With all the exaggeration of the role of trading people, the author is not inclined to reveal the mechanism of commercial success. But in the depiction of a new way of life, culture clumsily transplanted onto unprepared soil, ridiculously fitting clothes, a mixture of foreign (often distorted) and Russian words in the speech of many characters, in a fun-ironic display of “polites” (Sanka Brovkina-Volkova, her brother Artamon, “ Maidens” by the Buynosovs, etc.) A. Tolstoy is entirely in his element. He showed both the boyar's disgust for coffee, and the belligerent non-recognition of the potato by the common Russian. Even the lies of the experienced peasant Fedka Wash Yourself with Mud (a nickname that evokes a physiognomy dirtier than mud) about him, allegedly with a bullet in his chest, making a rifle article in front of Charles XII, raises him in the eyes of the peasants who are ready to marvel at everything, letting him in for the night.
The change of the country and people is shown, starting with Peter himself. Being "frightened from his youth," he hates antiquity and willingly parodies it at "the most joking and all-drunk cathedrals." Milestones in the formation of a personality are distinguished: the first visit to the German settlement, a trip to Arkhangelsk, to the sea (A. Tolstoy omitted the second trip, like a number of other historical events, in the name of concentration of action, and singled out some episodes of these events significant for him), and a serious conversation with Lefort, the first major setback near Azov, which made Peter feel cold ("...another person: angry, stubborn, businesslike"), and the second, near Narva, a subsequent experience leading to success and victories.
The speech of the characters and partly of the author, based on modern colloquial speech, is permeated with understandable or immediately explained archaisms and barbarisms that create historical flavor; written documents, partly edited, partly stylized, more archaic. In general, in "Peter the Great" A. Tolstoy reached the pinnacle of his speech and visual skills. Here, for example, is a description of the dances of the Russian guests at the Elector of Hanover: “Menshikov shrugged his shoulders, moved his eyebrows, missed his face and went from toe to heel ... Volunteers who arrived from the garden took apart the ladies and grabbed them in a crouch with twists, mad Tatar squeals. Skirts swirled, wigs tousled. They poured sweat on the German women.
In the first and second books of the novel, not a single character is idealized. But the writer did not stay at this level. In 1934-1935, the play "On the Rack" was transformed into an almost new one - "Peter the Great", where the emphasis on the psychological drama of the reformer was weakened, although the threat of the death of his business remained. Almost simultaneously, the script for a two-part film of the same name (with the participation of director V. Petrov and his assistant N. Leshchenko) began to be created, which was talentedly embodied on the screen in 1937 and 1939, but already very far from the novel. The originally written episodes were excluded: the self-immolation of the schismatics, the “most jesting cathedral”, Catherine’s betrayal of Peter and Willim Mons (in the novel, not brought to this time, Ankhen Mons’s betrayal with Koenigsek plays a similar role), etc. A gross anachronism is allowed to concentrate the action: in At the time of the Narva defeat (1700), Peter already had an adult son, an enemy of his cause (an analogy to "enemies of the people") - the historical Tsarevich Alexei was then ten years old. In the third edition of the play (1938), out of the ten pictures of the original version, three were left that were heavily altered. The scene of the Battle of Poltava was reworked, the action was moved to the battlefield. The pictures of popular resistance, the scene in the fortress with the death of Alexei, etc., have disappeared. The play, like the film, ends not with a flood, but with Peter's solemn speech after the victorious conclusion of the Northern War and the Senate granting him the title of father of the fatherland.
Between the two Peter books, Tolstoy wrote the novel Black Gold (1931), about emigrants and European politicians organizing an anti-Soviet conspiracy and a terrorist group. The basis of the work is genuine (many portraits of those whom Tolstoy met before the revolution and in exile). The writer said that he was creating a political novel, innovative in genre, which had not yet been in Soviet literature. But his characters are caricatured or turned out to be black villains (although the material gave grounds for this); this novel is more adventurous than political. In 1940, almost rewritten, it came out under the title "Emigrants".
