“Brigadier” - a summary and retelling of the actions and phenomena of the comedy by D. I. Fonvizin

Character system

The comedy "Brigadier" is distinguished by its typical character images. All the heroes of the comedy, except for Dobrolyubov and Sophia, have certain shortcomings that the author ridicules:

• Ivanushka and the adviser are imitators of the French; everything Russian is disgusting to them.
• Brigadier - his image reveals the narrow-mindedness and cruelty of some military men.
• The adviser is a typical bribe-taker.
• Brigadier - her shortcomings are a narrow worldview and an obsession with money.

Dobrolyubov and Sophia do not have the vices and shortcomings typical of nobles. These positive comedy heroes are contrasted with other characters. They love each other.

All the other characters, except the foreman, are in love, but their love, as Dobrolyubov says, is “ridiculous, shameful and brings dishonor to them.” The adviser is in love with the foreman, the foreman is in love with the adviser, and the adviser and Ivanushka fall in love with each other.

The theatrical fate of one comedy (“Brigadier” by D. I. Fonvizin in the Russian theater)​

udk: 821.161.1.09-2 + 929 Fonvizin + 792.2(470)

M.S. Savenkova Saratov State University

The theatrical fate of the first original Russian dramatic work – the comedy by D.I. Fonvizin “The Brigadier” and an attempt is made to comprehend the interpretive potential of the work being studied.

Key words: D.I. Fonvizin, Russian drama, Russian theater, interpretive potential.

MS Savenkova

Theatrical Fate of one Comedy (“Brigadier” by DI Fonvizin in Russian theater)

The article presents the theatrical fate of the first Russian original drama piece – the comedy “Brigadier” by DI Fonvizin. There is an attempt to analyze the interpretation potential of the literary work in question.

Key words: DI Fonvizin, Russian drama, Russian theatre, interpretation potential.

Many readers and viewers know Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin (1745–1792) as the author of one play, “The Minor” (1782). However, his first dramatic work, “The Brigadier” (1769), is in no way inferior to the more famous comedy about Mitrofanushka. After “The Brigadier,” Fonvizin began to be called the first Russian playwright who wrote the first truly Russian comedy. Unlike many translated or, as it was customary to say then, “transposed” French plays into Russian, “The Brigadier” became a “living” image of Russian reality. Perhaps it was precisely the “liveness”, the closeness to reality, to Russian characters, to relationships between people that became the reason for the long life (literary and theatrical) of the first Fonvizin comedy. At the end of the 18th century. “The Brigadier” was staged on stage as often as “The Minor” and was very popular among theater fans.

A study of the literary and theatrical fate of “The Brigadier” leads to the conclusion: comedy was in great demand in the 18th century, in the 19th and 20th centuries. she practically did not appear in the theater, but at the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century there was a revival of audience interest in “The Brigadier”. In this regard, this article will discuss the history of theatrical productions of the play and the remaining audience opinions regarding the various stage versions of “The Brigadier”.

We can assume that the comedy's theatrical destiny began long before its first production - with the author's reading of the play for friends, acquaintances, and even for Catherine II. Fonvizin recalled this “premiere” this way: “Having never been so close to the sovereign, I admit that I began to be somewhat timid, but the gaze of the Russian philanthropist and her voice going to my heart encouraged me; a few words spoken by the royal lips brought me into the state of reading my comedy in front of her with my extraordinary skill. While reading, her praise gave me new courage, so that after reading I was enticed into some jokes and then, having kissed her right hand, I left, having received from her the most merciful greeting for my reading.”1 After such recognition, Fonvizin often read the comedy to friends and new acquaintances, among whom were Count Nikita Ivanovich Panin, and his brother Pyotr Ivanovich, and the Shuvalovs, and the Stroganovs, and many others. And the reading of the play was always a great success. Count N. Panin, for example, admired the skill of the playwright-psychologist: “I see that you know our morals very well, for the Brigadier is your relative to everyone... This is the first comedy in our morals, and I am amazed at your art, how you made me say such foolishness in all five acts, however, they made her role so interesting that everyone wants to listen to her ... "2

