Year of publication of the book: 1942
Alexander Tvardovsky's poem "Vasily Terkin" needs no introduction. The name of the protagonist of the poem has long become a household name, and the work itself has gained popular love. The poem "Vasily Terkin" was staged many times on the stage of a wide variety of theaters and was even filmed twice. It is rightfully considered one of the best works about the war, as well as the most famous work of Alexander Tvardovsky. According to polls in 2015, the poem "Vasily Terkin" took 23rd place among the most popular poetic works.
The plot of the poem "Vasily Terkin" briefly
From the author
Tvardovsky's poem "Vasily Terkin" begins with the author's reasoning about what is most important in war. Of course it's water and it doesn't matter where it comes from, even from a horse track. Good food and a cook are important. But the most important thing is a good joke. That is why our conversation will focus on Vasya Terkin. And since there is no time to start, our conversation will go right from the middle.
On a halt
In the next chapter of Tvardovsky's poem "Vasily Terkin" you can read about our main character. The story begins with the fact that Vasily Ivanovich is an excellent eater. And during the conversation, you will listen to him in general. So he told how he got to the small Sabantuy. Sabantuy he calls the bombing. But he calls the mortar Sabantuy medium. Well, he calls the real Sabantuy when a thousand German tanks rush at you, well, not a thousand, so five hundred, or maybe a hundred. He tells so smoothly that he is asked to tell something before going to bed. By the way, our main character is just as good to sleep. During two wars, I learned to sleep not only for the last lack of sleep, but even for the future. Terkin fought in the first war on the Karelian Peninsula. Three times he was surrounded and three times here he is.
Before the fight
Terkin recalls how, during the retreat, their detachment of ten people made their way from the encirclement to the front. Everyone was discouraged, as they left the cities in captivity of the enemy, and only Terkin was sure that we would return everything. On their way came across the native village of the commander. The soldiers decided to go. They were met by the commander's wife and children. He did not sleep all night - he chopped wood and tried to help his wife with the housework. And in the morning, their detachment, to the roar of children, left, leaving the village in captivity of the enemy. Since then, Terkin dreamed of going to this village when their army was moving back and bowing to this woman. 
Crossing
In the chapter "Crossing" from the poem "Vasily Terkin" you can read about how the crossing over the Dnieper begins at night. The first platoon leaves first on the pontoons, followed by the second and third. All the fighters on the pontoons seemed to have changed and become more friendly. But then a searchlight glided across the surface of the water, and behind it a column of water rose from the water. The pontoons went in a row, and the author of the lines says that he will never forget this sight, how young still warm soldiers went to the bottom. The crossing was broken. No, there is still hope that the first platoon managed to cross, but it is hard to believe in this. And at night, two sentinels see a dot in the river. They are so cold that they think they dreamed it. But no, Vasily Terkin swam across the icy river and now he is standing on the shore, unable to move his teeth or his hands - everything has come together. The main character was immediately wrapped up and taken to the staff hut. Here they rubbed with alcohol, but Vasily asked not to spoil it and give it inside. And after that he reported that the first platoon was entrenched on the left bank and was ready to help the crossing if they were covered by artillery fire. And now the battle for the sake of life on earth begins again.
About war
In the next chapter of "Vasily Terkin" you can read the author's reasoning about the war. She came unexpectedly and now it is the duty of everyone to protect their homeland. After all, the bomb is a fool and you can’t say that my hut is on the edge. And the Germans will keep it like in the book. Therefore, even if an order comes and death meets you, then the deadline has passed, but they will write about us.
Terkin wounded
The next episode of the poem "Vasily Terkin" tells us how the main character in the rifle company pulls the communication wire. A projectile falls next to him, but does not explode. Everyone is hiding, and only Terkin relieves him of a small need. Soon Vasily notices the German "cellar". He decides to take her, but the dugout is empty. Then he arranges an ambush there himself. He waits for a German officer and kills him with a bayonet, but he himself is wounded in the shoulder. Our artillery begins to hit the cellar, and only a day later the wounded protagonist is picked up by tankers and taken to the medical battalion.
About the award
Further, the protagonist of the poem "Vasily Terkin" talks in the medical unit about the need for the order. No, he is not proud and agrees to a medal. The main thing is that when he returns to his native places and gets to a party, he meets the same girl in front of whom it would be great to flash an order, or just a medal. But for this it is necessary that this terrible battle for life itself on earth ends.
Harmonic
In the next chapter of the poem "Vasily Terkin" - "Accordion" our main character catches up with his first company of a rifle regiment. It's freezing outside and a three-ton truck picks him up. They meander along the snowy corridors for a long time until a column blocks their way. This means that they now have to skip it. But it's just cold to wait, and Vasily Terkin asks the tankmen for an accordion. Those say that they have an accordion, but it was left from their commander, who died yesterday in battle. The tankers give Terkin an accordion, and he first sang his native Smolensk sad motive. But then, at the request of the assembled soldiers, he struck cheerful music. And now steam is streaming from the mouths of several soldiers who have begun to dance. And the tankers recognize Terkin. It was they who brought him to the medical unit after being wounded and offer him to keep the accordion for himself.
two soldiers
Further, the author of the poem "Vasily Terkin" transfers the main character three kilometers from the front. He warms himself in the house of an old man and an old woman. The old man sits in front of the window, listening to the sounds of the front, and among other things trying to sharpen his saw. Vasily volunteers to help him and make the wiring. As it turns out, the old man is also a soldier in the past, but now his health is not the same. Vasily repairs his watch, which he brought from his campaigns, and the old man demands from his grandmother to fry the fat. Grandmother did not resist for a long time, but then she fried bacon and even broke two eggs. It was an excellent appetizer and anything better than porridge with broken pieces. And after dinner, Terkin answered the old man's question, if we defeat the Germans - beat the father!
About loss
The image of the Russian soldier in the poem "Vasily Terkin" is well revealed in the chapter "On the Loss". While sleeping, the forty-year-old soldier begins to regret that he has lost his pouch. Before that, he lost his home, family, children, wife, and now he also lost his pouch. Vasily Terkin says that this is nonsense. Here he once lost his hat and was given to him by her young nurse, who bandaged his head with an inexperienced hand. Now he would like to return that hat to that nurse. Terkin gives the war his shabby pouch and says that next year he will be presented with five more of these. And they need to grieve not about the loss of pouches, wives and children, but about the loss of their homeland. Future generations will not forgive them for this. After all, Russia has been standing for a thousand years and there is no way to lose it.
