At the height of the Great Patriotic War, when our entire country defended its homeland, the first chapters of A.T.’s poem appeared in print. Tvardovsky’s “Vasily Terkin,” where the main character was portrayed as a simple Russian soldier, “an ordinary guy.”

The writer himself recalled that the beginning of work on “Vasily Terkin” was accompanied by difficulties: it was not easy to find the required art form, determine the composition and it is especially difficult to choose a main character who would be understandable not only to the wartime reader, but would also remain modern for many years. Alexander Trifonovich Tvardovsky found his hero - Vasily Terkin, whose image helped both the soldiers at the front and their wives and children in the rear, is also interesting to the modern reader. What did literary image Terkina so popular for so many years?

Any artistic image possesses not only individualistic, personal traits, but also carries something collective, general, is an exponent, a characteristic hero of his time. On the one hand, Vasily Terkin is unlike the rest of the soldiers in the company: he is a cheerful fellow, he is distinguished by a peculiar sense of humor, he is not afraid of danger, but at the same time, Tvardovsky, when creating his hero, did not take any specific person for a sample, so the writer got it collective image a soldier, defender of the Russian land, ready at any moment to repel an enemy attack:

However, what to think, brothers,

We must hurry to beat the German.

That's all Terkin in a nutshell

I have something to report to you.

Terkin is brave, courageous, he is not afraid of bullets, or enemy bombing, or ice water. In any situation, the hero knows how to stand up for himself and not let others down. Terkin is a friend to a fighter at a rest stop, a son to an old man and an old woman in a dilapidated hut, a brother to a young woman who sent all her loved ones to the front. The character of the hero is woven from dozens and hundreds of characters of ordinary Russian soldiers, endowed universal human traits: kindness, respect for people, decency.

A.T. Tvardovsky gives his hero a telling surname - Terkin, not without reason the most common phrase in the poem: “We’ll endure it. Let's talk." The strength of the Russian spirit is such that a person can endure anything, can survive a lot, but this does not make him angrier, more intolerant, but on the contrary, he strives to help people, tries to make them believe in own strength:

He sighed right at the door

And said:

- We'll beat you, father...

Terkin is a savvy and resourceful not only in war, during battle, but also in ordinary life. Thus, peaceful and military life merge into one. The hero seems to live in war, constantly dreaming of victory, of simple village work.

The writer calls Vasily Terkin differently in the poem, either he is an “ordinary guy”, with the weaknesses inherent in any person, or a hero.

Name symbolism. The real, non-feuillet Terkin, the hero of “The Book about a Fighter,” appeared in the first two chapters of Tvardovsky’s book in September 1942. Terkin’s front-line “biography” is as follows: he begins to fight during the Finnish campaign, re-enters service in June 1941, retreats along with the entire army, finds himself surrounded several times, then goes on the offensive and ends his journey in the depths of Germany.

Vasily Terkin is a multi-dimensional image. He symbolic image, man-people, collective Russian type. It's no coincidence that personal biography nothing is said: they are, as it were, average. He is “a great hunter of living until he is ninety years old,” a peaceful, civilian man, a soldier by necessity. His usual life on the collective farm was interrupted by the war. War for him - disaster, hot job. The entire poem is permeated with a dream of a peaceful life.

Already at the first mention, the surname Terkin clearly outlines the boundaries of character: Terkin means an experienced, seasoned man, “a seasoned kalach,” or, as the poem says, “a seasoned man.” Compare, for example, with the Russian proverb: “Patience and work will grind everything down,” etc. This core of the name, the core of the image varies several times and is played out in the poem:

