Who is the author of the shurale ballet? Farid Yarullin and his ballet “Shurale”. Unexplored pages of life and creativity. Innovative features in the work of Farid Yarullin

Sections: Music

Plan

1. Introduction. The history of the creation of F. Yarullin’s ballet “Shurale”
2. Main part: Musical characteristics of images
3. Guidelines

1. Introduction. The history of the creation of F. Yarullin’s ballet “Shurale”

Farid Yarullin’s ballet “Shurale” is the first Tatar ballet, the pride of national music. It was created in 1941 in a short time by a young talented composer with a libretto by Ahmed Faizi based on the fairy tale of the same name by Gabdulla Tukay. The ballet fascinates with the brightness of its musical images, originality and colorful national color. The premiere of the ballet “Shurale” was timed to coincide with the opening of the Ten Days of Tatar Art and Literature in Moscow. However, work on the production was interrupted due to the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War. The composer was drafted into the ranks of the Soviet Army. In 1943 he died. The ballet premiered in Kazan only in 1945. In 1950, the ballet was staged with great success on the stage of the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater named after S.M. Kirov in the orchestral version of V. Vlasov and V. Fere. In 1955, a new production was staged in Moscow on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater, where the role of the main character was performed by Maya Plisetskaya. Later she noted that the role of Syuyumbike is one of her favorite roles. Soon after the premiere in Moscow, the ballet Shurale began its triumphant march through many theater stages around the world.

Shurale is a traditional image of Tatar folk tales, a goblin, whose appearance resembles fancy forest snags and twigs, so it is perceived as a product of wild folk fantasy.

The poem, a fairy tale by the classic Tatar literature G. Tukay, sounds like a hymn to his native land, the wealth and beauty of its nature, and the poetry of folk imagination.

A young peasant named Byltyr, thanks to his resourcefulness and courage, defeats the evil and treacherous Shurale. The idea of ​​the poem is the glorification of the human mind, its superiority over forces hostile to man. The libretto of the ballet is supplemented with storylines from other Tatar folk tales, in particular, about girls - birds. In the ballet, Byltyr saves not only himself, but also the girl, the bird Syuyumbike, whose wings were stolen by Shurale. A significant place is occupied by folk genre paintings depicting the life of a Tatar village and a wedding celebration.

2. Main part: Musical characteristics of images

The main principle of the musical dramaturgy of the ballet is the contrasting opposition of two opposing forces, represented on the one hand by real images of Byltyr and the people, on the other – by the fabulously sinister world of forest evil spirits led by Shurale.

The main feature of the musical characteristics of real heroes is the closeness of the music to folk song origins, melody, softness of sound, simplicity and plasticity of rhythmic patterns. Fantastic creatures hostile to humans, on the contrary, are characterized by bizarre and capricious rhythms and acutely dissonant harmony.

This juxtaposition of two musical spheres makes it possible not only to create vivid stage images, but also to reveal the very essence of the idea of ​​the work. The image of Byltyr embodies the best qualities of the people: nobility, courage, sense of humor. It is Byltyr who is the main character of the play, a fighter against evil and violence, and therefore the music that characterizes him is distinguished not only by its warmth and sincerity, but also by its masculinity.

The image of the bird girl Syuyumbike in the ballet is deeply impressive. This is a fabulous, beautiful, snow-white bird, which only when away from people turns into a charming girl. Its theme is light, impetuous, airy and expresses the carefree playfulness of a graceful girl - a bird. The theme of Syuyumbike, remarkable for its beauty, runs through the entire ballet, developing and changing depending on the situations and emotional experiences of the heroine. Calm and smooth when Syuyumbike and her friends appear, this theme in the scene with Shurale grows into an emotionally rich, dramatic one. Measured movement becomes restless and tense. The anxiety is increasingly intensified, and all that remains of the broad pathetic theme is a pulsating song (the theme of wings). Subsequently, it becomes the leitmotif of Syuyumbike’s mental suffering and unrest. The Syuyumbike theme takes place for the last time in the finale, after the death of Shurale. Acquiring a victorious and jubilant character, it seems to affirm the victory of the forces of light.

The image that personifies evil is Shurale. Tormenting and killing people is his greatest pleasure. His strength lies in his fingers, with which he can tickle you to death. However, man is stronger than Shurale. He defeats him with cunning, intelligence, and the depth of his love for Syuyumbika.

