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THE THEME OF THE CAUCASUS IN L.N. TOLSTOY'S STORY "THE
CAUCASIAN PRISONER"
Tevosyan Gayane Arturovna Lecturer of the Department of Foreign Languages, At the Kokand University.
Fergana, Uzbekistan.
Abstract. A significant number of researchers confirm the sharpness of the interaction between the "two civilizations" - Russia and the Caucasus and the urgency of the problem of dialogue between peoples. Writers in various genre forms continue to develop the idea of the Caucasus. The breadth of Tolstoy's soul was unique, his spiritual thirst unparalleled. Throughout his life, until a very old age, he never tired of admiring the spiritual discoveries of the sages of different countries and peoples; he was able to see the light of truth in all the world's religions.
At the turn of the new century, Tolstoy especially intensely reflects on the essence of art. He retrospectively reviews the world literature and culture, carefully analyzes the existing aesthetic theories and seeks to generalize his own artistic experience, to determine the future development of art.
Keywords: Caucasus, hero, problem, theme, transformation, writer, image.
Аннотация: Значительное количество исследователей подтверждают остроту взаимодействия «двух цивилизаций» - России и Кавказа и актуальность проблемы диалога между народами. Писатели разных жанровых форм продолжают развивать представление о Кавказе. Широта души Толстого была неповторима, его духовная жажда не знала себе равных. На протяжении всей своей жизни, вплоть до глубокой старости, он не уставал восхищаться духовными открытиями мудрецов разных стран и народов; он смог увидеть свет истины во всех мировых религиях.
На рубеже нового века Толстой особенно остро размышляет о сущности искусства. Он ретроспективно рассматривает мировую литературу и культуру, тщательно анализирует существующие эстетические теории и стремится обобщить собственный художественный опыт, чтобы определить будущее развитие искусства.
Ключевые слова: Кавказ, герой, проблема, тема, перевоплощение, писатель, образ.
L.N. Tolstoy arrived in the Caucasus in 1851 and served there until the beginning of 1854, participating in military operations first as a volunteer, and then as
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INTRODUCTION
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a cadet and officer. He brought here by a serious inner urge - a painful search for his place in society, the purpose of life. Leo Tolstoy became close to new people -officers, soldiers, and Cossacks. The intensity of L. N. Tolstoy's spiritual life at this time evidenced by the fact that in the first year of his Caucasian service he wrote "Childhood".
The Caucasus played a very important role in the life and work of the writer. "The decision to go to the Caucasus" he wrote, "was inspired in me from above" [1]. "I am beginning to love the Caucasus," L.N. Tolstoy confessed in his diary - "in which two very opposite things - war and freedom-are so strangely and poetically combined" [4]. In addition, in a letter to A.A. Tolstoy, he will formulate the main thing that the Caucasus gave him: "Living in the Caucasus, I began to think as only once in a lifetime people have the power to think Never, neither before nor after, I did not reach such a height of thought as at that time"[6]. His first stories about the Caucasian War are clear evidence of this.
"The Prisoner of the Caucasus" written in a later period of creativity by that time Leo Tolstoy was the author of such masterpieces as "War and Peace", "Anna Karenina" Creating his "ABC" for schoolchildren, L. Nikolayevich wrote a story that reflected the incident that happened to him. One day, he and his Chechen friend Sado drove far away from their squad and almost captured. When the Chechens began to overtake their friends, L. Tolstoy could easily have left them on his fast horse, but then he would have left his friend in the lurch. Sado had an unloaded rifle, but he pretended to aim at the pursuers and yelled at them. In addition, they wanted to take Sado and L. N. Tolstoy alive and therefore did not shoot. The friends managed to drive up to the fortress of Grozny, so the sentries saw them and raised the alarm. The mounted Cossacks left the fortress, and the Chechens turned into the mountains.
