Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov came to Russian literature, it would seem, with traditional themes - love, friendship, family, but he gave them his own original solution, the dramatic sound of a difficult turning point. That is why his novels and stories are always popular with new and new generations of readers. In the novel "The White Guard", largely autobiographical, the writer talks about the enduring values of our first world - duty to the motherland, friends, family. In the center of the story is a friendly and intelligent, a little sentimental family. Alexei, Elena, Nikolka The turbines are drawn into the whirlpool of dramatic and fateful events of the winter of 1918-1919 in Kyiv. Ukraine of that time became the scene of fierce battles between the Red Army, the Germans, the White Guards and the Petliurists.
It was difficult at that time to figure out who to follow, who to oppose, on whose side the truth was. And at the beginning of the novel (the writer shows how Aleksey, Nikolka, their relatives (friends Myshlaevsky, Karas and just acquaintances from the service of officers are trying to organize the defense of the city, not to let Petlyura in, but, deceived by the General Staff and allies, they turn out to be hostages of their own oath and sense of honor .
Colonel Malyshev is trying to save his subordinates from senseless death by telling them about the betrayal of the headquarters and high command.
Myshlaevsky proposes to destroy the guns, ammunition depots, but the colonel stops him, objecting: “Mr. Lieutenant, in three hours Petliura will get hundreds of living lives, and the only thing I regret is that at the cost of my life and even yours, even more dear, of course, I can't stop their deaths. About portraits, guns and rifles, I ask you not to talk to me anymore.
Since that time, dramatic events have been escalating: Alexei Turbin is wounded, Nikolka almost dies, Elena is severely offended by her husband, who fled with the headquarters and the Germans. It seems that everything is collapsing and there is no salvation in this world, but they were able to rally in their cozy home, familiar surroundings, among old and devoted friends.
Bulgakov does not give a detailed picture of the Turbins' house, but only individual details that emphasize the warmth, cordiality of the situation - "cream-colored curtains on the windows, clocks ... thin-tank and many, many books." This environment, familiar from childhood, pacifies, inspires calmness and confidence that everything will calm down soon, you just need to survive this difficult
The son of a professor at the Kyiv Academy, who absorbed the best traditions of Russian culture and spirituality, M. A. Bulgakov graduated from the medical faculty in Kyiv, from 1916 he worked as a zemstvo doctor in the village of Nikolskoye, Smolensk province, and then in Vyazma, where the revolution found him. From here, in 1918, Bulgakov finally moved through Moscow to his native Kyiv, and there he and his relatives had a chance to go through a difficult phase of the civil war, which was later described in the novel The White Guard, the plays The Days of the Turbins, The Run, and numerous stories.
There is a lot of autobiographical in the novel "The White Guard", but it is not only a description of one's life experience during the years of the revolution and the civil war, but also an insight into the problem of "Man and the epoch"; it is also the study of an artist who sees the inextricable link between Russian history and philosophy. This is a book about the fate of classical culture in the formidable era of the scrap of age-old traditions. The problems of the novel are extremely close to Bulgakov, he loved The White Guard more than his other works.
In an epigraph from Pushkin's The Captain's Daughter, Bulgakov emphasized that we are talking about people who were overtaken by the storm of revolution, but who were able to find the right path, maintain courage and a sober view of the world and their place in it. The second epigraph is biblical. And with this, Bulgakov introduces us into the zone of eternal time, without introducing any historical comparisons into the novel.
The motive of the epigraphs is developed by the epic beginning of the novel: “The year was great and terrible after the birth of Christ 1918, from the beginning of the second revolution. It was abundant in summer with sun, and in winter with snow, and two stars stood especially high in the sky: the shepherd's star Venus and red trembling Mars. The beginning style is almost biblical. The associations make us remember the eternal Book of Genesis, which in itself materializes the eternal in a peculiar way, just like the image of the stars in the heavens. The specific time of history is, as it were, soldered into the eternal time of being, framed by it. The confrontation of the stars, the natural series of images related to the eternal, at the same time symbolizes the collision of historical time. In the beginning of the work, majestic, tragic and poetic, there is a grain of social and philosophical problems associated with the opposition of peace and war, life and death, death and immortality. The very choice of the stars makes it possible to descend from the cosmic distance to the world of the Turbins, since it is this world that will resist enmity and madness.
In The White Guard, the sweet, quiet, intelligent Turbin family suddenly becomes involved in great events, becomes a witness and participant in terrible and amazing things. The days of the Turbins absorb the eternal charm of calendar time:
“But the days in both peaceful and bloody years fly like an arrow, and the young Turbins did not notice how white, shaggy December came in a hard frost. Oh, Christmas grandfather, sparkling with snow and happiness! Mom, bright queen, where are you? Memories of mother and former life contrast with the real situation of the bloody eighteenth year. A great misfortune - the loss of a mother - merges into another terrible catastrophe - the collapse of the old, seemingly strong and beautiful world. Both catastrophes give rise to internal absent-mindedness, mental pain of the Turbins. There are two spatial scales in Bulgakov's novel - small and large space, Home and World. These spaces are in opposition, like stars in the sky, each of them has its own correlation with time, contains a certain time.
The small space of the Turbins’ house preserves the strength of everyday life: “The tablecloth, despite the guns and all this languor, anxiety and nonsense, is white and starchy ... The floors are shiny, and in December, now, on the table, in a matte, columnar vase, blue hydrangeas and two gloomy and sultry roses. Flowers in the Turbins' house - the beauty and strength of life - Already in this detail, the small space of the house begins to absorb eternal time, the interior of the Turbins' house itself - “a bronze lamp under a lampshade, the best bookcases in the world with books smelling of mysterious old chocolate, with Natasha Rostova, the Captain's daughter, gilded cups, silver, portraits, curtains” - all this small space enclosed by walls contains the eternal - the immortality of art, milestones of culture.
The House of the Turbins is opposed to the outside world, in which destruction, horror, inhumanity, and death reign. But the House cannot separate, leave the city, it is a part of it, like a city is a part of the earthly space. And at the same time, this earthly space of social passions and battles is included in the expanses of the World.
The city, according to Bulgakov's description, was "beautiful in the frost and in the fog on the mountains, above the Dnieper." But its appearance changed dramatically, “... industrialists, merchants, lawyers, public figures fled here. Journalists fled, Moscow and St. Petersburg, corrupt and greedy, cowardly. Cocottes, honest ladies from aristocratic families…” and many others. And the city took on a “strange, unnatural life…” The evolutionary course of history is suddenly and menacingly disrupted, and man finds himself at its breaking point.
The image of a large and small space of life grows in Bulgakov in opposition to the destructive time of war and the eternal time of Peace.
