(20 )

After some time, Pechorin arrived in Pyatigorsk and rented an apartment on the edge of the city, at the foot of Mashuk. In the morning he went to the healing spring, where the entire local community gathered. On the site near the well, a house with a red roof was built over a bathtub, and further away there was a gallery where people walked during the rain. Several officers were sitting on the bench, and ladies were walking around the gallery. Pechorin stopped to rest, and then he was called out by an old acquaintance, Grushnitsky, who had been wounded in the leg and had arrived at the waters a week earlier.

Grushnitsky - cadet. but out of some kind of smartness, he wears a thick soldier’s overcoat, with a soldier’s cross of St. George. He is no more than twenty-one years old, although he tries to look older. He constantly twirls his mustache with his left hand, because he has a crutch in his right.

Grushnitsky is one of those people who has ready-made pompous phrases for all occasions; his goal is to become the hero of a novel. He does not like Pechorin, although outwardly they are on friendly terms. Grigory Alexandrovich responds in kind, foreseeing that one day he will collide with him on a narrow path and one of them will be in trouble.

Grushnitsky began to tell Pechorin about the people who came to the waters, in particular, about the Moscow princess Ligovskaya and her daughter Mary, with whom he was unfamiliar, which was due to his soldier’s overcoat. At this time, two ladies walked past them to the well: one elderly, the other young. They were dressed with great taste. Pechorin really liked the young woman for her grace. Grushnitsky said that these were the Ligovskys, and then began to talk deliberately loudly so that the princess would pay attention to him, and he achieved his goal: she looked at him with a long, curious look. Pechorin noticed that the girl had very beautiful eyes. Then he and Grushnitsky broke up.

Grigory Alexandrovich walked a little along the grape alleys, but it became hot, and he went home. passing by a sulfuric acid source, the officer saw that Grushnitsky had deliberately dropped his glass and was unsuccessfully trying to pick it up, showing with all his unhappy appearance how his wounded leg was hindering him. Princess Mary ran up to the cadet and handed him a glass, blushing terribly. When Grushnitsky wanted to thank her, the girl was already far away. Walking past the wounded man with her mother for some time, she assumed a decorous and important appearance.

Noticing Pechorin, the cadet drew his attention to the girl’s act, but Grigory Alexandrovich declared that there was nothing special about it: he wanted to annoy the veil. The friends went down to the city together and walked past the Ligovsky house - one of the best houses in Pyatigorsk, where they saw the princess sitting by the window. She smiled favorably at the cadet and looked indignantly at Pechorin, who was looking at her through the lorgnette.

Two days later, Doctor Werner came to see Grigory Alexandrovich. He was a man whose appearance at first glance is unpleasantly striking, but then you completely forget about it thanks to his intelligence. He and Pechorin were friends, understood each other perfectly and always found something to talk about. Pechorin asked Werner to tell him the local news and heard that the princess thought that Grushnitsky had been demoted to soldier because of the duel, and the princess was surprised why Grigory Alexandrovich did not come to visit them, and told everyone about his adventures in St. Petersburg, while Mary listened this secular gossip with great attention. The doctor also mentioned that a young lady, a relative of the princess by marriage, had come to town, very pretty and very sick. She has a mole on her cheek. This news interested Pechorin very much: from the description, he recognized his long-time lover, with whom he broke up several years ago.

After lunch, Grigory Alexandrovich went to the boulevard. A small circle of young people gathered near the Ligovskys. Pechorin sat down on a bench, stopped two familiar officers and began to tell them funny stories and jokes. Little by little, all the men surrounding the princess left her and went over to Grigory Alexandrovich, which annoyed Mary, although she tried her best to appear indifferent. Grushnitsky watched the princess with a predatory gaze, and Pechorin was sure that tomorrow he would ask someone to introduce him to Ligovsky.