Duel
Well, best of all, the war in the poem "Vasily Terkin" is revealed in the chapter "Duel". Our protagonist went on reconnaissance and ran head-on with a German. An unequal battle ensued with a well-groomed German soldier. Terkin fought not just for himself, but for his homeland. Therefore, even with a broken mouth, and covered in blood, he will be right. When the German decided to hit him with a helmet, Terkin took a grenade without a check and gave it to the German. He fell unconscious. And then the contented Terkin proudly walked across the Soviet land, leading his tongue with him. And everyone they met, even those who did not know Terkin, rejoiced at his victory.
From the author
The image of a soldier in the poem "Vasily Terkin" is best revealed in the next chapter - "From the Author". In it, Tvardovsky offers to forget about the war for at least a minute. Imagine that the soldier returned home, because that is exactly what the goal is. And all the current hardships and strict obedience to the commanders only bring this moment closer.
Who was shooting? 
Well, the character of Vasily Terkin in Tvardovsky's poem is best revealed in the chapter "Who shot?". Yesterday there was a battle, but now the guns have already cooled down, and the thoughts of all the soldiers are about the smell of summer, arable land and the buzzing of the cockchafer. But here comes a new sound. This is the sound of a bomber, from which everyone instantly executes the command: “Lie down!”. And then many people think about death. No, it's not scary to die, but not in the summer. Although if you figure it out, dying is never on time. And when everyone is lying and praying, one soldier jumps up and shoots at the plane from his knee. A three-ruler is, of course, not an anti-aircraft gun, but now the plane spun and crashed into the ground. He collapsed as if he wanted to break through it and fly to America. Everyone rushed to congratulate Terkin, they called from the headquarters and demanded the name of the hero who shot down the plane, and the sergeant enviously said that the order to the guy was like from a bush. But Terkin did not lose his head and said that this was not the last plane for the Germans and the sergeant could still receive the order.
About the hero
In the next chapter, the main character will tell us what prompted him to fight for the order. This was when he was in the medical unit. Next to him lay still quite a boy with an order. Terkin asked him if he was from Smolensk, but the boy proudly replied that he was from Tambov. And in that answer Ivan seemed to be proud of his land and the impossibility of the heroes leaving the Smolensk land. No, Ivan does not boast of his land and the whole of Russia is dear to him, but in their land there are heroes who are capable of a feat. And now he has proven it.
General
But the real war in Tvardovsky's poem "Vasily Terkin" is revealed to us in the chapter "General". The war has been going on for the second summer and Vasily had a moment to wash himself and just lie down on the grass near a small stream. But his sleep is interrupted by a messenger who brings the news that a general is waiting for Terkin. The protagonist puts on wet clothes and goes to the only general for many miles around. Of course, he is a little shy, although he knows that he will not be scolded. The general gives the main character an order and gives him a week off to go home. But Vasily says that a week is not enough for him. After all, he is not a river to get past enemy posts. And his village is now on the other side of the front. The general hugs Terkin and says that he means to them on the way, and that he will have a week of vacation when they liberate his native village.
About Me
In the next chapter, "About Me," the author of the poem "Vasily Terkin" takes the floor. He tells how he is sad about his home, fields and forests, how he is sad about his childhood and wants to hug his mother again. The author tells how he is filled with anger towards the enemy, and that in his poems, on behalf of Terkin, who is his countryman, he often expresses his own thoughts.
Fight in the swamp
To the question of which Vasily Terkin in Tvardovsky's poem, the chapter "Fight in the Swamp" gives a good answer. It is about an unknown battle near the village of Borki. Only three pipes and a black spot remained from this settlement. Our soldiers are knee-deep in water and chest-deep in mud. The infantry scolds the tankers, the tankers the infantry and all together the aviation that these Borks still cannot take. A working enemy mortar does not allow you to raise your head out of the mud. And only Terkin says that now they are almost at the resort. After all, they are in the ranks, and behind them are guns and, in general, all of Russia. But two years ago, when they retreated, it was not clear where they were and where they were strangers, and then it was hard. Yes, some of them will die in this unknown battle, but the memory of them will always live in the hearts of people.
About love
Well, the folk character in the poem "Vasily Terkin" is well manifested in the chapter "On Love". In it, the writer says that each of the fighters was accompanied on the way by at least one woman. It could be a mother, whose name is the most precious thing a fighter has, or it could be a wife, whose love and letters warm both ordinary soldiers and generals. The author of the poem asks women to write more often, although he understands perfectly well that it is hard for them at this time. And he also asks to pay attention to Vasily Terkin, who, although not a pilot, and not a tanker or horseman, but just infantry. But it is the infantry that is the main driving force of any war.
Terkin's rest
Well, the life of soldiers in the poem "Vasily Terkin" is best revealed in the chapter "Terkin's Rest". In it, the main character goes straight to heaven. Here you can sleep up to 600 minutes, eat four times a day and not from your knee, but from the table. Here you don’t have to hide the spoon in the bootleg, but you can’t wipe yourself with your sleeve either. Here, before going to bed, you should undress, and as many as two sheets are injected into a stupor. But Vasily Terkin cannot fall asleep in this paradise for a long time. Until he is told to wear a hat. And then the main character really quickly falls asleep. But the war is not over yet. Therefore, in the morning Vasily catches a ride and goes to the front. That's when we get to that border along the Varshavskoe highway, that's when we'll have a rest.
On the offensive
Well, the tragedy of the poem "Vasily Terkin" can be felt in the chapter "On the offensive". It starts with the fact that we were on the defensive for too long. Some even stocked up with brooms for the bath next year. But here comes the order. The soldiers have to take the village. Everything happens clearly on the orders of the general, who sits in a dry dugout and only looks at the hour. "Platoon! For the Motherland! Forward! ”, The young lieutenant gives the command clearly by the clock and he himself is the first to rush around the village. But already near the first houses, he fell, as if diving into the snow. The soldiers rushed to him, but he gave the command "Forward!". After all, he was not wounded, he was killed. And now it fell to Terkin to lead forty people into battle. He gave the command and himself was the first to burst into the village.
death and warrior
Well, the heroism and humor in the poem "Vasily Terkin" can be seen in the chapter "Death and the Warrior". For the distant hillocks, the battle was leaving, and the main character was bleeding in the snow. Death leaned over him and offered to go with her. But Vasily confidently said that he was still alive. Then death offered him not to suffer, he would still freeze and die, and she would not freeze here. But Terkin says he hasn't lived yet. Death is not far behind. Terkin offers to surrender, but only if Death lets him go for a walk on Victory Day. But Death disagrees. And then two members of the funeral team appear. They wanted to sit on Terkin and smoke, but the fighter gives a weak voice. The funeral team immediately decides to carry him to the medical unit, and Death decides to walk nearby. But when the fighters take off their gloves and give them to the barely alive Terkin, Death retreats and marvels at this friendship of the living.
