V. Erofeev, "Moscow - Petushki": a summary of the chapters

One of the most famous Soviet works of the 70's. Is the story "Moscow - Petushki". The brief content of the book written by Venedikt Erofeev is a story about the main character of Vienna (Venichka), who travels by train from the capital of the USSR to a small regional center in the Vladimir region.

Staging the plot

Erofeev wrote his most famous novel in 1970. Soon she appeared in samizdat. In no Soviet publishing house of the times of stagnation it would not have been published because of the bold humor about the then reality. "Moscow - Petushki" (short content) is a stylistic mixture of references to the Bible, newspaper cliches of the USSR and works of the classics. The unusual structure and language of the written made the story a bright phenomenon of Russian postmodernism of the 1970s.

The plot begins as follows. Venya Erofeev (the hero is the prototype of the author and has the same name and surname) on the train goes from Moscow to a small town Petushki. There he is waiting for a friend, whom he visits every Friday. Petushki, according to the main character, appear before the reader as a kind of utopian place where the idyll reigns. The author, with the help of eloquent descriptions, hints that this place is too good to be true.

By habit, Erofeev takes with him as a gift candies "Cornflowers". The tastes of the protagonist are not limited to this. "Moscow - Petushki" (short summary) is a story telling about a drunken alcoholic who constantly has troubles and conflicts with others because of his addictions.

Structure of the story

The story "Moscow - Petushki" (summary) does not differ much in volume. With an average reading speed, you can finish it in three hours. Nevertheless, the author chose an unusual structure for such a small work. It is divided into dozens of chapters. Some of them do not exceed two paragraphs in size. This division into chapters has its own plot logic. Each headlined part of the story is a segment between two nearby stations, which the main character passes by.

Similar structural techniques were inherent in the innovative authors of the time. Among them was Venedikt Erofeev. "Moscow - Petushki" (summary) in the first few miniature chapters tells about the adventures of the unlucky traveler at Kursk railway station, where his train departs. In a local restaurant Venichka wants to drink, but the saleswoman, to his surprise, says that the alcohol is over. He was tormented by a hangover and was pushed out of the restaurant.

Monologues of the main character

The protagonist was in the train with a small suitcase in his hand. Inside lay two bottles of "Kuban" vodka, another half of "Russian", as well as two sandwiches for snacks. Erofeev in his internal monologue shares with the reader in various ways to properly conduct the ritual of booze.

The main character appears imaginary interlocutors - God, angels, unknown people. Hallucinations accompany the traveler to the very end of the narrative. At first Venya is discouraged. In the chapter "Hammer and Sickle - Karacharovo" he, at last, for the first time drinks in a tambour, then appreciably gets cheerful.

Memories of Veni

Erofeev is often distracted from what is happening and tells stories about his life. All of them are filled with black humor and mockery. These are the characteristic features of the story "Moscow - Petushki". The summary of the stories of Veni is approximately the same. For example, Erofeev recalls how he was deprived of brigade at work. He and his subordinates had to unwind the cable. Instead, the team drank or spent time playing card game in sec.

Venya, as a leader, introduced planned norms for the consumption of alcohol in the team. Each member of the team had to submit monthly reports in the form of graphs with diagrams. These papers happened to be with the authorities. For his trick, Venya was left without work.

Acquaintance with fellow travelers

After the incident described above, the protagonist, in his own words, "spit on the public ladder" and walked. Now he waits to wait, when he will be in Petushki with his girlfriend. Once in several stations Erofeev drinks "Kuban" to brighten the road. In his monologues, the traveler is engaged in the study of drunken hiccups using mathematical equations. He also opens before the readers the secrets of recipes for alcoholic cocktails from polish and perfumery.

Next, Venya gets to know her neighbors by car. Some of them also drink. In conversations with them, Erofeev tries to shine his knowledge in philosophy and his general erudition. Talking about the eternal is a characteristic feature of the story "Moscow - Petushki". A summary of the chapters can not do without mentioning Semenych. This is the name of the train inspector. He catches free riders and forces them to pay a fine in the form of pouring alcohol. Venichka is the only passenger who manages to avoid such punishment. Instead of paying alcohol, the main character tells Semenych his witty stories.

Sphinx

Venichka continues to drink with his fellow travelers. He starts talking about culture, history, politics and continues to absorb everything that contains even a small fraction of alcohol. Without such episodes, it is difficult to imagine the novel "Moscow-Petushki". Summary (Venedikt Vasilievich better read in the original for the perception of the whole color of his work) can not do without mentioning the Sphinx.

This mythical creature is the protagonist during his next oblivion. The monster has no legs and tail, but it has a "gangster mug." As the sphinx relies, he makes riddles in Vienna. Because of alcoholic intoxication of the main character, they are absurd. For example, the sphinx asks how many times the famous drummer Alexei Stakhanov went to the toilet for a small need, provided that he almost every day was drunk. Vienna can not solve the riddle, and the monster drags him into the vestibule, after which the unlucky traveler finally comes to his senses.

Forgotten

The train already approached the Cocks, when Venichka in alcoholic intoxication was once again forgotten. He started hallucinating that a revolution had occurred in the "Petushinsky" district of the Vladimir region. The rebels elected Venus President. However, soon he had to renounce power and wake up.

At this moment an important event takes place for the plot of the story "Moscow-Petushki". The summary of the work will end with the fact that Venya realizes that he overslept the purpose of his trip. When he came to, the train was already going back to Moscow.

Returning to Moscow

Finally the train returned to Kursky railway station. Venichka went to the platform, after which he was attacked by four criminals. The young men beat the traveler. This is an unexpected turn in the plot of the work "Moscow - Petushki". The brief content of the poem in prose will be summed up as follows: it is an example of a story with an unusual format and style of narration.

Venichka tries to escape from the raiders. He is at the Kremlin. At the very beginning of the story, the main character dreamed of seeing the paving stone of Red Square. Now his wish has finally come true. However, Erofeev did not feel any better from this. Venya runs past the monument to Minin and Pozharsky. His life ends in an unknown entrance, where criminals overtake the main character and stab him in the throat.

The tragic ending of the work turned out to be prophetic. The author of the story died twenty years after she was written from a throat cancer.