The exact date of writing the comedy, as well as the time of its first stage performance, are unknown. Different sources give different versions of the time when the play was composed - from 1763 to 1769. P.N. Berkov convincingly proves that Fonvizin wrote the play by 1769 after a long vacation spent in Moscow in 1768. Consequently, the first productions of the comedy in the theater should date back no earlier than 1769. However, in some sources there is evidence of earlier theatrical versions of “The Brigadier”. This is obviously explained by the inattention of the compilers of the first chronicles of theatrical life in the 18th century. One thing is certain - all the productions became a landmark event. There are many positive and even enthusiastic reviews about “Brigadier”. So, for example, theatergoer A. Annenkov in his “Dramatic Dictionary” reports the following: “Foreman. The comedy, the composition of Mr. Fonvizin, which was liked by the public, was often presented at theaters, both in St. Petersburg and in Moscow, always to the excellent pleasure of the audience and not out of taste”3 (1787). Why was the Fonvizin comedy so popular in those days? An explanation can be found in the article by B.V. Warneke “Characteristic persons of Catherine’s time depicted in the comedy “The Brigadier”: “... The educated part of the capital’s society met “The Brigadier” with lively sympathy, and this is the best proof that the persons of the comedy are true to reality and are successful exponents of the characteristic phenomena of that time... »4 Fonvizinsky’s “Brigadier” really became one of the first Russian comedies that reflected Russian life, and was not an “arrangement” of any foreign play. Moreover, the opinion about the genuine “lively” and vitality of the characters presented in the play remained for many years and even centuries.

At the beginning of the 20th century. researcher of the genesis of Russian comedy E.P. von Berg, reflecting on Fonvizin, wrote: “...The comedy “Brigadier”, in terms of the depth of the main idea, in the vitality and typicality of the characters who can be found both in the provincial outback and in the capital, in terms of genuine comedy, is one of the best Russian comedies... “5 Berg relies on the opinion of Russian researchers that the exact date of the premiere performance of the play “The Brigadier” is unknown. Confusion with dates arises when getting acquainted with the “Chronicle of the Russian Theater”, compiled by the actor Ivan Nosov and published at Moscow University in 1883. According to this chronicle, “by Her Imperial Majesty’s personal order, at the Peterhof Theater, Russian court actors were presented for the 1st time "Brigadier" July 30, 1763"6. Here I. Nosov reports that “The Brigadier” was first shown at the Moscow Theater on November 12, 1763. At the same time, the author reproduces the list of characters and actors who played the roles. Judging by later research, the actor Nosov was probably only mistaken with the dates, but gave a completely accurate description of the readings and performances that took place in 1769.

Thus, in “The History of the Light Brown Drama Theatre,” published under the editorship of E.G. Kholodov in 1977, a detailed list of all performances staged based on “The Brigadier” at the end of the 18th century is given. The earliest mention of the appearance of comedy on stage dates back to 1772, when “The Brigadier” was staged by court ladies-in-waiting and gentlemen. Literary scholars find information about this in the archives of the Directorate of Imperial Theaters and, based on archival data, claim that the amateur court theater staged “Brigadier” in St. Petersburg once in 1772, and the Free Theater several times a year in subsequent years. The performances of the play “Brigadier” staged by the Free Theater should be discussed in more detail. M.P. Troyansky in the book “Theatrical Heritage” reports that “The Brigadier” in the director’s version by I.A. Dmitrevsky was first shown 11 years after it was written: on December 27, 1780, the unreleased comedy appears in the stage interpretation of the young troupe of the first private theater in St. Petersburg - the Free Russian Theater, headed by I.A. Dmitrevsky. Judging by audience reviews, “The Brigadier” was successfully performed in the theater in 1781 and 1782. However, in 1783, Catherine II closed the Free Theater, and only in 1785 the performance was resumed by the Russian Theater troupe. Then he was shown only to a narrow circle of courtiers. Moreover, in those days the play “The Brigadier” was staged by the court theater quite often. This was recorded in the “Chamber-Fourier Ceremonial Journal” in 1788: “In the evening, at the theater located at the Hermitage in the presence of Her Imperial Majesty, a Russian comedy, “Brigadier” called...”7 Although the performance was met with general approval (in including the Empress), already in 1789 it was subject to serious censorship amendments. Its production in the so-called Wooden Theater (the theater on Tsaritsyn Meadow) comes with significant bills. Many dialogues and monologues containing allusions to the socio-political structure of the country’s life and satire on various layers of society have been removed; conversations about the skill of officials in interpreting decrees in 21 manners are prohibited, conversations about the bad education of youth, etc. are deleted. However, Fonvizin managed to preserve the integrity of the comedy and the essence of the characters, recognizable at first sight. Obviously, this is why “Brigadier” was so popular among ordinary people. The social composition of the audience is indicative, recorded in the only surviving box office report on the performance in 1795 - 733 people attended the performance, 90 people in expensive seats, 89 in middle seats, and 554 tickets in cheap seats.