Terkin writes
Well, the characterization of Terkin from the poem "Vasily Terkin" is well revealed in the next chapter "Terkin writes." In it, the main character writes that his leg wound has already been completely cured. And as the doctors say, the leg will be better than before. Therefore, Vasily really hopes that he will soon catch up with his brothers. After all, he wants to liberate his native Smolensk region with his part, and if necessary, he will go further. To do this, he is ready to write a letter even to the general, because he will certainly respect the fighter to whom he personally presented the order.
Terkin-Terkin
And in the next chapter "Terkin - Terkin" the main character has already returned to his native part. But there is almost no one left from the former colleagues. Terkin and other soldiers are resting in someone's house, the barn of which has been cut down for firewood. And then another soldier comes in and declares that he is Terkin. Our protagonist is puzzled. He begins to test the impostor. But he already has two orders, and he plays the accordion no worse than Terkin himself. That's just a red-haired impostor and his name is Ivan. The general laughter and uproar about this is interrupted by the cry of the foreman, who decides to give one Terkin to each company.
From the author
The next chapter is again "From the Author". In it, Tvardovsky reflects on the rumors that are circulating along the front. They say that Vasily Terkin allegedly died, allegedly a shell covered him, while others say that he is still alive as before. But such a hero, who has already walked half the country, cannot die, and he will surely outlive the author of these lines. After all, in two years the country managed to lose with blood and return the lands from the Moscow region to the Zadneprovye with blood. And now victory is close and Vasily Terkin will surely see it.
grandfather and grandmother 
Well, the steps of the Great Patriotic War in the poem "Vasily Terkin" can be traced in the chapter "Grandfather and Woman". It was the third year of the war. The grandfather and the old woman, whom Terkin in the chapter “Two Soldiers” repaired watches for many years now, have been living in occupation. The Germans took the watch, and people are already accustomed to making their way along the fences on their own land. Grandfather, for the umpteenth time, draws encirclements, offensives and breakthroughs with a stick on the wall, but everyone cannot guess when their native army will free them. And at night the front comes to them. With a chicken and a sack of potatoes, the grandfather and the old woman are sitting in a pit. And only in the morning they hear steps in their direction. Grandfather grabs an ax and decides to give his last fight. But it turns out they are our scouts. And the first in these ranks is the same Terkin. Both are happy to meet, and the grandmother even burns with the desire to fry the fat again. But now officer Terkin must hurry to release him. Nevertheless, he manages to have a bite to eat and pour tobacco to his grandfather and with the words that the connection is behind him. Soon he stink went into the house of his grandfather and grandmother. I immediately asked for the watch, and when I found out their fate, I promised to bring two from Berlin.
On the Dnieper
At the beginning of the chapter "On the Dnieper", the author of the poem "Vasily Terkin" recalls the words of the general from the chapter of the same chapter. In it, the general said that they were on the way. But this turned out not to be the case, and another general liberated Terkin's native village. Vasily himself is very sad for his land and asks her forgiveness, but despite the destruction that the invader left behind, he wants to move further along this vast Russian land. And now Terkin, as the main character, crosses the Dnieper with his platoon. They hide from the shots under the cliff of the right bank. Crossings and bridges will be tomorrow, and today they have already occupied the coast, to which the belated German units are still retreating. And the soldiers cheerfully declare that they should surrender on the left bank.
About the orphan soldier
The truth about the war in the poem "Vasily Terkin" is revealed in the chapter "About the Orphan Soldier". Vasily Terkin met him near Bortki, who was taken for six months. He was cheerful and was in no way inferior to Terkin. And even when he had to retreat, he cheerfully declared that he was going to the West, although he was going to the East. But the retreat is over, and now our army sometimes takes a city in a day, and a regional center in a week. And when they advanced near Smolensk, this fighter asked for a visit home. After all, he is local here and he is not far away. He quickly found his village Red Bridge, but did not recognize it. There was neither his house, nor his wife, nor his son, the fighter lost everything in this war. He stood and cried and returned to the unit. Now he must collect a debt from the enemy. And the author asks all Soviet soldiers to help him and remember this duty of everyone.
On the way to Berlin
In the next chapter, our protagonist is already moving on the road to Berlin. Everything here is not native - red houses, tiled roofs, signs, badges, arrows. They were already three foreign languages away from home, and everywhere they were met in a brotherly manner by Poles, French and other peoples. The whole road to the West is covered with down. Down from feather beds and pillows. After all, all of Europe is moving home to the East. And here among this crowd a familiar voice is heard. This is an ordinary Russian woman going home. It is these Russian mothers who are waiting for their sons from the war, and maybe already grandchildren. She should go far, as far as the Dnieper. Therefore, Terkin quickly organizes for the old woman a horse with a harness, a rug to cover her legs, a cow and a sheep, and here is another mug and a bucket with supplies, and of course a duvet cover and a pillow. The mother objects that she will not be allowed through the checkpoints. But Terkin does not yield and says that at these points she should say that Vasily Terkin gave her everything. And he promises if he is alive to look at the pies.
In the bath
But even in war there is a place to rest. And somewhere in the depths of Germany, as in, our soldiers organized a bathhouse for themselves. In a row are the count's chairs, on which the soldier throws his underpants. The soldier is not tall, but his chest is forward, his body is covered with scars and marks of memorable places. And now he undressed, saying: “Wow!” sneaks into the steam room. Here he demands more and more to add a couple. And although the water is not from the Moscow River, it is still good. Having steamed the bones well, he gives thanks to the pompohose who, even if from Lithuania, carried a real Russian broom to such a distance. Well, after resting after the steam room, washed and dressed. There is no place for medals on his chest, and someone notices if he bought them in the military department. To which the soldier, like a real Vasily Terkin, replies: “That's not all! The rest are yet to come!”
