1918-1919 is the time of action in the novel, when tense events are growing in the country civil war. A certain City, in which Kyiv can be guessed, is occupied by German occupation forces. The confrontation is between them and Petliura’s army, which can enter the city any day now. There is an atmosphere of unrest and confusion in the city. Since the election of the Hetman of “all Ukraine”, in the spring of 1918, a continuous stream of visitors from Moscow and St. Petersburg rushed to the City: bankers, journalists, lawyers, literary figures.
The action begins in the Turbins’ house, where Alexey Turbin, a doctor, gathered for dinner; Nikolka, his younger brother, non-commissioned officer; their sister Elena and family friends - Lieutenant Myshlaevsky, Second Lieutenant Stepanov, nicknamed Karas, and Lieutenant Shervinsky, adjutant at the headquarters of the commander of all military forces of Ukraine, Prince Belorukov. They are busy with one thing the only question: "How to live? How to live?"
Alexey Turbin is firmly convinced that his beloved city could have been saved if not for the negligence and frivolity of the hetman. If he had gathered the Russian army in time, Petliura’s army would not have threatened now, but would have been destroyed. And then, Russia could have been saved if the army had marched on Moscow.
Sergei Ivanovich Talberg, Elena’s husband, speaks of the impending separation from his wife: he should be taken away along with the German army leaving the city. But according to his plans, he will return in three months, because there will be help from Denikin’s emerging army. Elena will have to live in the City during his absence.
The formation of the Russian army that began in the City was completely stopped. By this time, Karas, Myshlaevsky and Alexey Turbin had already joined the military forces. They readily come to Colonel Malyshev and enter the service. Karas and Myshlaevsky were appointed to the position of officers, and Turbin began to serve as a division doctor. But on the night of December 13-14, the hetman and General Belorukov flee the City on a German train. The army is being disbanded. Nikolai Turbin watches with horror the inglorious escape of officers and cadets of the Russian army. Colonel Nai-Tours gives everyone the command to hide as best they can. He orders to tear off shoulder straps, throw away weapons or hide them, and destroy everything that could give away rank or affiliation with the army. Horror freezes on Nikolai's face when he sees the valiant death of the colonel covering the departure of the cadets.
The fact is that on December 10, the formation of the second department of the first squad is completed. With great difficulty, Colonel Nai-Tours obtains uniforms for his soldiers. He understands perfectly well that fighting a war like this, without proper ammunition, is simply pointless. The morning of December 14 does not bode well: Petlyura goes on the attack. The city is under siege. Nai-Tours, by order of its superiors, must protect the Polytechnic Highway. The colonel sends some cadets on reconnaissance: their task is to find out the location of the hetman's units. Intelligence brings bad news. It turned out that there were no military units, and the enemy cavalry had just burst into the city. This meant only one thing - a trap.
Alexey Turbin, who until now did not know about the hostilities and the failure, finds Colonel Malyshev, from whom he learns everything that is happening: The city was taken by Petlyura’s troops. Alexey is trying to hide. He tears off his shoulder straps and strives to break through to his home. However, on the way he comes across the Hetman’s soldiers. They recognize him as an officer, since he completely forgot to take off the badge from his cap. The chase begins. Alexei is wounded. Turbin finds salvation in the house of Yulia Reise. She helps him bandage the wound and changes him into civilian dress the next morning. That same morning, Alexey gets to his home.
At the same time he arrives from Zhitomir cousin Talberga Larion. He is looking for salvation from mental anguish, worried about his wife leaving.
IN big house The turbines live on the second floor, the first is occupied by Vasily Ivanovich Lisovich. Vasilisa (this is the nickname of the owner of the house) the day before Petliura’s troops arrive in the City, decides to take care of her property. He makes a kind of hiding place where he hides money and jewelry. But his hiding place turns out to be declassified: an unknown person is closely watching his cunning from a crack in a curtained window. And here's a coincidence - on next night in Vasilisa they come with a search. First of all, the searchers open the cache and take away all of Vasilisa’s savings. And only after they leave, the owner of the house and his wife begin to understand that they were bandits. Vasilisa is trying to gain the trust of the Turbins in order to have protection from a possible next attack. Karas undertakes to protect the Lisovichs.
Three days later, Nikolka Turbin goes to look for Nai-Tours’ relatives. He tells the colonel's mother and sister the details of his death. After this, Nikolka makes a painful trip to the morgue, where he finds the body of Nai-Tours, and on the same night the funeral service for the valiant colonel is held in the chapel at the anatomical theater.
And at this time, Alexei Turbin’s condition is deteriorating: the wound becomes inflamed, and to top it off, he has typhus. The doctors gather for a consultation and decide almost unanimously that the patient will soon die. Elena, locked in her bedroom, passionately prays for her brother. To the great surprise of the doctor, Alexey regains consciousness - the crisis is over.
