Brief retelling of the first chapter of Taras Bulba. The shortest retelling of "Taras Bulba

The Cossacks, bored with nothing to do, got drunk on patrol and missed reinforcements to the Poles. Koshevoy gathered an army and scolded the Cossacks for drunkenness. One of the kuren chieftains promised to beat the Poles. The Cossacks began to prepare for battle. But Taras could not find Andrii anywhere, worrying that he could be captured. Yankel, a Jewish acquaintance, approached him. He told Bulba that he went to the city and saw his youngest son there. Yankel told Taras that Andriy was not a prisoner there. He asked me to tell his father that he renounces his homeland, comrades and father. Now Andriy will fight against his comrades. Soon there was a sortie of the besieged Poles. The Cossacks famously repulsed the attack. Ostap distinguished himself in battle. After the battle, the Cossacks of the Uman kuren chose Ostap as their chieftain, instead of the kuren who died in battle. Taras was proud of his eldest son, but for his younger son, his heart ached.

Sad news came from the siege. Having heard about the absence of the Cossacks in Zaporozhye, the Tatars raided. Having beaten the Cossacks who remained in the kurens and taking them prisoner, they stole cattle and horses, and also took away the military treasury. The Cossacks hastily gathered a council to solve the problem. After all, if they do not rush to the rescue, the captured Tatars will be sold into captivity. Koshevoy decided to lift the siege of Dubno and go to recapture the prisoners and the treasury. But Taras was against this plan. He says that in the besieged city there are also captured Cossacks who are threatened with torture and death. Then they decided that part of the Cossack army, led by the ataman, was going to rescue their comrades and the treasury from the Tatar captivity, and the rest, choosing Taras Bulba as a temporary ataman, would continue the siege of Dubno. At night, part of the Cossacks goes in search of the Tatars. After parting, the Cossacks were depressed, but Taras ordered to unpack the wine. The Cossacks drank to faith and flogged.

The city ran out of provisions again. The Poles tried to make a sortie for food, but the Cossacks killed half of them, the other half returned to the city empty-handed. The Jews, taking advantage of the sortie, made their way to the camp of the Cossacks and learned about the Cossacks who had gone to the Tatars. They immediately spread the news in the city. The Poles cheered up and began to prepare for battle, they decided to lift the siege, killing the Cossacks Taras, seeing the revival in the city, began to hastily prepare the Cossacks for battle. He makes a speech that inspires the Cossacks. It was a terrible and cruel battle. Many good Cossacks laid down their lives for their faith and fatherland. In this battle, Taras Bulba killed his son Andriy. “I gave birth to you, I will kill you,” Taras said so. But even before his death, Andriy whispered the name of his Pole. But the brave and honest Ostap was captured.

The sons of Taras Bulba, Ostap and Andriy, are returning after long years of study in the Kyiv bursa. At the meeting, Taras begins to mock at the clothes of his sons. The eldest son, Ostap, did not like his father's ridicule, and he asks him to stop laughing. Taras and Ostap start to fight. Their playful brawl is interrupted by their mother. She hugs her children. Taras did not like the tender attitude of his sons towards his mother. In his opinion, a true Cossack needs only an open field and a good horse. He decides that in a week Ostap and Andriy will have to go to the Zaporizhzhya Sich in order to gain Cossack science. The mother is very upset that the sons will spend so little time at home next to her. On the occasion of the arrival of his sons, Taras calls his closest colleagues to a friendly feast. He introduces them to Ostap and Andriy. Taras asks his sons about their studies in Kyiv. After drinking vodka, Taras decides to "shake the old days" and together with his sons go to the Zaporizhzhya Sich tomorrow. Taras's wife has long been accustomed to her husband's folly, only such an early parting with her children saddens her to tears. All night, without closing her eyes for a minute, she sits by the beds of her sons, thus saying goodbye to them before the inevitable parting. Her female fate was not easy. She endured insults and sometimes even beatings, grew old without love and affection. All her unspent love turned to her sons. But tomorrow her husband will take them away into the fray, and it may turn out that she will never see them again. Taras was terribly stubborn. Only in the 15th century, in the scorched southern region devastated by the raids of the Tatars and Turks, could such a character arise. In the neighborhood with formidable and dangerous neighbors, the Cossack spirit was born. The Cossacks can be considered the most extraordinary phenomenon of Russian power. In place of scattered small towns and allotments, formidable incense and villages of Cossacks arose, bound by hatred for non-Christians. The Polish authorities quickly realized the significance of such a neighborhood and encouraged and flattered the Cossacks in every possible way. Many representatives of the Russian nobility succumbed to Polish influence. They adopted Polish customs and love of luxury. Taras Bulba did not like this. He liked the simple life of the Cossacks. He even quarreled with his comrades, who leaned over to the Polish side. He called them pansky serfs. Bulba sincerely considered himself the legitimate defender of Orthodoxy. If in some village they complained about the oppression of Jewish tenants, mocked Orthodoxy, did not respect the elders, Taras and his Cossacks put things in order in this village. Against the Turks and Tatars, he considered it permissible to raise weapons. Now he consoled himself with the thought of how he would appear in the battle and boast of his sons, what kind and competent Cossacks he raised and educated them. And in the morning Bulba, waking up very early, began to prepare for departure. Former Bursaks changed into trousers and Cossacks. After sitting in front of the road, Taras asks his mother to bless her sons. When they set off on the road, the mother, as if mad with grief, rushed to hug either Ostap or Andrii. She was taken to the servants' hut, and her sons could hardly hold back their tears. Taras was also embarrassed, but did not show his condition to his sons.

Taras, Ostap and Andriy rode in silence, each thinking about his own. The old father recalled the past, thinking about the upcoming meeting in the battle. The sons remembered the bursa. Ostap ran away from it in the very first year of study. Having returned him to the bursa, they flogged him terribly and imprisoned him for his studies. He even buried his primer four times, flogged it and bought a new textbook. Only when Taras promised to keep him in the monastery servants for 20 years did Ostap begin to study with unusual zeal. He was rarely the leader of the daring pranks of schoolchildren, but he was a devoted friend and never betrayed his friends. His younger brother, Andriy, studied willingly, he did not shy away from leadership in school troubles. But unlike Ostap, he was more cunning, and most often others were responsible for the tricks, and he, as a rule, "came out unscathed." Already at the age of 18, Andriy dreamed of women, but he did not admit his desires to his friends, fearing their ridicule. Now, swinging in the saddle, on the way to the battle, Andriy remembered a meeting with a beautiful Polish woman. Once, during a walk around Kyiv, Andria almost knocked down the cart of the Polish pan. The coachman hit the gaping schoolboy with a whip, then Andrii boiled with rage and with one hand stopped the carriage by the wheel. But the horses took off, and he fell on his face into a muddy puddle. It was then that he made the unfamiliar beauty laugh. It is this meeting and the face of a beautiful Polish woman that Andriy cannot forget. He even dared to secretly sneak through the chimney into her bedroom. But he became so timid at the meeting that again he only made her laugh. Andriy was thinking about this beautiful Polish woman on the way to the Zaporizhzhya Sich. They traveled across the steppe for a long time, stopping only for lunch and overnight. They ate bread with lard for dinner, and before going to bed they cooked kulesh on a fire. During the journey they did not meet a single traveler, not a single rider. Only once did Taras point out to his sons a flashing black dot, saying that it was a Tartar who galloped. Having crossed the Dnieper, they entered the Sich. She met them peacefully, some were sewing up their shirts, some were famously dancing hopak, some were just sleeping. Soon Taras found his old acquaintances.