From the author
Well, that's the end of the war. The author of the poem about Terkin says that if he lied in his work, it was only for the sake of laughter, and if he made a mistake somewhere, it was only because the lines of these poems were written in cars, in the rain, in a tent and wherever there was at least one Free minute. From the first days, the author hoped that Vasily Terkin would become that accordion that would bring joy to a soldier for at least a few minutes. And the best reward for him will be if the reader of these lines says that everything is clear in Russian, and the memory of the fighter will live on in the future.
The poem "Vasily Terkin" on the Top Books website
The poem by Alexander Tvradovsky "Vasily Terkin" is so popular to read on the eve of Victory Day that the work fell into ours. Well, among it is one of the highest places. And given the dynamics and the presence of the poem in the school curriculum, we will see it more than once in the ratings of our site.
You can read the poem "Vasily Terkin" online on the Top Books website.
Vasily Terkin:
In a one minute war
He can't live without jokes
The jokes of the most unwise ...
... He does not live Without the truth,
Truth, straight into the soul of the beating.
On a halt
At a halt, Terkin explains to his new comrades what "sabantuy" is: a test of will, courage. It’s good if a person manages to behave with dignity in any situation, even if “thousands of German tanks are on him”. Terkin's stories are a success. The author wonders about the origin of his hero. Such as Terkin, "in every company there is always, and in every platoon." Terkin was wounded. Speaking about himself, he speaks on behalf of his regiment: "I was partly scattered, and partly exterminated." Terkin walked “hundreds of miles of his native land”, retreating along with units of the Soviet army, fought like a hero, but for some reason did not receive a medal. However, Terkin does not lose heart:
Look what's on your chest
And look what's ahead!
Before the fight
The army retreats. The soldiers feel guilty before the Soviet people, who, with their departure, will fall into the occupation. Terkin, "as a more ideological one", acts as a political instructor:
We will be alive - we will not die.
The time will come, we will return back,
What we have given, we will return.
The commander is sad: his native village is on the way. Terkin decides that he needs to go there. The commander's wife places the fighters in the hut, treats everyone, and takes care of the house. The children rejoice at their father, for the first moment it seems to them that he has come home after working in the field. Ho and the children already understand that the father will leave, and tomorrow, perhaps, the Germans will enter their hut. The commander himself does not sleep at night, chopping wood, trying to somehow help his mistress. The crying of children at dawn, when the commander and his fighters leave the house, still sounds in the ears of Terkin. Terkin dreams of entering this hospitable house when the army is liberating their land, "to bow to a simple good woman."
Crossing
During the crossing of the river, the Germans begin shelling. Many fighters are drowning. Only the first platoon (and Terkin with it) crosses to the other side. By nightfall, the surviving fighters no longer hope to see their comrades from the first platoon alive, believing that the Germans shot them all when they landed on the shore. There is no connection with them. However, in the middle of the night, Terkin swims across the river in the opposite direction (in icy water) and reports to the colonel that the platoon is intact, waiting for further orders, asking to support the attack with artillery fire. Terkin promises to provide a crossing for the rest of his comrades. Terkin warms himself with alcohol, taking it inside. The crossing resumes at night.
The fight is holy and right.
Mortal combat is not for glory,
For life on earth.
About war
The year has come, the turn has come,
Today we are responsible
For Russia, for the people
And for everything in the world.
From Ivan to Thomas,
Dead or alive
All of us together - this is us,
That people, Russia.
Terkin wounded
Terkin in a rifle company. He pulls the wire. Enemy artillery fires at the chain. One projectile falls next to Terkin, but does not explode. Everyone is scared, but Terkin, who despises the danger, "turning to that projectile, relieved himself of a small need." Terkin notices the dugout and, thinking that there are Germans inside, decides to occupy their firing point. Ho, the dugout is empty. Terkin arranges an ambush there himself. The Germans are getting closer. Terkin waits, a German officer rushes at him, wounds him in the shoulder. Terkin stabs the German with a bayonet. A day later, the tankers pick up the wounded, saving his life. According to the author, there is nowhere "the friendship of that saint and purer that happens in war."
About the award
Terkin was awarded an order for the wound, but he "agreed to receive a medal." The reward will come in handy for him when he returns as a liberator to “his native Smolensk region”, goes to the dance in the evening, and his beloved girl will “wait for the word, look” of the hero.
Harmonic
Terkin, having been discharged from the hospital, walks along the frontline road, catching up with his unit. A companion picks him up. Column ahead. The driver stops the car (he is obliged to let the convoy pass), falls asleep. Terkin regrets that there is no accordion, to pass the time .. Unexpectedly, one tankman invites him to play the accordion of their dead commander. Terkin plays "the side of his native Smolensk sad memorable motive", and then the song "Three Tankmen". Everyone seems to be getting warmer, the driver comes running and starts dancing. The tankers look closely at the accordionist, they recognize him as the wounded man who was saved from death in the dugout. They give the accordion of the deceased comrade Terkin, realizing that now is not the time to mourn for the dead and wonder who among them will live to win and return home. It is necessary to hold on and "from the place - into the water and into the fire."
two soldiers
Terkin enters a hut where an old man and an old woman live. The old man is himself a former soldier. Terkin repairs his grandfather's saw and wall clock. The old woman reluctantly takes out the last fat from the bins, fries the men scrambled eggs. The old man is talking with Terkin, asking if ours will be able to beat the Germans. At the end of the meal, Terkin, bowing, as usual to the owners of the house, calmly promises: “We will beat you, father!”
About loss
Comrade Terkin lost his pouch and was very upset. After all, he already had to lose his family, yard and hut, "native lands, everything in the world and a pouch." Terkin says that these are all frivolous losses. The comrade reproaches Terkin that it is easy for him to say: he is single, he has no one and nothing. Terkin gives him his pouch and explains:
Losing a family is not a shame -
It was not your fault.
Losing your head is a shame
Well, that's what war is for...
Ho Russia, old mother,
We cannot lose.
Duel
Terkin fights the German in brutal hand-to-hand combat. The German is stronger because he is better fed. Ho Terkin does not lose heart and does not give up. He does not consider the German a man, but calls him a scoundrel. The German begins to fight with a helmet, and then Terkin hits him with an unloaded grenade, stuns him, ties him up and escorts him to headquarters for interrogation. Terkin is very proud of himself, he is pleased to walk on Soviet soil, "by the way" to carry a German machine gun behind his shoulders, to push his "language" and to know that everyone he meets is "cordially glad" that Terkin returned alive from intelligence.