In addition, the writer met with the officers who captured, and asked them about everything in detail. N. N. Gusev, a researcher of Tolstoy's biography, believes that the writer was also well acquainted with the story "The Caucasian Prisoner" published in 1838 in the magazine "Library for Reading". The author of which wished to remain unknown, and with the "Memoirs of a Caucasian officer", published in the magazine "Russian Bulletin", the author of which was Colonel of the cuirassier regiment F. F. Tornau. The latter are quite reliable, contain many real details. The biographer of the writer has no doubt that Leo Tolstoy not only acquainted with the memoirs of F. F. Tornau, but also used them for his story "The Caucasian Prisoner". "The character of the main character of Tolstoy's story Zhilin"
MATERIALS AND METHODS
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writes N. N. Gusev, "in many ways resembles the character of Tornau, as it emerges from his memories. Aslan Koz Tolstoy replaced his beloved with a Tatar girl, Dina, who pitied Zhilin and arranged for him to escape".
In L. N. Tolstoy's The Prisoner of the Caucasus, the plot unfolds on the steep slopes of the Caucasus. We will have the opportunity to look around the Caucasus through Zhilin's eyes as he climbs the mountain to see where to run. "Zhilin sat down and began to look at the place. For half a day there is a hollow behind the barn, the herd goes, and the other village in the lower part is visible. From the village there is another mountain, even steeper; and beyond that, there is another mountain. Between the mountains, the forest turns blue, and there are still mountains-they rise higher and higher. Above all, the mountains are white as sugar under the snow. In addition, one snow mountain is higher than the others with a cap are. At sunrise and sunset-all the same mountains, some villages smoke in the gorges" [7]. Not many of the artists of the word are able to describe nature in the way that L.N. Tolstoy was able to it. The writer was able not only to convey the beauty of the Caucasus, but also its invincible strength, power, greatness, and vital energy. "They rode for a long time from mountain to mountain, waded across the river" [7], "The sun began to set. The snow - capped mountains turned from white to scarlet; the black mountains darkened", "The fog is thick and the bottom is standing, and the stars are visible above your head" [7]. Landscape of L. N. Tolstoy-realistic landscape: "Everything is quiet, only you can hear it-the sheep is fluttering in the nook and the water is making a noise on the pebbles below. It is dark; the stars are high in the sky; over the mountain the new moon reddened, the horns go up. In the hollows, the mist turns white like milk". "There was once a strong thunderstorm and the rain poured down like a bucket for an hour. In addition, all the rivers where there was a ford muddled, there the water went three yards, and the stones turned over. Everywhere streams flow, the rumble is on the mountains" [7]. Everything seems to move in the picture of the Caucasus drawn by L.N. Tolstoy, and this movement conveyed not only in the description of the thunderstorm. A quiet night, Zhilin makes his escape: "He is in a hurry, and the moo n is getting out even faster; the tops of his heads have already lit up to the right. I began to approach the forest; the moon came out from behind the mountains-white, light, just like in the daytime. On the trees, all the leaves are visible. Quiet, light on the mountains; how everything died out. You can only hear the river murmuring below"[7].
One of Tolstoy's favorite techniques is the antithesis. The "Caucasian prisoner" was no exception: "their side", the mountaineers, contrasted with the area where the
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Russian fortresses are located. Here the mountains recede into the background, giving way to a flat area: "the very valley where our fortress should be", "I came to the edge-it's quite light; as on the palm of my hand in front of him the steppe and the fortress" [5]. The more relaxed mentality of the Russians, so to speak, corresponds to the flat nature of the terrain, and, in turn, the impulsiveness of the Tatars, their hot unpredictable temper, corresponds to the mountainous terrain. The author also, in my opinion, shows that we do not live in such extreme conditions as the Tatars (mountaineers). They depend more than we do on nature. They live by it and die by it. I also had the feeling that the mountains here were like a natural border between the Russians and the Tatars. Nature seems to show that each nation has its own place of residence; one should not violate the right to freedom of each other.
The work contrasts not only nature, but also peoples, and the human personality. The author shows the integrity of the nature of the mountaineers and the "multilayered" Russians, the strength of the spirit of Zhilin and cowardice, the weakness of Kostylin.