The musical characteristics of Shurale are distinguished by broken rhythms and chromaticisms; the composer uses a unique scale that combines whole tone and pentatonicity.

Scenes of gatherings of forest evil spirits are among the most successful in terms of the colorfulness and imagery of the music. Skillfully weaving the pentatonic scale into sharp harmonies and unusual harmonic sequences, F. Yarullin preserves the national flavor throughout the entire ballet, thereby emphasizing its national identity, because genies, shaitans, shurales, and ubyrs are creations of Tatar folk fantasy. The dance of the witches is distinguished by the simplicity of its harmonic language, the usual major-minor modal basis, but the broken melody and “grumpy” chromatic grace notes give the music of the witches that unusual, inhuman character that is inherent in all evil spirits. Ubyrs (fire witches) are very agile, fly, turning into a ball of fire, and the music is sharp. When Shaitan appears, a general mad dance of all evil spirits flares up.

Folk scenes in ballet are good. Saturating the music of these scenes with the intonations and rhythms of folk songs and dances, the composer reproduced lively, realistic pictures of village life. Here F. Yarullin uses rhythms characteristic of Tatar folk dance tunes, takmaks. A good example is the “Children’s Dance,” the humorous dances of a matchmaker and a matchmaker.

Based on folk musical and poetic traditions, widely using the techniques of classical ballet both in revealing images and in developing musical material, F. Yarullin created a wonderful musical and stage work that laid the foundation for the successful development of the Tatar national ballet art and earned recognition in his country and abroad.

In order to enrich the curriculum, I offer a number of fragments from the score of Farid Yarullin’s ballet “Shurale”, edited by L. Batyrkaeva. The clavier was released in 1971 by the Muzyka publishing house. In this arrangement, the composer’s music was repeatedly heard in theaters and concert halls. These fragments can be used as an addition to the repertoire of Tatar classical music, which can be recommended to students of music schools as piano pieces. Below are recommendations that discuss the difficulties of performing these transcriptions and methods for overcoming them. The plays are recommended for performance in middle and high schools of music schools.

1. "Byltyr's exit." The music that characterizes him is warm, sincere and melodious. When learning a piece, you need to pay attention to the chants characteristic of Tatar music: you need to achieve the execution of the phrase in one breath, not disturb the smooth flow of the melody, listen to long sounds to achieve the integrity of the phrases. Accompanied by swaying chords. The difficulty of performing accompaniment lies in the smooth transition from bass to chords.
   This play is appropriate for a 4th grade level. Can be recommended for more advanced 3rd grade students. (Annex 1)
2. "Dance of the Witches" The piece is distinguished by the simplicity of its harmonic language and the usual major-minor modal basis. The witches' dance is based on a juxtaposition of unexpected movements: sharp and smoother ones. But the broken melody and “grumpy”, “croaking” chromatic group grace notes give the witches’ music that unusual, inhuman character that is inherent in all evil spirits.
   The performer's attention should be directed to the visual moments of the music.
   Before starting to work with the piece, the essence of the rhythmic difficulties caused by polyrhythm and syncopation should be explained to the student. When learning, pay attention to the decorations in your right hand, which should be performed easily. This play is at a 7th grade level. (Appendix 2)
3. "The adornment of Byltyr." The character of the play is lyrical. The complexity of the performance lies in the ability to plastically carry out a flexible, long melodic phrase against the background of waltz accompaniment. The performer's attention should be directed to the left hand part, which must be taught separately, achieving free transfer of the hand from the bass to the chords. The bright expressiveness of the melody and its desire for a climactic peak oblige the accompaniment to be carefully worked out.
   This play can be included in the curriculum for grades 4-5. (Appendix 3)
4. "Solo Syuyumbike". Syuyumbike is a fabulous image. In accordance with the image, the music is colorful, songful, and sincere. The cheerful, active and danceable nature of the piece requires special attention to working on fine technique. Sixteenth notes of duration should sound light, without burdening the movement of the melody. It is necessary to pay attention to active races, complicated by grace notes, where the emphasis is on the main beats, and grace notes should be played easily and softly.
   The accompaniment has large jumps from the bass to the chords, which will require special attention. It is also necessary to work on the rhythmic pattern (intra-bar syncopations), as well as on possible, but not desirable, impulses on the last weak beat of the bar.
   Based on the above-mentioned difficulties, this play can be offered to students in senior classes of children's music schools. (Appendix 4)
5. "Duet of Byltyr and Syuyumbike." The character is a lyrical, emotional play. The difficulty lies not only in performing the melody in one breath, but also in the relationship between the sonority of the melody and the accompaniment.
   The accompaniment, creating a harmonic background and pulsation, should help the melody maintain the integrity of the phrase. Therefore, the accompaniment should be played quietly and easily, the bass and chords as if strung along the smooth movement of the melody, complementing its sound and helping its development.
   The sensation of horizontal movement of the musical fabric contributes to the achievement of large breathing, both in the melodic line and in the accompaniment. The play can be recommended for the repertoire of sixth and seventh grade children's music schools. (Appendix 5)