The children's story of 1935 "The Golden Key" is a reworking of the fairy tale by Collodi (Carlo Loranzini, 1826-1890) "Pinocchio", or "The Adventures of the Puppet". The first chapters, before the meeting of Pinocchio with Malvina, are a free retelling, then an independent plot follows, without the didacticism of the primary source and the transformation of a wooden doll into a real exemplary boy. In Tolstoy's fairy tale, dolls get their own theater, and when it was ideologically transformed into a play and a screenplay (1938), the key began to unlock the door to the "Land of Happiness" - the USSR.
After the abolition of the RAPP (1932), the social position of A. Tolstoy, previously unenviable, was strengthened, but the most independent people, like Akhmatova and Pasternak, treated him hostilely. In 1934, the former count received a slap in the face from the beggar Jew O. Mandelstam. M. Bulgakov ridiculed him in the image of Fialkov ("Theatrical novel"). True, during the war, in evacuation. Tolstoy easily became friends in Tashkent with Akhmatova and called her Annushka. The soul of any society, he literally spread the “joy of life” around him.
In 1934, according to the memoirs of L. Kogan, Tolstoy scolded his "Eighteenth Year" and talked about the lack of starting points for further work. In anticipation of the continuation (“The Nineteenth Year”, as the author first called his plan in accordance with the “historical” principle), the writer was influenced by the political leadership in the person of K. E. Voroshilov. He outlined his (and Stalinist) version of the events of 1918, which were not covered in the second book of the trilogy, and assigned a general staff worker to Tolstoy for briefing. The writer was supplied with materials from the then-created official “History of the Civil War in the USSR”, a list of participants in the “Tsaritsyn epic”, and was sent to the battlefields. Tolstoy stated in an interview with Stalingradskaya Pravda (1936) that the main characters in his new work about the defense of Tsaritsyn in 1918 “are Lenin. Stalin and Voroshilov. At the same time, in the article “On the Broad Road,” he wrote about the difficulties of “creating images of great people” (although he considered his experience “the beginning, perhaps, of a whole series of stories”): it was necessary to “understand their character”, “understand the line of their behavior. After all, the words that they spoke are not written down anywhere, you can give them (this I did) words that, of course, they did not say. But when they read them, they will say with certainty that they said them."
Those in power were quite satisfied with the recognition as authentic not only words that they did not utter, but also uncompleted (or completely otherwise committed) deeds. The Tsaritsyn "epopee" in the story "Bread (Defence of Tsaritsyn)" (1937) was presented as perhaps the main event of the civil war, Voroshilov and especially Stalin appeared as the saviors of all Soviet Russia from hunger. Lenin, before sending Stalin to Tsaritsyn (the future Stalingrad), consulted with him and accepted his proposal. Ivan Gora, a Red Guard soldier, while fixing a telephone for a hungry leader (there is no one else to fix it), shares bread from his ration with him along the way. Charming Voroshilov skillfully worked with people and no less skillfully chopped with a saber. The commander of the detachment Dumenko (the creator of the first cavalry corps, repressed in 1920) appeared before the reader in a dressing gown, barefoot and drunk, but his assistant Budyonny turned out to be fine and fit in every sense. The "Leader of the Left Communists", i.e. Bukharin, figured without a surname and was obviously caricatured. At the end of the story, Stalin and Voroshilov walked under targeted artillery fire, “without speeding up their pace,” and Stalin also stopped to light his pipe. At the sight of a kite, he reflects on the creation of an "air fleet": "... people can fly better if their forces are freed ..."
Tolstoy began work on the novel in 1929. The first two books were completed by 1934. Shortly before his death in 1943, the author began work on the third book, but managed to bring the novel only to the events of 1704.
The novel Peter the Great covers the time after the death of Fyodor Alekseevich, the son of Alexei Mikhailovich, and almost before the capture of Narva by Russian troops.