You can’t sit out a hard time, shutting yourself off from him like the landlord Vasilisa is “an engineer and a coward, a bourgeois and unsympathetic“. This is how Lisovich is perceived by Turbines, who do not like petty-bourgeois isolation, narrow-mindedness, hoarding, isolation from life. No matter what happens, they will not count the coupons, hiding in the dark, like Vasily Lisovich, who only dreams of surviving the storm and not losing the accumulated capital. Turbines meet a formidable time differently. They do not change themselves in anything, they do not change their way of life. Every day, friends gather in their house, who are met by light, warmth, and a laid table. Nikolkin's guitar rings with brute force - despair and defiance even before an impending catastrophe.
Everything honest and pure, like a magnet, is attracted by the House. Here, in this coziness of the House, Myshlaevsky, deadly frozen, comes from the terrible World. A man of honor, like Turbins, he did not leave his post near the city, where in a terrible frost forty people waited for a day in the snow, without fires, a shift that would never have come if Colonel Nai-Tours, also a man of honor and duty, could not, in spite of the disgrace happening at the headquarters, bring two hundred junkers, through the efforts of Nai-Turs, beautifully dressed and armed. Some time will pass, and Nai-Tours, realizing that he and his cadets have been treacherously abandoned by the command, that his children are destined for the fate of cannon fodder, will save his boys at the cost of his own life. The lines of the Turbins and Nai-Tours will intertwine in the fate of Nikolka, who witnessed the last heroic minutes of the colonel's life. Admired by the feat and humanism of the colonel, Nikolka will do the impossible - he will be able to overcome the seemingly insurmountable in order to give Nai-Turs his last duty - to bury him with dignity and become a close person for the mother and sister of the deceased hero.
The fates of all truly decent people are contained in the world of the Turbins, whether they are the courageous officers Myshlaevsky and Stepanov, or deeply civilian by nature, but not deviating from what befell him in the era of hard times, Alexei Turbin, or even the completely, it would seem, ridiculous Lariosik . But it was Lariosik who managed to quite accurately express the very essence of the House, opposing the era of cruelty and violence. Lariosik spoke about himself, but many could subscribe to these words, “that he suffered a drama, but here, at Elena Vasilyevna’s, his soul comes to life, because this is an absolutely exceptional person Elena Vasilyevna and their apartment is warm and comfortable, and especially creamy curtains on all windows are wonderful, thanks to which you feel cut off from the outside world ... And he, this outside world ... agree for yourself, formidable, bloody and meaningless.
There, outside the windows, is the merciless destruction of everything that was valuable in Russia.
Here, behind the curtains, there is an unshakable belief that everything beautiful must be protected and preserved, that it is necessary under any circumstances, that it is feasible. “... Hours, fortunately, are completely immortal, both the Saardam Carpenter and the Dutch tile are immortal, like a wise scan, life-giving and hot in the most difficult time.”
And outside the windows - "the eighteenth year is flying to an end and every day it looks more menacing, bristly." And Aleksey Turbin thinks with anxiety not about his possible death, but about the death of the House: “Walls will fall, an alarmed falcon will fly off from a white mitten, the fire will go out in a bronze lamp, and the Captain’s Daughter will be burned in the furnace.”
But, perhaps, love and devotion are given the power to protect and save, and the House will be saved?
There is no clear answer to this question in the novel.
There is a confrontation between the center of peace and culture to the Petliura gangs, which are being replaced by the Bolsheviks.
One of the last sketches in the novel is a description of the Proletary armored train. Horror and disgust emanates from this picture: “He hissed softly and angrily, something oozed in the side shots, his blunt snout was silent and squinted into the Dnieper forests. From the last platform, a wide muzzle in a deaf muzzle was aimed at the heights, black and blue, for twenty versts and straight at the midnight cross. Bulgakov knows that in old Russia there were many things that led to the tragedy of the country. But people who point the muzzles of their guns and rifles at their fatherland are no better than those staff and government scoundrels who sent the best sons of the fatherland to certain death.
History will inevitably sweep away murderers, criminals, robbers, traitors of all ranks and stripes, and their names will be a symbol of dishonor and shame.
And the House of Turbins, as a symbol of the imperishable beauty and truth of the best people of Russia, its nameless heroes, humble workers, keepers of goodness and culture, will warm the souls of many generations of readers and prove with each of its manifestations that a real person remains a person even at the turn of history.
Those who violated the natural course of history committed a crime in front of everyone, including the tired and frozen sentry at the armored train. In torn felt boots, in a torn overcoat, brutally, inhumanly, a chilled person falls asleep on the go, and he dreams of his native village and his neighbor walking towards him. “And immediately a formidable guard voice in his chest tapped out three words:
“Sorry… sentry… you’ll freeze…”
Why is this man given up to a meaningless nightmare?
Why are thousands and millions of others given to this?
One can not be sure that little Petka Shcheglov, who lived in the wing and had a wonderful dream about a sparkling diamond ball, will wait for what the dream promised him - happiness?
Who knows? In an era of battles and upheavals, an individual human life is more fragile than ever. But the strength of Russia is that there are people in it for whom the concept of “living” is tantamount to the concepts of “love”, “feel”, “comprehend”, “think”, be faithful to duty and honor. These people know that the walls of the House are not just a dwelling, but a place of connection between generations, a place where soulfulness is preserved in incorruptibility, where the spiritual principle never disappears, the symbol of which is the main part of the House - bookcases filled with books.
And as at the beginning of the novel, in its epilogue, looking at the bright stars in the frosty sky, the author makes us think about eternity, about the life of future generations, about responsibility to history, to each other: “Everything will pass. Suffering, torment, blood, hunger and pestilence. The sword will disappear, but the stars will remain, when the shadow of our bodies and deeds will not remain on the earth.”
Essay on literature on the topic: Discourses on love, friendship, the basis of the novel “The White Guard”
Other writings:
- The mother said to the children: “Live. And they will have to suffer and die. M. Bulgakov Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov came to Russian literature, it would seem, with traditional themes - love, friendship, family, but he gave them his original solution, the dramatic sound of a difficult turning point. Read More ......
- The theme of love has always been, is and will be one of the most exciting topics. At all times, poets, writers, philosophers turned to this topic. And in our time, when wars follow one after another, when people begin to forget what Read More ......
- M. A. Bulgakov's novel The White Guard, written in 1925, is based on the real events of the tragic time of the Civil War in Ukraine. Much here is autobiographical: the city is beloved Kyiv, the address is house number 13 on Alekseevsky Spusk (in fact, the Bulgakovs lived in Read More ......