Terkin's image is a generalized image, for all its realism and ordinariness. Tvardovsky endows his hero with an “all-Russian” appearance, avoids portrait marks (this would make him overly individualized): “Endowed with beauty / He was not excellent. / Not tall, not that small, / But a hero-hero.” Terkin is a bright, unique personality, and at the same time he includes the traits of many people, he seems to be repeated many times in others 1. See, for example, the chapter “Terkin - Terkin”: it turns out that there are two Terkins in the book. This is the hero of the book Vasily Ivanovich and his namesake Ivan. Duality emphasizes the general character of the main character. But their duality is not absolute: the second Terkin turns out to be red-haired, does not smoke, and his front-line profession is an armor-piercer. The situation is resolved by a “strict foreman”:

Tvardovsky selects the most general, typical episodes of the war, rarely using specific geographical names and exact chronological designations (the place and time of his book - field, forest, river, swamp, village, road, winter, spring, summer, autumn). The same applies to Terkin’s military profession: in different situations he turns out to be either a signalman, or a shooter, or a scout. It is important that Terkin belongs to the most massive branch of the military - the infantry. The hero is an infantryman. “It contains the pathos of the infantry, the army closest to the earth, to the cold, to fire and death,” Tvardovsky wrote at the very beginning of his plan. Terkin is one of the unskilled workers of the war, on whom the country rests, who bore the burden of the war on their shoulders. The hero of Tvardovsky's poem is a hero of a specific war with the Germans, and at the same time there is something in him that brings him closer to the Russian soldier of all times. Tvardovsky himself always liked this idea about the deep national roots of his hero, and in the handwritten versions of the poem there are the lines:

Tvardovsky depicts the life of war in general, but big picture the war consists of individual, very vivid and precise details of the war. The concreteness and tangibility of the pictures drawn by Tvardovsky are extremely enhanced by the numerous and precise details of front-line life: in the parking lot “water with ice rattled from a bucket into a smoky tank”; the telephone operator “blew into the receiver for order”; soldiers write letters “at a rest stop, under fire, on each other’s backs, taking off a glove with their teeth, in the wind in any frost,” etc. Pictures of war in the poem are always dynamic, alive, and visually perceptible.

The system of rhymes used in relation to the hero’s first and last name also contributes to the generalization of the image of the main character. Tvardovsky uses rhymes that characterize army life and the hero’s mood (“Terkin” - “bitter”, “shag”, “sayings”, “in a tunic”, “in a kapterka”, etc.). The most important rhyme in the poem is “Vasily - Russia”, repeated several times in the text, that is, it is emphasized that the hero is the embodiment of the heroism of the Russian people, representing all of Russia, all the people.

At the very height of the Great Patriotic War, when our entire country was defending its homeland, the first chapters of A.T.’s poem appeared in print. Tvardovsky’s “Vasily Terkin”, where the main character is portrayed as a simple Russian soldier, “an ordinary guy”.

The writer himself recalled that the beginning of work on “Vasily Terkin” was accompanied by difficulties: it was not easy to find the required artistic form, determine the composition, and it was especially difficult to choose a main character who would be understandable not only to the wartime reader, but would also remain modern for many years. Alexander Trifonovich Tvardovsky found his hero - Vasily Terkin, whose image helped both the soldiers at the front and their wives and children in the rear, and is also interesting to the modern reader. What made Terkin’s literary image so popular for so many years?

Any artistic image has not only individualistic, personal features, but also carries something collective, general, is an exponent, a characteristic hero of its time. On the one hand, Vasily Terkin is not like the rest of the soldiers in the company: he is a cheerful fellow, he is distinguished by a peculiar sense of humor, he is not afraid of danger, but at the same time, Tvardovsky, when creating his hero, did not take any specific person as a model, so he The writer came up with a collective image of a soldier, a defender of the Russian land, ready at any moment to repel enemy attacks:

However, what to think, brothers,

We must hurry to beat the German.

That's all Terkin in a nutshell

I have something to report to you.

