The image and characteristics of the devil in Gogol's story The Night Before Christmas essay. Lesson plan on literature on the topic: “N. V. Gogol. "Christmas Eve". Heroes of the story. Mythical images and their role in the work." (6th grade) Work on literary theory

Target:

continue getting acquainted with the story by N.V. Gogol’s “The Night Before Christmas”, its heroes, mythical characters, show their role in the work;

develop thinking, speech, and the ability to creatively perceive text;

to cultivate a caring attitude towards cultural heritage, a love of literature and artistic expression.

During the classes

Organizational stage

Update

Workbook, task 48*.

Which of the characters in the story can be considered an evil spirit? How do they differ from traditional representatives of evil spirits?

Workbook, task 46.

Find out the characters in the story by their descriptions.

“A lean, tall man in a short sheepskin coat with an overgrown beard,

showing that a fragment of a scythe, which men usually use to shave their beards for lack of a razor, had not touched her for more than two weeks.”

“She sat down on the bench and looked in the mirror again and began to adjust her

your head with your braids. She looked at the neck, at the new shirt, embroidered with silk, and subtle self-satisfaction was expressed on the lips, on the fresh cheeks and shone in the eyes.”

“She was neither good-looking nor bad-looking. It's hard to be good in times like these

of the year. However, she knew how to charm the most sedate Cossacks and knew how to skillfully deal with them.”

“Despite his small stature, he was quite weighty in width. Moreover

The trousers he wore were so wide that, no matter how big a step he took, his legs were completely invisible, and it seemed as if the distillery was moving down the street.”

“He saw a woman standing in front of him, somewhat portly, powdered, with blue eyes, and at the same time that majestic smiling appearance, which was so able to conquer everything...” Formation of new concepts and methods of action.

Workbook, task 49.

Previously, it happened that I could bend and straighten a copper coin and a horse's shoe in one hand; and now I won’t lift bags of coal

Formation of new concepts and methods of action.

Workbook, task 49.

To which of the characters in the story do these lines belong?

Go away, your hands are tougher than iron. And you yourself smell of smoke. I

I think I got all covered in soot.

Previously, it happened that I could bend and straighten a copper penny in one hand and

horse shoe; and now I won’t lift bags of coal.

I am your friend, I will do everything for a comrade and friend. I'll give you how much money

“want it,” he squeaked in his left ear. - Oksana will be ours today.

His Serene Highness promised to introduce me today to my people, whom I

I haven't seen it yet.

It's me, a good man! I came to you for fun to carol a little before

windows.

Conversation.

Which character personifies goodness in the story?

Name the heroes who embody evil? Mediators between good and evil?

Which features in the description of the trait are characteristic of a mythological character, and which were added by the author? Is the evil spirit portrayed in the story as scary?

Rather, she is portrayed with humor. Sometimes the devil even seems pitiful. Solokha looks like a flighty, cunning woman, sharp-witted and attractive, which arouses the envy and gossip of the village gossips. Patsyuk also does not make an intimidating impression. He is lazy, gluttonous, although not stupid. Knows all the devils and has the reputation of a healer. Acts as an intermediary between Vakula and the devil.

How do the devil and the witch try to harm “good people”? Why can't they do this?

Which of the heroes exorcises evil spirits outside the farmstead and from the souls of the heroes?

Why does Chub leave home on Christmas night?

He is invited to the clerk for kutya.

Who is trying to stop his plans and why?

The devil steals the month and causes a blizzard so that Chub does not go anywhere, but sits at home and watches over his daughter Oksana. The devil really wanted to annoy Vakula by preventing him from meeting his beloved girl.

Why does Chub still leave home? What traits of his character appear in this?

It was unpleasant for Chub to leave home on such a night, but he acted in defiance of his godfather, who suggested staying at home. Chuba seemed to be compelled by something to go against him. This shows Chub’s stubbornness and self-will.

Why did Solokha quarrel between her son Vakula and Chub?

She wanted to marry Chub and take over his farm. If Vakula had married Chub's daughter Oksana, her plans could not have come true.

What role does the blizzard play in Chub’s fate?

The snowstorm that the devil created confused Chub, clouded his eyes, confused the road and led to Solokha’s house instead of the clerk’s house.

How does Chub behave after getting out of the bag? Why?

Chub pretends that he deliberately pranked his godfather by climbing into the bag. And only when the clerk was pulled out of the bag, he was amazed and decided that Solokha “had 2 people in each bag.”

What happened to Solokha's boyfriends? Why did Chub and the head start talking about the weather and boots?

Chub and the head were confused, they did not expect to see each other. Both found themselves in a stupid position that did not correspond to their authority.

What significance did the incident with the bags have for the fate of Oksana and Vakula?

Chub became convinced of Solokha’s frivolity, and it became impossible for him to marry her.

Application. Formation of skills and abilities.

Determine who these descriptions are talking about.

The narrow muzzle, which constantly twirled and sniffed at everything it came across, ended in a round spot, and the legs were thin. A sharp and long tail hung behind him. He had a goat beard under his muzzle and small horns on his head.

Along with the smoke from the chimney, she rose astride her broom. She rose so high that only a black speck flashed above. Soon she had a full sleeve of stars.

Work with text.

What words in these sentences are used figuratively? What is a metaphor?

The snow caught fire in a wide silver field and was sprinkled with crystal stars;

Cheeks are burning from the cold.

Ethan information about homework

Find examples of the comic in the story (humor, irony).

Prepare a retelling of the episode “Vakula in the Palace.”

Ethan of reflection

Introduction. General description of the story, main idea.

“The Night Before Christmas” is Gogol’s outstanding story, it has been filmed many times and is sincerely loved by domestic readers. Part of the cycle of stories “Evenings on a farm near Dikanka”. Incredible fantastic events and lively language of description make the story bright and eye-catching. It is literally filled with folklore, folk tales and legends.