An interesting detail: in fact, L. N. Tolstoy has only one prisoner, as the name eloquently suggests, although in the story there are two heroes who are in captivity. Zhilin managed to escape from captivity, and Kostylin remained not only and not so much in Tatar captivity, but in the captivity of his weakness, his selfishness. Let us remember how helpless, how physically weak Kostylin is, how he hopes only for the ransom that his mother will send. Zhilin, on the contrary, does not count on his mother, does not want to shift his difficulties on her shoulders. He is included in the life of the Tatars, the village, constantly does something, and knows how to win over even his enemies - he, I repeat once again, is strong in spirit. It is this idea that the author first wants to convey to the readers. That is why the mountaineers single out Zhilin and admire him. But not all of them. The old man, who is getting old, using outdated morality, generically judges all Russians as one whole, which destroyed piece by piece, and if at least one remains, then the attempt will fail. In his work, L. N. Tolstoy struggles with the problem of a generalized judgment about the people.
We see different mountaineers, their different attitude to the prisoners "Tatar guys gathered, surrounded Zhilin, squeaked, rejoiced, began to shoot stones at him"[7]. The inhabitants of the village were afraid and despised him, "as if they were looking at an animal". One old mountaineer, as soon as he sees it, "snores and turns away". He almost shot the prisoner for getting close to his sakla. He had eight sons, seven died in the war, and the eighth went to the Russians, his father found him and killed him himself. The old man was respected, "he was the first horseman, he beat
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many Russians, and he was rich". Such dzhigits as he hated not only Russians, but also any other infidels (gentiles). Blinded by hatred, he demanded the immediate execution of the prisoner. Ordinary mountaineers, on the contrary, treated Zhilin kindly. They appreciated him for his cheerful, sociable nature, for his perseverance and intelligence. In addition, the owner got used to it: "Yes, I love you, Ivan, I love you; I don't want to kill you, I wouldn't let you out, if I didn't give a word" [7]. The kind and sympathetic Dinah attached to the prisoner helped him as much as she could, and brought him "tortillas and milk".
As you know, L.N. Tolstoy's lasting interest in the ethnography and history of the Caucasus was very broad. In the "Caucasian prisoner", we first observe the life of the village in a crack that Zhilin excavated: "from under the mountain comes a young Tatar woman, in a colored shirt, in trousers and boots, her head is covered with a caftan, and on her head is a large tin jug with water. He walks, his back trembles, bends over, and by the hand of the Tatar girl leads a shaven man, in only a shirt". Next, the Tatar's saklya is describe in detail, where the heroes brought to the conversation: "The upper room is good; the walls are smoothly smeared with clay. In the front wall, colorful down jackets are stacked, expensive carpets hang on the sides; on the carpets, guns, pistols, checkers-all in silver. In one wall, the stove is small, level with the floor. The floor is dirt, clean as a current, the entire front corner is cover with felt; felt carpets, and down pillows on the carpets. In addition, the Tatars are sitting on the carpets in their shoes. Behind their backs they all have down pillows, and in front of them on a round board are millet pancakes, and cow's butter is dissolve in a cup, and Tatar beer - buza, in a jug. They eat with their hands, and their hands are all covered in oil"[7]. L. N. Tolstoy's everyday observations are interesting: "the Tatars make cheese cakes from goat's milk and dry them on the roofs", "beehives are woven from straw" [7] description of the funeral rite.
The life of the mountaineers reflected in the story in full agreement with the historical truth. For example, the paintings of mountain life show the sad reality of the situation of the Nogai poor, who forced to look for earnings to feed their families in the service of the Cossack and mountain rich. Characteristic of the mid-nineteenth century is the following episode: the owner - a non-peaceful highlander-called the worker. "A Nogai man came, with high cheekbones, wearing only a shirt. The shirt is ragged the whole chest is bare. The Tatar ordered something to him. The worker brought a block..." [7], in which he chained the Russian captured officer under the watchful supervision of his master.