Literature:

1. Batyrkaeva L. Score of F. Yarullin’s ballet “Shurale”. – Kazan: Tatar Book Publishing House, 1987.
2. Bakhtiyarova Ch. “Farid Yarullin.” – Kazan: Tatar Book Publishing House, 1960.
3. Raimova S. History of Tatar music: textbook. - Kazan: KSPI, 1986.

Farid Yarullin

Libretto by A. Fayzi and L. Jacobson. Instrumentation of the 2nd edition by V. Vlasov and V. Fere. Choreographer L. Jacobson. First performance (2nd edition): Leningrad, Opera and Ballet Theater. S. M. Kirova, June 28, 1950

Act one

Dense forest. Night. Illuminated by the weak light of the moon, the centuries-old trees turn gloomily black. In the hollow of one of them is the lair of Shurale, the evil ruler of the forest. It's getting light. A young hunter Batyr appears in a forest clearing. Seeing a flying bird, he grabs a bow and arrows and rushes after it. Shurale crawls out of his lair. All the forest spirits under his control awaken. Genies, witches, and shuralata entertain their master with dances. The sun is rising. The evil spirits are hiding. A flock of birds descends into the clearing. They shed their wings and turn into girls. The girls scatter through the forest. The last to be freed from her wings is the beautiful Syuimbike and also goes into the forest. Shurale, who was watching her from behind a tree, sneaks up on the wings and drags them into his lair.& Girls appear from the forest. They lead merry round dances in the clearing. Suddenly Shurale jumps from a tree at them. The frightened girls quickly raise their wings and, becoming birds, rise into the air. Only Syuimbike rushes about, not finding his wings. Shurale orders the Shuralet to surround the girl. The prisoner is terrified. Shurale is ready to celebrate the victory, but Batyr runs out of the forest and rushes to the aid of Syuimbika. The enraged Shurale wants to strangle Batyr, but the young man throws the monster to the ground with a strong blow. In vain does Syuimbike, together with his savior, look everywhere for wings. Tired of fruitless searches, the exhausted Syuimbike sinks to the ground and falls asleep. Batyr carefully takes the sleeping bird girl in his arms and leaves with her. The defeated Shurale threatens to take cruel revenge on Batyr, who kidnapped the bird girl from him.

Act two

Batyr's courtyard in festive decoration. All the villagers came here to a feast in honor of Batyr’s betrothal to the beautiful Syuimbike. The guests are having fun, the kids are frolicking. Only one bride is sad. Syuimbike cannot forget about his lost wings. Batyr tries to distract the girl from sad thoughts. But neither the dashing dances of horsemen, nor the girls’ round dances can cheer up Syuimbike. The holiday is over. The guests leave. Unnoticed by anyone, Shurale secretly enters the yard. Seizing a convenient moment, he tosses Syuimbika her wings. The girl hugs them to her with delight and wants to take off, but stops indecisively: she is sorry to leave her savior. However, the desire to rise into the air turns out to be stronger. Suimbike flies up. Immediately she finds herself surrounded by a flock of crows sent by Shurale. The bird wants to escape, but the crow forces it to fly to the lair of its master. Batyr runs out into the yard. He sees a white bird flying away in the sky, fighting in a ring of black crows. Grabbing a burning torch, Batyr rushes in pursuit.

Act three

Shurale's lair. Here the bird girl languishes in captivity. But Shurala fails to break Syuimbike’s proud disposition; the girl rejects all his claims. In a rage, Shurale wants to give her to be torn to pieces by the forest evil spirits. At this moment, Batyr runs out into the clearing with a torch in his hand. By order of Shurale, all the witches, genies and shuralats attack the young man. Then Batyr sets Shurale’s lair on fire. Evil spirits and Shurale himself perish in the element of fire. Batyr and Syuimbike are alone among the raging flames. The batyr hands the girl her wings - the only way to salvation. But Suimbike does not want to leave her beloved. She throws her wings into the fire - let them both die. Immediately the forest fire goes out. The forest, freed from evil spirits, is transformed fabulously. Batyr’s parents, matchmakers and friends appear. They wish happiness to the bride and groom.