The novel is as close as possible to real historical events. Streltsy rebellion, the insidious Princess Sophia, her lover, Prince Vasily Golitsyn, Lefort, Menshikov, Charles XII, Anna Mons - all these historical figures are present here.
Peter the Great has a stubborn character and fights for his decisions, often not carried out by crafty and lazy military leaders.
With difficulty, with the help of the fleet, Azov was taken, which led Russia to clash with the powerful Turkish Empire.
The meaning of the novel
Tolstoy wrote: “A historical novel cannot be written in the form of a chronicle, in the form of history. We need, first of all, the composition, the architectonics of the work. What is composition? This is primarily the establishment of the center, the center of vision. In my novel, the center is the figure of Peter I.
The boredom of the Transfiguration Palace leads Peter the Great to the settlement, to ordinary people.
The novel by Alexei Tolstoy shows the whole existence of that time. Ordinary people, Peter's contemporaries, are especially vividly portrayed. They argue, agree, participate in historical events. On them, it is on them that Alexei Tolstoy shows the opinion of the people about the reforms of Peter the Great, about his policies and other deeds.
The work of the people is depicted. The first army of Peter was defeated in the war with the Swedes, but the future emperor did not give up - he began to create a new army and having created it, he defeated the Swedes and won the war.
The culmination and end of the novel - the result of the efforts and the dream of all the people who suffered the victory was the capture of Narva. At the very end of the novel, on the last page - Peter the Great approaches the commandant of Narva - General Horn, who was taken prisoner and says: "Take him to prison, on foot, through the whole city, so that he can see the sad work of his hands ...".
The special style of A. Tolstoy's narration allows the reader to read this novel in one fell swoop, without much effort, delving into the meaning on the go. This makes the story more interesting and exciting...
Characters
- Pyotr Alekseevich Romanov - Tsar
- Alexander Danilovich Menshikov - comrade-in-arms of the tsar, His Serene Highness Prince
- Franz Lefort - associate of Peter, general
- Anna Mons - Peter's favorite
- Sofya Alekseevna Romanova - princess, sister of Peter
- Vasily Vasilyevich Golitsyn - Prince, Sophia's lover
- Artamon Sergeevich Matveev - boyar
- Patriarch Joachim - Patriarch
- Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina - queen
- Ivan Kirillovich Naryshkin - brother of the queen
- Dwarf - servant of Ivan Kirillovich
- Alexey Ivanovich Brovkin (Alyoshka) - son of Ivashka Brovkin, friend of Aleksashka
- Ivan Artemich Brovkin (Ivashka Brovkin) - a serf, later a wealthy merchant, Alyoshka's father
Materials and documents that formed the basis for writing the novel
Torture records of the end of the 17th century, collected by Professor N. Ya. Novombergsky and handed over to the writer by historian V.V. Kalmash at the end of 1916. “History of the reign of Peter the Great” by N. Ustryalov, volumes 13-15 “History of Russia from ancient times” by S. Solovyov, “Acts of Peter the Great” by I. Golikov. As well as the diaries and notes of Patrick Gordon, I. Zhelyabuzhsky, Johann Korb, D. Perry, B. Kurakin, Yust Jul, N. Neplyuev, P. Tolstoy, F. Berchholz and others.
People should know the history of their country in order to know what to do in this or that case in the future. Alexei Tolstoy, inspired by the era of Peter the Great, decided to show us all the subtleties and difficulties of the Peter the Great era. As you know, he put almost 10 years of his life into work and spent many hours to study exactly the era of transformation and change in our country.
Alexei Nikolaevich Tolstoy was very interested in the fate of Emperor Peter 1, for more than twenty years the writer studied the biography and historical facts from the life of the ruler. This case can be called one of those when the author's work, in an attempt to convey the character of the era and personality, borders on scientific historical literature.