Terkin is brave, courageous, he is not afraid of bullets, enemy bombing, or icy water. In any situation, the hero knows how to stand up for himself and not let others down. Terkin is a friend to a fighter at a rest stop, a son to an old man and an old woman in a dilapidated hut, a brother to a young woman who sent all her loved ones to the front. The character of the hero is woven from dozens and hundreds of characters of ordinary Russian soldiers, endowed with universal human traits: kindness, respect for people, decency.

A.T. Tvardovsky gives his hero a telling surname: Terkin; it’s not without reason that the most common phrase in the poem is: “We’ll endure it. Let's talk." The strength of the Russian spirit is such that a person can endure anything, can survive a lot, but this does not make him angrier, more intolerant, but on the contrary, he strives to help people, tries to make them believe in their own strength:

He sighed right at the door

And said:

- We'll beat you, father...

Terkin is savvy and resourceful not only in war, during battle, but also in everyday life. Thus, peaceful and military life merge into one. The hero seems to live in war, constantly dreaming of victory, of simple village work.

The writer calls Vasily Terkin differently in the poem, either he is an “ordinary guy”, with the weaknesses inherent in any person, or a hero.

Gradually, from an individual personality, the image of a hero grows to the level of literary generalization:

Sometimes serious, sometimes funny,

No matter what the rain, what the snow -

Into battle, forward, into utter fire

He goes, holy and sinful,

Russian miracle man...

It is also important that the writer does not separate Terkin from himself. In the chapter “About Myself” he writes:

I am responsible for everything around me,

And notice, if you didn’t notice,

Like Terkin, my hero,

Sometimes it speaks for me.

Bringing the hero closer to himself, making Vasily Terkin his fellow countryman, A.T. Tvardovsky talks about the direct connection between people during the war years, that everyone strives for a peaceful life, to return to their home.

Therefore, the poem by A.T. Tvardovsky’s “Vasily Terkin” is still so popular, because it main character looks like a very ordinary person.

Alexander Trifonovich Tvardovsky - the most famous Soviet writer, journalist and poet. The image of Vasily Terkin, created by him in the most difficult years for our country, is familiar to everyone since childhood. The brave, resilient and resourceful soldier still retains his attractiveness today. Therefore, it was Tvardovsky’s poem and its main character that became the topic of this article.

Vasya Terkin and “The Book about a Fighter”

A hero named Vasya Terkin was created even before the Great Patriotic War by a team of journalists, one of whom was Tvardovsky. The character was an invincible fighter, successful and strong, somewhat reminiscent of an epic hero.

For the journalist, who Tvardovsky was, the image of Vasily Terkin evokes the idea of ​​​​creating a full-fledged work in verse. Having returned, the writer begins work and plans to complete the book in 1941 and call it “A Book about a Soldier.” However new war mixed up plans, Tvardovsky goes to the front. In the difficult first months, he simply does not have time to think about the work; together with the army, he retreats and leaves the encirclement.

Creating the image of the main character

In 1942, the writer returned to his planned poem. But now her hero is fighting not in the past, but in the current war. The very image of Vasily Terkin in the poem also changes. Before that, he was a merry fellow and joker Vasya, now he is a completely different person. The fate of other people and the outcome of the war depend on him. On June 22, 1942, Tvardovsky announced the new title of the future poem - “Vasily Terkin.”

The work was written during the war, almost in parallel with it. The poet managed to quickly reflect front-line changes and preserve the artistry and beauty of the language. The chapters of the poem were published in the newspaper, and the soldiers eagerly awaited the new issue. The success of the work is explained by the fact that Vasily Terkin is the image of a Russian soldier, that is, a collective image, and therefore close to every soldier. That’s why this character was so inspiring and encouraging, giving me strength to fight.

Theme of the poem

The main theme of Tvardovsky's poem is the life of people at the front. No matter how cheerfully and fervently, with humor and irony the writer described the events and heroes, at the same time he did not let us forget that war is a tragic and severe test. And the image of Vasily Terkin helps to reveal this idea.