On the stage of the Russian theater at the turn of the 18th–19th centuries. Fonvizin's comedies occupied a special place. As is known, during this period, classicist aesthetics and poetics underwent significant changes. But in Fonvizin’s texts, even in the first play, there are already genre changes. The abundance of realistic features in the playwright’s works made it possible to talk about a new type of comedy and conflict. In addition, in the social environment of the early 19th century. Fonvizin's works retained their relevance - the satire on serfdom, on the backwardness of small provincial nobles, on the blind imitation of foreign fashion sounded very topical from the stage of the theater. The following fact is interesting: at the turn of the century, the number of productions of “The Brigadier” and “The Minor” in the capital’s theaters was almost equal, i.e. they were perceived by the public as similar in theme and topicality. Thus, during the period from 1801 to 1825, “The Brigadier” was staged in St. Petersburg 39 times, “The Minor” - 48 times; During the same period in Moscow, “Brigadier” was shown 27 times, “Nedorosl” - 26 times.

At the next stage in the history of Russian drama theater, the so-called democratization of the theater occurs, and therefore the repertoire policy changes significantly. Of the Russian classics, only “Woe from Wit” and “The Inspector General” are staged. Classical tragedies were not found in repertory theaters, and comedies were rarely staged. During this time, The Brigadier was shown only twice at the Moscow Maly Theater in 1833 - once in the spring and once in the fall. At the same time, on the stages of provincial theaters in the 30s. both plays continue to perform with unfailing success among audiences.

Interest in Fonvizin was renewed in the 50s. XIX century The play “The Minor” is staged in both Moscow and St. Petersburg theaters, and for “The Brigadier” a period of oblivion begins. In 1859, “The Brigadier” had three performances at the Alexandrinsky Theater and seven at the Maly Theater. In the 60–80s. the play is completely forgotten and deleted from the repertoires of provincial and capital theaters.

At the end of the 19th century. In connection with the anniversary date (100 years since the writing of the comedy “The Minor”), both Fonvizin’s plays were revived in Moscow – in 1882 “The Minor”, ​​in 1892 “The Brigadier”. As critics of those years noted, both performances “demonstrated respect for the author’s text, were solemn and academic, but the sharpness of the satire turned out to be somewhat smoothed out”8. However, the resumption of productions played an important role in the theatrical fate of the works and, in particular, the comedy “The Brigadier”. At the end of the 19th century. it was staged at the Maly Theater (Moscow), at the Russian Drama Theater (theater of F.A. Korsh), at the private amateur theater of the actor and director M.V. Lentovsky, who gravitated toward spectacular productions for the common people. Subsequently, the play found itself in the shadow of “The Minor,” and its theatrical fate was not so successful, until at the turn of the 20th–21st centuries. Again, interest in her in the theatrical environment was not revived.

At the beginning of the 20th century. “The Minor” displaces the “Brigadier” from the stage. The immortal comedy about Mitrofanushka is staged in the capital and provincial theaters, while the first Fonvizin play is almost forgotten. Throughout the 20th century, the repertoire of almost every theater (both capital and provincial) included a program production of “The Minor.” The study of the historical, literary and theatrical fate of the comedy “The Brigadier” indicates a revival of interest in it at the turn of the 20th – 21st centuries. The situation with Minor has not changed - in almost every city in Russia where there is a theater, this play was staged. But over the past decade, the history of the very first years of the existence of both comedies has repeated itself, which at the end of the 18th century were equally popular and were staged in the theater with approximately the same frequency.

Over the past ten years, several productions of “The Brigadier”9 have been known, and one of the very first took place in 1998 in Moscow at the Perovskaya Theater, whose directors - brothers Kirill and Andrei Panchenko - often choose ancient plays for productions, which, in their opinion, , helps viewers feel involved in the traditions of Russian culture, history, and join the Russian national theater. “The Brigadier,” staged at the Perovskaya Theater, was a great success with the public, which is confirmed by numerous positive reviews of the performance in the media.

