, like mountains, cannot do anything with him:

Over the indignant Neva
Stands with outstretched hand
An idol on a bronze horse.

In the second part, describing a man's rebellion, the Bronze Horseman is called the lord of Fate, who, with his fatal will, directs the life of an entire people. Petersburg, this beautiful city, was built “under the sea”. In other words, when Peter was choosing a place for a new capital, he thought about the greatness and wealth of the state, but not about ordinary people who will live in this city. Because of the great-power plans of the tsar, the happiness and life of Eugene collapsed. Therefore, the mad Eugene reproaches the Bronze Horseman and even threatens him with his fist: a protest against the violence of someone else's will over his fate is born in the madman's soul.

Peter in the poem becomes a symbol of the soulless Russian state, trampling on the rights of the "little man". The statue in Eugene's sick imagination comes to life, the Bronze Horseman rushes, "illuminated by the pale moon," and becomes the Pale Horseman on the Pale Horse, that is, the biblical image of death. This is what Pushkin comes to when thinking about the great creator of the new Russia. The Bronze Horseman pacifies and frightens the rebellious "little man". As the Neva water after the flood sank back into the river bed, so in state life everything quickly returned to the "old order": the rebellion of a crazy loner did not change anything in society, and Eugene died far from people, on the threshold of the very house where he dreamed of finding happiness.

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1. The role of the historical person in the artistic space.

2. A contrasting picture of the life of the city and the person.

3. Monumentality and majesty of the idol.

It is also necessary to find meaning in nonsense: this is the unpleasant duty of the historian.

V.O. Klyuchevsky

Historical events and various great personalities have repeatedly appeared on the pages of the works of A.S. Pushkin. And the writer placed each of them in a special artistic canvas, thereby showing the shades of people who are ambiguous, but at the same time play a big role in the fate of Russia. However, on the pages of Pushkin's works, they are not only a reflection of a certain historical era. Historical personalities play an essential role in the life of the main characters, that is, they are not a background, but an active one. actor... Such is, for example, one of the functions of Pugachev in the novel “ Captain's daughter". In this work, the historical figure plays the role of the imprisoned father Grinev. She helps young man in a whirlpool of events that twists and breaks the fate of people. The figure of Peter I in Pushkin's Petersburg poem "The Bronze Horseman" is presented in a decidedly different perspective.

In this work, the writer creates a multifaceted image of a historical person and his era. The peculiarity of the text is that the action does not take place during the reign of Peter I, as, for example, in the poem "Poltava". Many years have passed since that significant historical page of Russia, but in the present the attributes of a distant era have been preserved. Firstly, it is a city on the Neva, which has become the northern capital of our country. Secondly, this is a monument to Peter I, as militant and stately as the sovereign himself was. It is with these two images that Pushkin's work "The Bronze Horseman" begins.

At the beginning of the poem, Peter I is presented to us alive. The king on the bank of the still unconquered river thinks that this is a great place to start a new city. It is he who will allow to threaten the Swede, conduct trade and protect our northern borders.

Here the city will be laid On evil haughty neighbor.

Here, nature is destined to cut a window to Europe ...

The city on the Neva is becoming a kind of window for new relations with Europe. So, from the first lines of the work, a monumental and majestic image is created not only of the future city, but also of Peter I. And the author cannot restrain his admiration for what happened to this swampy place in just 100 years. He confesses his love for this beautiful place - the city on the Neva. In this picture, we see not only the image of Peter I, but also the power of Russia itself. So historical person becomes a kind of symbol of the whole state.

Flaunt, city of Petrov, and stay

Unwavering like Russia

Let it be reconciled with you

And the defeated element;

Ancient enmity and captivity

Let the Finnish waves forget

And they will not be a vain malice

Disturb Peter's eternal sleep!

But in the further narration, the image of Peter I acquires completely different shades. His greatness, his determination to build a city on this muddy river coast turns out to be disastrous for an ordinary person. Eugene's poor life becomes a contrasting picture in relation to the splendor that the city has acquired over the century. All this monumentality seems to be erased against the background of the life of a common man in the street. She can give nothing but admiration for herself, especially the warmth that Eugene is deprived of that evening. The Neva was forged and bridges were curbed, but they will be pulled apart, so the river is restless in bad weather. The hero, however, in this dreary time and the November bad weather will be left alone, instead of sharing his bitter thoughts with his beloved girl Parasha.