- The hero's surname indicates the autobiographical motives present in this image: Turbins are Bulgakov's maternal ancestors. The surname Turbina in combination with the same name-patronymic (Aleksey Vasilyevich) was borne by the character of Bulgakov's lost play "The Turbine Brothers", composed in 1920-1921. in Vladikavkaz Read More ......
- M. Bulgakov's novel "The White Guard" was written in 1923-1925. At that time, the writer considered this book to be the main one in his destiny, he said that from this novel "the sky will become hot." Years later, he called him "failed." Perhaps the writer had in Read More ......
- “The White Guard” by M. A. Bulgakov is a novel about the fate of the Russian intelligentsia during the years of the revolution and civil war. In the center of the story is the Turbin family of White Guards. Their apartment is a warm, cozy house where close people, like-minded people, friends gather. In the face of these Read More ......
- The first chapter of the novel is a kind of exposition of the whole story. The solemn tone is created by the author due to the biblical stylization of the beginning of the chapter. “The year was great and terrible after the birth of Christ 1918…” The introduction of “evening Venus and red, trembling Mars” into the narrative creates an atmosphere of anxious expectation Read More ......
- Considering the problem of depicting history in the novel The White Guard, it is necessary to take into account several important points: the historical situation in which the work was written, the historical background for the development of the plot of the novel, and, finally, History as the heroine of the novel. Work on the "White Guard" came at a difficult time. Read More ......
INTRODUCTION
“Mikhail Bulgakov’s novel The White Guard has already firmly established itself in the minds of millions of readers and the literary history of mankind, as one of the most striking works of domestic and world literature of the 20th century.” 1 It is impossible to talk about Bulgakov's work without taking into account another outstanding work.
1922 - 1924 - the flowering of the writer's creative powers, so we can say that The White Guard is a mature, carefully thought-out work. This is the result of inspiration, reflection, work. But, despite the enthusiastic responses about the novel, after its full publication, the fate of this work turned out to be complex and difficult. The path of the novel is described in great detail in Igor Vladimirov's article "The Scarlet Poppy, the horseman from the Apocalypse." 2 Vladimirov analyzed the entire history of the “White Guard” from conception, birth, to the last publication.
According to Vladimirov, Bulgakov came up with the idea for the novel in 1922. The writing time was one year, as the writer himself indicated in his autobiography in 1924. “For a year he wrote the novel The White Guard. I love this novel more than all my other works.”
On April 10, 1924, Bulgakov signed an agreement for the publication of the novel in the Rossiya magazine. There the first thirty chapters were printed in the fourth and fifth issues for 1925. This was followed by long conflicts with the editor of the magazine "Russia" I.G. Lezhnev, who did not return the manuscripts to Bulgakov. Thus, the first publication of the novel remained unfinished. “But even in its unfinished form, the novel The White Guard attracted the attention of the reading public not only in Soviet Russia, but also abroad. This is followed by pirated editions of The White Guard and Days of the Turbins. And, it would seem, years later, we are reading a genuine, full-fledged "White Guard". But no! In 1991, another turning point in the fate of this novel was the discovery of the last chapter, the completion of The White Guard. These manuscripts were with Lezhnev all this time. “They were preserved quite by accident and only due to the fact that clippings with articles by Lezhnev himself were tightly pasted on the back of the clean side of the sheets of the manuscript ...” 3 And the presence of this manuscript, the beginning of the text, which repeats the last phrases of the final part of the novel in the magazine “Russia” , made it possible to reconstruct the text in the form in which it was presented by the author to the editors of the magazine "Russia". The first publication of the novel in our country was carried out by the publishing house "Fiction" in 1926.
There is a lot of critical literature about the "White Guard". A considerable number of writers tried to understand and analyze this creation. For my work, I chose the theme of love in Bulgakov's novel The White Guard. The theme of love has always been, is and will be one of the most exciting topics. At all times, poets, writers, philosophers turned to this topic. And in our time, when wars follow one after another, when people begin to forget what friendship is. Trust, help, selflessness, this topic is very relevant. In addition, in my opinion, it is in this work that the theme of love is revealed very sincerely, deeper, and many-sided.
As far as I know, there are no works specifically devoted to this topic. Especially. Given the recent appearance of the latest chapter of the White Guard. Therefore, in my work I try to explain why this topic is so important for Bulgakov.
But, as everyone knows, the theme of love is quite multifaceted. You can talk about love for the Motherland, and love for a woman, etc. In my work, I will focus on two aspects, the sides of love. This will determine the structure of my work. The first part of it will be devoted to love and mutual understanding in the Turbin family, while the second part will be devoted to love that unites loving hearts.
CHAPTER I
The novel opens with a majestic image of 1918
“Great was the year and terrible year after the birth of Christ 1918, from the beginning of the Second Revolution. It was abundant in summer with the sun, and in winter with snow, and two stars stood especially high in the sky: the star of the shepherd's evening Venus and the red trembling Mars.
This short introduction sounds rather menacing, as if warning about the trials that await the Turbins. These stars are not just images, they are images - symbols. And, if you decipher them, you can see that already in the first lines of the novel, the author declares the topics that excite him: love and war.
The cold and fearless image of 1918 is alarming and even frightening. And therefore, when Turbines suddenly appear against its background, you immediately feel a sense of closeness and trust to them. You mourn with them when they say goodbye to their mother and worry about their future. And this contrast at the very beginning of the novel, in my opinion, is not accidental. Bulgakov sharply contrasts this family with the whole image of 1918, which carries horror, death, pain. We clearly understand the position of the author in relation to this family.
And now the heroes are introduced: .. “and then you enter their house, after a hard frost you plunge into its warmth and comfort, you yourself become a member of the commonwealth reigning here, both people and things devoted to them ...” 5 . It seems that Bulgakov describes a quite ordinary Russian family. But after a few moments you realize that this is not the case. The writer describes with extraordinary accuracy the world of things that surrounds the Turbins. These are “a bronze lamp under a shade, the best bookcases in the world with books smelling of mysterious old chocolate, with Natasha Rostova, the captain's daughter, gilded cups, silver, portraits, curtains...” 6 . These are the “famous” cream curtains that create coziness. But things for the Turbins are an intangible value. These are signs of their old life. It was with the help of these symbols that Bulgakov wanted to show “the atmosphere that has developed over decades of life, firmly based on the Orthodox worldview, which formed and nourished the best qualities of the national consciousness, the best qualities of the soul of a Russian person” 7 . Here, among the world of their things and objects - their rear, reliable and durable. They know that they are protected here, nothing threatens them here. “And then ... then it’s disgusting in the room, as in any room, where there is chaos, styling and even worse when the lampshade is pulled off the lamp. Never. Never pull the lampshade off the lamp! Is the lampshade sacred?” eight . Cream curtains stronger than a stone wall will protect them from enemies. “... and in their apartment it is warm and cozy, especially the cream-colored curtains on all the windows are wonderful, thanks to which you feel cut off from the outside world ... And he, this world, this outside world ... agree yourself, is dirty, bloody and senseless” 9 . They know this and therefore do their best to protect what they have, what unites them all - the family.