The most important thing for a soldier is to return home from the war alive. The author knows that "in war, a fairy tale is a peaceful mile to the soul of a soldier." Ho himself writes only about the war:
I will say one thing that we would
Deal with the war
Push back that dam
Beyond the native land.
As long as the edge is vast
That native land - in captivity,
I am a lover of peaceful life -
In war I sing war.
"Who shot?"
An enemy plane is circling over Terkin and his comrades. Death is very near. The author reflects on what time of the year it is easier to die in the war, but comes to the conclusion that no season is suitable for this.
No, comrade, evil and proud,
As the law tells a fighter
Meet death face to face
And at least spit in her face,
If it's all over...
Terkin "knees from a rifle into the plane" and knocks him out. The general awards Terkin with an order. Terkin encourages his comrades, recalls that "this is not the last plane for the German", that is, anyone has the right to follow his example.
About the hero
Terkin tells how he was in the hospital and a soldier from Tambov, who was awarded an order, hinted to him that in the Smolensk side there could not be such brave men as he was. Now Terkin can rightfully claim that heroes will be born in his beloved Smolensk region. He does not boast of his native land, he simply loves his homeland more than anything else and wants to defend its prestige.
General
There are battles on the Volga. Terkin is on the defensive, he sleeps off on the bank of the river. Half asleep, he hears a song about a rivulet, which alone can, crawling under the German barbed wire, run to his native village, convey to his mother the words of love from his son-soldier. The general, who for a soldier in the war is “court, father, head, law,” allows Terkin to go home for a week as a reward. Ho in the native side are enemies, and Terkin is not a river to sneak past the German sentries unnoticed. The general promises to postpone Terkin's vacation until the time when the army will liberate Smolensk: "You and I are on our way." The general, in parting, firmly shakes Terkin's hand, looks into his eyes, hugs him - behaves as he would behave with his son.
About Me
The author dreams of those days when the Russian people will once again become masters of their own land, so that they “circle around their native forests not furtively, not looking back.” He vows, turning to his homeland, to return and liberate it, to erase the ridiculous border between the occupied territory and Soviet land.
I tremble with sharp pain,
Malice bitter and holy.
Mother, father, siblings
I have beyond that line ...
That I praised with all my heart
And loved - beyond that line.
I am responsible for everything...
Fight in the swamp
The soldiers of the Terkin regiment have been fighting for the third day in a swamp near the unknown village of Borki. It is drizzling, there is no food or smoke, many people are coughing. Ho Terkin is not discouraged. In his opinion, it can be a hundred times worse. Terkin even jokes that they are now at the resort:
You have - in the rear, on the flank, -
You don't know how strong you are
Armored piercers, guns, tanks.
You, brother, are a battalion.
Regiment. Division. Do you want -
Front. Russia! Finally,
I will tell you in short
And more clearly: you are a fighter.
You are in the ranks, please understand ...
Terkin recalls how hard it was for them a year ago, when units of the Soviet army were constantly retreating. Now the Germans are retreating, they began to sing Russian songs, although "the German is not a singer of this last year's song today." The author reflects on the fact that after the war all the fallen will be equal - both those who fell for the "proud stronghold near the Volga" (Stalingrad), and those who gave their lives "for the now forgotten settlement of Borki". Russia "will honor everyone in full."
About love
Each soldier is escorted to war by a woman. The author regrets that "of all those women, as always, less is remembered about their own mother." The soldier knows that "the love of a wife is stronger in war than war and, perhaps, death." A letter from home, full of female love and support, without complaints, can do wonders for a soldier. Love is stronger than war, it can survive any period, withstand any test.
The author addresses the wives of soldiers and encourages them to write to their husbands at the front more often (“whether to a general, a soldier, this is like a reward”). To his great regret, there is no one to write to Vasily Terkin, and all because the girls “love pilots with us, horsemen are held in high esteem.” The infantry does not enjoy attention, which is wrong.
Terkin's rest
For a soldier, paradise is where you can sleep off. This is a normal, peaceful house, where the bedroom is to sleep “in the warmth of the bed ... in one underwear, as it should be in paradise”, and the dining room is to eat four times a day - but only from the table, and not from the knee, with plates, not from a pot, cut bread with a knife, not a bayonet. In paradise, the spoon should not be hidden behind the top of the boot, and the rifle should not be placed at the feet. Once in such a paradise (having left the front line), Terkin cannot fall asleep in any way until he realizes that he needs to put on a hat for this (out of front-line habit). But the war is not over yet, which means that Terkin has no time to rest, and he returns to the front line. Terkin, like his comrades, again sleeps where he can, “without a feather bed, without a pillow, nestling closer to each other,” and in the morning goes on the attack.
On the offensive
The soldiers got so used to the fact that they defended themselves all the time that they adapted to organize both a bathhouse and read “Terkin” at their leisure. But now the regiment goes on the offensive, takes the village. For young fighters going into battle for the first time, “at this hour, the most precious thing is to know that Terkin is here.” The lieutenant dies heroically, and Terkin realizes that it is his turn to lead the soldiers forward. Terkin is seriously wounded.
death and warrior
Terkin lies on the snow, bleeding. Death approaches him, persuades him to surrender, to agree to die.
Terkin is very ill, but he decides to fight death. Death predicts that it makes no sense for Terkin to survive: the war will go on for a long time. Terkin does not argue, but he is ready to fight. Death explains that he has nowhere to return after the war: his house is destroyed. Ho Terkin does not lose heart: he is a worker, he will rebuild everything anew. Death says that now he will become a useless cripple. “And with Death, Man began to argue beyond his strength.” Terkin almost agrees to die, asking only death to let him go for a day to the living on Victory Day. Death refuses, and then Terkin drives her away. Soldiers from the funeral team are walking across the field, they pick up Terkin and take him to the infirmary. The soldiers put on mittens on Terkin to warm his stiff hands. Death lags behind Terkin. She was shocked by the mutual assistance of the living, she did not have time to "cope" with the soldier-huh while he was alone.