Taras and his sons lived in the battle for almost a week. Ostap and Andriy had little practice in martial arts, the Sich brought up the Cossacks with the experience of battles. The Zaporizhian Sich was an uninterrupted feast, noisy and endless. But not bitter drunkards walked here, but cheerful carefree Cossacks. It was a close circle of comrades who, at the first call, went to fight the enemy. The Sich was a kind of refuge for outcasts. Schoolchildren who fled from the bursa and serfs from the landlords, officers who didn’t care where to fight, as well as hunters flocked to it. big money. Only admirers of women could not be found here, since women did not dare to show themselves in the battle. The reception ceremony was simple, only the Orthodox were accepted into the fray. Everything was common here - money, food, clothes. Theft was considered a dishonorable act, and murder was punished terribly - the murderer was buried alive in the same grave with the murdered. Ostap and Andriy easily fit into the Cossack rampant sea. They liked the cheerful customs of the battle, and even its harsh and strict laws. The brothers quickly made friends. Soon they stood out noticeably among the young Cossacks for their prowess and dexterity. Taras did not particularly like such an idle life. He thought of a daring enterprise in which his sons would gain military experience. But the Sich concluded peace treaties with the Turks and Tatars, and could not violate them. The ataman, chief of the Cossack Sich, was against the outbreak of war. Then Taras incited some of the Cossacks to revolt. The Cossacks re-elected the ataman. Bulba's old friend, the Cossack Kirdyaga, became the new Koschevoi.

Kirdyaga was a cunning and shrewd Cossack. He himself did not order the Cossacks to break their peaceful oaths. At his instigation, part of the Cossacks convened a general meeting and decided to make a military sortie against the Turks. While preparations were underway, a ferry approached the shore. The Cossacks who arrived on it began to shame the revelers of Zaporozhye. After all, while they are having fun and drinking here, in their native Ukraine, the Poles are oppressing Orthodox Christians. At such words, the whole sect rose as one. Pogroms and murders of Jews began. Taras saved from death a familiar Jew Yankel. The Cossacks began to prepare for a campaign against the Poles.

The Zaporizhian army went to war with the Poles. And ahead of him was fear. Fires engulfed villages, cattle and horses were stolen. Cossacks burned Catholic monasteries, killed Jewish tenants. Young Cossacks shied away from robberies and killings of the weak. They honed their military skills in battles with Polish troops. Ostap and Andriy quickly matured and hardened in battles with enemies. Bulba was very proud of the success of his sons. Ostap, as it seemed to Taras, was destined to become a commander, fearless and reasonable. Andriy struck his father with reckless prowess in battle. Soon the Cossacks decided to storm the rich city of Dubno, but met with a fierce rebuff from the inhabitants and the garrison. The Cossacks retreated, laid siege to the city and looted the surrounding villages. Soon the siege bored the Cossacks, especially the young ones. Discipline began to fall, more and more drunken lookouts could be seen. One evening, a servant of a Polish panna, a Kyiv acquaintance of Andriy, made her way into the Cossack camp in a secret passage. She saw him among the Cossack army and sent a maid to him for food, as supplies ran out in the city and famine began, from which the mother of a beautiful Polish woman was dying. Andriy gathered food and with a Tatar maid went to the besieged city.

Passing through the underground passage, Andriy with the maid entered the city. Famine reigned in the city, people were dying of exhaustion, even cats and dogs were caught and eaten. The townspeople were not in the habit of keeping large stocks of food. The city was ready to surrender, but the townspeople were warned that help was coming to them. Andriy met with his Kyiv acquaintance. The Polish woman was so beautiful that Andriy fell in love with her, so much so that he was ready for the craziest act. For the sake of her love, he betrayed his homeland, father, brother and friends. That night, not only the terrible betrayal of Andriy Bulba took place. Reinforcements came to the city, breaking through the siege of the Cossacks. They brought with them not only food, but also captured Cossacks.

In that last battle, Taras also got pretty bad. He spent two whole weeks in a feverish delirium. He miraculously escaped capture. Faithful comrade Tovkach brought Taras to the fray almost alive, even found a healer. Only a month later Taras felt better. But it was hard on his soul because of Ostap. Yes, and in the Sich, not everything was in order. Everyone he knew died or was captured. And those Cossacks that left with the kosher to the Tatars, and those who stayed with him near Dubno. Taras yearned for his son so much that he could not stand it and decided to find out about the fate of Ostap. He found the Jew Yankel and persuaded him to take him to Warsaw for 5,000 gold pieces.

Arriving in Warsaw, Yankel and Taras stayed with Yankel's acquaintances. Bulba, hoping that Yankel's acquaintances will help arrange a meeting with his son, asks them for this service. Taras even hopes to arrange an escape for Ostap. Dressed in rich count clothes, Taras goes on a date with his son. By bribery and flattery, he and Yankel manage to get into prison, but even taking the money, the guard vilely deceived them and did not let them through to Ostap. Then Taras decides to go to the square to look at his son at least from a distance. A large crowd of people gathered in the square where the execution was carried out. Everyone was waiting for the execution to begin. Before the execution, the prisoners were waited cruel torture. Ostap courageously endured all the inhuman torments. Taras was proud of his son's fortitude. And when Ostap called his father before his death, Taras loudly responded to his son's call. They tried to find Taras in the crowd, but he safely disappeared.

The entire Cossacks rose to fight against the Polish invaders. One hundred and twenty thousand troops marched against the Poles. Among this army was one regiment. The most selective. They were commanded by Taras Bulba. Fierce hatred for enemies moved Bulba. Cossacks liberating the city, hanged traitors. The Poles tried to conclude a peace agreement with the Cossacks, promising them the return of their former rights and benefits. The crown hetman was saved from death by the Russian clergy. Only the Cossacks bowed their heads before the Christian church. And they agreed to let the Poles go, taking an oath from them to forget their previous grievances against the Cossack army and leave the Christian churches free. Only Taras Bulba did not believe the oaths of the Poles and urged not to believe other Cossacks. But the Cossacks did not listen to Taras, they signed peace terms. Then Bulba left the army and took his regiment away. The Poles really deceived the Cossacks and killed the ataman and many colonels. And Taras burned churches and settlements throughout Poland, plundered rich castles and the best lands. No one could be saved from the righteous Cossack wrath, neither women nor children. A cruel wake for Ostap was celebrated by Taras all over Poland. Hetman Pototsky himself was instructed by the king to deal with Bulba. For ten days the Cossacks left the chase and fought with the Polish troops. The Cossacks broke through the Polish army, only Bulba returned to look for the dropped pipe. Then they grabbed him. And they were sentenced to burn Taras alive, in full view of everyone. Bulba died, but his comrades were able to leave.

Takovo summary story " Taras Bulba» N.V. Gogol.

Good luck with your studies!

Name at birth - Nikolai Vasilyevich Yanovsky.

Russian prose writer, playwright, poet, critic, publicist, recognized as one of the classics of Russian literature. Descended from the old noble family Gogol-Yanovsky.

