Who wrote "Taras Bulba"? History of the book

Everyone who studied in secondary school, the question who wrote "Taras Bulba" does not arise. Awareness in this matter, since in our country compulsory education, is available, beginning with the seventh grade. It carefully examines this heroic epic, which events Nikolay Vasilievich Gogol preferred to consider as occurring in the XV century, and literary critics on small details, for example, Taras Bulba smokes, relate To the XVII century.

Confusion and anxiety

Having written and published "Dikanka", N. V. Gogol begins to agonize over his further path in literature. He has a feeling of dissatisfaction with what he has written. He is acutely aware that the source of true art is real life. Beginning in 1833, Gogol wants to write works that reflect modern times. None of the many plans he does not bring to the end: he started a lot, tore, burned. He is tormented and doubted, worried and acutely, painfully worried: how seriously he is called upon to serve literature. And so, 1834 is a turning point for Nikolai Vasilievich, when he finishes the work on contemporary Petersburg. And he prepared most of the novels of Mirgorod, including Taras Bulba. So the question who wrote "Taras Bulba", just disappears. After all, he had previously studied many materials.

Serious historical research

NV Gogol, anticipating his work on the history of Ukraine, used a large number of historical studies: he studied the famous "History of the Rus'" Konitsky, "History of the Cossacks of the Zaporozhye" Myshetsky, "Description of Ukraine" Boplanda, handwritten lists of Ukrainian chronicles. But the most important source in Gogol's work was Ukrainian folk songs, especially historical songs and dumas. In the songs, his unchanging love, he drew subject motifs, and even whole episodes. So the question who wrote "Taras Bulba" is at least strange and even provocative to some extent.

A new stage in the writer's work

"Mirgorod" is not just a continuation of "Evenings". Both parts of Mirgorod built in contrast. Platitudes are contrasted with the poetry of the heroic deed. Gogol wanted to find strong heroic characters, and he finds them both in epic-heroic thoughts, and in studies on history. In the Cossacks brought up in Sich, where liberty and comradeship is the basis of life, Gogol reveals both sublime passions, and real people, and the uniqueness of the national character. And most importantly, after Pushkin, he showed that the main driving force of historical events is the people. Images created by Gogol collective. There was never exactly such a Taras. There was only a drawing by Taras Shevchenko on this subject. Therefore, the question who wrote "Taras Bulba" as a literary work is rhetorical.

Big and serious work

Gogol was a great and very demanding artist. From 1833 to 1842 he worked on the story "Taras Bulba". During this time, two editions were created for him. They differed significantly. The work-a small masterpiece "Taras Bulba" was written by Gogol in 1835. But even having printed it in Mirgorod, he repeatedly returns to this work. He never considered it complete. Gogol constantly improved his poetic style. Therefore, according to the number of editions and drafts that are available, it is impossible even to assume that the work "Taras Bulba" was written by Shevchenko. Taras Bulba and Taras Shevchenko have only a certain approximate portrait similarity, no more. But after all, they were both Ukrainians, and only national clothes, a hairdress and the general features of the person bring them together, and only.

Editions

As many times as necessary, Nikolai Vasilyevich was ready to rewrite his work with his own hand, bringing it to perfection, which he could see with his inner gaze. In its second edition, the story has significantly expanded in volume. In the first version there were nine chapters, in the second - twelve. There were new actors, clashes, places of action. The historical and everyday panorama on which the characters operate has expanded. The description of Sich has changed, it has considerably been supplemented. The battles and siege of Dubno also correspond. Elections of the koshevoy are written anew. But most importantly, Gogol rethought the struggle of the Ukrainian Cossacks as a national liberation struggle. The center of "Taras Bulba" was a powerful image of the people, who will not give up anything for their freedom. And never before in Russian literature has the image of the national life been depicted so brightly and fully.

In the second edition, the image of Taras Bulba is seriously changing . In the first edition he quarreled with his comrades because of the unequal division of the booty. This detail contradicted the heroic image of Taras. And in the second edition he already quarrels with those of his comrades who are inclined towards the Warsaw side. He calls them the servants of the Polish pans. If in the first edition of Taras was a big fan of raids and riots, then in the second edition, he was forever restless, became a legitimate defender of Orthodoxy.

The heroic and lyrical pathos of this story, which Gogol did not consider completely complete, creates a kind of fascination, to which the reader finds himself, who opened the book almost two hundred years after its creation. The work carried out by Gogol is so profound and serious that the question "Who wrote" Taras Bulba "Gogol or Shevchenko?" Disappears by itself.