The ideological meaning of the work can be most fully understood by analyzing Gogol's views. At that time, he thought more and more about the greatness of democracy over the blind patriarchal way of contemporary Russia. It was fueled by progressive trends in the field of literature and science. The life of the landowners, their slow-wittedness and adherence to old ideals irritated Gogol, and he over and over again ridiculed their pitiful way of life and primitive thinking.

It is very important that in “The Night Before Christmas” good triumphs over evil, and light prevails over darkness. Vakula is brave and generous, he is not a coward and does not fold his hands in the face of difficulties. It was precisely this way, similar to the brave epic heroes, that Gogol wanted to see his contemporaries. However, the reality differed sharply from his idealized ideas.

The author tries to prove, using the example of Vakula, that only by doing good deeds and leading a righteous lifestyle can one become a happy person. The power of money and the violation of religious values ​​will lead a person to the very bottom, making him an immoral, rotting person, doomed to a joyless existence.

The entire description is permeated with the author's deep humor. Just remember with what mocking irony he describes the empress’s court circle. Gogol portrays the inhabitants of the St. Petersburg Palace as ingratiating and servile people, looking into the mouths of their superiors.

History of creation

The book “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka” was published in 1831, at the same time “The Night Before Christmas” was written. Gogol’s stories in the cycle were born quickly and easily. It is not known for certain when Gogol began working on the story, and when the idea of ​​​​creating it first came to him. There is evidence that he put his first words on paper a year before the book was published. Chronologically, the events described in the story fall on a period of approximately 50 years earlier than real time, namely the reign of Catherine II and the last deputation of the Cossacks.

Analysis of the work

Main plot. Features of the compositional structure.

(Illustration by Alexander Pavlovich Bubnov for N.V. Gogol “The Night Before Christmas”)

The plot is tied to the adventures of the main character - the blacksmith Vakula and his love for the eccentric beauty Oksana. The conversation between the young people serves as the beginning of the story; the first beauty immediately promises Vakula marriage in exchange for the royal shoes. The girl is not at all going to fulfill her word; she laughs at the young man, realizing that he will not be able to fulfill her instructions. But, according to the peculiarities of the construction of the fairy tale genre, Vakula manages to fulfill the beauty’s desire, and the devil helps him in this. Vakula's flight to St. Petersburg to receive the Empress is the climax of the story. The denouement is the wedding of the young people and the reconciliation of Vakula with the father of the bride, with whom they had a broken relationship.

In terms of genre, the story gravitates more towards the fairy-tale type of composition. According to the laws of a fairy tale, we can see a happy ending at the end of the story. In addition, many heroes originate precisely from the origins of ancient Russian legends; we observe the magic and power of dark forces over the world of ordinary people.

Images of the main characters

Blacksmith Vakula

The main characters are real characters, village residents. Blacksmith Vakula is a real Ukrainian man, hot-tempered, but at the same time extremely decent and honest. He is a hard worker, a good son to his parents and will certainly make an excellent husband and father. He is simple from the point of view of mental organization, does not have his head in the clouds and has an open, rather kind disposition. He achieves everything thanks to his strength of character and unbending spirit.

Black-eyed Oksana is the main beauty and an enviable bride. She is proud and arrogant, due to her youth she has a hot temperament, is frivolous and flighty. Oksana is constantly surrounded by male attention, loved by her father, tries to dress in the most elegant dresses and endlessly admires her own reflection in the mirror. When she found out that the boys had declared her the first beauty, she began to behave appropriately, constantly annoying everyone with her whims. But young suitors are only amused by this behavior, and they continue to run after the girl in a crowd.

In addition to the main characters of the story, many equally striking secondary characters are described. Vakula’s mother, the witch Solokha, who also appeared in “Sorochinskaya Fair”, is a widow. Attractive in appearance, a flirtatious lady, playing tricks with the devil. Despite the fact that she personifies a dark force, her image is described very attractively and does not repel the reader at all. Just like Oksana, Solokha has a lot of admirers, including the ironically depicted sexton.

Conclusion

Immediately after its publication, the story was recognized as unusually poetic and exciting. Gogol so skillfully conveys all the flavor of the Ukrainian village that the reader seems to be able to stay there himself and immerse himself in this magical world while reading the book. Gogol draws all his ideas from folk legends: the devil who stole the month, the witch flying on a broom, and so on. With his characteristic artistic style, he reworks images in his own poetic way, making them unique and bright. Real events are intertwined with fairy tales so closely that the thin line between them is completely lost - this is another feature of Gogol’s literary genius, which permeates all of his work and gives it its characteristic features.

Gogol's work, his stories and novels filled with the deepest meaning are considered exemplary not only in domestic but also in world literature. He so captured the minds and souls of his readers, managed to find such deep strings of the human soul that his work is deservedly considered ascetic.

Topic: “N. V. Gogol. "Christmas Eve". Heroes of the story. Mythical images and their role in the work."

Target: Development of skills of collection, analysis, synthesis, generalization, evaluation, skills

collaborative work, moral qualities in the process

formation of students’ knowledge on the heroes of the story, mythical images and their role

in the work of N.V. Gogol “The Night Before Christmas”.

Predicted result. Know the basic concepts on the topic being studied. Be able to

apply the acquired knowledge in practice.

Lesson type: studying.

Lesson type: non-standard.

Equipment, incl. benefits: ICT, presentation, posters, markers, stickers, text

works.

Methods: explanatory-illustrative, activity-based, verbal, search,

information and communication.

During the classes.

I . Org moment.

Preparing students for work in the classroom. Creating a collaborative environment. Warm up. “What quality, in your opinion, is the most important in a person’s character?”

Division into MG using candies.

Challenge: What will we talk about in class? Slide number 1

Setting the topic and goals of the lesson for students.

Today our lesson is dedicated to the work of N.V. Gogol “The Night Before Christmas” from the collection “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka”. We will talk to you about the heroes of the story, about N.V. Gogol’s use of mythical images and their role in the work.