A few months later, Alexey visits Julia Reise and, in gratitude for saving her life, gives her his late mother's bracelet.
Soon Elena receives a letter from Warsaw. It immediately reminds her of her prayer for her brother: “Mother intercessor, beg him. There he is. What is it worth to you? Have pity on us. Have pity. Your days are coming, your holiday. Maybe he will do something good, and you too I beg you for your sins. Let Sergei not return... Take it away, take it away, but don’t punish this with death..." In a letter, a friend reports that Sergei Talberg is getting married. Elena sobs, remembering her prayer.
Soon Petliura’s troops leave the City. The Bolsheviks are approaching the City.
The novel ends with a philosophical discussion about the eternity of nature and the insignificance of man: “Everything will pass. Suffering, torment, blood, hunger, pestilence. The sword will disappear, but the stars will remain, when the shadow of our bodies and deeds will not remain on earth. There is not a single person , who would not know this. So why don’t we want to turn our gaze to them?
Full version 10-15 hours (≈190 A4 pages), summary 10-15 minutes.
Main characters
Alexey Vasilievich Turbin, Elena Turbina-Talberg, Nikolka
Minor characters
Viktor Viktorovich Myshlaevsky, Leonid Yurievich Shervinsky, Fedor Nikolaevich Stepanov (Karas), Sergei Ivanovich Talberg, father Alexander, Vasily Ivanovich Lisovich (Vasilisa), Larion Larionovich Surzhansky (Lariosik), Colonel Felix Nai-Tours
Part 1
Chapters 1-3
The action of the novel begins in December one thousand nine hundred and eighteen. The mother of three Turbins - Alexei, Elena and Nikolka - died. Alexey is twenty-eight years old and a doctor; Elena is twenty-four years old, she is the wife of captain Sergei Ivanovich Talberg, and Nikolka is still quite young: he is seventeen and a half years old. His mother died the very week that Alexey returned to hometown in Ukraine after long and difficult campaigns. The two brothers and sister were seemingly stunned by the death loved one. They buried their mother in the cemetery next to their long-dead professor father.
The turbines live in house number 13 on Alekseevsky Spusk; all the things in it are familiar to them since childhood. Here is a stove on which there are many drawings made by the Turbins and their friends; here is a bronze lamp, and here are cream-colored curtains. There are books in the closet: “ Captain's daughter", "War and Peace" ... This is all left to them from their mother; weakened and out of breath, she told the children: “Live together.” But their life was broken in its very prime.
The turbines sit in the dining room; It's quite cozy and hot there. However, the City is uneasy; The sounds of gunfire can be heard from afar. Elena is worried about her husband, who has not yet come home. Nikolka is perplexed: why are they shooting so close? Elena is afraid that they have been abandoned to their fate. Two brothers and sister think whether Petlyura will be able to enter the city, and why the allies have not yet arrived.
After some time there was a knock on the door. Lieutenant Viktor Viktorovich Myshlaevsky arrived; He, very cold, asked to stay overnight. He said that he spent the whole day in the cold without felt boots and in light clothes, defending the City. The shift - two hundred cadets commanded by Colonel Nai-Tours - arrived only at two o'clock in the afternoon. Two people froze to death; two need to have their legs amputated. Elena, imagining that her husband was killed, cries.
Then Talberg returns, serving in the Hetman's War Ministry. Alexey and Nikolay do not like him because they sense some insincerity and falseness in his behavior. Talberg reports that the train he was escorting with money was attacked by “an unknown person.” When he and Elena retire to their half, Talberg says that he urgently needs to escape from the City, since Petlyura may soon arrive there. His wife packs a suitcase for him; Thalberg does not take her with him “to wanderings and the unknown.” Elena asks her husband why he did not tell her brothers about the betrayal of the Germans, and he promised to do so before leaving. While saying goodbye to her husband, Elena cried, but, being strong woman, quickly calmed down. Thalberg fulfilled his promise to her by talking with her brothers, after which he fled the City with the Germans.
At night, in the apartment located one floor below, Vasily Ivanovich Lisovich, whom everyone calls Vasilisa (since the beginning of 1918, he signed all documents as “Vas. Lis.”) hid a wad of money in a hiding place under the wallpaper. He had three hiding places. A ragged wolf figure watched Vasilisa’s actions from a tree. When Vasilisa went to bed, he dreamed that thieves had discovered his hiding place, and the Jack of Hearts shot at him point-blank. He woke up screaming, but the house was quiet: only the sounds of a guitar could be heard from the Turbins’ apartment.