Date and place of birth - March 20 (April 1), 1809 or March 19 (31), 1809, Bolshie Sorochintsy, Poltava province, Russian Empire.

“Taras Bulba”

The story of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, is included in the Mirgorod cycle. In preparing the draft manuscript for publication, Gogol made numerous corrections. Great negligence of the draft manuscript of "Taras Bulba", omissions individual words, illegible handwriting, unfinished appearance of individual phrases - all this led to the fact that many errors crept into the composition of Mirgorod, published in 1835. By 1842, Gogol had a new revision of Taras Bulba, where new episodes appeared, and the volume of the story doubled. Having gone abroad in 1842, Gogol entrusted all the worries about the printed collection of all his works to Nikolai Yakovlevich Prokopovich, emphasizing that there were many errors in his story "Taras Bulba".

Characters of the story

Kozak Taras Bulba

The author describes him as a brave, determined and brave man. He was a real Zaporozhian Cossack: camaraderie and Christian faith were very important for Bulba all his life. He is no longer young, he occupies a certain position in the Sich. In the episodes of the feast on the return of the sons from the Bursa, in the scenes of the battle with the Poles, it is clear that Taras Bulba is respected, his advice is heeded. Even those who have only recently come to the Sich see Bulba as a wise and just warrior. From the first chapters it becomes clear that he is not a family man - his wife rarely sees him, because the Cossack often goes on military campaigns with the Zaporozhye army.

Ostap Bulbenko

The eldest son of Bulba, together with his brother, graduated from the seminary and after graduation returned home. The reader will learn about how Ostap showed himself in the seminary from several episodes: Ostap at first did not want to study and tried to escape, but eventually took up his mind. This character is truly revealed in the campaign against the Poles. Ostap appears before us as a worthy son of his father: a brave, strong Cossack, who is endowed with analytical abilities.

Andriy

The youngest son of an old Cossack. He is different from his brother and from his father. We can say that from his mother he took the lyrical warehouse of the soul, and from his father - determination and the will to win. We can say that it was this combination that became fatal for the young man.

“Taras Bulba” summary of the story

After graduating from the Kyiv Academy, two of his sons, Ostap and Andriy, come to the old Cossack colonel Taras Bulba. Two burly fellows, whose healthy and strong faces have not yet been touched by a razor, are embarrassed by the meeting with their father, who makes fun of recent seminarians over their clothes. The eldest, Ostap, cannot stand the ridicule of his father: “Even though you are my father, but if you laugh, then, by God, I will beat you!” And father and son, instead of greeting after a long absence, quite seriously hit each other with cuffs. A pale, thin and kind mother tries to reason with her violent husband, who is already stopping himself, pleased that he has tested his son. Bulba wants to “greet” the younger one in the same way, but he is already hugging him, protecting his mother from his father.

On the occasion of the arrival of his sons, Taras Bulba convenes all the centurions and the entire regimental rank and announces his decision to send Ostap and Andriy to the Sich, because there is no better science for a young Cossack than the Zaporozhian Sich. At the sight of the young strength of his sons, the military spirit of Taras himself flares up, and he decides to go with them to introduce them to all his old comrades. The poor mother sits all night over the sleeping children, not closing her eyes, wishing that the night would last as long as possible. Her dear sons are taken from her; they take it so that she will never see them! In the morning, after the blessing, the mother, despairing of grief, is barely torn off from the children and taken to the hut.

The three riders ride in silence. Old Taras recalls his wild life, a tear freezes in his eyes, his graying head droops. Ostap, who has a stern and firm character, although hardened over the years of training in the bursa, retained his natural kindness and was touched by the tears of his poor mother. This alone confuses him and makes him lower his head thoughtfully. Andriy is also having a hard time saying goodbye to his mother and home, but his thoughts are occupied with memories of a beautiful Polish girl whom he met just before leaving Kiev. Then Andriy managed to get into the beauty's bedroom through the fireplace chimney, a knock on the door forced the Polish woman to hide the young Cossack under the bed. As soon as the worry had passed, the Tatar woman, the lady's maid, took Andrii out into the garden, where he barely escaped from the woke servants. He once again saw the beautiful Polish woman in the church, soon she left - and now, lowering his eyes into the mane of his horse, Andriy thinks about her.

After a long journey, the Sich meets Taras with his sons with his wild life - a sign of the Zaporizhian will. Cossacks do not like to waste time on military exercises, collecting abusive experience only in the heat of battle. Ostap and Andriy rush with all the ardor of youths into this rampant sea. But old Taras does not like an idle life - he does not want to prepare his sons for such an activity. Having met with all his companions, he thinks out how to raise the Cossacks on a campaign, so as not to waste the Cossack prowess on an uninterrupted feast and drunken fun. He persuades the Cossacks to re-elect the Koschevoi, who keeps peace with the enemies of the Cossacks. The new Koschevoi, under the pressure of the most militant Cossacks, and above all Taras, decides to go to Poland in order to mark all the evil and shame of faith and Cossack glory.

And soon the entire Polish south-west becomes the prey of fear, the rumor running ahead: “Cossacks! The Cossacks showed up! In one month, young Cossacks matured in battles, and old Taras is pleased to see that both of his sons are among the first. The Cossack army is trying to take the city of Dubna, where there is a lot of treasury and rich inhabitants, but they meet desperate resistance from the garrison and residents. The Cossacks besiege the city and wait for the famine to begin in it. Having nothing to do, the Cossacks devastate the surroundings, burn out defenseless villages and unharvested grain. The young, especially the sons of Taras, do not like this kind of life. Old Bulba reassures them, promising hot fights soon. On one of the dark nights, Andria is awakened from sleep by a strange creature that looks like a ghost. This is a Tatar, a servant of the very Polish woman with whom Andriy is in love. The Tatar woman whispers that the pannochka is in the city, she saw Andriy from the city rampart and asks him to come to her or at least give a piece of bread for her dying mother. Andriy loads the sacks with bread as much as he can carry, and the Tatar woman leads him through the underground passage to the city. Having met his beloved, he renounces his father and brother, comrades and homeland: “The homeland is what our soul is looking for, which is dearest to her. My fatherland is you." Andriy stays with the lady to protect her to the last breath from her former comrades.

Polish troops, sent to reinforce the besieged, pass into the city past drunken Cossacks, killing many while sleeping, and capturing many. This event hardens the Cossacks, who decide to continue the siege to the end. Taras, looking for his missing son, receives a terrible confirmation of Andriy's betrayal.

The Poles arrange sorties, but the Cossacks are still successfully repelling them. News comes from the Sich that, in the absence of the main force, the Tatars attacked the remaining Cossacks and captured them, seizing the treasury. The Cossack army near Dubna is divided in two - half goes to the rescue of the treasury and comrades, half remains to continue the siege. Taras, leading the siege army, delivers an impassioned speech to the glory of camaraderie.

The Poles learn about the weakening of the enemy and come out of the city for a decisive battle. Among them is Andriy. Taras Bulba orders the Cossack to lure him to the forest and there, meeting with Andriy face to face, he kills his son, who even before his death utters one word - the name of the beautiful lady. Reinforcements arrive at the Poles, and they defeat the Cossacks. Ostap is captured, the wounded Taras, saving from the chase, is brought to the Sich.