Grigory Alexandrovich tried in every possible way to tease the princess’s curiosity. He did not want to be introduced to her, but tried to distract all her admirers from her. When the girl wanted to buy a Persian carpet, he overpaid forty rubles and bought it himself, and in the evening he led his horse covered with this carpet past Mary’s windows, which infuriated the princess. Grushnitsky found an opportunity to meet the Ligovskys and now spent a lot of time with them. Pechorin told his friend that the princess was probably already in love with him. He blushed and pouted, although it was clear that he was pleased with this observation.

One day Grigory Alexandrovich got up late and came to the source when no one was there anymore. He thought about Vera - a woman with a mole on her cheek - and suddenly saw her in the cool shadow of the grotto. They both immediately felt that they still loved each other. Vera said that she had married a second time, that her husband was old, rich and suffered from rheumatism, and that she respected him as a father. It turned out that the husband is a distant relative of the princess and Vera often visits them, so Pechorin promised to get acquainted with the Ligovskys and dangle after Mary in order to divert attention from his connection with Vera. Returning home, Pechorin mounted his horse and rode off into the steppe to unwind: his old lover really looked very sick. It was already six o'clock when he remembered that it was time for lunch. Returning, Grigory Alexandrovich saw a cavalcade of horsemen, led by Grushnitsky and Princess Mary. Late in the evening, having met a cadet returning from the Ligovskys, Pechorin declared that, if he wanted, he would be with the princess tomorrow and even intended to court the princess, he would just wait. until she gets bored with Grushnitsky.

About a week passed, and Grigory Alexandrovich still had not met the Ligovskys. Once at the source he met Vera, who reproached him for not being in the princess’s house, and the next evening Pechorin decided to go to a ball at a restaurant. At the ball, he invited Mary to a waltz and received real pleasure: she danced excellently. After the dance, they began to talk, and the girl made it clear that the doors of her house were closed to Pechorin. Then a very drunk gentleman, accompanied by a dragoon officer, approached the princess and invited the girl to a mazurka. Mary was confused: her mother was far away, there were no familiar gentlemen nearby, and there was no one to stand up for the girl. But Grigory Alexandrovich firmly took the drunken gentleman by the hand and said gravely that the princess had decided to dance the mazurka with him.

The gentleman left, and Mary, thanking Pechorin, told everything to her mother. The princess immediately invited the officer to visit them. During the mazurka, Mary and Grigory Alexandrovich started talking about Grushnitsky. The princess took pity on him, and Pechorin casually mentioned that his friend was a cadet. The girl was somewhat disappointed by the lack of a romantic story about being demoted for a duel. The next evening, walking along the boulevard, Grigory Alexandrovich met Grushnitsky. who thanked him for helping the princess at the ball and admitted that he loved her. They went together to the princess.

A little later Vera entered the living room. Ligovskaya introduced Pechorin to her, and he was very kind all evening and entertained the guests. While the princess was singing, Vera warned her lover that she did not want him to meet her husband. When Mary asked whether the officer liked her singing, he boldly replied that he liked music only after dinner, because it made him sleep well, and he spent the rest of the evening with Vera, talking a lot with her about the past. From that day on, Pechorin began to see the princess often and told her a lot about himself, as if deliberately trying to show himself from the worst side, so the girl became seriously interested in him.

One day Grushnitsky came to see a friend with good news: he was promoted to officer. The former cadet decided not to see the princess until the new uniform, on which he was entrusted, was ready big hopes. In the evening, Pechorin again talked for a long time with Mary, flaunting his disappointment in life, and ensured that the girl clearly began to reproach herself for being cold towards him. Meanwhile, Vera tormented him with her jealousy and demanded that Grigory Alexandrovich prove his love by following her to Kislovodsk, where she and her husband were going the day after tomorrow. They will live in the same house with the princess, but she will arrive later, and there is empty apartment, belonging to the same owner. Pechorin promised and immediately rented this apartment.