Shurale

Ballet in three acts

Libretto by A. Fayzi and L. Jacobson. Instrumentation of the 2nd edition by V. Vlasov and V. Fere. Choreographer L. Jacobson.

First performance (2nd edition): Leningrad, Opera and Ballet Theater. S. M. Kirova, June 28, 1950

Characters

Suimbike, bird girl. Ali-Batyr, hunter. Batyr's mother. Batyr's father. Main matchmaker.

Chief matchmaker. Shurale, the evil goblin. Fire witch. Shaitan. Bird girls, matchmakers, matchmakers.

Act one

Dense forest. Night. Illuminated by the weak light of the moon, the centuries-old trees turn gloomily black. In the hollow of one of them is the lair of Shurale, the evil ruler of the forest.

It's getting light. A young hunter Batyr appears in a forest clearing. Seeing a flying bird, he grabs a bow and arrows and rushes after it. Shurale crawls out of his lair. All the forest spirits under his control awaken. Genies, witches, and shuralata entertain their master with dances.

The sun is rising. The evil spirits are hiding. A flock of birds descends into the clearing. They shed their wings and turn into girls. The girls scatter through the forest. The last to be freed from her wings is the beautiful Syuimbike and also goes into the forest. Shurale, who was watching her from behind a tree, sneaks up on the wings and drags them into his lair.

Girls appear from the forest. They lead merry round dances in the clearing. Suddenly Shurale jumps from a tree at them. The frightened girls quickly raise their wings and, becoming birds, rise into the air. Only Syuimbike rushes about, not finding his wings. Shurale orders the Shuralet to surround the girl. The prisoner is terrified. Shurale is ready to celebrate the victory, but Batyr runs out of the forest and rushes to the aid of Syuimbika. The enraged Shurale wants to strangle Batyr, but the young man throws the monster to the ground with a strong blow.

In vain does Syuimbike, together with his savior, look everywhere for wings. Tired of fruitless searches, the exhausted Syuimbike sinks to the ground and falls asleep. Batyr carefully takes the sleeping bird girl in his arms and leaves with her.

The defeated Shurale threatens to take cruel revenge on Batyr, who stole the bird girl from him.

Act two

Batyr's courtyard in festive decoration. All the villagers came here to a feast in honor of Batyr’s betrothal to the beautiful Syuimbike. The guests are having fun, the kids are frolicking. Only one bride is sad. Syuimbike cannot forget about his lost wings. Batyr tries to distract the girl from sad thoughts. But neither the dashing dances of horsemen, nor the girls’ round dances can cheer up Syuimbike.

The holiday is over. The guests leave. Unnoticed by anyone, Shurale secretly enters the yard. Seizing a convenient moment, he tosses Syuimbika her wings. The girl hugs them to her with delight and wants to take off, but stops indecisively: she is sorry to leave her savior. However, the desire to rise into the air turns out to be stronger. Suimbike flies up.

Immediately she finds herself surrounded by a flock of crows sent by Shurale. The bird wants to escape, but the crow forces it to fly to the lair of its master.

Batyr runs out into the yard. He sees a white bird flying away in the sky, fighting in a ring of black crows. Grabbing a burning torch, Batyr rushes in pursuit.

Act three

Shurale's lair. Here the bird girl languishes in captivity. But Shurala fails to break Syuimbike’s proud disposition; the girl rejects all his claims. In a rage, Shurale wants to give her to be torn to pieces by the forest evil spirits.

At this moment, Batyr runs out into the clearing with a torch in his hand. By order of Shurale, all the witches, genies and shuralats attack the young man. Then Batyr sets Shurale’s lair on fire. Evil spirits and Shurale himself perish in the element of fire.

Batyr and Syuimbike are alone among the raging flames. The batyr hands the girl her wings - the only way to salvation. But Suimbike does not want to leave her beloved. She throws her wings into the fire - let them both die. Immediately the forest fire goes out. The forest, freed from evil spirits, is transformed fabulously. Batyr’s parents, matchmakers and friends appear. They wish happiness to the bride and groom.

Libretto by Akhmet Fayzi and Leonid Yakobson based on the poem of the same name by Gabdulla Tukay, based on Tatar folklore.