What is a family anyway? This is a circle of people infinitely devoted and loving each other. These are people united by blood ties, for whom their union is the most important thing. Can the Turbins be called a family? Selflessly possible! Turbines are the ideal of the Bulgakov family. They have all the best that a truly strong family can have: kindness, simplicity, honesty, mutual understanding and, of course, love. But Bulgakov is not only important. His heroes are dear to him, because they are the people of the house. Your home, warm and cozy, Turbines are ready to defend. “A house in the broadest sense is a city, Russia...” 10 That is why the careerist Talberg and Vasilisa, who ran away and hid from all worries in their kennel, cannot be members of this family. The House of the Turbins is a fortress that they guard and protect only together, together. Otherwise it can not be. And, of course, it is no coincidence then that Bulgakov's appeal to the details of church rituals - the funeral service for their mother, Alexei's appeal to the image of the Mother of God, the prayer of Nikolka, who miraculously escapes from death ... Everything in the Turbins' house is imbued with faith and love for God and for his closest. It has been ingrained in them since childhood. And this gives them the strength to resist the violence of the outside world. Since the year 1918 is such, “that not a single family, not a single person could escape suffering and blood. This cup will not bypass the Turbin family either. There are two ways out on the surface: flight - this is what Talberg does, leaving his wife and loved ones, or going over to the side of the forces of evil, which Shervinsky will do, appearing in the finale of the novel before Elena in the form of a two-color nightmare and recommended by the commander of the shooting school comrade Shervinsky. But there is a third way - the confrontation, which finds itself in the main characters - Turbines" 11 . It is faith and love that unites the family, makes it stronger. Thus, Bulgakov tells us that Orthodoxy is an essential feature of the ideal Russian family. Perhaps this is what makes this family Russian. And then Bulgakov’s frequent appeal to church vocabulary is understandable, then the words from the epigraph acquire a deep meaning:
“And the dead were judged according to what was written in the books, according to their deeds...” 12
We perfectly understand that these are lines from the Gospel. But Bulgakov does not sign them in any way. Why? Because it seems that these words come from the mouth of the Turbins. Let's remember the lines from Elena's prayer:
“We are all guilty of blood, but do not punish. Do not punish” 13 .
Bulgakov leads this family through many trials, as if trying to test their union. But grief always only brings them closer together. In such a terrible time as 1918, they take into their family a person who needs them so much - Lariosik. A broken service, an ill-mannered bird... all this seems to be trying to disturb the atmosphere and peace of the Turbins. Turbines only take care of him as a member of their family, trying to warm him with their love. And, after some time, Lariosik himself understands that he cannot live without this family. They are open, natural, kind. Therefore, they attract such different people to themselves: Myshlaevsky, Shervinsky, Karas and Lariosik. The words of Lariosik immediately come to mind: “... and our wounded souls are looking for rest just behind such cream-colored curtains...” 14 .
December 22 was one of the most difficult days in the life of the Turbins. "Turbin began to die on the afternoon of December 22" 15 . From year to year, lamps were lit in the Turbins' house on December 24, but Elena, going against tradition and their foundations, takes the lamp two days earlier. Again, something is trying to disrupt the flow of their lives. And Elena goes to this for the sake of saving her brother, i.e. she is ready to close her eyes to what has evolved over the centuries, for the sake of the life of a person dear to her. And again, in difficult times, she turns to higher powers for help:
“You send too much grief at once, Mother Intercessor. So in one year you end your family. For what?" 16
Another, in my opinion, important feature of the Turbins is that they all vehemently declare monarchism:
“I,” Turbin suddenly thumped, twitching his cheek, “unfortunately, I’m not a socialist, but ... a monarchist.” 17 Why? In my opinion, everything is quite simple. It was under the monarchy that the Turbin family structure developed, their family union was created, and they were very happy. And socialism, breaking in as a revolution, is trying to destroy their foundations, their life, their home. Of course they can't be for it! It seems to me that this is by no means a political question: for the tsar, or for the Bolsheviks. Turbines are against the evil of the revolution, against death and pain, and it doesn't matter who carries them. And under the king in their house there was only peace and harmony. That is why they sing “God save the Tsar...” at the top of their voices, without even thinking about the fact that at present this can lead to bad consequences.
The warmth and comfort of the Turbine house are unusually attractive. “Elena Sergeevna Bulgakova, shortly before her death, said that in the early 1930s, when she came to the day of the production of The Days of the Turbins at the Moscow Art Theater, she almost always met some middle-aged woman in the theater. One day she approached her and asked:
I see you all the time at this show. Isn't he tired of you?
No, - the woman admitted, - I like to go to the Turbins. eighteen
Then why are Bulgakov so dear to his Turbines? Yes, because Turbines are none other than the Bulgakovs, but of course, with some differences. Mikhail Bulgakov lived at number 13 on Andreevsky (in the novel - Alekseevsky) descent in Kyiv. In the heroes of the novel, you can recognize the Bulgakov family. In Alexei Turbin - Mikhail, in Elena - one of his four sisters, Varya. In Nikolka - a younger brother, Ivan. So, if while reading you plunged into the atmosphere of the turbine house, experienced all the experiences and obstacles with them, then you can safely assume that you visited the Bulgakovs in the midst of the Civil War.
Indeed, the resemblance is striking. In 1907, Afanasy Ivanovich, Bulgakov's father, died. And in the arms of her mother, Varvara Mikhailovna, seven children remained. And Michael was the eldest. And this is his similarity with Alexei Turbin. Both Alexei and Mikhail were to stand at the head of the family, become its support and protection. But there is one important fact from Bulgakov's autobiography, which is reflected in the novel. After the death of Afanasy Ivanovich, Mikhail's mother married a second time. Mikhail could not forgive her for this, and therefore, as many believe, there is no mother in the Turbin family either. On the very first pages of the novel, a picture of the family's farewell to her is shown. Despite the offense, we cannot but notice with what tender and quivering feeling of love Bulgakov paints us a picture of the funeral:
“Why such an insult? Injustice? Why was it necessary to take away the mother when everyone had gathered, when relief had come? nineteen
The Bulgakovs were very friendly and always took care of each other. “Everyone in the family read a lot,” recalled Mikhail Afanasevich’s sister, Nadezhda Afanasyevna Zemskaya. 20 They were also very fond of music, they played various musical instruments. Passionately fond of the theater, even staged performances at home.