After recovering from his wounds, Taras forces the Jew Yankel to secretly smuggle him to Warsaw with big money and threats to try to ransom Ostap there. Taras is present at the terrible execution of his son in the town square. Not a single groan escapes under torture from Ostap's chest, only before his death he cries out: “Father! where are you! do you hear all this?" - "I hear!" - Taras answers over the crowd. They rush to catch him, but Taras is already gone.

One hundred and twenty thousand Cossacks, among whom is the regiment of Taras Bulba, go on a campaign against the Poles. Even the Cossacks themselves notice the excessive ferocity and cruelty of Taras towards the enemy. This is how he avenges the death of his son. The defeated Polish hetman Nikolai Pototsky swears an oath not to inflict any further offense on the Cossack army. Only Colonel Bulba does not agree to such a peace, assuring his comrades that the requested Poles will not keep their word. And he leads his regiment. His prediction comes true - having gathered strength, the Poles treacherously attack the Cossacks and defeat them.

And Taras walks all over Poland with his regiment, continuing to avenge the death of Ostap and his comrades, ruthlessly destroying all life.

Five regiments under the leadership of the same Pototsky finally overtake the regiment of Taras, who has come to rest in an old ruined fortress on the banks of the Dniester. The battle lasts for four days. The surviving Cossacks make their way, but the old ataman stops to look for his cradle in the grass, and the haiduks overtake him. They tie Taras to an oak tree with iron chains, nail his hands and lay a fire under him. Before his death, Taras manages to shout to his comrades to go down to the canoes, which he sees from above, and leave the chase along the river. And at the last terrible moment, the old chieftain thinks about his comrades, about their future victories, when old Taras will no longer be with them.

The Cossacks leave the chase, row together with oars and talk about their chieftain.

Source - Wikipedia, All masterpieces of world literature in summary. Plots and characters. Russian literature XIX century, all-biography.ru.

meets sons from the academy. The ataman has 2 sons: Ostap and Andriy. The father examines the lads, makes fun of their clothes and appearance. Ostap says that he will beat his father, a fight begins. Mother at this time groans and is surprised. She missed the children she hadn't seen in over a year. The mother takes pity on her sons, and the father decides that there is nothing for them to bask in, they should go to Zaporozhye. Sich - the best place for men's recreation.

The old mother becomes uneasy at the thought that the children will be at home for only a week. She starts howling and wailing. Bulba arranges a holiday, invites all the centurions and regimental officers to his house. He shows his sons, showing off their article. He addresses the children, teaches them to be faithful to their homeland, wishes them good luck in the war.

The father broke up, began to beat the dishes, the wife quietly sits on the bench. Taras decides not to wait a week, to go to the Sich in the morning tomorrow. The stubbornness of the chieftain was one of his character traits. He imagined how he would come to the Cossacks with two young men ready for war.

Taras fell asleep on the carpet, snored, and his sleep was supported throughout the house. The poor mother could not sleep. She sat at the head of her sons bed, looked at the sleeping ones, combed their hair, stroked their curls. All her thoughts went to the future of the children, what awaits them, how fate will turn out. The mother spent the whole night with her sons. Bulba did not change his mind. He woke up, began to give orders and prepares to leave. The father told the mother to bless the children. She, weak and lost, embraced and hung a small icon around their necks. The sons mounted their horses, under Bulba the horse staggered, the rider was so heavy. The mother realized that her sons were leaving the house, clung to the youngest, but she was taken to the hut. When the children drove out of the gate, the old woman with incomprehensible ease caught up with her sons, hugged one of them. She was taken aside again. Ostap and Andriy could hardly hold back their tears. In the soul, everything was mixed up, confused: fear and joy. Childhood was left behind, something frightening and incomprehensible began ahead.

Chapter 2

The three riders thought each of his own. Taras recalled the past life, friends who had already left, calculated who was waiting for him in the Sich. The sons talked about their own. Ostap and Andriy left for the academy when they were 12 years old. The guys were trained differently. Ostap started with escapes, they returned him, he was flogged. He did not want to study, he buried the primer. No spanking stopped Ostap. The father made a promise that he would give him to a monastery and keep everything there. best years. Ostap heard his father, began to study diligently, and became one of the best students. By nature, the eldest son was an excellent comrade, a fearless Cossack. He did not seek to lead, did not betray his own. The tears of his mother tormented his soul, embarrassed and made him worry.

Andriy studied easier. He was smarter and smarter than his brother. Always knew how to avoid punishment. A hearth of love was kindled early in his soul. He liked beauties, the student envied the life of aristocrats, admired them, climbing into the street to them. Once he met a girl there, from whom he could not look away. The Polish woman was windy, did a bunch of stupid things with the guy, amusing her vanity. Andriy was looking for meetings with the beauty, now heading to the Sich, he thought about her. The father distracted his sons from their thoughts, he offered to smoke and spur the horses. There were no adventures along the way.

The trinity reached the island of Khortytsya, where the Zaporizhzhya Sich was located. On the road lay a drunken Cossack stretched out at full length. Music played, people roared. Taras met a friend, began to ask about friends. He became despondent from the news. Comrades died: hanged, skinned, head placed in a barrel of salt. Good were the Cossacks, whom Taras thought about.

Chapter 3

Taras Bulba lives in the Sich, but there are no military exercises. "Mad revelry of gaiety" was liked by the young guys. They were interested. Everything that men need, except women, was nearby. The sons were surprised that people came from different parts, the koshevoi asked them about faith in Christ, checked whether they knew how to be baptized. Everyone went to their own kurens, about 60 settlements. All the Cossacks prayed in the same church, promising to protect it, to be devoted to the Faith to the last drop of blood. The Cossacks hunted. The sons became noticeable among the Cossacks with their prowess and skillful skills. Taras did not like that his sons could not prove themselves in military affairs. He goes to the koshevoi with a proposal to fight, but is refused. Taras decides to take revenge on the koshevoi, he arranges a drinking bout and overthrows him from his post. They choose a new koschevoi, he became a friend of Taras Kirdyaga. Drunk Sich fell asleep.

Chapter 4

In the morning, Taras was already conferring with the new koschevoi about the upcoming battle, they were considering a trick on how to start a war without breaking the oath. Gather people. At this time, a ferry arrives on the island. The people on the ferry were screaming for trouble. Catholic priests harness Christians to wagons, ride them like horses. It is forbidden to celebrate Christian ceremonies. Visitors spoke about other atrocities. The people got excited. The Jews began to be thrown into the waves of the river, one prayed, Taras led him to the wagon train, stuffed him under the cart, ordered him not to be seen. It was Yankel, the Jew quickly got his bearings in the situation, offered to carry cheap provisions to the Cossacks.

Chapter 5

The Cossacks began to occupy the territory of the southwest. The sons of Taras matured from battle to battle. They were reborn, no longer looked like students after the academy. Ostap calmly assessed the danger, became stronger in body and spirit. Taras saw him as a good colonel. Andriy immersed himself in the music of bullets and swords. He didn't think like a brother, he was into combat like a song. Father was surprised to see where Andriy was rushing. The most gallant Cossack would not have rushed there. The army of the Cossacks came to the city of Dubno. It was not possible to overcome the city on the move, the Cossacks decided to starve the enemies. The sons did not like the siege. At night, when everyone is sleeping, Andriy notices a woman. This is the servant of the lady she loves. Tatarka tells about life in the city. His lover is starving. Pannochka saw Andriy in the crowd and asks him for help - bread. A young Cossack takes a bag of groceries and makes his way to the city through an underground passage. Passing by his father, Andriy hears a warning that women will not bring him to good, but does not think about the meaning of the words, hurries to his beloved.