Terkin writes
Terkin writes to fellow soldiers that he dreams of only one thing: after the hospital, return to his native part. He wants rather "to stomp through his Smolensk region to the border." Terkin "feels" that great battles, victorious battles are just around the corner. By these days, he hopes to walk “without sticks” and return to the ranks, and if he has to meet his death hour, then among his comrades.
Terkin - Terkin
At a halt, Terkin meets his namesake Ivan Terkin, also an unusually popular joker, hero and harmonica player. While the Terkins are figuring out which of them is real and which is fake, the foreman announces that now "according to the charter, each company will be given its own Terkin."
Terkin is known in any regiment. He had not been heard from for a long time, and there was a rumor that Terkin had died. Many do not believe: "Terkin is not subject to death, since the war has not expired." But the author knows for sure: Terkin is alive, he still does not lose heart and encourages others not to lose heart. He's just fighting in the west now.
Vasily has gone far,
Vasya Terkin, your soldier.
Into battle, forward, into pitch fire
He goes, saint and sinner,
Russian miracle man.
grandfather and grandmother
Three years of war have passed. Vasily Terkin's regiment liberates the village where, at the beginning of the war, Terkin repaired clocks for old people. Grandfather and woman are hiding from the shells in the pit. The grandfather-soldier decides to protect his wife and himself, so that “death in captivity does not suffer”, from the hand of a German, picks up an ax. Ho, Russian soldiers are approaching the pit. The residents are happy, the grandfather recognizes Terkin in one of the scouts. The old woman begins to feed Terkin with bacon, which "is not there, but still exists." The watch was stolen by a German (“non-ferrous metal after all”). Terkin promises to bring the old men new watches from Berlin.
On the Dnieper
Units of the Soviet army are getting closer and closer to Terkin's native land, soldiers are increasingly turning to their native land:
I bent such a hook
I've come so far
And saw such flour
And I knew such sadness! ..
I'm coming to you from the east
I am the one, not the other.
Take a look, take a deep breath
Meet me again.
Mother Earth is my own,
For a happy day
Forgive me for what - I do not know
Just forgive me!
The Russians are crossing the Dnieper (“I swam, because the heat came”). The Germans are more willing to surrender. Terkin is already a different person, an experienced, calm person who has lost a lot and many people.
About the orphan soldier
More and more often, soldiers, as if they were talking about something real, are talking about the close capture of Berlin. Terkin's popularity seems to be on the wane: he was honored when the army was retreating, because he could cheer people up, and now this role has gone to the generals: "the cities are surrendered by soldiers, the generals are taking them."
European capitals joyfully greet the liberators, but for a simple soldier his native village is dearest of all. One countryman of the author was unlucky: his house was burned down, his family was killed, and "good people" announced to him that he was now an orphan. The soldier silently returns to the unit, eats cold soup and cries - because now there is no one to cry about him. The author urges not to forgive these soldiers' tears to the Nazis, to remember the orphan soldier on the bright day of victory, to avenge his grief.
On the way to Berlin
Parts of the Soviet army liberate Europe. The soldiers do not like the "boring foreign climate, the alien red-brick land." They and Russia are now separated by "three languages that are not ours." Again, the soldiers dream of returning to their homeland, and they come across former prisoners of German camps who were taken out of their countries.
And on a Russian soldier
French brother, British brother,
Pole brother and everything
With friendship as if to blame,
They look with their hearts.
Unexpectedly, the soldiers meet a simple Russian woman "the mother of holy eternal strength, from unknown mothers, who are inexhaustible in work and in any trouble." The soldiers surround the woman with care, give her a horse, a cow, a feather bed, dishes, even a wall clock and a bicycle. Afterwards, Terkin advises the woman, if they detain her and try to take away the good, to say that Vasily Terkin supplied her with all this.
In the bath
On the outskirts of the war -
Deep in Germany
Bath! What's Sanduny
With the rest of the baths!
In a foreign land, the father's house ...
A real Russian bath gives the soldiers a lot of pleasure, the only pity is that the water for washing has to be taken from other people's rivers. However, the author believes that it is much worse to wash in a bathhouse somewhere in the Moscow region during the war. In the bath, people are naked, and you can immediately see who has what kind of mark remains on the body from the war - “a star is stamped on a living, on white ... on a shoulder blade at the back.” And today's bath for soldiers is famous for the fact that “for the first time in the whole war - there is no German in front of you. In honor of the victory, firing will burst out after Moscow.
The soldiers dress after the bath. First one, then the other on the tunic - a whole iconostasis of orders. The soldiers joke that this is not all, the rest are where "the German is holding his last rubel today."
Terkin, Terkin, in fact,
The hour has come, the end of the war.
And it looks like it's out of date
Immediately, both of us are with you -
the author addresses his hero. Summing up his work, the author claims that "it happened, he lied for a laugh, he never lied for a lie." The author has no right to forget the one to whom he owes his fame, that is, Terkin, the Russian soldier.
These lines and pages
Days and versts are a special account.
How many of them are not in the world,
That they read you, poet,
Like this poor book
Many, many, many years.
Throughout the war, the author dreamed that his work would make the soldiers feel lighter and warmer. He wants that even after the war, over a mug of beer, an important general or private in the reserve would continue to remember Terkin. The highest praise of the reader for the author would be the words: "Here are the verses, but everything is clear, everything is in Russian." The author considers "a book about a fighter" a matter of life. He dedicated "his beloved work to the fallen sacred memory, to all friends of the wartime, to all hearts whose judgment is dear."
The poem "Vasily Terkin" Tvardovsky wrote in 1941 - 1945. It became one of the most famous works about the Patriotic War in Russian literature. In the poem, the author reveals the theme of the war, mentioning the events of 1941-1942: the battle of the Volga, the crossing of the Dnieper, the capture of Berlin. The connecting motif of the work is the motif of the road along which the soldiers go to the goal, to victory.
The work consists of 30 chapters and is written mainly in four-foot trochee - a size characteristic of Russian ditty, folklore.
Main characters
Vasily Ivanovich Terkin- the main character of the poem, previously fought "in Karelian", where he was wounded. Joker and joker, loves his homeland and is ready to fight for it to the end.
From the author
On a halt
Balagur Vasya Terkin gets into the first infantry platoon and entertains other soldiers with his stories. Terkin - “just a guy”, “ordinary”, there are such people in every company and in every platoon.