“The Bulgakov family,” says K. Paustovsky, “was well known in Kyiv, a huge, branched, intelligent family through and through. Outside the windows of their apartment, the sounds of the piano and even a piercing horn, the voices of young people, running around and laughing, arguing and singing, were constantly heard. 21 Isn't it true that one gets the impression that they are talking about the Turbins?! But “it is important to note that the monarchism of the heroes is not autobiographical. All this has nothing to do with the Bulgakov family. The era of the hetman in Kyiv is characterized by a huge growth of monarchical sentiments. Monarchist moods - monarchist organizations - embraced the nobles - landlords, officials, bourgeois, especially officers. This is documented. “The White Guard” is not a confession, “The White Guard” is a novel and the monarchism of the heroes is historical.” 22
CHAPTER II
“Life according to Bulgakov is love and hate, courage and passion, the ability to appreciate beauty and kindness. But in the very first place is love.” 23 And the author shows this already at the beginning of the novel, opposing Venus to Mars. Love is what creates a unique aura of charm in the book. Love is romantic, earthly, carnal and poetic - it is the force that drives the events of the novel. For her sake, everything is done and everything happens. “They will have to suffer and die,” Bulgakov says of his heroes. And they really will have a hard time: they will suffer and die. “And in spite of everything, love overtakes almost every one of them: Alexei, and Nikolka, and Elena, and Myshlaevsky with Lariosik - Shervinsky’s unlucky rivals.” 24 They receive this love as a gift from God, and it helps them survive and win. Love never dies, otherwise life would die. And life will always be, it is eternal. And to prove this, Bulgakov turns to God in Alexei's first dream, where he saw the Lord's Paradise. “For him, God is eternal truths: justice, mercy, peace...”. 25
If the final chapter of the “White Guard”, found in 1991, had practically no effect on the topic of family relationships, then the theme of love is revealed, taking into account this last chapter, in a completely different way. If in the “old” “White Guard” the relationship between Yulia and Alexei, Elena and Shervinsky is shown rather sparingly, then in the final part the curtain of history opens significantly.
What do we know from the “old” “White Guard” about the relationship between Alexei and Yulia, Nikolka and Irina, Elena and Shervinsky? Very little. Bulgakov seems to only hint at the feelings that arose between the characters, practically not paying special attention to them. But these hints, in my opinion, speak more than any words. Alexei's sudden passion for Yulia, Nikolka's tender feeling for Irina did not escape us. Perhaps the writer only wanted to direct the reader with these hints, draw attention to them and give the reader the opportunity to develop further events in his imagination. Bulgakov's heroes love very naturally, without realizing that this feeling overtook them. But, despite the sincerity of the feeling, almost all the love stories of the heroes of the White Guard must end in tragedy. But, again, they must, but may not end. We don't know and we never will. We can only guess. Bulgakov does not speak directly about this either in the first version of The White Guard or in the second. Why? Also a mystery. It suddenly seemed to me that such an explanation was possible, why all feelings must necessarily end in tragedy. Bulgakov repeatedly emphasizes that the feelings of his characters are strong, sincere and deep. They are so true that there is no doubt about them. And any (any) true love is necessarily a tragedy.
Yes, love unites the heroes of the novel. It is the same for all of them. It is as if she is also the hero of the work and the hero is not simple, but the main one. Love is the central image of the novel. And like any other image, love is multifaceted and it is different for each character.
Aleksey and Yulia... Starting from their first meeting, their relationship radically influences the life of one and the other. “When Alexei is running away from the Petliurists and death is staring at him in the back with a gaze, it is as if a woman appears in front of him as if by a miracle and leads the pursuers away from under his nose. Death pursued him, but love caught up with him. 26 Julia is the savior of Alexei. Saving him, she not only gives him life, but also brings love into his life, which, in turn, can save a person from everything. Love is like a deadly weapon against pain and evil. But at the same time, she herself is fraught with suffering.
“When she sits like that and a wave of heat goes over her, she seems wonderful, attractive. Savior." 27
Their feeling flared up as suddenly and brightly as a piece of wood thrown into a fire catches fire. They were immediately drawn to each other, the feeling took possession of them and extra words were completely useless:
“lean towards me,” he said. His voice became dry, weak, high. She turned to him, her eyes alert with fear and deepening into the shadows. Turbin threw his right hand around his neck, pulled her to him and kissed her on the lips. He felt as if he had touched something sweet and cold. The woman was not surprised by Turbine's act. 28
It seems that they are made for each other, that they have known each other for ages. If it were necessary to create an image with which their relationship would be associated, then I would suggest fire. Fire is bright, hot, burning, destructive. Fire, as a symbol of stormy elements, as a symbol of passion. Since it is passion - one of the facets of love, that unites Alexei and Julia.
Well, it would seem that's all ... Further on the development of events in the relationship between Yulia and Alexei is a complete mystery. Bulgakov leaves these heroes and directs his attention to others. And we can only guess what happens to them next. But the last chapter of the "White Guard" found quite recently provides answers to some questions.
The role of the symbolism of stars is very great in the novel. And if Venus accompanies Nikolka with his tender and quivering love, then crazy Mars is very close to Alexei: “his connection with Yulia Reis threatens death, there is a hint in the text that Yulia is Shpolyansky’s secret agent, and Shpolyansky in the text is connected with Trotsky, whom Rusakov calls antichrist." 29 After all, it is Alexei who sees the stars in the sky, which “were written red five-pointed. The largest and most alive of all is Mars. But the doctor did not look at the stars.”
“... alas, not there, in the heavens of peace, where the trembling Mars burns.” thirty
“The relationship of Alexei Turbin with Yulia Markovna Reis is described in the twenty-first chapter, confirming what was said at the beginning of the novel that he was a “rag man”. When Thalberg left, the brothers were silent. The younger - because he was proud. Senior - because there was a man-rag. This characteristic used to remain a mystery, nowhere did Alexei Turbin behave in this way. In relations with Julia Reis, he is constantly humiliated. What is worth, at least such a phrase of his: “You are rubbish and a liar, I love you, you reptile ...” He threatens her with a revolver and tries to strangle her out of jealousy for Shpolyansky. "I love". She speaks with a sideways glance at the revolver in his back pocket. 31
It is amazing how they are talking about two different, separate stories: Alexei and Yulia in The White Guard, without the 21st chapter, and Alexei and Yulia in the 21st chapter. It's day and night. What happened? There is no doubt that the heart and soul of Alexei is still filled with love and passion. He loves her. Both she and he are well aware of this. What's the matter? The fact is that external events surrounding them, people, politics interfered in their relationship, in their inner world. Yulia's connection with Shpolyansky violates everything that was. And if earlier Alexei was guided only by feelings, surrendering entirely to passion, now he also relies on reason, trying to figure out what Julia is involved in. The world of love is invaded by a terrible, destroying all external world. And this brings tragedy into the life of young Turbine. If he cannot devote everything to love, then there is only one way out - death. The motive of which we find in Alexei's prophetic dream.