Friends came to visit the Turbins: Leonid Ivanovich Shervinsky, an adjutant at the headquarters of Prince Belorukov, who brought roses to Elena; Second Lieutenant Stepanov, nicknamed “crucian carp”. Myshlaevsky is also in the apartment. Karas says that everyone needs to go fight. Shervinsky was in love with Elena and therefore rejoiced at Talberg’s disappearance. He has an amazing voice and dreams of singing in Bolshoi Theater in Moscow or la Scala.
Friends talk about the situation in the City. Alexey is indignant and says that the hetman who forbade the formation of the Russian army should be hanged. He wants to enroll in Malyshev’s division as a doctor, and if he doesn’t work out, then as a simple private. According to Alexei, fifty thousand people could be recruited into the army in the city, and then there would be no Petlyura in Little Russia.
Soon everyone went to bed. Elena could not fall asleep for a long time, thinking about Talberg’s action; she tries to justify him, but understands that she has no respect for this man in her soul. Alexey also reflects on this, considering Talberg a scoundrel who has no concept of honor. When he fell asleep, he dreamed of a short nightmare in checkered trousers, who said: “Holy Rus' is a wooden country, poor and ... dangerous, and for a Russian man honor is just an extra burden.” Alexey decided to shoot him, but he disappeared. Then Turbin saw the City in a dream.
Chapters 4-5
In the winter of 1918, life in the City changed: more and more new people arrived there every day - journalists, actresses, bankers, poets... They all fled to the City from St. Petersburg and Moscow. At night, shots were heard on the outskirts of the city.
All people living in the City hated the Bolsheviks. The appearance of the hetman rested on the Germans. But the residents of the City did not know about the massacres committed by the Germans against the peasants, and when they found out, people like Vasilisa said: “Now they will remember the revolution! The Germans will learn them.”
In September, the Hetman's government released Semyon Vasilyevich Petliura, whose past was hidden in darkness, from prison. This was a myth created in Ukraine in 1918. There was also hatred. There were four hundred thousand Germans in the City and many times more men, whose hearts were filled with anger generated by the confiscated grain and requisitioned horses. The reason was not Petlyura: if he had not existed, there would have been someone else. The Germans leave Ukraine; this meant that someone would pay with their lives, and it was unlikely that it would be those who had fled the City.
Alexey Turbin dreamed of paradise, in which he saw Colonel Nai-Tours in the form of a knight and sergeant Zhilin, who was killed two years ago. Zhilin said that all the Bolsheviks who were killed in 1920 near Perekop would have enough space in heaven. Turbin asked to be a doctor on his team; the sergeant agreed, and Alexei woke up.
In November, the word “Petlyura”, pronounced by the Germans as “Pettura”, was heard from everywhere. He was advancing on the City.
Chapters 6-7
On the window of the building that used to be the Parisian Chic store, there was a poster calling for people to sign up as volunteers for the mortar division. At noon Turbin came here together with Myshlaevsky; Alexey was assigned to Colonel Malyshev’s division as a doctor, and Victor was assigned as commander of the fourth platoon. The division was supposed to defend the City and the Hetman from Petliura. Turbin was told to report to the parade ground of the Alexander Gymnasium after an hour. On the way there, he bought the Vesti newspaper, where it was written that Petliura’s troops would soon be defeated due to the collapse reigning in them. On Vladimirskaya Street I met Alexey funeral procession: they buried officers whose bodies were mutilated by the peasants and Petliurists. Someone in the crowd said: “That’s what they need.” In a fit of anger, Turbin grabbed the speaker by the sleeve with the intention of shooting him, but realized that it was the wrong person. Alexey thrust the crumpled “News” under the newsboy’s nose: “Here’s some news for you. It is for you. Bastard! After that he felt ashamed and ran to the gymnasium parade ground.
Alexey studied at this gymnasium for eight years, and for the same amount of time he did not see this building. The man felt an incomprehensible fear. During my studies, a lot of sad and funny, desperate and absurd things happened in life... Where is it all now?
Hasty training began. Turbin began to give instructions to student paramedics, and Myshlaevsky taught the cadets how to use a rifle correctly. The colonel ordered everyone to go home for the night. Malyshev greeted the division; Alexey again remembered his years of studying at the gymnasium. He noticed Maxim, the old school watchman. Turbin wanted to catch up with him, but restrained himself.
At night, a man was taken from the palace to a German hospital under the name of Major von Schratto, wrapped in bandages from head to toe: it was said that he had accidentally wounded himself in the neck. At five o'clock in the morning a message from the palace arrived at Colonel Malyshev's headquarters, and at seven the colonel announced to the division that at night state position Ukraine has changed dramatically, and therefore the division will be dissolved. Some of the officers decided that Malyshev was a traitor, and then he had to say: the hetman fled from the City along with General Belorukov, the commander of the army. Myshlaevsky wanted to burn down the gymnasium, but Malyshev said that this was pointless - soon Petliura would receive something more valuable: many lives that could not be saved. 