Students record the date and topic of the lesson. Slide number 2

II . Preparing students for the main stage of the lesson. Slide number 3 (Splash screen)

1. Exercise "Envelopes". Questions are given to the groups. Each group specifies

the rest have their own question. Listens to answers and adds. Slide No. 4-9

What do you know about the Christian holiday of the Nativity of Christ?

What is the name of the evening before Christmas?

What do Orthodox Christians do on Christmas night?

What symbol does the star worn by Orthodox Christians during caroling carry?

What is a carol?

How are Christianity and paganism related?

What is science fiction in your opinion?

What is reality in your opinion?

What creatures belong to lower mythology?

Define the term “mythologem.”

2. Mutual assessment.

III . The main stage of the lesson. Slide number 10

Teacher's word. Name the heroes of the work. Which ones are mythological creatures and which ones are real? Slide number 11

1. MG assignment. Display on the poster everything you know about the character: Vakula,

Oksana, Chuba, Chert, Solokha. Analysis of character images. Slide number 12

2. Protecting student posters at the blackboard.

3. Mutual assessment.

4. Preliminary task. Write a short essay on

images of heroes. “Do you like the hero and why?” Defense of their works by students

5. Mutual assessment.

What is the attitude of the villagers towards otherworldly forces? Slide number 13

Why did the devil on this particular night have to “teach good people the sins”? Which of the character images can be called the main ones? How do representatives of the forces of evil influence the fate of the main characters? Slide number 14

IV. Consolidation of acquired knowledge.

"Who is faster?" Slide number 15

Using these illustrations, find their representation in the text.

Is it possible to draw a conclusion about the internal

rebirth of the heroine.

Group assignment. Characterize two opposing heroes using the “Diamond - Diamond” strategy.

1. Vakula

2. Kind, pious

3. Works, loves, travels, hates, gets in the way

4. Evil, treacherous

3. Game "Journey through the pages of the work." Slide No. 16-25

Questions and answers

List of questions:

What was the name of the village where Gogol's character Vakula lived?

How was the witch Solokha related to the blacksmith Vakula?

Name the “vehicle” of the blacksmith Vakula when flying to St. Petersburg.

What is the name of Oksana's father in Gogol's story "The Night Before Christmas"?

How many characters from the story “The Night Before Christmas” ended up in bags in the house?

Which queen in N.V. Gogol’s story “The Night Before Christmas” bestowed on Vakula

slippers?

Who stole the month and why?

Why did the devil take revenge on the blacksmith?

What did the witch collect in her sleeve on the night before Christmas?

How can you tame the devil?

Where and why did Vakula go, riding the devil?

V . Summing up the lesson.

What conclusion can be drawn by analyzing the images of the work? Slide number 26

Oksana Beauty, Love, Vera Vakula

Evil is defeated.

2. Watch a video of the film “The Night Before Christmas” (1961). Slide number 27

3. After watching the video, analyzing the images of the characters in the work, what

can we conclude? "The Night Before Christmas" is a beautiful tale of love, where

Despite the difficulties, the heroes find happiness. Slide number 28

Is it possible to connect Gogol's story with our modern life?

4. Slide number 29. Gogol’s statement about his work.

VI . Reflection. "Two stars, one wish." Slide number 30 (Splash screen)

VII . Homework. Re-read episodes about relationships

Vakula and Oksana. Slide number 31

VIII . Assessment.

IX . Parting words. A star is a symbol of happiness, good luck, hope for the best and

Let everyone, leaving the lesson, take with them a star in their soul - a piece of our

love and faith that ultimately Love, Beauty and Kindness will save the world.

Slide number 32 (Splash screen)

The story “The Night Before Christmas” was written by N.V. Gogol in 1830 – 1832. The first edition of the work was published in 1832 in the printing house of A. Plushar. The story is part of the writer’s famous cycle “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka”. In “The Night Before Christmas,” Gogol humorously depicted poeticized rural life on a holiday, turning the plot around the love story of the blacksmith Vakula and the daughter of a rich Cossack Oksana.

Main characters

Vakula- a blacksmith, “a strong man and a good fellow,” in his free time he was engaged in “painting”, was in love with Oksana and flew to St. Petersburg on the devil to get her slippers from the queen herself.

Oksana- daughter of the Cossack Chuba, Vakula’s beloved, she “was not yet seventeen years old”, “she was capricious, like a beauty.”

Crap- He disliked Vakula because he painted him in a bad light and took the blacksmith to St. Petersburg.

Other characters

Forelock- a rich Cossack, widower, father of Oksana.

Solokha- the witch, Vakula’s mother, “was no more than forty years old.”

Pot-bellied Patsyuk- a healer, a former Cossack, who has been living in Dikanka for many years.

Head, clerk, godfather Panas, Queen Catherine.

It was a clear winter night in Dikanka before Christmas. Suddenly, a witch flew out of the chimney of one of the huts riding a broom and, rising to the sky, began collecting stars in her sleeve.

On the other hand, a devil appeared in the sky. He hid the month in his pocket, and everything around immediately became dark. The devil did this so that the Cossack Chub would be too lazy to walk in the dark and stay at home, and therefore the blacksmith Vakula could not come to his daughter Oksana. So the devil wanted to take revenge on the blacksmith, who painted him disgraced in the painting of the Last Judgment.

Chub and Panas, waiting for a “good drinking party” at the clerk’s, leave the Cossack’s hut and see that a month has disappeared in the sky, and it has become completely dark outside. After hesitating, they still decide to continue on their way.

While Chub left, Oksana, left alone at home, admired herself in front of the mirror. Vakula, who came to her, finds the girl doing this. The blacksmith addresses Oksana with tender speeches, but she only laughs and mocks him. Frustrated, Vakula decides that the girl does not love him.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and the blacksmith went to open it.