Nikolka and Irina are a completely different matter... If Bulgakov told us at least a little about Alexei and Yulia, then practically nothing about Nikolka and Irina.
Irina, like Yulia, enters Nikolka's life unexpectedly. Junior Turbin, overcome by a sense of duty and respect for officer Nai-Turs, decides to inform the Turs family about the death of their relative. It is in this family, alien to him, that Nikolka will find his future love. Tragic circumstances bring Irina and Nikolai closer. Perhaps this is one of the main reasons for the emergence of such pure and reverent feelings. Interestingly, only one of their meetings is described in the text of the novel. There is not a single confession and mention of love. Not a single reflection of the characters about each other. Maybe just this:
“... Nye had an iron face, simple and courageous, and this one was a beauty, and not like a Russian, but perhaps a foreigner. Amazing, amazing girl." 32
Also, we do not know anything about whether there will be a second meeting, whether Irina Nikolke will reciprocate. Only a sudden meeting and conversation of the brothers clarifies the situation a little:
“It can be seen, brother, Poturra threw us with you to Malo-Provalnaya Street. AND! Well, let's go. What will come of this is unknown. AND?". 33
The relationship between Irina and Nikolka finds its development in the 21st chapter of the novel. “A wonderful depiction of the appearance of Irina Nai-Tours, invited to the house for the first time, Nikolka's excitement, his jealousy for Myshlaevsky, who makes fun of the lover. When Nikolka escorts Irina, he hastily forgot his gloves and she, because it was very frosty, did not allow herself to be taken half a hand: “Nikolka turned pale and firmly swore to the star Venus:“ I will come and immediately shoot myself. But she slipped his hand into her muff next to hers, and he fell silent. And when, after a kiss, he returned home, “the city was blinded by the Moon and darkness, darkness of stars flaunted over it ... It seems that the shepherd’s evening Venus was sitting among them, and even the insanely distant and ominous, and red Mars flickered.” 34
If the image of Alexei's love was fire, then the image of Nikolka's love is definitely water. She is as pure, clear, calm as Nikolai's feelings. And it is absolutely clear to us that these lovers will be happy for a long time to come.
CONCLUSION.
Mikhail Bulgakov's novel "The White Guard" is riddled with multiple storylines. In his creation, Bulgakov shows us the relationship of completely different people: these are family ties and love ties. But no matter what kind of relationship, they are always guided by feelings. Or rather, one feeling - love. Love can destroy, or it can save. Love rallied the Turbin family and their close friends even more. Love can lead to happiness, or it can lead to tragedy. Alexei's love ended in death, and for Nikolka it became the meaning of life. That's how contradictory this bittersweet feeling is!
Guided by my own reflections, I can say with confidence that the appearance of the final chapter of the novel radically influenced the formation of the image of the characters and the disclosure of themes, in particular, the theme of love. If the researchers had not found this chapter, we would never have known that the historical events of the terrible 1918, invading the relationship between Yulia and Alexei, could bring them to naught and lead Alexei to death; that the germs of Nikolka's tender and sensitive feelings will develop into mutual love. It also seems to me that the last chapter gives us the opportunity to look at many things from a completely different point of view. For example, I can say for sure that after reading this chapter, I rethought the whole novel: the image of Alexei was revealed to me in a different way, I took a completely new look at the images-symbols of Venus and Mars, and read in them a completely different meaning. But the new chapter also raised a lot of new questions for me. For example, if we take into account the fact that the image of Alexei Turbin reflected many of the features of Bulgakov himself, then where does this motive of tragic love and death come from, Alexei's behavior as a “rag man” ?!
I also noticed that if in the “old” “White Guard” the author pays noticeably more attention to the topic of the family, then the final chapter is full of love stories. Perhaps that is why, not knowing the 21st chapter, we said that Bulgakov always had only family in the first place, but in fact, after reading this new part of the novel, we see that Bulgakov pays no less attention to the topic of love .
In my opinion, Mikhail Afanasyevich compares the images of stars with love. This red trembling Mars is the passion and fire of Alexei and the shepherd's Venus is Nikolka's pure love. Stars are eternal, like love. And then the final words take on a completely different meaning:
"All will pass. Suffering, torment, blood, hunger and pestilence. The sword will disappear, but the stars will remain, when the shadows of our bodies and the deed will not remain on the earth. There is not a single person who does not know this. So why don't we want to turn our eyes to them? Why?". 35
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Bulgakov "White Guard" - essay "The theme of love in Bulgakov's novel "White Guard""
The theme of love has always been, is and will be one of the most exciting topics. At all times, poets, writers, philosophers turned to this topic. And in our time, when wars follow one after another, when people begin to forget what friendship, trust, help, selflessness are, this topic is very relevant. In addition, in my opinion, it is in The White Guard that the theme of love is revealed very sincerely, deeply and many-sidedly. The theme of love is multifaceted. You can talk about love for the motherland, and love for a woman. I will focus on two aspects of love. This will determine the structure of my essay. The first part will be devoted to love and relationships in the Turbin family, while the second part will be dedicated to love that unites loving hearts.
Bulgakov’s novel opens with a majestic image of 1918: “Great was the year and terrible year after the birth of Christ 1918, from the beginning of the Second Revolution. It was abundant in summer with the sun, and in winter with snow, and two stars stood especially high in the sky: the star of the shepherd's evening Venus and the red trembling Mars. This short introduction sounds rather menacing, as if warning about the trials that await the Turbins. These stars are not just images, they are symbolic images. And if you decipher them, you can see that already in the first lines of the novel, the author declares the topics that excite him: love and war.