Before the fight
Terkin recalls how ten soldiers walked "following the front." Passing through the commander's village, they went to his house. The wife fed the soldiers. Terkin decided to visit her on the way back to bow.
Crossing
Winter, night. Soldiers on pontoons (floating bridges) crossed the river. The shelling began, many soldiers died. At dawn, Terkin sailed to the other, left bank. Having barely warmed himself with alcohol, he reported that on the right bank they were asking "to throw a light".
"The fight goes holy and right<…>for life on earth."
About war
Turkin is wounded
Terkin establishes communications in a rifle company. Vasily sneaks into a cellar discovered along the way, waiting for the enemy. The German officer who appeared shoots at Terkin, wounding the fighter in the right shoulder.
Only a day later, tankers arrived and took away the wounded Terkin.
About the award
Terkin argues that he is not proud: why does he need an order - he agrees to a medal. Vasily dreams about how he will come home with an award on vacation. Now there, in the Smolensk Territory, there is a "terrible battle", "bloody".
Harmonic
Terkin caught up with "his rifle regiment, his first company." The fighter was picked up by a truck. On the way they stopped to let the convoy pass. The tankers gave Terkin an accordion of a dead comrade. From the music, everyone “suddenly became warmer”, the fighters began to order songs and dance.
two soldiers
The hut of an old soldier and an old woman. Terkin, having come to spend the night with them, repairs the wall clock. The old woman treats the soldier with scrambled eggs and lard. The old man asked Terkin if they would beat the Germans. Leaving, the fighter replied: "We'll beat you, father ...".
About loss
The fighter who lost his family was annoyed because of the loss of the pouch. Terkin gave his shabby pouch to his comrade, saying that it’s not scary to lose anything in the war, but Russia, “old mother, we can’t lose in any way.”
Duel
Terkin fought hand-to-hand with the German. Vasily hit the enemy with an unloaded grenade. He fell. Terkin brought a German "language" into the battalion.
From the author
"Who shot?"
"Front. War". Shelling. One of the fighters shoots from a rifle at an enemy aircraft. The plane is falling. The hero who shot down the plane turned out to be Terkin (for this he was soon awarded).
About the hero
In the hospital, Terkin meets a boy-hero from near Tambov, who talks about his homeland. Terkin felt sorry for his native places - the Smolensk region, she seemed to him an "orphan".
General
The general gives Terkin an award, calling the fighter "eagle", "hero". He promised that he would go with Vasily to the Smolensk region, where the war is now going on. They hugged like a son and a father.
About Me
Fight in the swamp
There was an unknown battle in the swamp for the "settlement of Borki". Soaked infantry curses the swamp. Terkin, on the other hand, encourages them that everything is still good, because they are in their company, they have weapons. The fighters, having perked up in spirit, took Borki.
About love
Terkin's rest
Turkin in the rest house. The fighter has lost the habit of such conditions. Having stayed on vacation for a very short time, Terkin could not stand it and returned to the front.
On the offensive
The fight is in full swing. The platoon advances. The lieutenant ran ahead of the platoon and was killed. Terkin led the fighters on the attack, was seriously wounded.
death and warrior
Death leaned over the wounded Terkin lying on the snow - calling the fighter with him. But Vasily refuses - he still wants to defeat the Germans, to return home. Terkin was picked up by soldiers from the sanitary battalion. Death receded.
Turkin writes
Terkin writes from the ward that he survived and is “concerned” with only one thing: to return to his native part.
Turkin- Turkin
Terkin returned to the company. Among the soldiers is the "double" of Terkin, the same joker - Ivan Terkin. The namesakes argued, figuring out which of them was "real". The foreman judged them:
"According to the charter of each company
Terkin will be given his own.
From the author
grandfather and grandmother
The house of grandparents, where Terkin repaired watches, under the Germans. The watch is taken by a German soldier.
The old man and his wife, hiding, "settled" in the pit. Suddenly, Russian scouts came. Among them is Vasily Terkin. The old woman accepted Vasily "like a son." Terkin promised to bring them "two new" watches from Berlin.
On the Dnieper
The front advanced to the Dnieper. Terkin, having learned that Smolensk was liberated by others, and not by him, felt guilty before his homeland.
About the orphan soldier
The orphan soldier lost his wife and son. Passing by his native village Krasny Most, he found only "the wilderness, weeds", but even in grief he continued to fight for his homeland.
“Remember, brothers, during the conversation
About the orphan soldier ... ".
On the way to Berlin
Road to Berlin. Among strangers, the soldiers heard their native speech - it was a "village worker-mother". Terkin made sure that the woman was given things, a horse and sent home.
In the bath
"In the depths of Germany" the soldiers wash in the bath. One of them, talkative, takes off his clothes - his body is scarred, and his tunic is all in orders and medals. The soldiers note: "It's the same as Turkin."
From the author
The war is over, the narrator says goodbye to Terkin. The author dedicates his "favorite work" to all the fallen and friends of the wartime.
Conclusion
In the poem "Vasily Terkin" A. T. Tvardovsky chronicles the life of ordinary soldiers in the war, talks about their little joys, their losses and grief. The central image of Vasily Terkin is a collective image of a Russian fighter, ready to always move forward, regardless of the circumstances, fighting for his native land. Many quotes from the poem have become catch phrases.
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Retelling rating
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Many readers believe that the first lines of the famous "Book about a fighter" by A. Tvardovsky appeared in 1942 and the image of the main character was caused solely by the events of the Great Patriotic War. Meanwhile, everything is somewhat different, and the first mention of the brave Vasya Terkin dates back to the period of the Russian-Finnish war. Recall, based on the testimony of the author himself, what is the history of the creation of the poem.
"Vasily Terkin" - the beginning
In 1939, when the campaign with the Finns began, A. Tvardovsky worked for the newspaper On Guard for the Motherland. At this time, it occurs to the creative team of the publishing house to come up with the image of a certain amusing character - a conditional remote and cheerful fighter who would appear on the pages of the publication, accompanied by poetic signatures. The name of the hero did not appear immediately: they went through several options until they settled on the simple and warm Vasya - as he was called at that time. Thus began the history of the creation of "Vasily Terkin", known to almost every Soviet reader.