A cultural event in 1998 was the interpretation of the comedy “The Brigadier” (titled “Hello to you, gentlemen!”) at the Saratov Youth Theater based on the script by Yu. Kim in the director’s version by Leonid Eidlin. This was the first musical and poetic embodiment of Fonvizin's play in modern theater. The performance turned out to be very popular with the public. The results of a sociological survey of viewers showed that the production left an indelible impression in their memory. “Hello, gentlemen!” as a “comedy based on music” (the genre definition of the performance given by director L. Eidlin), full of lyrical and entertaining musical and dance elements, not only amused the audience, but also made them think about the eternal problems stated by Fonvizin in his work back at the end of the 18th century . S. Rassadin, a researcher of the playwright’s creative heritage, called this performance “a miracle of the resurrection”10 of an ancient classical play on the modern stage.

The play “The Brigadier” at the Teatralny is a variation of the thoughts of director Hovhannes Petyan based on Fonvizin’s work. The play was as close as possible to modern times , and in the play it is very difficult to hear the voice of Fonvizin himself among the slang words flying from the lips of the characters dressed in the fashion of the mid-20th century.

In our opinion, one of the most successful modern stage versions of the play “Brigadier” is the play “Cupids in the Snow,” staged at the Theater. V.V. Mayakovsky (director Ekaterina Granitova, libretto authors Leonid Eidlin and Yuliy Kim). As for the musical episodes, the performance repeats the version of the Saratov Youth Theater, but the author of the music was composer G. Auerbach (all musical numbers for the Saratov performance were composed by Yu. Kim). The director's interpretation has also changed. According to director E. Granitova, in terms of genre, the production is close to farce, but it also contains philosophical reflections. In this version, with the exception of inserted episodes, the characters pronounce the Fonvizin text, but it is considerably redrawn.

The play “The Brigadier” became popular and in demand among the public at the beginning of the new millennium. The characters in the comedy are interesting and understandable to our contemporaries. The reaction of the audience convinces that Fonvizin’s ideas evoke a lively response from the public, the author’s thoughts are clear and obvious, and the themes are topical.

An analysis of the chronology of stage incarnations of D. Fonvizin’s comedy “The Brigadier” allows us to conclude that the interpretative potential of the play is great and is revealed differently depending on historical time. The modern social, spiritual and moral situation in our country turned out to be consonant with the ideas of Fonvizin’s comedy, and the possibilities of a multidimensional interpretation of its text were realized on the domestic stage in a large number of options.

Notes

1. Fonvizin D.I. Comedy. Prose works. M., 2003. P. 197.
2. Fonvizin D.I. Two comedies (with a biography of D.I. Fonvizin, his portrait and an explanatory dictionary for his comedies). St. Petersburg, 1894. pp. 9–10. udk: 821.161.1.09-31 + 929 Dostoevsky
3. Berkov P.N. History of Russian comedy of the 18th century. M.; L., 1977. P. 39.
4. Warneke B.V. Characteristic faces of Catherine’s time depicted in the comedy “Brigadier” // Pokrovsky V. Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin. His life and writings: a collection of historical and literary articles. M., 1908. P. 100.
5. Berg E.P. Russian comedy before the appearance of A.N. Ostrovsky. Warsaw, 1912. P. 135.
6. Nosov I. Chronicle of the Russian Theater. M., 1883. P. 250.
7. Quote by: Troyansky M.P. On the stage history of D.I.’s comedies Fonvizin “Brigadier” and “Minor” in the 18th century // Theatrical heritage. Messages. Publications. M., 1956. P. 8.
8. History of Russian Drama Theater. In 7 volumes. M., 1982. T. 6. P. 72.
9. These are performances at the Moscow Theater on Perovskaya (1998), at the Saratov Theater for Young Spectators (1998), at the Teatralny Theater (2006), at the Russian Theater of Estonia (2007), at the Theater named after. V.V. Mayakovsky (2008). Let us note that the main object of our research is the stage interpretation of the play by the Saratov Theater.
10. Rassadin S.B. Saratov - Moscow: Simple-minded enlighteners // Novaya Gazeta. Saratov, 1999. No. 14.