The frost increased, so the devil and the witch went down through the chimney into her hut. The witch was none other than Vakula’s mother, Solokha. She knew how to charm men so much that many Cossacks of the village came to her, but none of them knew about their rivals. Among all her admirers, Solokha singled out the rich Cossack Chub.

Meanwhile, when the devil was going down the chimney, he noticed Chub and created a strong snowstorm, thus trying to bring him home.

And indeed, seeing nothing because of the snowstorm, Chub decided to go back and he and his godfather went in different directions. Having reached his hut, the Cossack knocked, but, hearing Vakula’s indignant cry, decided that this was not his house and changed his voice. Not recognizing Chub in the newcomer, the blacksmith beat the Cossack. Then Chub, reasoning that if Vakula was here, then he was not at home, went to Solokha.

While the devil was flying out of the chimney and back, the month flew out of the “palm” hanging on his side and rose into the sky. “Everything lit up. Blizzards like never before." Crowds of caroling boys and girls with bags appeared on the street.

The girls hurried to Chub's house. Oksana noticed one of the girls had new shoes and was sad that she had no one to get her a beautiful new thing. Then Vakula himself volunteered to get “the kind of slippers that a rare lady wears.” Jokingly, Oksana said that only those worn by the queen herself would suit her, and if the blacksmith got hold of them, she would marry him.

A hefty head suddenly comes to Solokha, who is sitting with the devil. While the woman was opening the door, the unclean hid in the bag. The head only had time to drink a glass of vodka and say that because of the snowstorm he didn’t get to the clerk, when there was another knock on the door - it was the clerk himself. Solokha hid her head in the second bag. However, the woman’s conversation with the clerk was soon interrupted - the Cossack Chub came to Solokha. The hostess hid the clerk in the third bag, and soon Chub ended up in the same bag, who did not want to see Vakula, who had come to his mother.

While Solokha went out to see the next visitor, the blacksmith takes away all three bags and, saddened by Oksana’s bullying, does not even notice their weight.

On the street, Vakula meets carolers. Oksana, laughing, repeats her condition again in front of everyone. Upset, Vakula threw the bags on the ground and, taking the smallest one with him, said goodbye to everyone and ran away.

Vakula decides to go to the local healer - Pot-bellied Patsyuk - “he, they say, knows all the devils and will do whatever he wants.” Finding Patsyuk eating first dumplings, and then dumplings, which themselves flew into the owner’s mouth, Vakula asks him how to find the devil in order to ask him for help. To this the healer answered him: “He who has the devil behind him does not need to go far.” Frightened by a quick dumpling flying into his mouth, Vakula runs away from Patsyuk.

Hearing the blacksmith’s words, the devil immediately jumped out of the bag and offered to conclude a contract, signing it in blood. However, Vakula grabbed the devil by the tail. After baptizing the unclean one, the blacksmith saddled him and forced him to take him to St. Petersburg to the queen.

Oksana notices the bags left by Vakula and offers to pick them up. While the girls went to get the sled, the bag with Chub and the clerk is carried away by the godfather who came out of the tavern. During a quarrel between Panas and his wife over the contents of the bag, Chub and the clerk got out of it, explaining that they had decided to make a joke.

The girls took the remaining bag to Oksana. At this time, Chub returned home and, finding the confused head in the bag, was outraged by Solokha’s cunning.

Having flown to St. Petersburg, the devil turned into a horse, and then, at the behest of Vakula, he shrunk and hid in his pocket. The blacksmith finds familiar Cossacks, and with the help of the evil spirit, he receives consent to go with them to the queen.

In the palace, the Cossacks and Vakula were met by Potemkin, and then by the queen herself. When Catherine asked the Cossacks what request they came to her with, the blacksmith immediately fell at the queen’s feet, asking for his wife the same beautiful slippers as hers. Catherine was amused by his simplicity, and she ordered to bring the most expensive shoes with gold. Praising the queen’s legs, the blacksmith, pushed by the Cossacks, stepped back and the devil instantly carried him “behind the barrier.”

Rumors had already spread around Dikanka at this time that Vakula had either drowned or hanged himself. Hearing about this, Oksana was very upset - after all, he loved her, and now, perhaps, he left the village forever or disappeared completely. Vakula did not appear after mass either.

The blacksmith got back even faster, and after giving the devil three blows with a twig, he released him. Upon entering home, Vakula immediately fell asleep and slept until mass. Waking up, the blacksmith took with him the queen’s shoes for Oksana and a hat and belt for Chub and went to the Cossack. After her father’s consent to the matchmaking, the embarrassed girl said that she was ready to marry Vakula “without any stalks.”

After getting married, the blacksmith painted his entire hut, and in the church he depicted the devil in hell - “so disgusting that everyone spat when they passed by.”

Conclusion

In the story “The Night Before Christmas,” Gogol reveals the theme of folk life, depicting a number of typical rural characters - the clever and strong blacksmith Vakula, the beautiful and narcissistic Oksana, the stupid and rich Chub, the cunning Solokha and others. By introducing mythical characters into the narrative (witch, devil, healer), the author brings the plot of the work closer to a fairy tale, thus intertwining the techniques of realism and romanticism in the story.

A brief retelling of “The Night Before Christmas” describes the main plot of the work, but for a better understanding of the story, we advise you to read its full version.

Test on the story

The test questions cover many important points in the summary of the work:

Retelling rating

Average rating: 4.4. Total ratings received: 2870.

Nikolenko O. N., Nikolenko E. S. (Poltava, Ukraine), Ph.D. Sc., prof., head. Department of Foreign Literature of Poltava National Pedagogical University named after V. G. Korolenko / 2012

Since the 17th century, Ukraine has aroused great interest in Europe and Russia as a land of beautiful nature, original traditions and history. This interest intensified at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries in connection with the development of romanticism.