Random match
By the way, in his memoirs, Tvardovsky tells how once, already during the war years, he received a letter, the author of which was interested in why the main character - a glorious warrior - bears the name of another literary character. As it turned out, Alexander Trifonovich notes, a novel by P. Boborykin with the same name appeared even earlier. Only Vasily Terkin in it is a dishonest merchant, a rogue and a hypocrite. The poet admits that, having received the letter, he found and read the specified work without much pleasure, but decided not to change the name of his hero. More precisely, he did not attach any importance to such a coincidence - especially since the history of the creation of the poem "Vasily Terkin" really had nothing to do with the novel - and continued to work in the same direction.
But back to The Book of a Fighter.
Concept development
The poet remembered the brave hero, already beloved by the reader in the newspaper "On Guard of the Motherland", in the 40th year. It so happened that in the 39th writers, as intended, wrote one or two feuilletons, and then took up other work. Only for a long time he turned to this image, to which few people attached serious importance. Now Tvardovsky was considering how to combine in his work of art - and it was supposed to be a poem - that hero of the feuilletons with the seriousness that realities demanded. And he began to sort through in his memory everything that was connected with the Finnish war, including eyewitness accounts, went to Vyborg, re-read printed articles, etc. However, it was not possible to write the work as planned by the 41st, and then the war began. As a result, the history of the creation of "Vasily Terkin" for some time will be limited only to thinking about the composition, plot, image of the protagonist.
1942
From the first days of the war, Tvardovsky was sent to the front as a correspondent. In the first months, the most cruel and hot, there was no time for a poem. So long ago, the idea that had already arisen in my head was put off until the summer of 1942, when the story of the creation of A. Tvardovsky's poem "Vasily Terkin" continues. But now it was supposed to be a work about another war - the Soviet people against the fascist invaders. Yes, and the hero from Vasya turned into Vasily, personifying the Russian plowman, a worker, a tireless worker who stood up for the defense of the Fatherland.
The first chapters of Alexander Trifonovich's new work appeared in one of the front-line newspapers in September. Then the poem was published in parts in many editions, available both to the fighting soldiers and to those who remained in the rear. She helped some to survive the hardships of front-line life, others to expect relatives from this terrible war. “The book about a fighter” fell in love with all readers, and everyone was looking forward to new chapters, the hero of which was a soldier with a simple Russian name - it was A. Tvardovsky - Vasily Terkin who created his new image.
The history of the creation of the poem during the war years
The work was written until the year 1945, although back in 1943, after being wounded, successfully cured and the hero returned to duty, the author thought that he had come to the end. Readers intervened, demanding the continuation of the poem, with whom it was dishonest to argue, as Tvardovsky noted. Vasily Terkin, whose history of creation is being further developed, again walked through the pages of newspapers and magazines.
The work reflects the main stages of the war: the tragic retreats in its first months, the battles that became a turning point, the victorious march to the west. There was even a desire to send the hero to the rear of the Germans, but Tvardovsky soon abandoned such a plan, deciding that this would violate the general plan of the work and make the history of the fighter private.
During the war years, the author received many letters, from which it followed that readers were very interested in the history of the creation of Vasily Terkin, in particular, whether the person described in the poem really exists. And although the hero had many namesakes - one of them, Viktor Vasilyevich Terkin, even asked to change his name to his own - the poet's answer was always categorical: Vasily Terkin is a completely fictional character and has no real prototype. It was formed from the personal observations of the author and embodied the best features of the Russian defender.
Farewell to the hero
The history of the creation of "Vasily Terkin" ends with the victorious spring of the 45th. In May, Tvardovsky publishes the final chapter "From the Author", in which he announces that he is saying goodbye to the soldier. And despite the fact that he was again convinced of the need to continue the work, he was unshakable: Terkin's time had passed. In his opinion, now, in peacetime, another character is needed.
Such is the history of the creation of "Vasily Terkin", briefly described on the basis of the article by A. Tvardovsky "How" Vasily Terkin (reply to readers) was written.
Instead of an afterword
Already in the post-war years, knowing about the incredible popularity of the poem and its main character, many unscrupulous writers created "continuations" of the hero's adventures and even "imitations" of the famous book. The answer to them was that the poem - this was repeatedly emphasized by Tvardovsky - "Vasily Terkin", the history of the creation of which is described by the author himself, is unequivocally finished and there is no prospect of returning to it in the future.
Alexander Tvardovsky talks about who Vasya Terkin is at the beginning of the book “Vasily Terkin”. For the first time, individual poems were published during the "Finnish" war on January 5, 1940 in one of the newspaper issues "On Guard for the Motherland".
A. T. Tvardovsky was born in the Smolensk region, where the image of the main character of his book about a fighter begins to take shape. It turned out to be a collective image of a war worker who mobilized his forces to fight the enemy. It embodies the best features of a simple Russian soldier. This epic poem was read on all fronts of the Great Patriotic War. Terkin is everywhere: in every platoon you can find such Vasily Terkin!
The hero walked along the front roads from Karelia to East Prussia. In his image, Russian literature through the military theme showed the Russian national character. He is a victorious soldier who is above circumstances, because he knows how to overcome them, performing supernatural and dizzying feats.
The poem "Vasily Terkin" consists of a chain of episodes, where the main character tells with humor by his example about the everyday life of the military life of an ordinary soldier who endured the brunt of the war and became the personification of the national spirit and character.
The book, in which there are thirty chapters, can be divided into three temporary parts according to the events: the beginning, middle and end of the war. It presents a lyrical chronicle of the historical events of that time. Throughout the war, the author created his own poem, therefore, bitter feelings of grief can be traced in it at first, developing into faith in victory in the second part, and in the last part, joy for the liberation of the Fatherland is visible.
Each chapter of "Vasily Terkin" becomes an independent work. In the chapter "From the Author" the name of the main character becomes legendary and common noun. His character is revealed to the reader gradually from different angles.
In the poem "Vasily Terkin" in the part called "Death and the Warrior" an unusual duel of the battle between Terkin and Death is shown.
Witty Vasily Terkin speaks in an original soldier's language, using rude colloquial words and sayings.
In the chapter "About Myself", soldier Vasya sadly talks about his past, recalling his native places in the Smolensk region, from where he was called to the front. In this part of the poem, the main character's great love for the Motherland, his pride in Russia is visible. Among the description of the harsh everyday life of a fighter in lyrical digressions, it is clear that the author loves his main character very much.
Alexander Tvardovsky in his poem "Vasily Terkin" skillfully uses various artistic means.
Close to the poetic language of the people, the poem has become a real folk work.
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