Part 2
Chapters 8-9
Petlyura's troops surrounded the City in mid-December one thousand nine hundred and eighteen. However, the City did not yet know this. Colonel Shchetkin was absent from headquarters: there was no headquarters, as well as adjutants. Everything around the City was shrouded in the noise of gunfire, but the people inside it continued to live as before. Soon the unknown Colonel Bolbotun appeared; his regiment entered the City without any difficulty. He encountered resistance only at the Nikolaev Equestrian School; there was a machine gun, four officers and thirty cadets. Due to treason in the armored division, only one armored car provided assistance; if all four had come, Boltbot could have been defeated. Mikhail Semenovich Shpolyansky, who turned out to be a traitor, decided that there was no point in defending the hetman.
Chapters 10-11
Junkers under the command of Colonel Nai-Tours guarded the Polytechnic Highway. Seeing the enemy, they began to fight with him; the colonel sent three cadets on reconnaissance, and they reported that the hetman’s units were nowhere to be found. Nai-Tours realized that they were left to certain death; he gave the cadets a command they had never heard of - to tear off their shoulder straps and run away. Meanwhile, Nikolai Turbin, commander of the first infantry squad of twenty-eight people, received an order to take the squad outside to reinforce the third detachment.
Alexey came to his division, not yet knowing that it had been disbanded. He found Colonel Malyshev when he was burning documents in the oven. Hearing the sound of machine gun fire, Malyshev advised Turbin to take off his shoulder straps and run away, after which he disappeared. Alexey threw his shoulder straps into the fire and ran out into the yard.
Nikolai Turbin and his squad were waiting for the third detachment; after a while he appeared - the cadets ran away, tearing up their documents and shoulder straps. Colonel Nai-Tours tore off Nikolka's shoulder straps and ordered his squad to flee, but pride did not allow the younger Turbin to escape. The colonel remained to cover the retreat of the cadets; he was killed in front of Nikolka. Left alone, the young man ran along the path shown to him by Nai-Tours. He returned home already after dark. Elena told him that Alexey did not come; The woman thinks that her brother was killed. Nikolka was going to wait for Alexei, but fell asleep. He saw a nightmare: first Elena called him, then a cage with a canary appeared, calling himself a relative from Zhitomir. When the young man woke up, he saw his wounded brother, unconscious. A few minutes later he was running after the doctor.
Part 3
Chapters 12-16
When Alexey comes to his senses, Elena informs him about what happened in the house in Lately. Shortly before some woman brought the wounded Alexei, Talberg’s nephew, Lariosik, came to her. His wife cheated on him, it took him eleven days to get to them from Zhitomir, and his train was attacked by bandits. Lariosik asked to stay with the Turbins. Elena says that she has never seen such fools: he broke their blue set.
Alexei soon begins to become delirious; his temperature rises. Nikolka finds his weapon, which now needs to be hidden. He hung a box with his brother's Browning and shoulder straps and a Colt Ny-Tours in the gap between two converging houses. They decided to tell the neighbors that Alexei had typhus.
In delirium, Alexey relives the events that happened. He came to the parade ground, then went to Madame Anjou’s store, where he saw Colonel Malyshev. After that, he went out onto Vladimirskaya Street; Petliurists were coming from Khreshchatyk towards him. They chased after Alexei when they saw him. He was wounded and almost caught when a woman approached him from the gate and agreed to hide him with her. The woman's name was Yulia Alexandrovna Reiss.
At about nine in the morning, the cab driver brought two passengers to house number thirteen on Alekseevsky Descent: a pale man in black clothes and a woman.
The next day, in the evening, Myshlaevsky, Karas and Shervinsky came to the Turbins. They established that Alexei indeed had typhus.
The officers talked about betrayal, about the Petliurites, about Colonel Nai-Turs. Then they heard a noise coming from below: Vasilisa’s laughter, the voice of his wife Wanda. Soon the phone rang: a telegram arrived somewhat late from Lariosik’s mother. Then the frightened Vasilisa came. He was robbed, taking everything from his hiding places. According to Vasilisa’s story, one pistol was black, and the second was small and with a chain. Hearing this, Nikolka ran to the window in his room: there was no box with weapons in the hiding place.
Petliura's troops seemed endless; the horses were well-fed and large, and the riders were brave. The Petliurists were going to the parade, to the square of old Sofia. Nikolka Turbin also came to the square. Suddenly there was an explosion in Rylsky Lane. The panic began; people ran vying with each other from the square.