While in St. Petersburg, Gogol wrote in his letters to his mother and sisters asking them to send him Little Russian stories, folk beliefs, descriptions of Ukrainian costumes and rituals. He used all this in the collection “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka,” which was published during 1830-1832 and was very successful.

The connection of the “Evenings” cycle with folk traditions has already been the subject of separate studies at the level of the characteristics of artistic consciousness, individual motives and literary devices (V. Zvinyatskovsky, P. Mikhed, etc.). Recently, serious works have appeared on this issue concerning archetypes (A. Goldenberg) and mythopoetics (L. Sofronova) of early Gogol. However, the connection between the writer’s work and Ukrainian folklore and folk mythology remains a rather complex issue in Gogol studies, requiring continued study of specific texts of the cycle.

Dikanka as a topos was a very significant place as a historical crossroads (of the destinies of Russia and Europe in the context of the Northern War), a sacred crossroads (in connection with ancient legends about the miraculous icon), and a romantic crossroads (in connection with the love story of Mazepa for Maria Kochubey). This place became a kind of crossroads of the destinies of people associated with the Gogol family (the architect of the Dikan Church M. Lvov and the writers G. Derzhavin, V. Kapnist were married to sisters, the Kochubeys occupied a prominent place in the capital). Thus, Dikanka in Gogol’s artistic consciousness united his homeland and capital, historical and sacred, real and mythological.

Dikanka’s topos is clearly outlined by Gogol in the preface to the first part of “Evenings”: “I think you’ve heard plenty about Dikanka. And then say that there house (meaning Kochubey's estate - author) cleaner than some Pasichnikov’s kuren. And about garden and there is nothing to say: in your St. Petersburg, you probably won’t find anything like this...” (I, p. 106) Foma Grigorievich, clerk of the Dikansky church, is one of the implicit characters in the cycle “Evenings on a farm near Dikanka.”

In his book, Gogol revealed a previously undiscovered Ukraine to society - not only as a part of Russian history and part of the Russian empire, but also as a region with its own national identity, mythology, folklore, traditions and customs. Gogol thereby asserted not so much exoticism as the cultural uniqueness and originality of Ukraine, which, although it was part of the Russian Empire as Little Russia, still had some differences.

In the list of words that are incomprehensible to readers, along with exoticisms and barbarisms - names of details of Ukrainian life and culture (bandura, batog, zhupan, kaganets, dumplings, hopak, makitra, plakhta, sopilka, etc.), Gogol included names indicating national identification. For example: “katsap - Russian a man with a beard", "Chumaks - "carriers going to the Crimea for salt and fish" (part 1), " Little Russians, going for salt and fish, usually to the Crimea” (part 2). The descriptive interpretation of Ukrainian words (devchina, parubok, kozak, etc.) through the Russian language testifies, on the one hand, to the author’s feeling of involvement in the Russian world, but on the other hand, it also emphasizes the national uniqueness of the artistic world created by Gogol.

The preface to the first part of the collection contains an indication that “vechernitsy” (Ukrainian. evening girls) are similar to the capital’s balls, but not quite: “They, if you please, are similar to your balls; I just can’t say that at all. If you go to balls, it is precisely to twirl your legs and yawn in your hand; and here a crowd of girls will gather in one hut, not at all for a ball, with a spindle, with combs; and at first they seem to be busy: the spindles are noisy, songs are flowing, and each one does not even raise an eye to the side; but as soon as the couples with the violinist come into the hut, a scream will rise, a shawl will start, dancing will begin and such jokes will be made that it is impossible to tell. But it’s best when everyone huddles together in a tight group and starts asking riddles or just chatting. My God! What they won’t tell you! Where antiquities won't be dug up! What fears will they not inflict!..” (I, p. 104).

The traditions of Ukrainian folklore, images, motifs and symbols of folk mythology influenced the artistic structure of the works collected in the collection “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka”, which was clearly manifested in the story “The Night Before Christmas”, which opens the second part of the cycle. Even in the preface to the first part, the author spoke about the plan of the second: “It’s better that when I live, God willing, until the new year and publish another book, then it will be possible to suffer people from the other world And divas what happened in the old days in our Orthodox side” (I, p. 106).

The motifs of “the other world” and “diva” (“miracle”) are key in the story “The Night Before Christmas” and go back to the traditions of paganism and Christianity, which are clearly reflected in Ukrainian folklore, mythology and Ukrainian ritual culture.

The events in the story take place on “holy evening” (Ukr. Holy Supper, Rich Supper, Holy Supper). On this evening, twelve Lenten dishes are prepared, the whole family gathers, they read prayers, remember the dead, young people bring food to their godmothers and fathers. This evening everyone waits for the first star to break their fast. The central dish on the pre-Christmas table was kutya (in the story Vakula recalls “hungry kutya,” that is, fasting), prepared from the gifts of nature - a symbol of further well-being, prosperity and a talisman against evil forces.

It has long been believed that amazing and magical events, extraordinary transformations, and even a meeting with evil spirits, which must retreat before the Christian holiday of Christmas, take place on Holy Evening. In the story “The Night Before Christmas,” such extraordinary transformations are found everywhere (the witch turns into Solokha, the devil into a horse, etc.). Magical events also take place in the earthly world: the blacksmith Vakula saddled the devil himself, flew to St. Petersburg, and got slippers for the beautiful Oksana from the queen herself.

Evening (and night) in romanticism is a special time, a mysterious time, a time of meeting between the real and other worlds, God and the Devil, good and evil spirits. Gogol gives the romantic concepts of “evening” and “night” sacred meaning and national flavor of Ukrainian culture.

As you know, Christian holidays begin the day before, so evening and night are included in their sacred time. In addition, night in the pagan tradition of the Slavs is considered a particularly magical and especially effective time, when all the evil spirits creep out from the dark corners and it is necessary to actively counteract it. Evening and night are a time of love sadness, grief over an unhappy fate. There are a number of popular beliefs associated with evening and night (they don’t give back borrowed money at night, don’t throw out trash, don’t throw out water after bathing a child, etc.). The symbolic attribute of the night is a black horse (it is no coincidence that in Gogol the devil turns into a horse in St. Petersburg).