History of creation

Fortunately, the theater’s portfolio already contained a ready-made libretto and score for a ballet called “Shurale”; they were brought to the theater in early 1940 by the writer Akhmet Fayzi and the young composer Farid Yarullin. And if the music of the future ballet generally suited the choreographer, the libretto seemed to him too vague and oversaturated with literary characters - the inexperienced librettist brought together the heroes of eight works by the classic of Tatar literature Gabdulla Tukay. In February 1941, Jacobson completed a new version of the libretto and the composer began to finalize the author's clavier, which he completed in June.

Characters

• Suimbike - Anna Gatsulina
• Ali-Batyr - Gabdul-Bari Akhtyamov
• Shurale - V. Romanyuk
• Taz - Guy Tagirov

Characters

• Suimbike - Natalia Dudinskaya, (then Alla Shelest, Inna Zubkovskaya, Olga Moiseeva)
• Ali-Batyr - Askold Makarov, (then Konstantin Sergeev, Boris Bregvadze)
• Shurale - Igor Belsky, (then Robert Gerbek, Konstantin Rassadin, Yuri Grigorovich)
• Main matchmaker - A. N. Blatova

Characters

• Suimbike - Marina Kondratyeva, (then Lyudmila Bogomolova)
• Batyr - Vladimir Vasiliev
• Shurale - Vladimir Levashev
• Fire Witch - Faina Efremova, (then Elmira Kosterina)
• Shaitan - Esfandyar Kashani, (then Nikolai Simachev)
• Shuralenok (performed by students of the Moscow Art University) - Vasily Vorokhobko, (then A. Aristov)

The performance was performed 8 times, the last performance was on October 1 of this year.

Performances in other theaters

- Bashkir Opera and Ballet Theater, choreographer F. M. Sattarov

10th of November- Lviv Opera and Ballet Theater, choreographer M. S. Zaslavsky, production designer Y. F. Nirod, stage conductor S. M. Arbit

- Troupe “Choreographic Miniatures” - scenes from the ballet “Shurale” in Act 1, choreography by Leonid Yakobson

Bibliography

• Zolotnitsky D.“Ali-Batyr” // Smena: newspaper. - L., 1950. - No. 23 June.
• V. Bogdanov-Berezovsky“Ali-Batyr” // Evening Leningrad: newspaper. - L., 1950. - No. 26 June.
• Krasovskaya V.“Ali-Batyr” // Soviet art: newspaper. - L., 1950. - No. 11 November.
• Dobrovolskaya G. Truce with the classics // . - L.: Art, 1968. - P. 33-55. - 176 p. - 5000 copies.
• Roslavleva N. In new ballets // . - M.: Art, 1968. - P. 66-67. - 164 s. - 75,000 copies.
• Gamaley Yu. Year 1950 // . - L.: PapiRus, 1999. - P. 140-141. - 424 s. - 5000 copies. - ISBN 5-87472-137-1.
• L. I. Abyzova. Dancer of the Kirov Theater // . - St. Petersburg. : Academy of Russian Ballet named after. A. Ya. Vaganova, 2000. - P. 69-75. - 400 s. - 1200 copies. - ISBN 5-93010-008-X.
• Jacobson L. My work on “Shurale” // Letters to Noverr. Memoirs and essays. - N-Y.: Hermitage Publishers, 2001. - P. 33-97. - 507 p. - ISBN 1-55779-133-3.
• Gabashi A.// Tatar world: magazine. - Kazan, 2005. - No. 3.
• Yunusova G.// Republic of Tatarstan: newspaper. - Kazan, 2005. - No. 13 May.
• // RIA Novosti: RIA. - M., 2009. - No. 24 June.
• Stupnikov I.// St. Petersburg Gazette: newspaper. - St. Petersburg. , 2009. - No. July 7.