Initially, the work was conceived as an epic novel, which would allow, with its volume, to show all the positions and change of thoughts of a Soviet person. The writer fully succeeded in this, because through the image of Peter, the personality of Tolstoy's patron and admirer, I.V. Stalin, peeps through. In his novel, Tolstoy wanted to show the value of the transformations of that time, he describes how the wisdom of the ruler determines the further development of the state. But it is not at all difficult for the reader to grasp the connection between that time and the new Soviet era, where it is also not easy for the people to change for the better, where people do not want to accept the need for change. In such a situation, the country needs a cruel, but strong and far-sighted leader, whom the author saw both in Peter the Great and in the general secretary of the CPSU party.
Genre, direction
"Peter the Great" is a historical novel that includes elements of the novel of formation and heroic narration. You can also find features of a biographical novel.
essence
In the first book, Peter the Transformer appears before us. A personality that was still fully formed, but striving to become on the true and correct path. The author shows us the king as a person close to his people, able to understand all problems and try to find their solution.
- The first volume shows us the still very young Peter, frightened by the coming difficulties of government. From this moment begins our acquaintance with the formation of the future king, able to change the fate of his country. We can observe how the little ruler learns to cope with palace intrigues, betrayals, experiences the first failures, learns to correct his mistakes and solve complex, even seemingly insoluble problems.
- In the second volume, we see Peter already grown up, capable of working on an equal footing with the common people for the benefit of the country's prosperity. A lot of time has passed, the young ruler is preparing for the first transformations and signing of laws. Peter takes care of his people, trying not to allow arbitrariness on the part of the boyars. So, page after page, before our eyes, the king is becoming, from a small, frightened boy into a mature, wise ruler.
- In the third volume, a man, a king, a man, who has already taken place as a person, appears before us. Petersburg is already standing on the banks of the Neva, long-term wars have been stopped. Like Peter, the country is embarking on a new path of change and improvement. The third volume is the final and an indicator of the positive consequences of the reforms, there is a cultural upsurge in people's lives, and the military power of the state is also growing.
Main characters
- Petr Alekseevich- Tsar of Russia. The writer tried to reveal the image of the ruler in a multifaceted and full way, showing both positive and some negative qualities of Peter. The monarch appears before us in a different light, starting from a young age, ending with the peak of successful reforms of an accomplished historical figure. The hero is distinguished by diligence, determination, foresight and willpower.
- Alexander Danilovich Menshikov- Peter's comrade-in-arms, ready for anything for the sake of the ruler, Peter trusted him completely, considered him his right hand. Menshikov ran away from the family, being quite young, survived as best he could, living from penny to penny. Thanks to his mind, he ended up in the palace, where he worked as a bed-keeper. When Peter realized the true value of this man, he became the right hand of the sovereign. He was distinguished by intelligence, efficiency and the ability to assimilate new trends.
- Franz Lefort- Peter's mentor, his friend, who helped to unlock the potential of the king. Franz appears before us as a mature man, we can say that he was in charge of all the affairs of foreigners in Russia. Lefort served as Peter's adviser on military issues, on social and economic affairs, suggested how best to proceed during the palace struggle with Sophia.
There are other heroes of the novel who are no less important for the plot, but there is no way to describe each one, we do not have an epic article. But if you missed someone, feel free to write about it in the comments, we will add.
Topics and issues
- The main theme is patriotism. The author shows that our land is rich in various natural deposits, but they are wasted. Thus, there is potential in our country, but it is either not being used or is being used incorrectly. This can only be changed by a strong and strong-willed person, according to the writer. Each of us, for the sake of our homeland, for the sake of our future, must become such a person.
- The main problem is power and its influence on the individual. Peter had to face family intrigues, native people were ready to get rid of him, if only to take the throne. The craving for power knocks out all the best from a person, leaving a scorched field in place of the soul.
- The problem of social injustice. Peter put himself in the place of an ordinary worker and realized how hard the life of the people under the yoke of boyar arbitrariness. Therefore, he took up arms against the nobility, who, with their greed, pulled the country back, exhausting the peasant and living at his expense.