The poet describes both the joy of victory and the bitterness of retreat, soldier’s life, everything that befell the people. And people passed these tests for the sake of one thing: “Combat to the death is not for the sake of glory, for the sake of life on earth!”

But Tvardovsky understands the problems, not only does he talk about the war in general. Raises philosophical questions about life and death, peaceful life and battles. The writer looks at war through the prism of basic human values.

Symbolism in the name of the main character

The image of Vasily Terkin is noteworthy from a symbolic point of view. An essay dedicated to this hero can start with just this, and then move on to detailed description hero, which will be presented in detail below. So, as noted above, Tvardovsky’s hero has changed dramatically, he is no longer the same joker Vasya. His place is taken by a real fighter, a Russian soldier with his own biography. He took part in the Finnish campaign, then returned to the army in 1941, retreated, was surrounded, then, together with the entire army, went on the offensive and ended up in Germany.

The image of Vasily Terkin is multifaceted, symbolic, embodying the people, the Russian type of person. It is no coincidence that there is not a single mention of his family or personal relationships in the poem. He is described as a civilian forced to become a soldier. Before the war, Vasily lived on a collective farm. Therefore, he perceives the war as an ordinary civilian: for him it is an unimaginable grief, akin to He lives the dream of a peaceful life. That is, Tvardovsky creates in Terkin the type of an ordinary peasant.

At the hero's speaking surname- Terkin, that is, a seasoned man, a seasoned man; the poem says about him: “Grated by life.”

Image of Vasily Terkin

Often becomes a topic creative works image of Vasily Terkin. An essay about this character should be supplemented with a short note about the creation of the poem.

The disparate composition of the work is united into one whole by the main character, a participant in all the events described, Vasily Ivanovich Terkin. He himself is from Smolensk peasants. He is good-natured, easy to communicate, tries to maintain morale, for which he often tells soldiers funny stories from his military life.

Terkin was wounded from the first days at the front. But his destiny, destiny common man, who was able to endure all the hardships of the war, personifies the strength of the Russian people, the will of its spirit and thirst in the image of Terkin - that he does not stand out in any way, he is neither smarter, nor stronger, nor more talented than others, he is like everyone else: “Just a guy himself / He’s ordinary... There’s always a guy like that / There’s always one in every company.”

However this a common person endowed with such qualities as courage, courage, simplicity. By this, Tvardovsky emphasizes that all these qualities are inherent in all Russian people. And this is precisely the reason for our victory over a ruthless enemy.

But Terkin is not only a seasoned soldier, he is also a craftsman, a jack of all trades. Despite the harshness of wartime, he repairs watches, sharpens a saw, and plays the accordion in between battles.

To emphasize the collective nature of the image, Tvardovsky allows the hero to speak about himself in the plural.

Terkin’s conversation with Death is noteworthy. The fighter lies wounded, his life ends, and Bones appears behind him. But the hero agrees to leave with her only if she gives him a one-day reprieve so that he can “hear the victorious fireworks.” Then Death is surprised by this dedication and retreats.

Conclusion

So, the image of Vasily Terkin is a collective image designed to emphasize the heroism and courage of the Russian people. However, this hero also contains individual traits: dexterity, ingenuity, wit, the ability not to lose heart even in the face of death.

The main character of the poem is a collective, generalized image that embodies the entire warring people. Almost nothing is said about the specific personality of Vasily Terkin. It is only known that he is in his twenties - closer to thirty, and that he, like the author, comes from the Smolensk region, that “he fought in Karelian - beyond the Sestra River.”

Terkin is a great lover of life, “a hunter to live until he is ninety years old,” he joined the ranks from the reserve, serves in the infantry, in the troops “closest to the earth, to the cold, to fire and death.” For him, war is regular work, which must be done correctly, skillfully, not for the sake of glory, but “for the sake of life on earth.”

Terkin - who is he?
Let's be honest:
Just a guy himself
He's ordinary...
Not tall, not that small,
But a hero is a hero...