Chapters 17-18
Nikolai Turbin thought about one thing for three days. Having found out the address of Nai-Tours, he came there and met with the colonel’s wife and sister. Based on the young man’s behavior, the women realized that Nai-Tours had died. Nikolka told them that the colonel drove out the cadets and covered their retreat with a machine gun; Petliurists' shots hit him in the head and chest. As he said this, the young man cried. Together with Nai-Tursa's sister, he went to look for the commander's body; they found him among many corpses in the barracks storeroom. At night, in the chapel, everything was done as the young man wanted. Nai-Turs’s mother told him: “My son. Well, thank you." These words brought tears to his eyes again.
On the afternoon of December twenty-second, Alexey began to die. The doctor said that there was no hope for salvation. Elena prayed in her room, telling the Mother of God that she had taken her mother, husband, and brother from her in one year. The woman asked to send her a miracle; at some point it seemed to her that the face on the icon came to life. She lost consciousness; At that very moment, Alexei’s illness crisis occurred. He survived.
Chapters 19-20
It was one thousand nine hundred and nineteen. Petlyura had been in the City for forty-seven days. Alexey Turbin has changed a lot: his eyes probably became gloomy for the rest of his life, and two folds appeared near his mouth. He met with Reiss and gave her his late mother's bracelet as a token of gratitude for his rescue. He told the woman that she was dear to him and asked permission to come to her again. She said: “Come...”.
Elena received a letter from a friend in Warsaw. She writes that Talberg is marrying Lidochka Hertz, and they are going to leave for Paris. Elena gave her brother the letter to read. “With what pleasure... I would hit him in the face...” said Alexey, after which he tore Talberg’s photograph into small shreds. Elena buried her face in her brother's chest, bursting into sobs.
In 1919, the Petliurists left the City. The Bolsheviks came instead.
In house number 13 on Alekseevsky Spusk everyone was sleeping: Turbin, Myshlaevsky, Karas, Lariosik, Elena and Nikolka.
The cross of Vladimir rose to black heights above the Dnieper. From a distance it seemed that the crossbar had disappeared and the cross had turned into a sword. Everything will pass: all torment and suffering, pestilence and hunger. When both this sword and our shadows disappear from the earth, the stars will still remain. All people know about this, but for some reason no one wants to turn their attention to them. Why?
The action of the novel takes place in the winter of 1918/19 in a certain City, in which Kyiv is clearly visible. The city is occupied by German occupation forces, and the hetman of “all Ukraine” is in power. However, any day now Petlyura’s army may enter the City - fighting is already taking place twelve kilometers from the City. The city lives a strange, unnatural life: it is full of visitors from Moscow and St. Petersburg - bankers, businessmen, journalists, lawyers, poets - who have flocked there since the election of the hetman, since the spring of 1918.
In the dining room of the Turbins' house at dinner, Alexey Turbin, a doctor, his younger brother Nikolka, a non-commissioned officer, their sister Elena and family friends - Lieutenant Myshlaevsky, Second Lieutenant Stepanov, nicknamed Karas, and Lieutenant Shervinsky, adjutant at the headquarters of Prince Belorukov, commander of all military forces of Ukraine , - excitedly discussing the fate of their beloved City. The elder Turbin believes that the hetman with his Ukrainization is to blame for everything: until the very last moment he did not allow the formation of the Russian army, and if this had happened on time, a selected army of cadets, students, high school students and officers, of whom there are thousands, would have been formed, and not only would they have defended the City, but Petliura would not have been in spirit in Little Russia, moreover, they would have gone to Moscow and saved Russia.
Elena's husband, captain General Staff Sergei Ivanovich Talberg announces to his wife that the Germans are leaving the City and he, Talberg, is being taken on the headquarters train leaving tonight. Talberg is confident that within three months he will return to the City with Denikin’s army, which is now forming on the Don. In the meantime, he cannot take Elena into the unknown, and she will have to stay in the City.
To protect against the advancing troops of Petlyura, the formation of Russian military formations begins in the City. Karas, Myshlaevsky and Alexey Turbin appear to the commander of the emerging mortar division, Colonel Malyshev, and enter service: Karas and Myshlaevsky - as officers, Turbin - as a division doctor. However, the next night - from December 13 to 14 - the hetman and General Belorukov flee the City on a German train, and Colonel Malyshev dissolves the newly formed division: he has no one to protect, there is no legal authority in the City.
By December 10, Colonel Nai-Tours completes the formation of the second department of the first squad. Considering waging war without winter equipment soldiers impossible, Colonel Nai-Tours, threatening the head of the supply department with a Colt, receives felt boots and hats for his one hundred and fifty cadets. On the morning of December 14, Petlyura attacks the City; Nai-Tours receives orders to guard the Polytechnic Highway and, if the enemy appears, to take the fight. Nai-Tours, having entered into battle with the advanced detachments of the enemy, sends three cadets to find out where the hetman’s units are. Those sent return with the message that there are no units anywhere, there is machine-gun fire in the rear, and the enemy cavalry is entering the City. Nai realizes that they are trapped.