The next day a ball was to take place, and Grushnitsky, who came to Grigory Alexandrovich, joyfully announced that the uniform was ready and he was going to invite the princess to the mazurka. In the evening, Pechorin met with Mary and invited her to the mazurka. The next day, entering the hall, Grigory Alexandrovich immediately saw Grushnitsky with the princess. The girl, clearly bored, listened to her interlocutor in a new uniform with incredible epaulets. All evening the former Juncker tried not to leave the princess, and she was clearly burdened by his attention. The fact that the mazurka was given to Pechorin infuriated Grushnitsky extremely, and at dinner he whispered for a long time about something with the dragoon officer.

In the morning Vera left for Kislovodsk. Grigory Alexandrovich came to see the princess, but Mary did not come out, saying she was ill, and he suddenly realized that he was missing something. Has he fallen in love? The next day they managed to meet in private. The girl was very excited and tried to force him to be frank, but Grigory Alexandrovich answered very coldly. And later rumors spread around the city that Pechorin would marry Princess Mary. The officer guessed that Grushnitsky was spreading these rumors.

A few days later, Pechorin followed Vera to Kislovodsk and met with her every day at the source. Soon Grushnitsky appeared in the city, pretending not to notice his former friend. Finally the Ligovskys arrived. The princess did not leave her daughter’s side, and Vera was mercilessly jealous of Pechorin for the princess.

One day, returning from a horseback ride, Grigory Alexandrovich found himself alone with Mary. They were crossing a fast river, and suddenly the girl felt sick. Pechorin hugged her to help, and then kissed her on the cheek. Mary confessed her love to him, forcing him to make a reciprocal confession, but heard in response an indifferent “why?” The princess lashed the horse with a whip and galloped away. Grigory Alexandrovich went to the mountains, spent time there until nightfall, and on his way back, he noticed a light in one of the houses and looked out the window. There was a war party going on there. He saw Grushnitsky with the dragoon captain, who were talking about him. The dragoon outlined his plan: Grushnitsky challenges Pechorin to a duel with the condition that he shoot from six steps. The trick is that the captain will not put bullets in the pistols, but the enemy will not know this and will chicken out, and they will enjoy this spectacle. To the delight of everyone present, Grushnitsky agreed.

The next morning, the princess demanded that Pechorin say directly whether he loved her, and Grigory Alexandrovich replied that he did not. He understood that he had acted ignoblely towards the girl, but the very thought of marriage disgusted him: above all he valued freedom.

A couple of days later a magician arrived in Kislovodsk, and the whole community gathered for a concert. Vera sent a note to Pechorin that her husband had left, and she was buying tickets for all the servants and would be waiting for her lover in the evening at home. The princess also went to the concert, and only Vera and Mary remained in the house. In the evening, Grigory Alexandrovich looked into the hall, made sure that the princess and the servants were there, and went to Vera. On the way, it seemed to him that someone was watching him. At about two o'clock in the morning he left Vera through the window and could not resist looking in
the princess's window, in which the light was burning. Mary sat on her bed and was very sad.

He jumped from the balcony and was overtaken by the dragoon captain and Grushnitsky. Pechorin hit the captain on the head with his fist, knocked him down and rushed to his room, where he quickly undressed and lay down. Soon there was a knock on the door. Grigory Alexandrovich replied that he was sleeping.

The next day, he accidentally witnessed a conversation that decided Grushnitsky’s fate. The latter said that he witnessed Pechorin descending from Princess Mary’s balcony at night. Suddenly the former cadet looked up and saw Grigory Alexandrovich, who accused him of slander. Grushnitsky did not agree to retract his words and received a challenge to a duel. Dragyn announced that he would be his second.

After this, Pechorin went to Werner, told about his relationship with Vera, about the events of the night and about the conspiracy he had overheard earlier, and asked to become his second. The doctor went to Grushnitsky to agree on the terms of the duel, and when he returned, he said that he had accidentally heard a couple of phrases there, from which he realized that the plot had changed: Grushnitsky’s pistol would be loaded. Werner tried to dissuade Grigory Alexandrovich from the duel, but he was adamant.