- Social issues also includes the issue of people's readiness for change. It is very difficult for innovators to change the world, they are constantly faced with misunderstanding and aggression from those who are used to living the old fashioned way.
the main idea
The main idea of the novel is that a large country needs a far-sighted, purposeful and decisive leader who, by the force of his will, will direct the country forward. Without a strong and firm hand, effective management is impossible. Without it, the elite will never agree to change anything, because they already live well, and the people, out of fear of change or ignorance, will gradually sink into stagnation. Thus, a true leader is a tough and adamant person who must make sacrifices in order to make history.
One can disagree with this message, it is very controversial. The author, who returned from exile and (thanks to Gorky's patronage) settled down under a regime hostile to him, could carry out a political order, the meaning of which is to justify Stalin's cruel dictatorship, covering the repressions with historical necessity.
What does it teach?
Beneficial changes are always needed. Life cannot stand still, especially in such a large state as our country. But at least some significant transformations cannot happen by themselves, without our readiness for them. The book teaches people to take responsibility for the future of the country into their own hands and look to the future.
Often the people themselves hinder progress, and they really have to be pushed from above, such is the direct purpose of the government. But the person himself must go towards positive changes, must develop and adapt in modern times, and not stand still and rest against what is already there. Then you don't have to push anyone.
Criticism
Contemporaries highly appreciated the work "Peter the Great" and regretted that the author did not finish it to the end. For example, Korney Chukovsky wrote that before his death, the author's imagination began to border on clairvoyance. Judging by his memoirs, Tolstoy planned to write a historical literary epic dedicated to the era of palace coups and the reign of Ivan the Terrible. All this would be a continuation of the story already written by him.
I. Ehrenburg pointed out that the work of Tolstoy was similar to the work of Dostoevsky. The author himself did not know what the heroes would do, they came to life in his head and did what they themselves considered necessary. These writers never knew how this or that book would end.
V. Inber recalled that Tolstoy was a surprisingly wholesome nature and he chose a hero to match. He also loved Russia, like its first emperor.
Yu. Olesha noted the authenticity of his colleague's prose. He often imagined what was written in the novel, and the lines came to life in his head. The text of the trowel described everything that the writer wanted to say.
V. Lidin said that in Tolstoy he appreciates, above all, nationality. His king is like a man of the people, living in the interests of ordinary people. The author masterfully conveyed the Russian spirit, paying attention to lively Russian speech, which adorns the text and conveys the subtlest shades of meaning.
L. Kogan described the details of conversations with the writer, who believed that the Poltava battle was a turning point in Russian history, it was there that the tsar and the people united in a single impulse.
G. Ulanova believed that Tolstoy lived in the souls of his heroes, as if he himself experienced their emotions, as if he saw history with his own eyes.
Interesting? Save it on your wall!"Peter" is the first real historical novel in our literature, "a book for a long time," M. Gorky wrote to Alexei Tolstoy. In general, the historical narrative of the writer about Peter the Great became such a “magnificent thing”. Conveying the complexity and dramatic grandeur of the unfolding events, Tolstoy seeks to combine them into an integral plot unity. The writer populates the novel with a huge number of characters. Through the relationship of the characters, the author tries to explore the spirit of the era, to understand the alignment of its driving forces, the events that shaped and developed the personality of Peter.
All the efforts of the writer are aimed at fully and multifacetedly revealing the image of Peter, to show the uniqueness of this figure not only for Russia, but for all times and peoples. But no matter how talented and energetic the king was, he would not have been able to do anything if he had not rallied around him faithful and active people. Subsequently, Pushkin will figuratively and accurately call them "chicks of Petrov's nest."
Who were they? Greedy for life and work, to match Tsar Peter, with his indefatigable energy, strength, will and desire to be useful to Russia.