Chapter 6

Moving around the city, the Cossack is amazed at its decoration and beauty. A Catholic monastery, a cathedral, music - everything leaves its mark on the guy. People are dying of hunger in the streets. The governor is waiting for help, two Polish regiments should come, so the city does not give up. Andriy gets to the lady's house. She has become even more beautiful, the lovers admiringly examine each other. The young guy did not have enough words to express his feelings. The girl starts to eat. She is grateful for the help. The Cossack offers to take everything she wants, is ready to perform any of her services. He renounces the Fatherland, father and comrades. The maid runs into the room. She happily announces the arrival of regiments, captured Cossacks, and food. Andriy kissed the girl, becoming more and more in the grip of passionate love. The Cossack is dead.

Chapter 7

The Cossacks decide to attack the city, they are ruled by the desire for revenge for their comrades who were captured. Yankel informs Taras about Andriy. The father does not believe the Jew. But he claims that his son is dressed in rich clothes, is preparing for the wedding, and will drive the Cossacks from the city. In the morning, the prisoners are taken to the rampart. They are ashamed of their appearance, half-naked and sleepy, they were captured. The battle begins. Ostap rushes across the field like a hawk. One of the chieftains of the Bearded is killed, they decided to choose a new one, unanimously agreed on Ostap. During the battle, the young ataman led the fighters away from the walls, thereby saving their lives. After the Poles left the city walls, the Cossacks spoke for a long time about their grandfathers. Taras could not sleep, he was looking for the reason for the absence of his youngest son on the battlefield. He hoped to deceive the Jew, swore to pull the Pole by the scythe and drive it across the field, to smash her whole body to pieces. The Cossacks did not drink, the guards did not close their eyes.

Chapter 8

From the Sich brought news of the attack of the Tatars. Koshevoy decides to go to Zaporozhye. Bulba is against, he decides to stay while his comrades are in captivity. The Cossacks are divided into two groups: some go after the Tatars, others besiege the city. Maintain partnership - the main duty of the Cossack. They were divided into two sides, where most of the kuren goes, and the whole kuren goes there. They left at night so that the enemy did not notice the movement. Among the rest, despondency settled, it was a pity to part with friends. Taras noticed such a mood and decided to distribute reserved wine. They drank from what they could: a ladle, a barrel, a mitten. Taras added his sacred word to the wine. His speech became a holy prayer.

Chapter 9

The Cossacks went in pursuit of the Tatar detachments, but no one in the city knew about this. Seeing movement among the Cossacks, they decided to make a sortie in Dubno. The exit did not give a result, but the Jews found out that there were fewer Cossacks. Taras understood from the noise from behind the walls of the city that there would be a battle. He turned to his comrades, supported their morale. The enemy army left the city. Cannons, squeaked, went to the Cossacks, the whole earth was covered with smoke. Taras saw how the battle was going. Ostap fought confidently and boldly. The forces were unequal. The cannons mowed down half of the kuren at once. Taras asks his comrades:

"There is life in the old dog yet?".

They answer him confidently that there is power. The Cossacks are dying with faith in the victory of the Russian land. During a terrible battle, Taras saw Andria and was dumbfounded. He beat his own, clearing the way for himself and his enemies. Taras ordered to drive him to the forest. So the boys did. Andriy accelerated and saw his father in front of him. He was dumbfounded and quiet. Like a mischievous child, he dismounted from his horse and stood in front of Taras. Bulba uttered a phrase that became winged:

"I gave birth to you, I will kill you!"

Andrii turned pale and began to whisper to himself. These were the names of neither the motherland nor the mother. He said the lady's name. "bread ear". He stood over his son and looked at him, admiring and wondering. Why is this handsome Cossack lost because of love like a vile dog. Ostap offered to bury his brother, but Taras refused. There was no time to say goodbye, the battle intensified, trouble approached. 6 people attacked Ostap, Taras tried to break through to his son. He chopped everything around him, waving his saber, but there were more enemies. The father saw that they were pressing on Ostap, but he was seized by a blow of such force that the chieftain collapsed like a stone to the ground, like a cut oak.

Chapter 10

Taras woke up from a dream, saw a friend nearby - Ataman Tovkach. He struggles and tries to remember how he survived. The comrade asks him to be calm, Bulba is all chopped up. The comrade explains that a bounty of 2,000 gold coins has been placed on Taras's head; they have been jumping around for several nights, hiding him from prying eyes. Taras asks where Ostap is. Grief seizes him from the news that his son is a prisoner of the Poles. HE breaks off the dressings, rushes after his son, but falls into a fever, raves and speaks crazy speeches. Tovkach bandages Taras, swaddles him like a child, and again rushes off into the distance. In the Zaporizhzhya Sich, Taras is feeling better, there are medicines here. He gets to his feet. Nothing interests Bulba, he is all in worries about his son. Taras goes to the Jew Yankel. HE asks him for help, he needs to fall to Warsaw, where Ostap is being held. Yankel figured out how to smuggle Taras in unnoticed. He closed it with bricks, made a hole at the bottom to feed, and the cart with luggage set off.

Chapter 11

The merchant Yankel is carrying Taras, who is hoping for help or a meeting with his son. He tries to negotiate with the Jews to let Stepan go, but nothing works out for him. Taras cannot stand the insults when he is taken on a date with his son. He has to come back with nothing. The father was able to get to the execution of his son. Ostap went first. The execution for the Cossacks is striking in cruelty and sophistication. Ostap endures pain and torture like a mighty giant: broken bones - silent. Ostap didn't even let out a groan. The father said:

"Good, son!"

At the last moment before his death, Ostap cried out, turning to his father to see if he could hear him. In the silence, I heard: "I hear." A million people in the square shuddered at this word, fear swept through their souls. The riders rushed into the crowd, but Taras was gone.

Chapter 12

The patience of the people went beyond the borders, and all of Ukraine rose to the fight. The hetman agreed to let the enemy Potocki go, to forget the enmity. But Taras Bulba remained adamant. He believed that such behavior is similar to "woman's". Poles cannot be trusted, according to Taras Bulba. The ataman's prediction came true. The hetman's head flew off after a short amount of time. Taras continued to walk and "celebrate a wake for Ostap." It was ordered to catch the violent ataman, 5 regiments went after him. The decisive battle came, and Taras would not have been defeated, but he decided to bend down for the cradle with tobacco that had fallen out in the battle. The thugs grabbed him. 30 people hung on the mighty Cossack shoulders. The brother of the pannochka, who had bewitched Andriy, raced in pursuit. The Cossacks rushed headlong into the Dniester and sailed away with faithful horses from the enemies. The beauty's brother, relying on himself, jumped and crashed on the rocks of the cliff. Taras watched everything from above and rejoiced: the bullets of his comrades did not reach him.