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The main characters of the comedy and their brief characteristics

• Brigadier (Ignatiy Andreevich) - he is about 60 years old, he is rude, has a tough disposition, and often scolds his wife.
• Ivanushka is the son of a foreman. This rake is 25 years old, he is frivolous, funny, and foolish. He was brought up in Russia in a boarding school with a French coachman, then lived in Paris. The young man despises everything national, Russian, wants to look like an educated Frenchman, constantly filling his speech with French words, but he looks like just a dropout.
• The foreman (Akulina Timofeevna) is the foreman’s wife, an ignorant woman, all her thoughts are only about household chores and money. She suffers from her husband’s rude treatment of her and endures unfair reproaches.
• The adviser (Artamon Vlasich) is a retired judicial official. This grabber was dismissed from service for taking bribes. He is a hypocrite and a hypocrite, constantly remembers God, but he himself sins, trying to seduce the foreman’s wife.
• Advisor (Avdotya Potapevna) - the advisor’s wife. She, like the foreman, is ignorant, but wants to seem like an educated lady who knows French and follows French fashion. The adviser is flirtatious and immoral, she starts an affair with Ivanushka, the fiancé of her stepdaughter Sophia.
• Sophia is the daughter of a councilor, a respectable girl. She sees the shortcomings of Ivanushka, whom her father intends to be her husband. The girl loves Dobrolyubov, but understands that she must obey her father, and only the revealed romance of her stepmother and Ivanushka and the expulsion of the foreman’s family saved her from her unloved groom.
• Dobrolyubov is a young man, the son of a friend of the adviser. He loves Sophia, but her father did not want to see him as his daughter’s husband, since he is poor. Dobrolyubov was able to honestly win the trial without bribes by turning to higher justice. His fortune increased, and Sophia's father agreed to marry his daughter to him.

Fonvizin's main comedy

Denis Fonvizin served with Nikita Panin until 1782, was one of his confidants and close assistant, and shared his opposition views towards the Empress of Russia. Based on Panin’s ideas, Fonvizin created one of the best works of Russian journalism - “Discourse on Indispensable State Laws.” This treatise was written for the future Emperor Pavel Petrovich. For a long time, “Discourse” remained popular, but under a different name - “Thoughts of the late Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin about the necessary need for an indispensable law for the Russian Empire.”

Scene from the play "The Minor". State Academic Maly Theater. Moscow. Photo: maly.ru

In 1782, Fonvizin finished his main comedy, “The Minor.” The government and nobility greeted the play with hostility - they were against the satirical production. Nikita Panin helped bypass censorship. The premiere was delayed, but soon the work was staged in two capitals. On September 24, 1782, the play was presented to the St. Petersburg public at the Knipper Theater, and on May 14, 1783, at the Medox Theater - to the Moscow audience.

Fonvizin himself directed the performance and distributed the roles: Starodum was played by the talented actor Ivan Dmitrevsky, and Pravdin was played by the artist Plavilshchikov. The audience received the play with delight, but Catherine II did not like it: due to its harsh satire on noble traditions, Fonvizin remained in disgrace with the empress until the end of his life.

Problems of the work: themes, idea, what it teaches

Themes

The central theme of the comedy "Brigadier" is education. In addition, the author covered the following topics:

• moral ignorance of society;
• ignorance of the older generation;
• superficial European semi-education of the new generation;
• Love;
• relations between parents and children.

Idea

The main thought (idea) in the comedy “Brigadier” is the idea of ​​education. The author is sure that it is impossible to educate young people in such a way that they despise national culture and slavishly follow foreign fashions that seem to them to be foreign culture. Fonvizin ridicules those who distort the Russian language, filling it with French words and phrases. He is sure that you need to value your native language and instill love for it.

Another important thought is that one should not put up with spiritual decline and the extortion of those who have power over people.

What does it teach

The first Russian national comedy “Brigadier” teaches you to appreciate the culture of your country, and not to pick up crumbs of foreign culture and fashion.

Secretary "for some business"

After graduating from university, Fonvizin entered the service as a translator at the College of Foreign Affairs. A year later, in 1763, he moved to St. Petersburg, where he was appointed “to be in charge of certain matters” under the cabinet minister Ivan Elagin.