The folklore structure of “vechernitsy”, emphasized by the author in the preface to the first part, influenced the construction of works from Gogol’s collection. The story “The Night Before Christmas” is focused on the oral tradition, that is, on the telling of a certain story, which is interrupted by songs, jokes, scenes from folk life - quarrels (Ukr. welding), fights (Ukrainian) with trims), rumors (Ukrainian) sensitively). The story consists of separate short stories, each of which is based on a specific episode, but these short stories are internally interconnected, and the ending of each of them creates the effect of anticipation of a continuation, which is also characteristic of the folklore structure of Ukrainian “vechernitsa”.

Let us also note that “evening houses” in Ukrainian folklore are a kind of synthetic structure where word, music, dance, and theatrical performances are organically combined, where the everyday can coexist with the sacred, mystical, where the funny and the scary can be present at the same time. “Evening girls” are characterized by polyphony, stylistic diversity, and constant appeal to their interlocutors, or rather, to the participants in the action. This artistic syncretism is observed in the story “The Night Before Christmas”.

The structure of the story “The Night Before Christmas” was also influenced by the traditions of the Ukrainian nativity scene, where the performance was performed in different tiers - the upper (heavenly) and lower (earthly). Religious scenes were shown in the upper tier, and funny scenes from Ukrainian folk life were shown in the lower tier. The traditional characters of the Ukrainian nativity scene were the Mother of God, Jesus, Herod, Devil (in the upper tier), Baba, Moskal, Gypsy, Shinkar, Dyak (in the lower tier). The main and most popular hero of the nativity scene was Kozak (Zaporozhets) - the most dynamic character, he always emerged victorious in all scenes.

The story “The Night Before Christmas” presents the iconic characters of the Ukrainian nativity scene - the woman (Solokha, the weaver, Pereperchikha), the clerk, the Head, the Cossack, the blacksmith, the beauty (Oksana), the queen, the godfather. Characteristic traits are assigned to them: a cunning and grumpy woman, a brave and purposeful hero, a proud beauty, a fair and generous queen, an all-knowing and all-powerful Cossack, a stupid head, a drunken godfather, a lustful clerk, etc.

The upper and lower tiers in Gogol's story “The Night Before Christmas” turn out to be interpenetrating, forming an organic unity of the artistic world of the story. The majestic story of the birth of Christ is included in the earthly world with its everyday signs and real stories. The erasing of boundaries, movement from one world to another, the interpenetration of worlds is ensured by the wonderful transformations of characters and the freedom of oral storytelling (here the author-storyteller acts as the Creator, setting in motion the entire world he created).

The artistic organization of the story “The Night Before Christmas” also revealed the traditions of ritual Ukrainian folklore.

Carols are calendar and ritual songs that have been sung in Ukraine since pagan times. The name is associated with Kolyada - the god who in paganism began a new Circle of the Sun (Svarog), that is, a new economic year. With the adoption of Christianity, Kolyada was associated with the great holiday of Christmas. The ritual of caroling consisted of carolers walking from house to house, singing praises to God and good wishes to people, and in return receiving donations into a common bag, then these donations were divided among all participants in the procession. Kolyada is a symbol of the renewal of the world, a symbol of holiness and purity, the victory of good over evil. The word “Kolyada” itself comes from “kolo” (hence Ukrainian. kolo, wheel, carols) - symbol of the Sun. The carols celebrated the birth of the Sun and the most important components of the Universe - Fire and Water, as well as the birth of Christ.

Here are the carols recorded by A. Afanasyev:

Behind the steep mountain,

Behind the river bistro

The forests remain dark,

Fires burn in these forests,

People stand around in flames,

People stand and sing carols.

Oh, Kolyada, Kolyada!

Ti buvaesh, Kolyada,

Before the Holidays.

Ikhala Kolyada

In a painted cart,

To the black horse!

I stopped by Vasily at the door.

Vasil, Vasil! Give Kolyada.

Kolyad, kolyad, kolyadnitsa,

“Honey and Palyanitsya” are traditional symbols of the Sun, “Ikhala Kolyada” is also the Sun, the turning of which people joyfully celebrate. Often, carolers changed their clothes or turned out their casing, depicting a wolf (to scare away evil spirits). Among the carolers there was one who pretended to be the devil; he put on a skin, smeared his face with soot, attached horns to his head, a snout to his nose, and took hot coal in his teeth. He was an active participant in the action (hotel scenes) during caroling.

In constructing the plot of the story “The Night Before Christmas,” Gogol relied on the ritual of caroling, which he often observed in his homeland. Carolers come to Oksana, among whom her attention is attracted by Odarka and her new children. Solokha hides those who came to her in bags, and Vakula puts them out on the street, which leads to new plot twists. The atmosphere of a cheerful folk festival and caroling reigns in the story.

The idea of ​​the unity of the people gathered to glorify Christ in carols is constantly heard in the work: “Songs and shouts were heard noisier and noisier through the streets. The crowds of jostling people were increased by those who came from neighboring villages. The boys were naughty and crazy to their heart's content. Often, between the carols, some cheerful song was heard, which one of the young Cossacks immediately managed to compose” (I, p. 220). In joyful unity, the residents of Dikanka and surrounding villages awaited the celebration of the birth of Christ, and together they celebrate the holiday in the church. “The morning has come. The whole church was full of people even before the light...” (I, p. 240).

Even in the very construction of Gogol’s phrase, especially at the very beginning, one can feel the influence of carols, where the traditional symbols are stars, a month, and also the praise of Christ and an appeal to good people and to the whole world. “A clear winter night has arrived. The stars looked out. The moon majestically rose to the sky to shine good people and the whole world so that everyone can have fun caroling and praising Christ"(I, p. 201).