Retelling plan

1. Taras Bulba meets his sons, who have arrived from Bursa.
2. The next morning they leave for the Zaporizhzhya Sich.
3. Thoughts of heroes during the road.
4. Customs and mores of the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks.
5. Cossacks go on a campaign.
6. Cossacks besiege the Polish city of Dubno.
7. Andriy goes on a date with a lady in a besieged city.
8. Andriy's betrayal.
9. Terrible battle near the walls of the city. Taras notices Andriy's absence during the fight.
10. The Cossack army is divided. Half goes to the Sich to rescue the comrades captured by the Tatars, the other half remains near the city of Dubno to rescue the prisoners here.
11. Fight near the city of Dubno. Taras Bulba kills his son Andriy.
12. Taras is rescued from a fierce battle. Ostap remains in captivity.
13. Taras, having recovered from his wounds, goes to Warsaw to look for Ostap.
14. Taras is present at the execution of his son Ostap.
15. Taras Bulba avenges the death of his son.
16. Death of Taras Bulba.

retelling
Chapter I

Taras meets with his sons Ostap and Andriy, who came home from Kyiv, where they studied in the bursa ( religious school). The father admires his sons, jokingly, offers the elder (Ostap) to fight with his fists. And the father and son, instead of greeting, began to cuff each other in the sides, and in the lower back, and in the chest. The younger son stood silently and watched, for which he received a reproach from his father.

Taras is going to send his sons to Zaporozhye: “There is a school for you; there you will only gain wisdom.” The mother was sad that only a week the children would be at home. Taras yelled at his wife and ordered her to set the table and treat her sons. Bulba led his sons into the room (there is a description of the decoration of the rooms, typical for Little Russian houses). For dinner, Bulba invited all the centurions and the entire regimental rank. Taras introduced his sons to them. When the guests sat down at the table, Taras began to make fun of his sons, asking if they were punished in the bursa? Ostap restrainedly replied to his father that all this was already in the past, now he was ready to personally show what kind of thing a Cossack saber was. Taras approved the words of his son and immediately said that he and his sons would leave for the Sich. The poor mother looked at her sons with sorrow in her eyes: she was about to be separated from her children soon.

The following tells about the origin (“one of the indigenous, old colonels”) and the character of Taras: he was distinguished by a rough straightforwardness of temper, loved simple life Kozakov, considered himself the legitimate defender of Orthodoxy. Before leaving for the Sich, Taras transferred his power to Yesaul Tovkach.

When they went to bed, the mother sat for a long time at the head of her sons: she combed their young, carelessly disheveled curls with a comb and cried. Like any woman of that daring century, she saw her husband two or three days a year, endured insults, even beatings. All her love turned into one maternal feeling in her. Mother was afraid that at the very first battle the Tatar would cut off their heads, and she would not know ... Sobbing, she looked into their eyes and dreamed that suddenly in the morning Bulba would change her mind and not go to the Sich.

Waking up early in the morning, Taras Bulba woke up his sons and began to hurry his wife. After breakfast with the whole family, they sat down in front of a long journey. The mother, hugging her sons, blessed them.

Saddled horses stood at the porch. Bulba jumped on his Devil... The tears of his mother touched the young Cossacks, and they, hiding from their father, brushed away their tears. Having traveled quite a distance, the brothers looked back: only two chimneys were visible from afar... Farewell to childhood and games...

Chapter II

The three riders rode in silence. Taras thought about the past, remembering his young years, and imagined the upcoming meeting with the Cossacks. Sons remembered something else. At the age of twelve they were sent to Kyiv Academy. Ostap - the eldest son - ran away from the academy in the first year. He was returned, flogged and put back behind the book. Four times he buried the primer in the ground, for which he was hewn four times, and again the primer was bought for him. Only his father's promise to keep Ostap in the monastery for twenty years reassured him. Ostap did not show much diligence in his studies, but he was a good comrade, a straightforward person, his mother's tears touched him to the core.

Andriy was more developed, he studied more willingly. He was heavy and strong in character. Andriy knew how to evade punishment, but just like his brother, he was "seething with a thirst for achievement." He liked to roam the streets of Kyiv. Once he was almost run over by a cart of some Polish pan, Andriy managed to jump aside and fell into the mud. From the windows of a neighboring house, a laughing girl watched him. After questioning the servants, Andriy found out that it was the daughter of the voivode who had come for a while. The next night, Andriy snuck into the beauty's house. By morning, the maid took Andrii out into the garden, and through the fence he got out into the street. And now, in the steppe, he recalled this meeting with the beautiful Polish woman.

Taras, waking up from his reverie, began to cheer up his sons and said that they would soon be there.

The steppe, life and customs of the Cossacks, their customs and traditions are described. After a three-day journey, Taras and his sons reached the Dnieper, where the Sich was then. At the entrance they were stunned by fifty Kuznetsk hammers striking twenty-five forges dug in the ground. Meeting Taras with familiar Cossacks.

Chapter III

About a week Taras lived with his sons in the Setch. Ostap and Andriy did little military training.

The whole Sich was a kind of uninterrupted feast, a holiday that had lost its beginning. Some were engaged in crafts, others kept shops and traded; but most of them walked from morning until evening. Ostap and Andria were surprised that the death of the people came to the Sich in their presence, and no one asked who they were, where they came from ... The Sich consisted of more than sixty kurens, which looked like separate republics. Everything was in the hands of the kuren ataman: money, clothes, food, fuel. They gave him money to save. Having plunged into this rampant sea, Ostap and Andriy quickly forgot both their father's house, and the bursa, and everything that had previously worried their souls.

But the Sechi lived according to very strict laws. If a Cossack stole something, he was tied to a pillory and a club was placed near it, and everyone passing by was obliged to strike until he was beaten to death. The debtor, who did not return the money on time, was tied to a cannon and kept like that until one of the comrades paid the debt for him. A terrible execution was imposed for murder: they dug a hole, lowered a living murderer into it and placed a coffin with the murdered one on top of it, and then both were covered with earth.

Both young Cossacks were soon in good standing with the Cossacks. They were distinguished by their young prowess, luck in everything, they shot accurately at the target, swam across the Dnieper against the current. But Taras was not satisfied with this idle life, he thought about how to raise the Sich to a brave enterprise, where the knight could roam properly.

Chapter IV

Taras Bulba confer with the clever and cunning Cossack, the chosen Koshov, about how to incite the Cossacks to some business. An hour later all the Cossacks were alerted. Several people swam to the opposite bank of the Dnieper and took out weapons and money hidden in the reeds. Others began to inspect the canoes, to prepare them for the journey.

At this time, a large ferry began to moor to the shore. To the question of the Koschevoi, with what the Cossacks had come, a broad-shouldered Cossack of about fifty replied that it was in trouble. The old Cossack explained that the holy churches had been taken away. The colonels gave everything to the Poles.

The Cossacks who had gathered on the shore were noisily discussing what they had heard: everyone was agitated - both heavy-thinkers and strong men ... Now everyone wanted to go on a campaign - old and young. It was decided to go straight to Poland and take revenge on her for all the evil, the disgrace of the faith and glory of the Cossacks, to collect booty from the cities, to set fire to the villages. Everything suddenly changed around. The Cossacks began to prepare for the campaign: there were sounds of trial shooting, the clanging of sabers, the creak of turning wagons. In a small village church, the priest served a prayer service, sprinkled everyone with holy water, everyone kissed the cross. When the camp set off, the Cossacks looked back, and each of them said goodbye to the Sich.