Franz Lefort was the first friend and mentor who did a lot for Peter's spiritual growth. He introduced the still unintelligent young man to the course of European politics, explained why, sitting on wealth, the Russians are in poverty. After his early death, Peter felt that he had suffered an irreparable loss. That evening, he admitted that Menshikov was the only faithful person to the end, his right hand, "albeit a thieving one."
Having got out of the urban poor, Alexander Danilovich Menshikov was never able to give up some of the habits that were firmly ingrained in his soul.
Menshikov is devoted to Peter to self-forgetfulness, he is ready, at the wave of the “min hertz” hand, to go to any business, without hesitation he jumps into the thick of battle, blocking his idol with himself, gives him his beloved woman - the captive Katerina, but it’s not possible to refuse from his thieving nature forces, for which it is often beaten by Peter, quick to reprisal.
The Brovkins, who have risen from oblivion, are just as devoted to the tsar. Ivan Artemyich is trying to supply Peter's troops with the best products, the fleet - with hemp and canvas. He gives the king and the most precious - his sons. Brovkins are one of those who do not accumulate wealth by chests, but study languages, sciences, European politeness. Peter above all appreciates knowledge and dedication in people, so he instructs Alexei Brovkin to make a trip to the northern lands, to recruit people suitable for the construction of St. Petersburg and into the troops.
Artamon Brovkin, despite his young age, serves in the embassy department, as he knows languages, understands European politics. Gavrila Brovkin was sent by the tsar to Moscow to help his sister Natalya Alekseevna organize the first theater. Among Peter's comrades-in-arms there are well-born boyars, on whom the tsar can rely at a difficult moment. This is, first of all, Prince-Caesar Romodanovsky, left by the governor in Moscow. Like a chained dog, he protects the royal property, in the most difficult periods for the king he is his support and support, he opens secret cellars to Peter to equip the troops for the Azov campaign. Sheremetiev, Repnin, Makarov - there are many of them, who, together with Peter, forged the victory near Azov and Narva, then completely defeated the Swedes near Poltava.
If Peter had not had so many followers, faithful and selfless comrades-in-arms, he would not have been able to do anything, but this was the phenomenon of this man, that he could unite the best forces around him, lead him, where only by personal example, and where, if necessary, with the help of a whip and fists, he drove negligent assistants to work. Peter understood that, acting only in a good way, in a good way, he would not achieve anything. Russian society was too ossified in inaction, so all means were good to force them to serve the Fatherland zealously and conscientiously.
A. Tolstoy achieved in world literature an outstanding ability to depict characters in their organic unity with the social and physical environment. Romain Rolland noted that what struck him most about Tolstoy's art was the way the writer "sculpts characters in their surroundings."
Bright, memorable, historically determined, the heroes of A. Tolstoy still amaze readers with their individuality, truthfulness, simplicity and artlessness. This work is of constant interest to both Russian and foreign readers, as it explains the phenomenon of the national Russian character.
The theme of Peter excited the creative imagination of Alexei Nikolayevich Tolstoy for more than a quarter of a century. Stories, the tragedy "On the Rack" and, of course, the novel "Peter I" were devoted to this topic.
Tolstoy's novel is a "monumental work, consisting of three books and describing in detail the era of Peter's reign. The first book tells about the events connected with the accession of Peter to the throne, about the struggle for power with his opponents. The second book, as conceived by the author, describes the next two decades of the Petrine era. In the third book, which was written in 1944, the author showed the legislative activities of Peter, his reforms, the tsar's trips abroad. Thus, the author set himself the task of giving an objective assessment of the turbulent events of the time of Peter the Great.
Assessing the talent of A. Tolstoy, contemporaries noted his amazing optimism. Even depicting gloomy pictures of history, Tolstoy gives the reader the opportunity to feel his faith in the Russian people, in their past.
Going to write a novel about a historical figure, Tolstoy wanted to show the formation of a person in an era. Like Leo Tolstoy in the novel "War and Peace", the author of "Peter G" believes that the individual is not the force that drives history. Personality is a function of the era. She grows out of the era. It seems to designate historical events depending on the contribution made.