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However, in the works of L.N. Tolstoy, the Caucasus also appears as an arena of historical drama, as a place of satisfaction of great-power vanity. Having seen the Caucasus with his own eyes, having become a participant in the war, L.N. Tolstoy became convinced of how far romantic fiction is from life, and began to speak about the war "the truth without any embellishment". In addition, the main idea at the same time will permeate not only the early stories, but also the entire work of the writer -there are no values in life higher than truth, simplicity and naturalness, which will be notice by the modern criticism of L.N. Tolstoy.
L.N. Tolstoy remained the most beloved Russian writer by the Chechens. Today, because of the last two wars, the culture of Chechnya has suffered irreparable damage. There are almost no monuments to the figures of politics, culture and literature left in the republic. Nevertheless, the monument to Leo Tolstoy in the village of Starogladkovskaya in the Shelkovsky district, where the service of Officer L.N. Tolstoy once began, preserved. There is also a museum of the writer, which the local population managed to defend.
In an interview with Radio Liberty, a well-known Chechen scientist and public figure, Doctor of Philology, Professor Hasan Turkaev explained this phenomenon by the deep respect for Chechen culture that L.N. Tolstoy felt, and his peacemaking moods. "With his works, his reflections, he contributed to the awakening of public consciousness not only in Russian society, but also in the national outskirts of Russia. L.N. Tolstoy's reflections on the fate of the mountaineers and in general about a man engaged, as he wrote, in an unjust and bad business - war, formed the basis of the Caucasian cycle of his work. If, for example, Pushkin and Lermontov presented the spirit of the mountaineers as indomitable and freedom loving, then L.N. Tolstoy brought to Russian literature images of the military, which were sobered by the new socio-political environment of the 50s of the XIX century. If earlier in the Caucasian war they saw romance, the opportunity to distinguish themselves, the opportunity to make a quick career, now, being many years in a row in military campaigns, they saw its everyday side, cruelty and worthlessness"[5]. In conclusion, of the interview, H. V. Turkaev called L. N. Tolstoy "a mirror of the peacemaking of the Russian people"
Always negative about war as a phenomenon hostile to human nature, L.N. Tolstoy at the same time showed interest in it as a test of human character. This philosophical dilemma realized by the writer in his works of fiction in the light of his ideological and moral search, in particular in his arguments about courage as one of the facets of a person's character, his inner strength and self-control. To this end, he
[2].
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puts his heroes, in particular Zhilin and Kostylin, in the face of death, when a person throws off all the alluvial things and remains as he is. Comparing the actions of the characters, "their behavior in difficult moments, their characters and even the appearance of one and the other, we see that all the sympathies of the writer are on the side of Zhilin - a simple, honest, brave and persistent person in trouble, boldly going to meet dangers. In addition, you cannot rely on people like Kostylin for anything. They will also fail a friend in a difficult moment and ruin themselves" [3 ]. In other words, it is by war that L.N. Tolstoy measures the virtues and shortcomings of people, classifies human characters.
Many critics have repeatedly noted that "The Caucasian Prisoner" is a simple and clear work. However, easy to perceive, it gives answers to the most complex moral and philosophical questions: is it possible to be merciful to the enemy and forgive the betrayal of a comrade? Is it worth crossing out humane, human relations because of national discord? The behavior of the girl Dina is striking. Here there is no fatal love of the Chechen woman for the Russian; here is just the gratitude of one person for the attention to another person, the feeling of pity and love of the sympathetic Dina for the good, innocent Zhilin. In addition, we understand that where anger and violence have divided nations, the path to salvation lies through compassion and love. It is interesting that Leo Tolstoy himself referred to the "Caucasian Prisoner" as an exemplary work of world art, expressing feelings that are accessible to all people
"L.N. Tolstoy managed to write a whole story for children of primary school age with full-fledged truly Tolstoyan characters, with a tense plot, with poetic pictures of nature, with an accurate sense of the era - and all this fit into twenty-something pages. In terms of brevity, in terms of the impact on the reader, in terms of complexity and rich simplicity, this story - "The Prisoner of the Caucasus" - can be called a real record of world children's literature"[5].
In his declining years, L.N. Tolstoy wrote, "the best memories of his life belong to the Caucasus".
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