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Notes

Links

• on the website of the Tatar Opera and Ballet Theater
• on the Mariinsky Theater website
• photo report from the performance of the Tatar Opera and Ballet Theater

Excerpt characterizing Shurale (ballet)

One of the people in the darkness of the night, from behind the high body of a carriage standing at the entrance, noticed another small glow of a fire. One glow had been visible for a long time, and everyone knew that it was Malye Mytishchi that was burning, lit by Mamonov’s Cossacks.
“But this, brothers, is a different fire,” said the orderly.
Everyone turned their attention to the glow.
“But, they said, Mamonov’s Cossacks set Mamonov’s Cossacks on fire.”
- They! No, this is not Mytishchi, this is further away.
- Look, it’s definitely in Moscow.
Two of the people got off the porch, went behind the carriage and sat down on the step.
- This is left! Of course, Mytishchi is over there, and this is in a completely different direction.
Several people joined the first.
“Look, it’s burning,” said one, “this, gentlemen, is a fire in Moscow: either in Sushchevskaya or in Rogozhskaya.”
No one responded to this remark. And for quite a long time all these people silently looked at the distant flames of a new fire flaring up.
The old man, the count's valet (as he was called), Danilo Terentich, approached the crowd and shouted to Mishka.
- What haven’t you seen, slut... The Count will ask, but no one is there; go get your dress.
“Yes, I was just running for water,” said Mishka.
– What do you think, Danilo Terentich, it’s like there’s a glow in Moscow? - said one of the footmen.
Danilo Terentich did not answer anything, and for a long time everyone was silent again. The glow spread and swayed further and further.
“God have mercy!.. wind and dryness...” the voice said again.
- Look how it went. Oh my God! You can already see the jackdaws. Lord, have mercy on us sinners!
- They'll probably put it out.
- Who should put it out? – the voice of Danila Terentich, who had been silent until now, was heard. His voice was calm and slow. “Moscow is, brothers,” he said, “she is mother squirrel...” His voice broke off, and he suddenly sobbed like an old man. And it was as if everyone was waiting for just this in order to understand the meaning that this visible glow had for them. Sighs, words of prayer and the sobbing of the old count's valet were heard.