Tolstoy's novel is multi-layered. In the final version, the work is structured as follows: the first book is a picture of pre-Petrine Rus'. It begins with the depiction of the hard life of a peasant, using the Brovkin family as an example, and ends with scenes of the execution of archers. The second book is the beginning of young Russia created by Peter. It begins with a sad picture of life in Moscow after the suppression of the Streltsy rebellion, and ends with the construction of St. Petersburg. In the third book it is shown that the cause of Peter won and was established. It begins with the lamentation of the old boyars that Moscow is no longer the same after the construction of the new capital. The author wanted to end the book with the triumph of the Poltava victory. But the novel is interrupted by the events connected with the capture of Narva. Thus, the novel explores the life of Russia from the early 80s of the 17th century to 1704.
Tolstoy is objective in his assessments. Depicting the cruel times of the formation of Peter's power, he shows the conflict between different representatives of the master classes - between the old boyars and supporters of Peter, between the ruling class and the people, and between the Russian state and foreign invaders.
Hard was Peter's struggle against the well-born Miloslavskys and Sophia. It is in this struggle that the heart of the young king hardens. The scenes associated with this struggle i allow us to understand the behavior of Peter during the execution of Tsykler or the massacre of the archers. Sophia's attempt to stay on the throne was not successful, as the Crimean campaigns undertaken at that time were unsuccessful. Golitsyn fantasized more about great feats than he was able to accomplish them. Meanwhile, in his amusing games in Preobrazhensky, Tsar Peter is maturing. The author is not indifferent to the movements of the soul of his characters.
So, Princess Sophia loves the handsome Golitsyn, but is doomed to loneliness. Peter is hopelessly in love with the charming Ankhen. Tragic is the fate of Evdokia Lopukhina, Peter's first wife, unloved, but loving in her own way. Of course, the love line is not the main one in the novel, but without it, the story would turn out to be dry and lifeless. Scenes imbued with humor are not rare in Tolstoy's novel. It is impossible to read without a smile how Roman Borisovich Buynosov, dejected by the hated new order, spends the morning. The author skillfully combines detail paintings and generalization paintings in the novel. And this gives the story depth and volume. Surprising and bright, figurative, conveying the features of the time, the language of the novel. The novel is historical, and this is a responsible condition. Tolstoy follows his own special path.
The novel is based on the modern Russian literary language. Archaic elements are very carefully introduced into this language. There are so few of them that it is not necessary for the author to explain them in footnotes. On the other hand, he sometimes resorts to other methods: here he gives explanations nearby.
The central image of the novel is certainly the image of Peter I. Next to him, the author portrayed his associates, as well as those who stood in the way of the new Russia. An important place in the novel is occupied by the image of the people. In the novel about Peter, the people are shown as they were at that time: downtrodden, oppressed, but creating all material values. For example, in the first book, the peasant Gypsy is described, who fled from the landowner, but was returned. He lost an eye in the Azov campaign, began to work as a laborer, as his farm was ruined. From such a life, the Gypsy runs into a gang of robbers, and then goes to prison. Blacksmith Zhomov talks about his fate. He is a serf and dreams of building a flying machine. But there are no funds for the construction. And the master only scoffs at his ideas.
In the second book, we see Zhomov working next to Peter. Here is the hero Fedka, nicknamed Wash with Mud, who reproaches Andryushka Golikov for dreaming of peace in schismatic sketes.
Concluding the story about the great work of the great master, we can quote the words of Tolstoy himself: "To understand the secret of the Russian people, its greatness, you need to know its past well and deeply: our history, its root knots ... in which the Russian character was tied." Alexey Nikolayevich Tolstoy depicts historical facts from the point of view of the interests of contemporary reality, emphasizing the moments important for the education of a new person in the era of the first years of Soviet power.