In connection with the folklore tradition of caroling, Gogol’s story includes the theme of the struggle between light and darkness, good and evil, a new turn in life and the unity of the people before evil spirits.

Along with carols, Gogol also mentions other ritual songs of Ukrainians - Shchedrovki (Ukrainian. Shchedrivka). The author resorts to direct quotation: “Then suddenly one of the crowd, instead of a carol, let out a shchedrovka and roared at the top of his lungs:

Shchedrik, bucket!

Give me a dumpling,

A breast of porridge,

Kіltse cowboys!

Laughter rewarded the entertainer” (I, p. 220).

Why did they laugh at the one who suddenly started singing the shchedrovka song?

“Generous Evening” (Ukrainian) Generous evening) is included in the cycle of New Year and Christmas holidays, but it does not coincide with the “Holy Evening”, but comes a week later. Shchedrovki (Ukrainian) Shchedrivka) - these are the magic words that should appease the generous God of the Savior and give a good harvest in the new year.

Carols and schedrovkas, directly introduced by Gogol into the story “The Night Before Christmas,” give the work an atmosphere of lyricism, traditional folk culture and emphasize the eternal themes and motifs that unfold in the story: the turn to the new economic year, the struggle of light and darkness, good and evil, as well as the arrival of the great Orthodox holiday, for which Christians should unite.

The story “The Night Before Christmas” mentions another genre of Ukrainian folklore - duma (when Vakula thinks about Oksana). His monologue conveys doubt, but at the same time confidence in overcoming difficulties. Gogol also puts into the mouth of Vakula the folk song “I shouldn’t bother with a woman...”. This is part of the folk song “Oh on, oh on the mountain and women to reap...”, which sounds the theme of the Zaporozhye Sich, the campaigns of the Cossacks (Sagaidachny and Doroshenko are mentioned there). That is, in the image of the blacksmith Vakula, the features of a Cossack are also emphasized.

Vakula’s connection with the Ukrainian Cossacks is also confirmed by the scenes in St. Petersburg, where he does not immediately go to the queen, but relies on the friendly support of the Zaporozhye Cossacks who passed through Dikanka. The motif of Cossack camaraderie will subsequently become central in the story “Taras Bulba”. The hero’s courage and straightforwardness when meeting the queen (which also corresponded to the code of the Ukrainian Cossack) helped him get the treasured item - golden slippers for Oksana.

The story “The Night Before Christmas” contains individual elements of a Ukrainian folk tale: at the level of images (a hero and a beauty, two godfathers, a wife and a deceived husband, a woman and her admirers, two grumpy women, wonderful transformations of characters, etc.), on at the level of plot structures (testing the hero by a beauty, womanly subterfuge, meeting the hero with the devil, the devil’s agreement with a man, etc.), at the level of the chronotope (home world - the capital, earthly - otherworldly, etc.), at the level of motives ( the struggle of good and evil, light and darkness, hero and devil, the test of a hero, the search for a treasured object necessary for happiness, etc.), at the level of style and language (promise (Ukrainian obitnytsia), repetitions, traditional epithets and metaphors, folk figures of speech, etc.).

At the end of the story “The Night Before Christmas”, the traditional motif of a folk tale - achieving happiness with the help of a treasured object obtained by the hero, as well as the transformation of the heroes (Oksana no longer needs slippers, because she realized that love is more important) is associated with the Christian motif of a “miracle” during the great holiday of Christmas.

The month is a traditional Slavic symbol along with the Sun. According to ancient beliefs, stars were born from the union of the Sun and the Moon. In ancient carols, the heavenly world appears very harmonious: the sky is called a temple (chamber), the Month is the ruler, the Sun is his wife, and the stars are their children. In Ukrainian legends, the month that shines at night awakens the seeds of life and gives them fertility. With the aging month, no crops were started. It was believed that if you sow bread “when the month is young,” the bread will grow faster. Carols, songs (sowing), and spells (Ukrainian prayer) were associated with the month. In order for the month to contribute to the well-being of the family, a sacrifice was made to it in the form of dumplings or dumplings, which are shaped like a month. We find echoes of all these folklore and mythological ideas in Gogol’s story “The Night Before Christmas.” The devil stole the month, and this threatened the whole world. Patsyuk eats dumplings and dumplings, which is associated with mythological ideas about the magical power of the month.

Representatives of the “other world” - the witch and the devil - are shown in the home space; they acquire human traits and act alongside the human characters. The devil has the features of the “Yareskovsky head” and the “provincial solicitor”. And the witch turns into Solokha, who “bewitches” men. In the Ukrainian tradition, both the devil and the witch had a number of names, different in semantics (scary, euphemisms, comic, etc.). This is manifested in the story “The Night Before Christmas”: the devil is a damned German, an agile dandy with a tail and a goat’s beard, crafty, evil spirit, bald, lame, Satan, kaka and etc.; witch - Solokha, mistress, devil-woman, etc.

The conflict between the blacksmith Vakula and the devil is a unique interpretation of the famous Ukrainian proverb “The devil is not so terrible as he paints his eyes.” In Ukrainian folklore, stories about various adventures of the devil in the earthly world, about the courtship (Ukrainian zalitsyanny) of the devil with a woman (widow, someone else's wife), about the theft of the devil of the month (sun, stars), about the agreement (contract) of the devil with a person are quite widespread. , about the hero's victory over the devil. The devil in folk mythology is capable of flying rapidly across the sky, scattering sparks, and (like the witch) flying in and out of a chimney. Therefore, the image of smoke goes back to ancient mythological ideas about evil spirits. Very often in Ukrainian folk tales the devil appears deceived - the hero forces him to act in his own interests. The devil, as a rule, must help the hero get married, get some treasured item, or complete an impossible task. This folklore motif can be traced in the story “The Night Before Christmas” by Gogol. In this case, the motive of victory over the devil is consistent with the Christian idea of ​​Christmas.