An hour earlier, Nikolai Turbin, corporal of the third section of the first infantry squad, receives an order to lead the team along the route. Arriving at the appointed place, Nikolka sees with horror the fleeing cadets and hears the command of Colonel Nai-Tours, ordering all the cadets - both his own and those from Nikolka’s team - to rip off their shoulder straps, cockades, throw away their weapons, tear up documents, run and hide. The colonel himself covers the retreat of the cadets. Before Nikolka's eyes, the mortally wounded colonel dies. Shocked Nikolka, leaving Nai-Tours, makes his way through courtyards and alleys to the house.
Meanwhile, Alexey, who was not informed about the dissolution of the division, having appeared, as he was ordered, at two o’clock, finds an empty building with abandoned guns. Having found Colonel Malyshev, he receives an explanation of what is happening: The city was taken by Petliura’s troops. Alexey, having torn off his shoulder straps, goes home, but runs into Petlyura’s soldiers, who, recognizing him as an officer (in his haste, he forgot to take off the badge from his hat), pursue him. Alexei, wounded in the arm, is hidden in her house by a woman unknown to him named Yulia Reise. On the. the next day, after dressing Alexei in civilian dress, Yulia takes him home in a cab. At the same time as Alexey, Talberg’s cousin Larion comes to the Turbins from Zhitomir, who has experienced a personal drama: his wife left him. Larion really likes it in the Turbins' house, and all the Turbins find him very nice. Vasily Ivanovich Lisovich, nicknamed Vasilisa, the owner of the house in which the Turbins live, occupies the first floor of the same house, while the Turbins live on the second. On the eve of the day when Petlyura entered the City, Vasilisa builds a hiding place in which she hides money and jewelry. However, through a crack in a loosely curtained window, an unknown person is watching Vasilisa’s actions. The next day, three armed men come to Vasilisa with a search warrant. First of all, they open the cache, and then take Vasilisa’s watch, suit and shoes. After the “guests” leave, Vasilisa and his wife realize that they were bandits. Vasilisa runs to the Turbins, and Karas goes to them to protect them from a possible new attack. The usually stingy Vanda Mikhailovna, Vasilisa’s wife, does not skimp here: there is cognac, veal, and pickled mushrooms on the table. Happy Crucian dozes, listening to Vasilisa’s plaintive speeches. Three days later, Nikolka, having learned the address of Nai-Turs’ family, goes to the colonel’s relatives. He tells Nai's mother and sister the details of his death. Together with the colonel's sister Irina, Nikolka finds Nai-Tours's body in the morgue, and that same night the funeral service is held in the chapel at the Nai-Turs anatomical theater. A few days later, Alexei’s wound becomes inflamed, and in addition, he has typhus: heat, nonsense. According to the conclusion of the consultation, the patient is hopeless; On December 22, the agony begins. Elena locks herself in the bedroom and passionately prays to the Most Holy Theotokos, begging her to save her brother from death. “Let Sergei not return,” she whispers, “but do not punish this with death.” To the amazement of the doctor on duty with him, Alexey regains consciousness - the crisis is over. A month and a half later, Alexey, who has finally recovered, goes to Yulia Reisa, who saved him from death, and gives her his late mother’s bracelet. Alexey asks Yulia for permission to visit her. After leaving Yulia, he meets Nikolka, returning from Irina Nai-Tours. Elena receives a letter from a friend from Warsaw, in which she informs her about Talberg's upcoming marriage to their mutual friend. Elena, sobbing, remembers her prayer. On the night of February 2-3, the withdrawal of Petliura’s troops from the City began. You can hear the roar of Bolshevik guns approaching the City.
M. A. Bulgakov “The White Guard” Part 1.
The action of the work takes place cold winter 1918 – 1919 in Kyiv. The Turbin family lived in a two-story house on Alekseevsky Spusk on the 2nd floor. On the 1st floor lived the homeowner V.I. Lisovich, nicknamed Vasilisk. The Turbin family had 3 adult children: Alexey - 28 years old, a doctor, Elena - 24 years old, her husband, diplomat S.I. Talberg - 31 years old, Nikolai - 17 years old. It was an anxious time. There were Germans in Kyiv, and the Petlyura army of one hundred thousand stood near the City. Confusion. And it is not clear who is fighting whom. Over dinner, the family talked about the war. Alexey explained that the Germans are vile. Many are fleeing the war. Meanwhile, Vasilisa locks the door and hides a package wrapped in newspaper in a hiding place. He did not notice how two pairs of eyes were carefully watching him from the street. These were thieves and bandits. Vasilisa had 3 hiding places where money, gold, securities. While counting the banknotes, Vasilisa found counterfeit bills among them. He put them aside, hoping to pay at the market, or with the coachman.