The valet, returning, reported to the count that Moscow was burning. The Count put on his robe and went out to have a look. Sonya, who had not yet undressed, and Madame Schoss came out with him. Natasha and the Countess remained alone in the room. (Petya was no longer with his family; he went forward with his regiment, marching to Trinity.)
The Countess began to cry when she heard the news of the fire in Moscow. Natasha, pale, with fixed eyes, sitting under the icons on the bench (in the very place where she sat when she arrived), did not pay any attention to her father’s words. She listened to the incessant moaning of the adjutant, heard three houses away.
- Oh, what a horror! - said Sonya, cold and frightened, returned from the yard. – I think all of Moscow will burn, a terrible glow! Natasha, look now, you can see from the window from here,” she said to her sister, apparently wanting to entertain her with something. But Natasha looked at her, as if not understanding what they were asking her, and again stared at the corner of the stove. Natasha had been in this state of tetanus since this morning, ever since Sonya, to the surprise and annoyance of the Countess, for some unknown reason, found it necessary to announce to Natasha about Prince Andrei’s wound and his presence with them on the train. The Countess became angry with Sonya, as she was rarely angry. Sonya cried and asked for forgiveness and now, as if trying to make amends for her guilt, she never stopped caring for her sister.
“Look, Natasha, how terribly it burns,” said Sonya.
– What’s burning? – Natasha asked. - Oh, yes, Moscow.
And as if in order not to offend Sonya by refusing and to get rid of her, she moved her head to the window, looked so that, obviously, she could not see anything, and again sat down in her previous position.
-Have you not seen it?
“No, really, I saw it,” she said in a voice pleading for calm.
Both the Countess and Sonya understood that Moscow, the fire of Moscow, whatever it was, of course, could not matter to Natasha.
The Count again went behind the partition and lay down. The Countess approached Natasha, touched her head with her inverted hand, as she did when her daughter was sick, then touched her forehead with her lips, as if to find out if there was a fever, and kissed her.
-You're cold. You're shaking all over. You should go to bed,” she said.
- Go to bed? Yes, okay, I'll go to bed. “I’ll go to bed now,” Natasha said.
Since Natasha was told this morning that Prince Andrei was seriously wounded and was going with them, only in the first minute she asked a lot about where? How? Is he dangerously injured? and is she allowed to see him? But after she was told that she could not see him, that he was seriously wounded, but that his life was not in danger, she, obviously, did not believe what she was told, but was convinced that no matter how much she said, she would be answer the same thing, stopped asking and talking. All the way, with big eyes, which the countess knew so well and whose expression the countess was so afraid of, Natasha sat motionless in the corner of the carriage and now sat in the same way on the bench on which she sat down. She was thinking about something, something she was deciding or had already decided in her mind now - the countess knew this, but what it was, she did not know, and this frightened and tormented her.
- Natasha, undress, my dear, lie down on my bed. (Only the countess alone had a bed made on the bed; m me Schoss and both young ladies had to sleep on the floor on the hay.)
“No, mom, I’ll lie here on the floor,” Natasha said angrily, went to the window and opened it. The adjutant’s groan from the open window was heard more clearly. She stuck her head out into the damp air of the night, and the countess saw how her thin shoulders were shaking with sobs and beating against the frame. Natasha knew that it was not Prince Andrei who was moaning. She knew that Prince Andrei was lying in the same connection where they were, in another hut across the hallway; but this terrible incessant groan made her sob. The Countess exchanged glances with Sonya.
“Lie down, my dear, lie down, my friend,” said the countess, lightly touching Natasha’s shoulder with her hand. - Well, go to bed.
“Oh, yes... I’ll go to bed now,” said Natasha, hastily undressing and tearing off the strings of her skirts. Having taken off her dress and put on a jacket, she tucked her legs in, sat down on the bed prepared on the floor and, throwing her short thin braid over her shoulder, began to braid it. Thin, long, familiar fingers quickly, deftly took apart, braided, and tied the braid. Natasha's head turned with a habitual gesture, first in one direction, then in the other, but her eyes, feverishly open, looked straight and motionless. When the night suit was finished, Natasha quietly sank down onto the sheet laid on the hay on the edge of the door.
“Natasha, lie down in the middle,” said Sonya.
“No, I’m here,” Natasha said. “Go to bed,” she added with annoyance. And she buried her face in the pillow.
The Countess, m me Schoss and Sonya hastily undressed and lay down. One lamp remained in the room. But in the yard it was getting brighter from the fire of Malye Mytishchi, two miles away, and the drunken cries of the people were buzzing in the tavern, which Mamon’s Cossacks had smashed, on the crossroads, on the street, and the incessant groan of the adjutant was heard.
Natasha listened for a long time to the internal and external sounds coming to her, and did not move. She heard first the prayer and sighs of her mother, the cracking of her bed under her, the familiar whistling snoring of m me Schoss, the quiet breathing of Sonya. Then the Countess called out to Natasha. Natasha did not answer her.
“He seems to be sleeping, mom,” Sonya answered quietly. The Countess, after being silent for a while, called out again, but no one answered her.
Soon after this, Natasha heard her mother's even breathing. Natasha did not move, despite the fact that her small bare foot, having escaped from under the blanket, was chilly on the bare floor.
As if celebrating victory over everyone, a cricket screamed in the crack. The rooster crowed far away, and loved ones responded. The screams died down in the tavern, only the same adjutant's stand could be heard. Natasha stood up.
- Sonya? are you sleeping? Mother? – she whispered. No one answered. Natasha slowly and carefully stood up, crossed herself and stepped carefully with her narrow and flexible bare foot onto the dirty, cold floor. The floorboard creaked. She, quickly moving her feet, ran a few steps like a kitten and grabbed the cold door bracket.
It seemed to her that something heavy, striking evenly, was knocking on all the walls of the hut: it was her heart, frozen with fear, with horror and love, beating, bursting.
She opened the door, crossed the threshold and stepped onto the damp, cold ground of the hallway. The gripping cold refreshed her. She felt the sleeping man with her bare foot, stepped over him and opened the door to the hut where Prince Andrei lay. It was dark in this hut. In the back corner of the bed, on which something was lying, there was a tallow candle on a bench that had burned out like a large mushroom.
Natasha, in the morning, when they told her about the wound and the presence of Prince Andrei, decided that she should see him. She did not know what it was for, but she knew that the meeting would be painful, and she was even more convinced that it was necessary.
All day she lived only in the hope that at night she would see him. But now, when this moment came, the horror of what she would see came over her. How was he mutilated? What was left of him? Was he like that incessant groan of the adjutant? Yes, he was like that. He was in her imagination the personification of this terrible groan. When she saw an obscure mass in the corner and mistook his raised knees under the blanket for his shoulders, she imagined some kind of terrible body and stopped in horror. But an irresistible force pulled her forward. She carefully took one step, then another, and found herself in the middle of a small, cluttered hut. In the hut, under the icons, another person was lying on the benches (it was Timokhin), and two more people were lying on the floor (these were the doctor and the valet).
The valet stood up and whispered something. Timokhin, suffering from pain in his wounded leg, did not sleep and looked with all his eyes at the strange appearance of a girl in a poor shirt, jacket and eternal cap. The sleepy and frightened words of the valet; “What do you need, why?” - they only forced Natasha to quickly approach what was lying in the corner. No matter how scary or unlike a human this body was, she had to see it. She passed the valet: the burnt mushroom of the candle fell off, and she clearly saw Prince Andrei lying with his arms outstretched on the blanket, just as she had always seen him.
He was the same as always; but the inflamed color of his face, his sparkling eyes, fixed enthusiastically on her, and especially the tender child’s neck protruding from the folded collar of his shirt, gave him a special, innocent, childish appearance, which, however, she had never seen in Prince Andrei. She walked up to him and with a quick, flexible, youthful movement knelt down.
He smiled and extended his hand to her.