Romance time covers an entire era, limited, however, by the activities of the central character - Peter I, whom the writer shows for 25 years. The action of the novel unfolds in a boundless geographical space: from the Black Sea to Arkhangelsk, from the Baltic Sea to the Urals; from Russia it is transferred to European capitals and cities. Together with Peter and the "chicks of Petrov's nest," the writer led us to the palaces of the Swedish king Charles XII and the Polish king Augustus, Elector of Saxony, the Turkish Sultan; He showed us battlefields and sea voyages, military camps and impregnable fortresses, a peasant's hut, drowning in black, a schismatic skete, a magnificent Menshikov palace and a rich merchant's farmstead. As you can see, the scope is huge.
And the actual historical fate of the protagonist determined the composition of the novel.
In the first volume, A. N. Tolstoy painted the childhood and early youth of Peter. Historically, this is outlined by the return of Peter from the first trip abroad and the events of the Streltsy rebellion.
In the second volume, he recreated the first period of Peter's transformational activity, which included the beginning of the Northern War and the founding of St. Petersburg.
The third book of the novel was written in the last period of creativity and remained unfinished.
Alexei Tolstoy argued that "the third book is the most important part of the novel", since it refers to the most interesting period of the hero's life and all the main tasks that the writer set for himself when starting to create "Peter the Great" should be completed in it.
According to A. V. Alpatov, despite the fact that Tolstoy did not succeed in fully implementing the plan of the third book he had outlined, the six chapters he wrote unfold a rich content before us. New horizons were outlined in the narrative, new storylines appeared ... The image of Peter acquired much greater completeness and brightness.
The three books that make up the novel are linked together by the development of the plot - the gradual formation of the new Russian state and the personality of Peter - and the heroes common to all three books.
The personal fate of the tsar-reformer is tightly fused in the novel with the historical fate of Russia. Sensitively grasping the urgent need for fundamental changes in the life of the Russian state, the tsar began to act decisively.
Tolstoy showed how the era itself chose Peter, how historical circumstances shaped those qualities of his personality that helped him awaken Russia from centuries of hibernation, bring it to a new stage of development, when it was no longer the ghosts of merchant ships, but the real Russian fleet went to sea and the Russians entrenched on the Baltic coast, where the construction of a fortress city began.
Thus, the composition of the novel is connected with the main creative task of the writer - to show the "formation of personality in the era." All components of the work are subordinated to this artistic task.
Particularly significant, from the point of view of the artistic disclosure of Tolstoy's concept of the role of the individual in history, is the comparison of the images of Peter and Vasily Golitsyn. An enlightened dreamer, Golitsyn, just like Peter, was aware of the need for a decisive social and state transformation of Russia, but personal weakness, passivity, and indecision led him to the camp of reactionary forces. In a systematic opposition to Golitsyn and Sofya, the writer depicts Peter in development, in the steady movement of his personality forward.
The principle of contrast was maintained by Tolstoy in the subsequent chapters of the novel. Peter was constantly, but unobtrusively, opposed to King Augustus ("charm and sympathy"), the rude and limited martinet - Karl, the hard-stone commandant of Narva - Gorn, as well as his closest associates - Franz Lefort and Alexander Menshikov. From many episodes and paintings, a reliable artistic world was formed, in the center of which was the tsar-transformer and his activities. The controversial image of the sovereign was the link of all events and destinies in the novel.
The main aspirations of the era, its essence, were clearly manifested in the character of Peter and his activities. Alexei Tolstoy was able to give an artistic study of an entire era, truthfully depict the scale of his hero's activities and assess his historical place.
Unfortunately, the death of the writer stopped work on the manuscript, and the novel ended with the victory of the Russian troops near Narva, although initially Alexei Tolstoy intended to bring the story of Peter to the Battle of Poltava.
The theme of the novel by Alexei Tolstoy was, so beautifully revealed by him, one of the key eras of Russia - the Petrine era, which had a huge impact on the entire further development of our country.