Tvardovsky shows through ordinariness and averageness. Typicality of Terkin, because he is the embodiment of the mass of soldiers who bore all the hardships of the war. However, Terkin's image is devoid of schematism. This is a cheerful, full-blooded hero, with his own special character.

He is a cheerful fellow, a jokester at a rest stop, a lover of hearty food, he is not averse to amusing his comrades by playing the accordion (“Accordion”), helping the elderly (“Two Soldiers”), or chopping wood for a soldier (“Before the Battle”).

This is a cheerful, good-natured, broad Russian nature, with a generous heart, combining such primordial Russian qualities as sincerity and nobility, sharpness and wisdom, determination and courage.

Vasily Terkin is a heroic image. Without hesitation, he swims across to the other side in November to report that the platoon that has crossed has gained a foothold on the other side (“Crossing”), occupies an enemy bunker and holds it until his own troops arrive (“Terkin is wounded”), and shoots down an enemy plane (“Who shot?”), taking the place of the killed lieutenant, rouses the soldiers to attack and is the first to break into the village (“On the offensive”), encourages and inspires the exhausted soldiers during the battle for the unknown “settlement of Borki”, “Where the war paved the way , / / ​​Where the water was knee-deep for the infantry, the mud was pile-deep (“Battle in the Swamp”).

In the “Duel” chapter, which is the culmination of the entire poem, Terkin enters into hand-to-hand combat with a German who is physically stronger:

Tervin knew that in this fight
He is weaker: not the same grub.

But Terkin’s morale and confidence in victory are stronger, so he emerges victorious:

And then,
Taking anger and pain into a fist,
An unloaded grenade

The German's terkin - with the left - smack!
The German groaned and went limp...

This chapter echoes the epic epic, and the battle itself grows into a symbolic generalization of “Man-People.” Terkin, symbolizing Russia, confronts a strong and formidable enemy, symbolizing Nazi Germany:

Like on an ancient battlefield,

Chest on chest, like shield on shield, -
Instead of thousands, two fight,
As if the fight would solve everything.

But it should be noted that the image of Terkin is deliberately deprived by the author romantic halo. as if even lowered. This is achieved through the introduction of colloquial vocabulary, vernacular (“he cracked a German between the eyes”, “threw him into a sled”, “gave bream”, Terkin a German with his left - “smack”, etc.)

Thus, the author seeks to emphasize that the main character is not only a generalized image-symbol, but also a personality, individuality, that for him war is work, hard, dirty, but necessary, inevitable, not for glory, not for orders and medals, not for promotion.
And only in the final stanza does the author allow himself to rise to a large-scale, solemn-sounding generalization:

A terrible battle is going on, bloody,
Mortal combat is not for glory,
For the sake of life on earth.

In the dispute between the two forces, goodness, love and life itself won. These lines are heard repeatedly in the poem; they are a kind of refrain that emphasizes main topic works: an unprecedented feat of a Russian soldier.

We encounter the same technique of generalization and individualization in the chapter “Terkin - Terkin”. Vasily meets his namesake Ivan. Ivan differs from Vasily only in his hair color (he is red), his front-line profession (armor-piercer), but otherwise both heroes are similar. The dispute between them is decided by the foreman:

What don't you understand here?
Don't you understand?
According to the regulations of each company
Terkin will be given his own.

Tvardovsky’s poem is often called an encyclopedia of military reality during the Great Patriotic War” (by analogy with Pushkin’s “Eugene Onegin”). Indeed, the book about the fighter is written extremely truthfully. The truth of war, no matter how bitter it is, hits straight into the soul.

The poet does not embellish the events, does not portray the exploits of his hero as light and funny; on the contrary, the strongest chapters in the poem are those colored with tragic pathos: “Crossing”, “Fight in the Swamp”, “Death and the Warrior”, “About the Orphan Soldier” "