Denis Fonvizin. Image: wikipedia.org

At the same time, Fonvizin’s first comedy “Corion” was staged - a translation of the story by the French writer Jean-Baptiste-Louis Gresset “Sidney and Scilly, or Benefits and Gratitude.” Fonvizin finished his first original comedy, “The Brigadier,” in 1769. The public liked the play so much that the writer was compared to Moliere, the founder of classical comedy. Publisher Nikolai Novikov wrote: “...It was praised by so many justly reasonable and knowledgeable people that Moliere did not see better acceptance for his comedies in France and did not want it...” Denis Fonvizin was even invited to Peterhof to personally read the work to Empress Catherine II.

In 1769, Fonvizin left the service of Elagin and became the secretary of the statesman Nikita Panin. There he corresponded with Russian diplomats at European courts; under the influence of Count Panin, he drafted government reforms.

Dictionary of unknown words

• Brigadier is a military rank above colonel and below general that existed in the Russian army of the 18th century.
• Advisor - the title of an official (state councilor).
• Desabillier is a fashionable morning dress.
• Cornet - cap.
• Half dressing gown - robe.
• Spitsruten - punishment with sticks.
• Tambur is a drum that was used for embroidery.

A very short summary for a reader's diary (20 sentences)

The storyline in the comedy “Brigadier” is poorly drawn; this work is a set of comic situations in which its heroes find themselves.

The first act begins with the fact that the adviser and the foreman, who stopped by with his wife and son Ivanushka on the way from St. Petersburg, decide to marry their children. The adviser's daughter Sophia considers her future marriage with Ivanushka to be her death, and he does not want to marry a Russian, since he considers himself French in spirit and despises everything Russian. But the parents have already set the date for the wedding.

Ivanushka, who lived for some time in Paris and despised everything Russian, and the adviser’s wife, also a big fan of everything French, fell in love with each other. Sophia and the son of a friend of the adviser Dobrolyubov love each other, but the adviser is against their marriage, since Dobrolyubov is not rich.

In the 2nd act, the adviser, in love with the foreman, knelt in front of her, and Ivanushka, seeing this, laughed and applauded. And the adviser told her dear Ivanushka that his father was courting her.

In the 3rd act, the adviser learns from Dobrolyubov that he won the lawsuit and that his fortune has increased.

In act 4, Dobrolyubov tells Sophia that her father was happy to learn about his good luck.

In the 5th act, the adviser and the foreman catch Ivanushka on his knees in front of the adviser and begin to scold them with rage. The adviser said that he would extract money from the foreman’s son for dishonor. Then Ivanushka and the adviser accused him of courting the foreman. The brigadier threatened the adviser to mutilate him for this. He promised to beat his son too, then the adviser accused him of courting her. The adviser, enraged, reproaches the foreman, and he announced to his son and wife that they were leaving here this minute.

When the foreman’s family left for home, the adviser took pity on Sophia, who had lost her fiancé. Dobrolyubov asked him for his daughter’s hand in marriage, and the adviser agreed to give Sophia for him.

The adviser grieves that he will have to live with his cheating wife. Addressing the audience, he says that he has now learned that living without a conscience is the worst thing.

Descendant of a knightly family

Denis Fonvizin was born in Moscow, in the family of a wealthy nobleman Ivan Fonvizin. Their family descended from the Livonian knights: the von Visins were accepted into Russian service during the time of Ivan the Terrible. The future writer was named in honor of his ancestor, a captain, who was awarded for military valor during the Time of Troubles.

Fonvizin did not follow in the footsteps of his military ancestors. He began studying literacy at the age of four, and at ten he entered the noble gymnasium at Moscow University.

While studying at the Faculty of Philosophy, the young man published his first satirical works in the magazine “Useful Amusement” by Mikhail Kheraskov. The translated article “Just Jupiter” was also published there.

And here read the biography of another famous Russian - Mikhail Lomonosov

In 1760, Denis Fonvizin and his younger brother Pavel, as the best students, were sent to St. Petersburg to introduce them to the founder of Moscow University, Count Ivan Shuvalov. In the capital, the aspiring writer met Mikhail Lomonosov and the first director of the Russian theater, Alexander Sumarokov. Then Fonvizin saw the play for the first time - the play “Henry and Pernille” by the Danish writer Ludwig Holberg. “It is almost impossible to describe the action that the theater produced in me: the comedy I saw, quite stupid, I considered the work of the greatest mind, and the actors - great people, whose acquaintance, I thought, would constitute my well-being,” he later wrote.