However, reflections on a happy family life win. Eugene manages to fall asleep. But in the morning, anxiety for loved ones - the girl and her mother - flared up with new strength... Now we have before us * 1 the dilapidated housing of those who remained on the island during this flood is melting. It reflects a special world, which all the same, but already within the bounds of a magnificent forest, suggests that not everyone lives happily in this regal place.

Then, on the pages of the work, as if in confirmation of our thought, the image of Peter I in the form of a bronze statue appears again. And it acquires a twofold content in the work. On the one hand, it saves Eugene from the water. On the other hand, it remains just a statue that has nothing to do with the suffering of people. So the writer opens a new turn for considering the image of Peter I in this work, which is reflected not only through the image of the city, but also with the help of the monument. The monument to Peter I rises above the water and gives "shelter" to Eugene, at the same time it does not lose its grandeur even after many years.

In the unshakable height

Over the indignant Neva

Stands with outstretched hand

An idol on a bronze horse.

Therefore, the statue could not bring any harm to the element, which soon subsided. But on Eugene, she left an indelible mark for life. This is not only the pain of losing a loved one, but also insanity. The main character seems to be locked in his small world, which does not want to let anyone in. He creates a special atmosphere in the soul, far from the greatness of Peter I, and even contradicts it to some extent. The city, after the disaster, was able to recover and return to the previous course of life.

Everything went into the previous order.

Already through the streets free

With its cold insensibility

People walked.

But Evgeny's soul cannot find peace again. The element that took the lives of people dear to his heart continues to reign in him. The hero does not want to come to terms with this loss. In this aspiration, he somehow becomes for a moment close to Peter I himself, with his iron will and mighty aspiration. No wonder the author says that Eugene seemed to have merged with the St. Petersburg streets. Now they, and not the service, bring him food, since he feeds on alms. For a long time, Eugene has been living in such a state, but on the anniversary of the tragedy, he seems to see his sight. The hero believes that it is the emperor of Russia, or rather, the bronze man on horseback, who is to blame for his troubles. So Peter I becomes a kind of enemy of the protagonist. It was his city, built on the “sea”, that brought the “little man” much more grief than he could bear. Seeing the monument, the hero realizes that even after centuries, Peter I continues to dominate the fate of people. He again controls their lives and dictates his will. And the city and this pedestal expresses it.

He is terrible in the surrounding darkness!

What a thought on your forehead!

What power is hidden in him!

And what a fire in this horse! ..

O powerful lord of fate!

Are you not right above the abyss itself

At a height, with an iron bridle

Has he reared Russia?

At the moment of a new meeting, Eugene does not need help. On the contrary, a flame lurked in his heart, which does not warm, but burns. The hero, already in his soul, rebelled against this man in the person of the monument. Therefore, in his eyes, he is a proud idol, and not a majestic figure.

“Good, miraculous builder! -

He whispered, trembling angrily, -

Already you! .. "And suddenly headlong

He started to run.

Eugene did not accept the help that Peter I gave him, as it went against his personal life. Therefore, he finds the strength to express all his pain and despair to sculpture. But in the imagination of the protagonist, the monument with dignity accepted such a challenge and began to pursue him, flying street after street "on a ringing horse." In this state, Eugene spent the whole night. And after that, he became humble about all the deeds of Peter I. Passing by the monument, he took off his cap and walked to the side.

The end of the work is built on the same contrast as the story itself. The story opens with the greatness of such a historical person as Peter I, and ends with the death of Eugene, distraught with grief. He could not find a place in his soul for this city and the monument that saved him, but at the same time took away all his hopes.

In the Petersburg poem "The Bronze Horseman", the image of Peter I is one of the key figures, despite the fact that he, as a person, appears only on the first pages of the work. However, during his life, Peter I was able to do a lot, which left an immortal memory of him for many times. The use of the image of Eugene by the author suggests that not everyone can accept the deeds of Peter I favorably. After all, having built a city on the Neva, he not only “cut a window to Europe”, but also “doomed” people from year to year to face the natural disaster, which can only be chained in granite, not curbed. However, the greatness of Peter I will remain for a long time. And after every flood or natural disaster, it will remain the same majestic and beautiful.