For Prince Andrei, seven days have passed since he woke up at the dressing station of the Borodino field. All this time he was in almost constant unconsciousness. The fever and inflammation of the intestines, which were damaged, in the opinion of the doctor traveling with the wounded man, should have carried him away. But on the seventh day he happily ate a slice of bread with tea, and the doctor noticed that the general fever had decreased. Prince Andrei regained consciousness in the morning. The first night after leaving Moscow it was quite warm, and Prince Andrei was left to spend the night in a carriage; but in Mytishchi the wounded man himself demanded to be carried out and to be given tea. The pain caused to him by being carried into the hut made Prince Andrei moan loudly and lose consciousness again. When they laid him on a camp bed, he lay for a long time with his eyes closed without moving. Then he opened them and quietly whispered: “What should I have for tea?” This memory for the small details of life amazed the doctor. He felt the pulse and, to his surprise and displeasure, noticed that the pulse was better. To his displeasure, the doctor noticed this because, from his experience, he was convinced that Prince Andrei could not live and that if he did not die now, he would only die with great suffering some time later. With Prince Andrei they were carrying the major of his regiment, Timokhin, who had joined them in Moscow with a red nose and was wounded in the leg in the same Battle of Borodino. With them rode a doctor, the prince's valet, his coachman and two orderlies.
Prince Andrey was given tea. He drank greedily, looking ahead at the door with feverish eyes, as if trying to understand and remember something.
- I don’t want anymore. Is Timokhin here? - he asked. Timokhin crawled towards him along the bench.
- I'm here, your Excellency.
- How's the wound?
- Mine then? Nothing. Is that you? “Prince Andrei began to think again, as if remembering something.
-Can I get a book? - he said.
- Which book?
- Gospel! I have no.
The doctor promised to get it and began asking the prince about how he felt. Prince Andrei reluctantly, but wisely answered all the doctor’s questions and then said that he needed to put a cushion on him, otherwise it would be awkward and very painful. The doctor and the valet lifted the greatcoat with which he was covered and, wincing at the heavy smell of rotten meat spreading from the wound, began to examine this terrible place. The doctor was very dissatisfied with something, changed something differently, turned the wounded man over so that he groaned again and, from the pain while turning, again lost consciousness and began to rave. He kept talking about getting this book for him as soon as possible and putting it there.
- And what does it cost you! - he said. “I don’t have it, please take it out and put it in for a minute,” he said in a pitiful voice.
The doctor went out into the hallway to wash his hands.
“Ah, shameless, really,” the doctor said to the valet, who was pouring water onto his hands. “I just didn’t watch it for a minute.” After all, you put it directly on the wound. It’s such a pain that I’m surprised how he endures it.
“It seems like we planted it, Lord Jesus Christ,” said the valet.
For the first time, Prince Andrei understood where he was and what had happened to him, and remembered that he had been wounded and how at that moment when the carriage stopped in Mytishchi, he asked to go to the hut. Confused again from pain, he came to his senses another time in the hut, when he was drinking tea, and then again, repeating in his memory everything that had happened to him, he most vividly imagined that moment at the dressing station when, at the sight of the suffering of a person he did not love, , these new thoughts came to him, promising him happiness. And these thoughts, although unclear and indefinite, now again took possession of his soul. He remembered that he now had new happiness and that this happiness had something in common with the Gospel. That's why he asked for the Gospel. But the bad situation that his wound had given him, the new upheaval, again confused his thoughts, and for the third time he woke up to life in the complete silence of the night. Everyone was sleeping around him. A cricket screamed through the entryway, someone was shouting and singing on the street, cockroaches rustled on the table and icons, in the autumn a thick fly beat on his headboard and near the tallow candle, which had burned like a large mushroom and stood next to him.