Throughout 1918, Kyiv lived an unnatural life. The houses are crowded with guests. Financiers, entrepreneurs, traders, and lawyers fled from Moscow and St. Petersburg. In Kyiv, shops opened that sold food until twelve o'clock at night. The local press prints novels and stories by famous Russian journalists, hating communists with cowardly, hissing anger. There were gold-digging officers in the City who did not receive the necessary papers to travel abroad. The people, locked in the City, had no idea what was happening in the country. People placed their hopes on the German occupation forces. At first there were 2 opposing forces, until Petliura arose. The first sign that informed about Petliura were women running in their shirts and screaming in a terrible voice. Ammunition storage facilities were blown up on Lysaya Gora. The second sign was the brutal murder of German Field Marshal von Eichhorn. Food prices have risen. For every 400 thousand Germans here, there were tens of thousands of Ukrainian villagers with hearts burning with embitterment. The German command could not withstand such intensity of passions. The Germans left the country. At the same time, the Ukrainian hetman was dressed in the clothes of a German major, and he became like hundreds of other German officers. He told his subordinates that the ruler had fled abroad. In addition, the commander-in-chief general escaped from the Belorukov cavalry. He added that the ataman has an army of one hundred thousand concentrated near Kiev, so he does not want his soldiers to die.
Part 2.
Any day now, Petliura’s army may enter Kyiv. Colonel Kozyr-Lyashko, working as a teacher in the village for many years, ends up on the front of the First World War. It turned out that this was his business. And in 1917 he became a corporal, and in 1918 - a lieutenant colonel with the ataman. The main forces of the defenders are converging on Kyiv. The frozen military moved closer to the city center. Lyashko orders the horses to be saddled. Soon the legion set out on a campaign.
Commander Toropets was also near Kiev; he came up with a scheme according to which the defending troops should retreat to the village of Kurenevka, then he himself would be able to strike directly in the forehead. Lyashko attacked the City from the flank. WITH right side the battle flared up from him. Shetkin had not been at the General Staff since early morning, since the headquarters as such no longer existed. First, 2 assistants disappeared. Nobody knew anything in Kyiv. Here was the ruler (no one had yet guessed about mysterious disappearances commander), and His Grace Prince Belorukov, and General Kartuzov, forming an army to defend Kyiv. The people were perplexed: “Why did Petliura’s trains come close to the city fortifications? Maybe they made an agreement with the ataman? So why white guard shoots at the advancing Petlyura units? “Panic and chaos were present in Kyiv on December 14. The calls to the coordination center were heard less and less often. Finally, Maxim started stitching right on the city streets. Bolbotun, tired of waiting for the commander's order, gives the order to the cavalry to go out to railway. He stops the train carrying a new batch of refugees to Kyiv. Apparently they weren’t expecting him, so he easily entered Kyiv, meeting resistance only at the school.
Part of Colonel Nai-Tours wandered through the snowdrifts near Kiev for 3 days until they returned to the city. He cared about his subordinates, so 150 cadets and 3 warrant officers were shod in warm felt boots. On the night of the 14th, Nye looked at a map of the City. The headquarters was not disturbed, only during the day the volunteer gave a written order to guard the strategic road. The roar of bolts echoed through the chains of cadets: by order of the commander, they entered into an unequal battle. Finding ourselves in Brest-Litovsky Lane. He sends 3 volunteers on reconnaissance. They soon returned without finding any defending units. The commander turns to his subordinates and gives a loud order. 28 cadets under the command of Nikolai Turbin suffered in the hostel. Commander Bezrukov and 2 warrant officers went to focal point, did not return home. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon the telephone rings. Alexey Turbin was sleeping. Suddenly the young man began to rush about. In a hurry, he forgot the certificate and hugged his sister. He hires a carriage and goes to the museum. Having reached the meeting place, he sees armed people. He was a little scared. Thinking I was late. He ran to the store, where he found the boss. The colonel quickly explained to Alexei that the command had abandoned them to their fate. Petliura in Kyiv. He advises him to quickly take off his epaulettes. And leave here on good terms and in good health. Turbin tears off the epaulettes and throws them into the stove. He leaves through the back door. Nikolai Turbin leads fighters through Kyiv. And suddenly I noticed that the cadets began to run home. He meets a colonel who rips off his shoulder straps and orders him to drop his weapon. And he doesn’t have time to ask, because the colonel is killed by a shell that explodes nearby. The young man experienced a natural feeling of fear. He goes to his home through courtyards and alleys. The sister is concerned about the fate of the elder Turbin. And didn't let go younger brother outside. Nikolai wants to climb onto the roof of the barn and see what is going on in Kyiv. Returning home, the boy falls asleep like the dead. The sister waited for her older brother all night. He wakes up because someone was complaining about his wife. Larion arrived from Zhitomir and told Nikolai that the elder Turbin had come with him. Alexey was lying there on the sofa. He is wounded in the arm. Nikolai ran for the medic. An hour later, there were scraps of bandages lying around the house, and a basin full of red water stood on the floor. Alexey has already woken up from oblivion. The doctor assured the relatives that the bone and blood vessels were not damaged, but warned that the wound might begin to fester due to the scraps of the overcoat.