The images of the devil and the blacksmith Vakula are closely connected in Gogol’s work. Even in pagan ideas, a blacksmith (Ukr. farrier) was endowed with special magical powers because he was the ruler of the element of fire. In addition, blacksmiths were considered in some way “priests”, since “kovati” (Ukr. kuwati) meant art in general, including magic. During Christian times, the blacksmith's craft became even more important because blacksmiths worked on the construction of churches. Blacksmith Vakula not only knows how to work with a hammer, but also knows how to draw (paint). He painted the Trinity Church with pictures of the Last Judgment, which led to his conflict with the devil, and the devil interfered with him not only while painting, but also in life (trying to quarrel with Chub, thereby preventing him from marrying Oksana).

The motif of “painting” appears more than once in the story. The blacksmith saw the Most Pure Virgin in the queen’s chambers with a baby in her arms, and this greatly excited him. At the end of the story, Oksana herself appears as the Most Pure Virgin with her child. Vakula and Oksana’s hut is “painted”. And the women showed the devil that Vakula drew in the church to the children and said: “He’s a bacha, yaka.” kaka daubed" (I, p. 243).

Thus, the action of “painting” had a sacred meaning; it goes back to the mythological ideas of the ancient Slavs that with the help of certain symbols, signs, and colors one can overcome evil forces. In the era of Christianity, “painting” became even more common in connection with iconography. In the Ukrainian folk tradition, churches, huts, Easter eggs (pysanky), clothes (shirts, scaffolds, belts, etc. using embroidery), dishes, stoves, etc. were painted, which was considered a talisman against the devil.

The story “The Night Before Christmas” uses color symbolism based on the mythological ideas of the people. The color red (“red paint all around”) is a symbol of Christ, his blood, as well as the color of youth and love (Oksana’s shirt was embroidered with red silk). Green is the color of nature, prosperity, family happiness. The blacksmith Vakula painted the wing of the Trinity Church green and decorated it with red flowers. This design is fully consistent with the traditions of Ukrainian Baroque. Gogol knew that the Trinity Church was built in the shape of a cross (that’s also why the devil looked bad there) in the late Baroque style. Therefore, all kinds of decorations were quite natural for her, although she had a single dome.

There is another Ukrainian proverb: “Baba is fierce for the devil.” She is artistically interpreted by the author in the image of Solokha. The witch is one of the brightest characters in Ukrainian demonology. As you know, a witch comes from the word “to know,” that is, she had special knowledge and knew how to bewitch, enchant, and transform. It is very difficult to recognize a witch among people: she can be old and young, appear in different guises. In Gogol’s story “The Night Before Christmas,” Solokha is depicted as a very attractive witch; she does not harm the main characters, but in some way influences the course of events. Motifs of womanish evasions, pranks, enchantment and courtship are very common in Ukrainian folk tales. And the fact that Solokha the witch is the mother of the blacksmith Vakula (who is also endowed with a certain magic) is quite natural. In Ukrainian folklore, a fairly common motif is when the hero must undergo a certain spiritual test and overcome the action of evil forces, cleanse himself and move on to a new life.

The night in folk tradition was divided into three parts: the first - from sunset to midnight; the second - before the roosters crow; the third - before sunrise. Gogol's story "The Night Before Christmas" reflects this three-part time structure. At the beginning of the story, events begin from the moment the moon appeared and stars poured out in the sky. The main events unfold before midnight and after. Vakula returned from St. Petersburg to his hut when the rooster crowed (in folk tradition - a symbol of the sun, light, fire, resurrection, male strength, a warrior against evil force; in Christianity - a symbol of resurrection, victory of the good spirit over the evil one, repentance), and then I slept through matins and mass.

In folklore, time and space are capable of changing their boundaries (up to their absence at all), shrinking, layering, interpenetrating, which is what happens in the story “The Night Before Christmas”, when so many events take place during one night - both everyday and fantastic , both funny and dramatic, but in the end everything is directed towards one point - to achieve the victory of goodness, light and love.

The finale of the work combines Christian motifs of resurrection (“Chub’s eyes bulged when the blacksmith came to him, and did not know what to marvel at: either that the blacksmith had resurrected, or that the blacksmith dared to come to him, or that he dressed up like that a dandy and a Cossack" (I, p. 242)), the return of the prodigal son (Vakula prostrates himself before Chub asking for forgiveness), repentance (Vakula repents of everything), the Trinity (Chub hits Vakula on the back three times) and folklore motifs of matchmaking (Vakula asks for Oksana’s hand), gifts (Vakula gives slippers to Oksana) and moral cleansing (Oksana says: “I don’t have slippers...”).

The motif of “glory” (“glorify”) loops the composition of the story. If at the beginning of the work we were talking about how much fun everyone had caroling and praising Christ, then at the end of the story the bishop, who was passing through Dikanka and saw the “painted” hut of the blacksmith Vakula, said: “Glorious! Nice work! The motive of glory in Gogol's story extends not only to the heavenly world, but also to the earthly world, including the creations of human hands, to his art of life. In the Ukrainian folk tradition, the word “glory” still has a special magical meaning (“Glory to Ukraine!” - “Glory to the Heroes” - this is how people greet each other on major Ukrainian holidays).

Thus, the traditions of Ukrainian folklore and folk mythology influenced the artistic structure of the story “The Night Before Christmas”, in particular the plot, figurative system, motivic organization, artistic time and space, as well as the genre content of the work, its stylistic identity and language. Folklore and mythological structures in Gogol's story contributed to the establishment of Christian ideas and the triumph of man's spiritual capabilities, his unity with God, nature and people. In addition, the use of elements of Ukrainian folklore and folk mythology contributed to the creation of a national image of the world in Gogol’s work.