Knowledge of Latin and German, and later French, allowed Denis Fonvizin to prove himself as a professional translator. During this period, he translated into Russian more than 200 fables by Holberg, Ovid's Metamorphoses, and the works of Terrason and Voltaire.

Brief retelling of actions and phenomena (more detailed than a summary)

Action 1

Phenomenon 1

The action takes place in a room in the village councilor's house.

On the way home from St. Petersburg, the foreman stopped by the adviser with his wife and son Ivanushka. They are good neighbors and only recently got to know each other. The adviser wants to marry his daughter Sophia to the foreman's son.

The adviser, to whom the adviser’s daughter is a stepdaughter, says: “Oh, how happy our daughter is! She goes after the one who was in Paris.”

During the conversation, the adviser praises the reasonableness of the foreman, and the foreman praises the adviser. The adviser tells Ivanushka that he will also be useful, he just needs to be diligent and read more decrees and codes. The brigadier advised his son to read the article and the military regulations; the brigadier said that it would be nice for his son to look through her consumable notebooks so that the rogues would not deceive him. And the adviser advised not to read anything other than “kind novels.” Ivanushka said that he never read anything except novels.

Phenomenon 2

The servant announced that Mr. Dobrolyubov had arrived. Sophia is excited: “Oh my God! He has arrived, and I am the bride of another.” Everyone, except the adviser and Ivanushka, went to meet Dobrolyubov to take a walk in the garden with him.

Phenomenon 3

Ivanushka and the adviser, when talking, often use French words instead of Russian and curse every now and then. They discuss Ivanushka’s parents and the adviser’s husband, and consider them stupid people. Ivanushka even called his parents animals, his adviser a creature, and his husband’s adviser a freak. The adviser is unhappy that the adviser brought her to live in the village, where she is dying of boredom. He resigned after the decree on extortion was issued, since it became dangerous to take bribes in the service.

Ivanushka says that he does not want to marry Sophia, that his heart burns with passion for his adviser. She tells him that Sophia and Dobrolyubov are in love with each other.

Events 4–5

Dobrolyubov and Sophia enter. From their conversation with Ivanushka and the adviser, it is clear that Sophia considers a future marriage with Ivanushka to be her death, and he is not eager to marry her.

Dobrolyubov and Sophia noticed that Ivanushka and the adviser fell in love with each other. When they left, Sophia said that she felt sorry for the priest, but Dobrolyubov told her not to worry about the adviser, since he “looks at the foreman with excellent tenderness.”

From the conversation between Dobrolyubov and Sophia, it is clear that they love each other and that the young man’s low income is the reason that her father did not agree to his marriage with Sophia.

Act 2

Phenomenon 1

The counselor asks his daughter why she is sad. Sophia replies that she does not want to marry “such a fool who is full of nothing but French nonsense.” She says that the groom does not love her, that he will not honor her father either. The adviser assures his daughter that the groom has a good advantage - large villages. He wants to rule the villages of his future son-in-law and says that his daughter must marry whomever he orders.

Phenomenon 2

Left alone, the adviser admits that he loves the foreman’s wife and marries his daughter to her son only in order to see his “beloved matchmaker” more often.

Phenomenon 3

The foreman enters. The adviser begins to hint to her about his love, but she understands little of his speeches. Then the adviser kneels and directly says that he loves her.

Ivanushka, who entered unnoticed by them, laughed and began to applaud.

Phenomenon 4

When the adviser left, Ivanushka forcibly explained to his mother, who did not understand what her adviser wanted to ask, that he confessed his love to her. “Oh, he’s a damned son! Why did he come up with this?” — the foreman speaks indignantly about the adviser.

Phenomenon 5

The adviser came in, Ivanushka laughingly explained to her that her husband had confessed his love to his mother. The adviser took him aside and began to whisper something to him. The foreman wants to go and complain to her husband about the adviser, but Ivanushka assured her that he was joking. The calmed mother leaves.

Apparitions 6–7

Ivanushka promises to take the adviser to Paris. She says that his father will not agree to let him go to France again. Ivanushka wants to take his father with him so that he can become enlightened and become like a human being.

The adviser told Ivanushka that his father was caring for her, and he decided to fight a duel with his father.

The foreman enters and tells his son to go to his bride, as he might bore the adviser with his chatter. The adviser says that they had fun, gives her hand to Ivanushka and goes out with him.