Chapter V

Soon the entire Polish southwest became the prey of fear. Rumors circulated that the Cossacks had appeared. Everything that could escape, escaped, fled ... Everyone knew how difficult it was to deal with the crowd, known as the Zaporozhye army.

And Taras was pleased to see that both of his sons were among the first. Looking at Ostap, he thought that in time he would be a good colonel, who would put even a dad in his belt.

Taras marveled at the resourcefulness and the youngest son, Andriy. But Taras was afraid that Andriy would not fall into the hands of the enemy.

The army decided to go straight to the city of Dubno. In a day and a half, the Cossacks reached the walls of the city, where, according to rumors, there was a lot of treasury, rich inhabitants. The inhabitants of the city decided to die on the thresholds of houses, but not to let the enemy in. The city was surrounded by a high earthen rampart, in the city there was a well-armed garrison. The Cossacks climbed the rampart, but were met with strong buckshot. All the inhabitants (even women and children) stood in a heap on an earthen rampart. The Cossacks did not like to deal with fortresses and, on the orders of the koshevoi, retreated and surrounded the city. The Cossacks, just as in the Setch, began to play leapfrog, exchange booty, smoke cradles ... The young Cossacks did not like this kind of life. Andriy was visibly bored. Taras reassured his son: “Be patient with the Cossack, you will be the chieftain!” The Tarasov regiment arrived in time. All the Cossacks numbered more than four thousand.

On the night before the siege of the city, Ostap went about his business, and Andriy could not sleep. Gogol describes the June night, the sleeping Cossacks.

Suddenly Andriy felt that someone was bending down in front of him. He grabbed his gun: “Who are you? If the spirit is unclean, get out of sight, if a living person, at the wrong time started a joke, I’ll kill with one sight. Andrii began to peer and recognized the woman as a servant of a Polish lady. The Tatar woman told Andriy that the pannochka was in the city, that she had not eaten anything for the second day, since the food had run out in the city, and the inhabitants were eating only land. From the city rampart, the lady saw Andriy among the Cossacks and sent her maid to him. If he remembers, then let him come to her himself, and if he forgot, then at least a piece of bread would be given to her sick mother.

Various feelings awoke in the chest of the young Cossack. He decided to go to the city. Began to look for bread, porridge. But there was no porridge in the cauldrons. Then, from under Ostap's head, he pulled out a bag of white bread, which he got in battle, and set off in a secret way after the Tatar to the city.

Chapter VI

Making his way through the streets of the city, Andriy was amazed at what terrible victims the famine led to. He asked if there were no cattle left in the city? The maid said that everyone overate, you won’t even find a mouse in the city. When asked why the city was not being surrendered, the Tatar woman replied that the governor was ordered to keep it, to wait for reinforcements. The Tatar woman brought Andrii into the room where the lady was sitting. Then she brought in already sliced bread on a golden platter and placed it in front of the panna.

The beauty looked at her, at the bread, and then at Andrii... She took a piece of bread and brought it to her mouth. As soon as she took a bite, the Tatar woman said that she should not eat anymore, the bread after a long hunger "would be poisonous." Pannochka obeyed and put the bread on the dish. Andriy began to ask the beauty why she was so sad. In answer she said, That he could not love her, that his duty and covenant forbade it, for they were enemies. Andriy objected: he has no one - no comrades, no homeland. “My fatherland is you! This is my homeland! .. And everything that is, I will sell, give, ruin for such a homeland! Andriy said. Suddenly, their conversation is interrupted by a maid: the Poles have entered the city, they are saved.

And the young Cossack died! Lost for the entire Cossack chivalry. And Taras will curse his son.

Chapter VII

Noise and movement took place in the Zaporozhye camp. At first no one could understand what had happened. Then they found out that the entire Pereyaslavsky kuren was dead drunk, so half of the Cossacks were killed, and the other half were bandaged. While other kurens were waking up from the noise, the Polish army was leaving for the gates of the city. After the incident, the koshevoi gave the order to gather everyone. He began to scold the Cossacks, accusing them of drunkenness. The Cossacks, feeling guilty, stood with bowed heads. In response to the evil words of the ataman Kukubenko objected that there was no sin in this, that the Cossacks got drunk. After all, for a day they were idle, and there was no fasting. But they will show how to attack innocent people, they will beat the perfidious Poles so that they won’t even take them home. The Cossacks liked the speech of the kuren ataman. Koshevoy ordered to divide into three detachments and wait for the exit of the Polish army from them in front of the three gates of the city. Strictly ordered each ataman to look over his hut, and whoever has a shortage, let them replenish the remnants of Pereyaslavsky.

The atamans each went to their own hut. Taras suddenly found out that Andriy was not there. Did the Poles take him prisoner? But Andriy was not such as to surrender. Thinking Taras walked in front of the regiment. He led his regiment into an ambush and hid with him behind the forest. And the Cossacks - foot and horseback, acted on three roads to three gates. The movement of the Cossacks was heard in the city. All poured into the shaft. The colonel began to shout for the Cossacks to hand over their weapons, and ordered the captured Cossacks to be paraded. Cossacks tied with ropes were led out to the rampart, in front of them was the ataman Khlib. The ataman was ashamed for this shame, for one night his head turned gray from experiences.

From the shaft they began to shoot with buckshot. The gates opened, the army marched out. Koshevoy ordered the Cossacks to attack, not to allow the Poles to line up. The Cossacks struck suddenly, shot down and mixed the enemies into a heap. With a detailed description of the battle Special attention the author pays attention to Ostap's behavior. Taras heard that Ostap was appointed ataman of the Umans. The old Cossack rejoiced, began to thank the Umans for the honor shown to his son.

The Cossacks again retreated, preparing to go to the camps, when Poles appeared on the rampart, but already in tattered coats ... The Cossacks settled down to rest after a hard battle. Some began to sprinkle the wounds with earth, others, who were fresher, picked up the bodies of the dead and buried them.

Chapter VIII

Early in the morning, the awakened Cossacks gathered in circles. The news came from the Sich that the Tatars, during the absence of the Cossacks, attacked her and robbed, beat and took everyone prisoner and went straight to Perekop. In such cases, the Cossacks immediately chased the kidnappers, trying to overtake them on the road and recapture the prisoners. If this could not be done, then the prisoners could find themselves in the bazaars of Asia Minor, in Smyrna, on the Cretan island ... The Cossacks began to demand that the Council be convened. Koshevoy decided to follow the Tatar robbers. The Cossacks supported his decision. But Taras Bulba did not like such words. The old Cossack thought for a moment and said: “No, your advice is wrong, koshevoi! - he said. - ... Have you forgotten that ours, captured by the Poles, remain in captivity? Taras, with his bright speech, began to convince the Cossacks to stay and free their comrades taken prisoner by the Poles. The Cossacks became thoughtful. The oldest Cossack in the entire army, Kasyan Bovdyug, stepped forward. He said that both Koschevoi and Taras were each right in their own way. He offered to make a choice: to whom the comrades captured by the Tatars are dear, let them go to liberate them, and whoever wants, let them stay here and liberate another group of comrades. Koshevoy will go with one half of the army, and the other will choose a chieftain. And Taras Bulba can be such an ataman, because there is no equal to him in valor.