The cold and terrible image of 1918 is alarming and even frightening. And therefore, when Turbines suddenly appear against its background, you immediately feel a sense of closeness and trust to them. You mourn with them when they say goodbye to their mother forever and worry about their future. And this contrast at the very beginning of the novel, in my opinion, is not accidental. Bulgakov sharply contrasts this family with the whole image of 1918, which carries horror, death, pain. We clearly understand the position of the author in relation to this family. What is family? A family is a circle of people who are infinitely devoted and loving each other. These are people united by blood ties, for whom their union is the most important thing. Can the Turbins be called a family? Undoubtedly. Moreover: Turbines are Bulgakov's ideal of a family. They have all the best that a truly strong family can have: kindness, simplicity, honesty, mutual understanding and, of course, love. But Bulgakov is not only important. His heroes are dear to him, because they are the people of the house. Your home, warm and cozy, Turbines are ready to defend. “A house in the broadest sense is a city, Russia ...” That is why the careerist Talberg and the coward Vasilisa, who ran away and hid from all worries in their kennel, cannot be members of this family. The House of the Turbins is a fortress that they guard and protect only together, together. It cannot be otherwise. And, of course, it is no coincidence that Bulgakov's appeal to the details of church rituals: the funeral of his mother, Alexei's appeal to the image of the Mother of God, the prayer of Nikolka, who miraculously escaped death ... Everything in the Turbin house is imbued with faith and love for God and for his neighbor. This has been instilled in them since childhood, and this gives them the strength to resist the violence of the outside world. Since 1918 is such that "... that not a single family, not a single person could escape suffering and blood," this cup and the Turbin family did not pass. There are two ways out on the surface: flight - this is what Talberg does, leaving his wife and loved ones, or going over to the side of the forces of evil, which Shervinsky will do, appearing in the finale of the novel before Elena in the form of a two-color nightmare and recommended by Comrade Shervinsky, commander of the shooting school. But there is a third way - the confrontation, which is entered by the main characters - the Turbines. This belief in love unites the family and makes it stronger.
Bulgakov tells us that Orthodoxy is an essential feature of the ideal Russian family. Perhaps this is what makes this family Russian. And then Bulgakov's frequent appeal to church vocabulary is understandable, then the words from the epigraph take on a deep meaning: "And the dead were judged according to what was written in the books, in accordance with their deeds ...". We know very well that these lines are from the Gospel. But the author does not sign them. Why? Because it seems that these words come from the lips of the Turbins themselves. Let us recall the lines from Elena's prayer: "We are all guilty of blood, but do not punish." Bulgakov leads this family through many trials, as if trying to test the strength of their union. But grief always only brings them closer together. In such a terrible time as 1918, they take into their family a person who needs them so much - Lariosik. The Turbins take care of him like a member of their family, trying to warm him with their love. And after some time, Lariosik himself understands that he cannot live without this family, without these kind and open people. That is why Turbines attract such different characters: Myshlaevsky, Shervinsky, Karas and Lariosik.
The theme of love has always been, is and will be one of the most exciting topics. At all times, poets, writers, philosophers turned to this topic. And in our time, when wars follow one after another, when people begin to forget what friendship, trust, help, selflessness are, this topic is very relevant. In addition, in my opinion, it is in The White Guard that the theme of love is revealed very sincerely, deeply and many-sidedly. The theme of love is multifaceted. You can talk about love for the motherland, and love for a woman. I will focus on two aspects of love.
This will determine the structure of my essay. The first part will be devoted to love and relationships in the Turbin family, the second - to love that unites loving hearts. Bulgakov's novel opens with a majestic image of 1918: “Great was the year and terrible year after the birth of Christ 1918, from the beginning of the Second Revolution. It was abundant in summer with the sun, and in winter with snow, and two stars stood especially high in the sky: the star of the shepherd's evening Venus and the red trembling Mars. This short introduction sounds rather menacing, as if warning about the trials that await the Turbins.
These stars are not just images, they are symbolic images. And if you decipher them, you can see that already in the first lines of the novel, the author declares the topics that excite him: love and war. The cold and terrible image of 1918 is alarming and even frightening. And therefore, when Turbines suddenly appear against its background, you immediately feel a sense of closeness and trust to them.
You mourn with them when they say goodbye to their mother forever and worry about their future. And this contrast at the very beginning of the novel, in my opinion, is not accidental. Bulgakov sharply contrasts this family with the whole image of 1918, which carries horror, death, pain. We clearly understand the position of the author in relation to this family. What is family? A family is a circle of people who are infinitely devoted and loving each other. These are people united by blood ties, for whom their union is the most important thing.
Can the Turbins be called a family? Undoubtedly. Moreover: Turbines are Bulgakov's ideal of a family. They have all the best that a truly strong family can have: kindness, simplicity, honesty, mutual understanding and, of course, love. But Bulgakov is not only important. His heroes are dear to him, because they are the people of the house.
Your home, warm and cozy, Turbines are ready to defend. “A house in the broadest sense is a city, Russia ...” That is why the careerist Talberg and the coward Vasilisa, who ran away and hid from all worries in their kennel, cannot be members of this family. The house of the Turbins is a fortress that they protect and defend only together, together. It cannot be otherwise.
And, of course, it is no coincidence that Bulgakov's appeal to the details of church rituals: the funeral of his mother, Alexei's appeal to the image of the Mother of God, the prayer of Nikolka, who miraculously escaped death ... Everything in the Turbin house is imbued with faith and love for God and for his neighbor. This has been instilled in them since childhood, and this gives them the strength to resist the violence of the outside world. Since 1918 is such that "... that not a single family, not a single person could escape suffering and blood," this cup and the Turbin family did not pass.
There are two ways out on the surface: flight - this is what Talberg does, leaving his wife and loved ones, or going over to the side of the forces of evil, which Shervinsky will do, appearing in the finale of the novel before Elena in the form of a two-color nightmare and recommended by Comrade Shervinsky, commander of the shooting school. But there is a third way - the confrontation, which is entered by the main characters - Turbines. It is the belief in love that unites the family and makes it stronger. Bulgakov tells us that Orthodoxy is an essential feature of the ideal Russian family.
Perhaps this is what makes this family Russian. And then Bulgakov's frequent appeal to church vocabulary is understandable, then the words from the epigraph take on a deep meaning: "And the dead were judged according to what was written in the books, in accordance with their deeds ...".
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The novel “The White Guard” opens with a majestic image of 1918: “Great was the year and terrible year after the birth of Christ 1918, from the beginning of the second revolution. It was abundant in summer with the sun, and in winter with snow, and two stars stood especially high in the sky: the shepherd's star - evening Venus and red, trembling Mars. This introduction, as it were, warns of the trials that await the Turbins. Stars are not just images, they are symbolic images. Having deciphered them, you can see that already in the first lines of the novel, the author touches on the topics that concern him most: love and war.