Act 3

Events 1–2

Ivanushka tells his father that he does not want to marry a Russian, since although he was born in Russia, his spirit belongs to France. He declared that his father had no right to rule over him. The foreman began to threaten him, and his wife, who had come to hear the noise, began to reproach him for spoiling her son.

Events 3–5

An adviser came and began to praise Ivanushka’s virtues. And the main advantage, in her opinion, is that he was in Paris.

When Ivanushka and the foreman left, the foreman began to hint, using military terms, about his love for her. But the adviser and Dobrolyubov came and prevented the foreman from confessing his love to the adviser.

Dobrolyubov told the adviser that he won the case and now has 2 thousand souls and does not want to marry anyone, since the adviser does not agree to give him his daughter as his wife.

Act 4

Events 1–2

Dobrolyubov tells Sophia that perhaps their wish to get married will come true, since her father was glad that the young man won the case.

The foreman enters, wiping away tears. Dobrolyubov asks her with sympathy what she was crying about. It turned out that her husband scolded her for no reason.

Apparitions 3–7

Ivanushka, Dobrolyubov and the adviser are playing cards, and the foreman and the adviser are playing chess. The foreman, inappropriately, out of simplicity of heart, interferes in a card game, interfering with the chess players. For this she receives a reprimand from her husband, and the adviser and Ivanushka stand up for her. The adviser extols her virtues, but the foreman is firmly convinced that his wife is a fool.

Action 5

Events 1–2

The foreman persuades her son to marry, but he says that he has seen enough of her and the priest and is disgusted by marriage.

When the foreman left, the adviser warned Ivanushka to hide their love from his father and her husband. Ivanushka, not seeing that the foreman and adviser had entered, throws himself on his knees in front of the adviser.

Events 3–4

The foreman and the adviser furiously reproach and scold Ivanushka and the adviser.

The foreman, Dobrolyubov and Sophia enter.

The adviser told the foreman that he would extract money from his son for his dishonor.

Sophia told her father that after such an act by the groom, she would not marry him.

The adviser and Ivanushka began to blame the adviser for kneeling in front of the foreman.

The indignant foreman reproaches his wife for not telling him that the adviser was following her. The foreman assures him that she did not know about this, that good people later told her about it.

The foreman threatens the adviser that he will mutilate him, he, cowardly, asks to forgive him. The foreman threatens to beat his son too. Then the adviser announces that he himself confessed his love to her. The adviser begins to rage, reproaching the foreman for coming to his house to tempt his wife.

The foreman commands his wife and son to get ready to go home this minute. Ivanushka and the adviser rush to each other. Ivanushka asks her for forgiveness, and she says goodbye to him. The foreman and the adviser separate them.

The adviser, following the foreman, asks her for forgiveness.

Phenomenon 5

"Oh my God! You will punish us according to our deeds,” says the adviser and feels sorry for Sophia, who has lost her fiancé.

Dobrolyubov asks him for his daughter’s hand in marriage. The adviser and adviser, having learned that Sophia agreed to marry Dobrolyubov, also agreed to their marriage. Dobrolyubov and Sophia are happy.

The adviser grieves that he is punished for his sins by having to live with his cheating wife and, addressing the public, says: “They say that living with a conscience is bad: but I myself have now learned that living without a conscience is worse than anything in the world.”

Euro-trip

At the end of 1774, Denis Fonvizin married Ekaterina Rogovikova, the daughter of a wealthy merchant. The wedding took place in Moscow, and the newlyweds returned to live in St. Petersburg, to a house on Galernaya Street. Three years later, Fonvizin’s wife fell ill. To improve their health, they went to France - this was the writer’s first trip abroad. Along the way, the couple visited Warsaw and Dresden, Leipzig and Lyon, Strasbourg and Mannheim. When his wife felt better, they visited the southern French provinces.

Follow the link - memories of Russian writers who visited abroad

During the trip, Fonvizin wrote letters to his sister Feodosia Argamakova, Count Nikita Panin and diplomat Yakov Bulgakov. He described to them French reality, culture, and told them about achievements in science and literature.

After 6 years, the Fonvizins visited Europe again - they went to Germany. Fonvizin visited Leipzig, Memel, Frankfurt, Nuremberg. The writer walked around the city, went to museums and art galleries.