On the porch

With a raised paw, as if alive,

The guard lions stood,

And right in the dark above

Over the fenced rock

Idol with outstretched hand

Sat on a bronze horse.

Pn loved Russia very much, knew its history well and often turned to the past of his country. In this past, he was interested in the image of Peter I, his character (complex and contradictory) and the ambiguous attitude towards his reforms of both his contemporaries and subsequent generations. In the poem "Poltava", written in 1828, P-n creates the image of a warrior-emperor, and we see all the complexity of his image in his description during the Battle of Poltava: Peter comes out. His eyes are shining. His face is terrible. The movements are fast. He is beautiful ... He is "beautiful" in his desire to defeat the enemy, which, in his opinion, interferes further development Russia, and "terrible" in the irreconcilable desire to break his resistance and destroy him. But P-n notes that Peter I has no personal hatred for the Swedes. After defeating the enemy, he receives their commanders in his tent: In his tent, he treats His leaders, foreign leaders, And caresses glorious captives, And raises a Healthy Cup for his teachers. Peter is very attracted to Peter's ability to be generous and merciful. He generally appreciated these qualities in people, especially in people endowed with unlimited power. This can be seen from the poem "The Feast of Peter the First" (1835). In that product Pn talks about the holiday in the "Piterburg-Gorodok". What was the reason for this holiday? Did Catherine give birth? Is she the birthday girl, the Wonderworker-giant Black-browed wife? No, he celebrates reconciliation with a subject, and this event becomes so important for him that he celebrates it with salute, fireworks. In The Bronze Horseman, we see Peter in a completely different role - here he is the founder of the capital. The poem "The Bronze Horseman" was written by A.S. P-nym (in Boldino) in 1833. Started by the poet on October 6, it was completed on October 31. Soon he presented his work to the highest censor (Emperor Nicholas I) and received it with nine marks. P-n did not want to rework "The Bronze Horseman": it meant changing the meaning of the work. Therefore, the poem came out with some abbreviations. The poem "The Bronze Horseman" contrasts the state, personified in Peter I, with the man with his personal, private experiences. The attitude of the Russian people to Peter the Great, to his reforms has never been unequivocal. He, as A. S. Pn wrote, "raised Russia on its hind legs with an iron bridle." Therefore, in Russian history, Peter's reforms were a deep and all-embracing revolution, which, of course, could not be accomplished easily and painlessly. Tsar Peter I demanded that the people exert all their forces to achieve their goals. The common good of the entire state was bought at the cost of personal sacrifice. And this caused a murmur and discontent among the people. The people had the same ambiguous attitude to the brainchild of Peter I - Petersburg. Built "in spite of the arrogant neighbor" and nature, at the cost of tremendous efforts and sacrifices, this city personified the greatness and power of Russia and the slavery of its people. But the end of the poem is the complete opposite of the beginning, which is a hymn to statehood, a hymn to Peter I, a hymn to the most powerful of the Russian autocrats, the founder of the capital, which brought Russia closer to the West. St. Petersburg, in the words of A. S. P-n, was a real "window to Europe". P-na was always attracted by the figure of Peter, he dedicated many poems to him. And therefore in Russian literature there are different opinions as to which side Pn is on. Some researchers, and in particular the famous Russian critic Vissarion Grigorievich Belinsky, believe that the poet substantiated the right of the state, which Peter I became personified, to dispose of the life of a private person, which leads to tragedy. They believe that P-n, sincerely sympathizing with the grief of "poor" Eugene, nevertheless completely takes the side of Peter, since he understands the necessity and benefits of his transformations. Other researchers are on the side of "poor" Eugene, that is, they consider his sacrifice unjustified. And the third researchers think that the conflict between the state and the private person is tragic and insoluble. P-n leaves the story itself to make a choice between two "equal" truths - Peter and Eugene. And this is the most correct point of view. As a great poet of Russia, A.S. Pn considered it his task to show people all the complexity of human relationships. And the comprehension and solution of these sometimes insoluble issues should depend on the reader. P-n himself forgave Peter I a lot for the fact that he took a direct part in the reforms, not caring about his greatness and glory, thinking only about Russia, about her might, independence and strength. In the poem "Stanza" (1826), he wrote: Now an academician, now a hero, Now a navigator, now a carpenter, He is an all-encompassing soul On the eternal throne was a worker.