Against the backdrop of a cold and fearless image of 1918, the Turbins suddenly appear, living in their own world, with a sense of closeness and trust. Bulgakov sharply contrasts this family with the whole image of 1918, which carries horror, death, pain. The Turbins' House is warm and cozy, there is an atmosphere of love and friendliness. Bulgakov describes with extraordinary accuracy the world of things that surrounds the Turbins. These are “a bronze lamp under a shade, the best bookcases in the world with books smelling of mysterious old chocolate, with Natasha Rostova, the captain’s daughter, gilded cups, silver, portraits, curtains ...” These are the “famous” cream curtains that create coziness. All these things are for the Turbins signs of an old life, forever lost. Describing in detail the situation surrounding the Turbins from childhood, Bulgakov sought to show the atmosphere of the life of the intelligentsia, which had been developing for decades. For Alexei, Nikolka, Elena and their friends, the house serves as a safe and durable shelter. Here they feel protected. “And then ... then it’s disgusting in the room, as in any room where the styling is chaos, and even worse when the lampshade is pulled off the lamp. Never. Never pull the lampshade off the lamp! The lampshade is sacred." Cream curtains stronger than a stone wall will protect them from enemies, “... and in their apartment it is warm and cozy, especially cream curtains on all windows are wonderful, thanks to which you feel cut off from the outside world ... And he, this world, this outside world... agree yourself, dirty, bloody and meaningless. Turbines understand this, and therefore they are trying with all their might to save the family that unites and unites them.
Turbines for Bulgakov are the ideal of a family. They reflected all the best human qualities necessary for a strong family: kindness, simplicity, honesty, mutual understanding and, of course, love. But the heroes are dear to Bulgakov also because under any conditions they are ready to defend not only their cozy home, but also their native City, Russia. That is why Talberg and Vasilisa cannot be members of this family. For the Turbins, the house is a fortress that they protect and protect only together. And it is no coincidence that Bulgakov turns to the details of church rituals: the funeral of their mother, Alexei's appeal to the image of the Mother of God, the prayer of Nikolka, who miraculously escapes death. Everything in the Turbins' house is imbued with faith and love for God and for their loved ones, and this gives them the strength to resist the outside world.
1918 was a turning point in our history - "not a single family, not a single person could escape suffering and blood." This fate did not escape the Turbin family. Representatives of the intelligentsia, the best stratum in the country, faced a difficult choice: to flee - this is what Talberg does, leaving his wife and loved ones - or to go over to the side of hostile forces, which Shervinsky will do, appearing in the finale of the novel in front of Elena in the form of a two-color nightmare and recommended by the commander rifle school Comrade Shervinsky. But Turbines choose the third way - confrontation. Faith and love unite the family, make it stronger. The trials that befell the Turbins bring them even closer.
In such a terrible time, they decided to take a stranger into their family - Talberg's nephew Lariosik. Despite the fact that the strange guest disturbs the peace and atmosphere of the Turbins (a broken service, a noisy bird), they take care of him as a member of their family, trying to warm him with their love. And, after some time, Lariosik himself understands that he cannot live without this family. The openness and kindness of the Turbins attract Myshlaevsky, Shervinsky and Karas. As Lariosik rightly remarks: “... and our wounded souls are looking for peace behind such cream curtains...”
One of the main motives of the novel is love. And the author shows this already at the beginning of the story, opposing Venus to Mars. It is love that makes the novel unique. Love becomes the main driving force behind all the events of the novel. For her sake, everything is done and everything happens. “They will have to suffer and die,” Bulgakov says of his heroes. And they really suffer and die. Love affects almost every one of them: Alexei, and Nikolka, and Elena, and Myshlaevsky with Lariosik. And this bright feeling helps them to endure and win. Love never dies, otherwise life would die. And life will always be, it is eternal. To prove this, Bulgakov turns to God in Alexei's first dream, where he saw the Lord's Paradise. “For him, God is eternal truths: justice, mercy, peace...”
Bulgakov says little about the relationship between Alexei and Yulia, Nikolka and Irina, Elena and Shervinsky, only hinting at the feelings that arose between the characters. But these hints say more than any details. Aleksey's sudden passion for Yulia, Nikolka's tender feeling for Irina cannot hide from readers. Bulgakov's heroes love deeply, naturally and sincerely. But each of them has a different love.
The relationship between Alexei and Yulia is not easy. When Aleksey is running away from the Petliurists and his life is in danger, Yulia saves him and takes him away. She not only gives him life, but also brings the most wonderful feeling into his life. They experience spiritual intimacy and understand each other without words: ““Lean over to me,” he said. His voice became dry, weak, high. She turned to him, her eyes alert with fear and deepening into the shadows. Turbin threw his right hand around his neck, pulled her to him and kissed her on the lips. He felt as if he had touched something sweet and cold. The woman was not surprised by Turbine's act. But the author does not say a word about how the relationship of the characters develops further. And we can only guess how their fate turned out.
The love story of Nikolka and Irina develops differently. If at least a little, but tells about Alexei and Yulia Bulgakov, then about Nikolka and Irina - practically nothing. Irina, like Yulia, enters Nikolka's life unexpectedly. Junior Turbin, overcome by a sense of duty and respect for officer Nai-Turs, decides to inform the Turs family about the death of their relative. It is in this family that Nikolka finds his future love. Tragic circumstances bring Irina and Nikolai closer. It is interesting that only one of their meetings is described in the text of the novel, and there is not a single reflection, confession and mention of love. It is not known if they will meet again. Only a sudden meeting and conversation of the brothers clarify the situation a little: “It can be seen, brother, Poturra threw us with you onto Malo-Provalnaya Street. AND! Well, let's go. What will come of this is unknown. AND?"
Turbines know how to love and are rewarded for this with the love of the Almighty. When Elena turns to him with a plea to save her brother, love wins, and death recedes from Alexei. Praying for mercy in front of the icon of the Mother of God, Elena whispers passionately: “You send too much grief, mother intercessor ... Mother intercessor, won’t you have mercy? Maybe we are bad people, but why punish it like that? Elena makes a great sacrifice of self-denial: "Let Sergei not return ... Take away - take away, but do not punish this with death." And the disease receded - Alexei recovered. This is how Love wins. Good triumphs over death, hatred, suffering. And so I want to believe that Nikolka and Irina, Alexei with Julia, Elena with Shervinsky and everyone else will be happy. “Everything will pass, but Love will remain,” because it is eternal, just like the stars above our heads are eternal.
In his novel, Bulgakov shows us the relationships of completely different people: these are both family ties and love ties. But no matter what kind of relationship, they are always guided by feelings. Or rather, one feeling - love. Love rallied the Turbin family and their close friends even more. Rising above reality, Mikhail Afanasyevich compares the images of stars with love. Stars, like love, are eternal. And in this regard, the final words take on a completely different meaning: “Everything will pass. Suffering, torment, blood, hunger and pestilence. The sword will disappear, but the stars will remain, when the shadows of our bodies and the deed will not remain on the earth. There is not a single person who does not know this. So why don't we want to turn our eyes to them? Why?"