Part 3.
A few hours later, Alexey came to his senses. His sister was sitting next to him. The family was visited by 3 doctors who gave a disappointing conclusion: typhus and that it was hopeless. Alexei begins to go into agony. Walking away from the store in the courtyards, he stumbles upon Petliurist soldiers. When the doctor turns around, they recognize him as a white officer and open fire. The medic flees from his pursuers. The Petliurites did not lag behind, Alexei was hiding near unknown woman. He ran after the beautiful stranger. Having reached the 2nd gate, they began to climb the stairs, the doctor falls on left leg. She drags the injured doctor into her home. He's trying to give himself first medical care. Madame helped Alexei stop the bleeding. The doctor was very worried about his relatives, but could not tell them where he was. Alexey met Yu. Reise. He spent the whole night with her. In the morning, Madame gave her husband’s clothes and took him by carriage to the Turbins’ apartment. Late in the evening Myshlevsky showed up at the Turbins. The housekeeper opens the door for him and immediately informs him about Turbin’s health. Entering the room, Victor meets Larion. The colonel had a huge fight with his comrade, saying that it was necessary to destroy the General Staff in the toilet. The crucian carp calmed down the ensuing altercation. Nikolai asks the guests to speak more quietly, so as not to disturb the patient. After 2 days, Nikolai goes to Nai’s relatives to break the news of his heroic death. They find the body, and on the same day they hold Naya's funeral service in the chapel.
A year later, Alexey goes on foot to Yulia Reisa, who once saved him from death. He asks the woman for permission to visit her often. Towards evening, Alexey’s temperature rose. He was afraid for his hand. When the scratch bothered Alexei too much, he threw the cold compress onto the floor and crawled under the blanket. The temperature became higher and higher, the tearing pain in the left half of the body became dull. Everyone listened attentively to the story of Lieutenant Shervinsky. Who told the guests about the imminent arrival of the communists. People were walking along the platform. A man in a long overcoat was walking around the armored train. The inscription “Proletary” was visible on the armored train. Alexey was delirious.
In front door they called, and the frightened owner went to open it. The people who arrived announced to the homeowner that they had come with a warrant to search his apartment. First of all, the bandits opened Vasilisa’s hiding place. Then, with the same success, the thieves plundered the master bedroom. One of the uninvited guests took a fancy to Vasilisa’s shoes, and he immediately puts them on. The guests dressed completely in their host's clothes, not forgetting to threaten the Lisovichs with immediate violence. When leaving, they order Vasilisa to write a receipt that he gave them things. When the footsteps fade away. They order Vasilisa not to complain about them anywhere. They quickly leave the room. Wanda Mikhailovna immediately began to have a seizure, and she sent her husband to the General Staff to complain about the robbers. He quickly rises to Turbinny. He says that the robbers threatened with 2 pistols, 1 of which was with a gold chain. They feed the guest boiled veal, pickled mushrooms and delicious jam from cherry. The sister unsteadily walks out of Alexei’s office. She peered at Alexei for a long time and realized that her brother would die. The patient had been unconscious for a long time and was not aware of what was happening around him. Elena lights the lamp and silently puts it down prostrations. She looked unkindly at the Mother of God, reproaching her for the troubles that happened in the family. Then Elena could not stand it and began to passionately pray higher power about sending health to Alexey. Turbin was covered in sweat, his chest was heaving nervously. He suddenly opens his eyes and tells everyone that death has retreated from him.
An agitated colleague injects medicine into the patient’s arm. He had changed a lot, two folds remained at his mouth forever, his eyes became gloomy and cheerless. He thought about the chieftain, family friends and Elena.
A young man comes into the doctor's office and reports that he has syphilis. Alexey writes out medicinal product and gave good advice to read the Apocalypse less.
Conclusion
The White Guard is one of the best works Bulgakov, which reveals the essence of the confrontation between the white and red armies.