The Cossacks thanked the wise Cossack for the right decision. When the Cossacks divided into two groups, Koshevoy walked between the rows and told them to say goodbye and kiss each other. With the onset of night, a group of Cossacks, led by Koshev, set off. Another group remained near the city of Dubno with ataman Taras Bulba.

Chapter IX

In the city, no one knew that half of the Cossacks set out in pursuit of the Tatars.

Koshevoy's words came true that the supplies in the city would not be enough for a long time. Several times the troops tried to make a sortie for food, but were killed by the Cossacks. The colonels were preparing to give battle. Taras guessed this, watching the traffic and noise in the city. He ordered the Cossacks to prepare for defense. And when everything was done, Taras delivered a speech to the Cossacks. The ataman urged his comrades to lay down their heads if necessary, but not to surrender Russian lands to the enemies and to free their comrades from captivity. This speech touched all the Cossacks, reached the very heart of everyone.

The enemy army was coming out of the city. The fat colonel was giving orders. They began to closely attack the Cossack camps. Letting a rifle shot, the Cossacks began to shoot at the enemy. Superiority in battle was on the side of the Cossacks. But shots were fired from cannons, and many Cossacks were wounded. Taras ordered the Nezamaikovsky and Steblikivsky kurens to mount their horses. But the Cossacks did not have time to do this, because cannons were fired from the city. More than half of the Nezamaikovsky kuren was gone. This angered the Cossacks, they went to the guns. During the battle, Taras encouraged his comrades several times with the words: “What, gentlemen? There is life in the old dog yet; the Cossack force is still strong; the Cossacks are not bending yet?”

The author describes how heroically and steadfastly the Cossacks accepted death. Already only three kuren chieftains survived, but the Cossacks again rushed into battle. Taras waved his handkerchief to Ostap, who was in ambush. Ostap hit the cavalry. So the victory was close. But suddenly a hussar regiment flew out of the gates of the city, the beauty of all cavalry regiments. Among the enemy soldiers, Taras recognized his son Andriy. Old Taras stopped and looked at how he cleared the road in front of him, dispersed, chopped and poured blows to the right and left. Taras ordered the Cossacks to lure Andrii to the forest. Thirty of the fastest Cossacks rushed to fulfill the order of the ataman. Taras, grabbing the reins of Andrii's horse, stopped him. Andriy was frightened when he saw his father. Taras ordered his son to get off his horse, stand and not move. Then, taking a step back, he took the gun from his shoulder and fired. The son-killer gazed for a long time at the lifeless corpse. Ostap drove up and asked his father: “Did you kill him, father?” Taras nodded his head. I felt sorry for Brother Ostatsu, and he immediately said: "Let's betray the father, honestly to the earth." "They will bury him without us!" Taras answered. Taras thought for two minutes what to do with the body of his youngest son. Suddenly they brought him the news that a fresh force had arrived to help the Poles. "On horses, Ostap!" said Taras, hurrying to catch the Cossacks. Before they had time to leave the forest, the enemy force surrounded the forest from all sides. Six Poles attacked Ostap. Taras, fighting off the enemy, looked ahead, at Ostap. But suddenly, like a heavy stone, Taras himself was enough. And he collapsed, like a cut oak, to the ground. And mist covered his eyes.

Chapter X

Taras woke up in a strange room and saw Tovkach in front of him. Taras began to ask where he was. Tovkach said that they managed to take him out of the forest, cut down, and for two weeks now he has been taking Taras to Ukraine. Taras remembered that Ostap had been seized and tied up in front of his eyes and that he was being held captive by the Poles. Grief seized the old Cossack. He again fell into unconsciousness from the fever. His faithful comrade Tovkach rode without rest for days and nights, and brought him, insensible, to the Zaporozhian Sich. There he treated him with herbs and lotions. A month and a half later, Taras got to his feet. Nothing familiar to Taras remained in the Sich, all his old comrades died. No matter how hard the Cossacks tried to cheer him up, they failed. He looked sternly and indifferently at everything, and his face expressed inextinguishable grief, and quietly, bowing his head, he said: “My son! Ostap is mine!

The old Cossack suffered for a long time. And he decided to go and find out what happened to Ostap: is he alive? in grave? or is it not already in the grave itself? A week later, Taras ended up in the city of Uman. He drove up to one of the houses where the Jews lived. He went into the house to talk to Yankel. Yankel was praying in his room, when he suddenly saw Taras, for whose head the Poles promised two thousand chervonets, but he suppressed his greed for gold and listened to Taras. Taras reminded the Jew of his service done to save his life, and asked him to help him now. Yankel said that in Warsaw he would be recognized and arrested. Taras promised him five thousand gold pieces if he would take him to Warsaw. Yankel offered to take a brick to Warsaw, and Taras with this cart.

Chapter XI

Yankel found out that Ostap was in the city dungeon, and he hoped, although it was very difficult, to arrange a meeting with his son for Taras. Yankel left Taras in the house of his acquaintances, while he himself went with two other Jews to arrange business.

Taras felt uneasy. His soul was in a feverish state. He spent the whole day in this state, neither eating nor drinking... When they returned, the Jews began to explain to Taras that they could not do anything. Tomorrow all prisoners will be executed. And if he wants, tomorrow at dawn he can be taken to the square. Taras agreed. At night, with the help of the Jews, he made his way into the dungeon. But he could not meet his son. Then he went to the square where the execution was to take place. A lot of people gathered in the square. Suddenly, there were shouts in the crowd: “They are leading! Lead! Cossacks!..” Ostap walked ahead of them all.

Taras, standing in the crowd, did not utter a word. He watched and listened to the speech of his eldest son, with which he addressed his Cossack brothers. Ostap urged the Cossacks to steadfastly accept death.

The author then describes the execution. Ostap endured all the savage torments steadfastly and courageously. Neither a scream nor a groan was heard even when they began to interrupt the bones on his arms and legs ... Taras stood in the crowd, bowing his head and proudly raising his eyes, saying approvingly: “Good, son, good!” When Ostap was led to the last mortal agony, he exclaimed in mental weakness:

- Father! Where are you? Do you hear?

— I hear! rang out in the middle of the silence.

Part of the military horsemen rushed to look for Taras. But his trace was gone.

Chapter XII

Taras gathered an army and advocated the liberation of Ukraine from foreign invaders. He walked all over Poland with his regiment, burned eighteen towns, about forty churches, and was already approaching the city of Krakow. He beat every gentry a lot, plundered the richest and best castles: “This is for you, enemy Poles, a wake for Ostap!” Taras said. And Taras sent such a commemoration for his son in every village, until the Polish authorities saw that Taras's actions were more than ordinary robbery. And so Pototsky was instructed with five regiments to catch Taras by all means.

For six days the Cossacks fled from persecution, but Pototsky managed to overtake the army of Taras at the very Dniester. Description of the battle in which Taras was taken prisoner. Thirty people hung on his arms and legs. With the hetman's permission, the enemies came up with a terrible execution for him: to burn him alive in full view of everyone.

They pulled him to the tree trunk with iron chains, nailed his hands with a nail and, lifting him higher so that he could be seen from everywhere, they began to build a fire under the tree. But Taras did not think about his own death. He watched the Cossacks firing back, and was very happy to see how several Cossacks managed to swim across the Dniester. The fire rose above the fire, seized his legs and spread flames over the wood...

But can there be such fires, torments and such a force in the world that would overpower the Russian force!