At two o'clock in the morning Pechorin was still awake, he was thinking about the life he had lived and was ready for any outcome of the fight. Early in the morning he took a Narzan bath, and upon returning from the bath, he already found a doctor at his place. They went on horseback to the place of the duel. They drove for a long time in silence, only Werner asked if Pechorin had written a will, and the officer replied that this was completely unnecessary. the opponents were already waiting for them. The doctor suggested that the duelists explain themselves and dispense with the duel.

Pechorin stated that he was ready, Grushnitsky also agreed, but upon learning that Grigory Alexandrovich was demanding a public apology and renunciation of slander, he decided to shoot himself. Pechorin proposed holding a duel on a narrow platform over an abyss, so that the killed or wounded opponent would fall into the abyss, and after that the doctor would remove the bullet from the body, and the death could be explained by an accident. They cast lots. Grushnitsky was the first to shoot. He faced a difficult choice, since he understood that he was aiming at an unarmed man, and the conditions of the duel were deadly. He began to take aim and suddenly lowered the muzzle of the pistol, saying “I can’t,” but the dragoon called him a coward, and Grushnitsky fired. The bullet scratched Pechorin's leg. Afterwards, Grushnitsky and the captain hugged, and the first took a place on the edge of the square.

Here Grigory Alexandrovich put an end to the farce, saying that the enemy’s second had probably forgotten to put a bullet in his pistol, and asked to reload. The confused dragoon did not agree, claiming that this was against the rules, then Pechorin invited him to fight tomorrow on the same conditions. Grushnitsky stood embarrassed and gloomy. The doctor loaded the pistol. Grigory Aleksandrovich once again invited his former friend to renounce the slander and apologize, but he refused. Pechorin fired. When the smoke cleared, Grushnitsky was not on the site.

Grigory Alexandrovich went home, and there was a stone in his heart. Before reaching the settlement, he turned his horse and, wandering in the mountains all day, returned to the apartment when the sun was already setting. At home, the footman handed him two notes. The first one was from Werner. He reported that the bullet had been removed from the corpse and there was no evidence against Pechorin. In the second note, Vera wrote that she confessed everything to her husband, he ordered the horses to be pawned and now they are leaving. She spoke of the bitterness of her love and said goodbye forever. Grigory Alexandrovich, like a madman, jumped on his horse and set off at full speed along the road to Pyatigorsk. He mercilessly drove the horse until it fell dead. Pechorin's legs did not obey him. He fell on the grass and cried bitterly for a long time. Having returned to Kislovodsk on foot early in the morning, Grigory Alexandrovich went to bed and fell asleep dead asleep. He slept until the evening, when Werner appeared with the news that they had learned about the duel.

4.3 / 5. 20

M. Yu. Lermontov worked on the novel “A Hero of Our Time” in 1838-1840. The idea to write a novel was born during the writer’s exile in the Caucasus in 1838. The first parts of the novel were published within one year in the magazine " Domestic notes" They aroused interest from readers. Lermontov, seeing the popularity of these works, combined them into one big novel.

In the title, the author sought to justify the relevance of his creation for his contemporaries. The 1841 edition also included a preface by the writer in connection with the questions that arose among readers. We bring to your attention a summary of “A Hero of Our Time” chapter by chapter.

Main characters

Pechorin Grigory Alexandrovich- the central character of the entire story, officer tsarist army, a sensitive and sublime nature, but selfish. Handsome, superbly built, charming and intelligent. He is burdened by his arrogance and individualism, but does not want to overcome either one or the other.

Bela- daughter of a Circassian prince. Treacherously kidnapped by her brother Azamat, she becomes Pechorin's lover. Bela is beautiful and smart, pure and straightforward. She dies from the dagger of the Circassian Kazbich, who is in love with her.

Mary(Princess Ligovskaya) is a noble girl whom Pechorin met by chance and did his best to make her fall in love with him. Educated and smart, proud and generous. The break with Pechorin becomes a deep tragedy for her.

Maxim Maksimych- officer of the tsarist army (with the rank of staff captain). A kind and honest man, Pechorin’s boss and close friend, an involuntary witness to his love affairs and life conflicts.

Narrator- a passing officer who became a casual acquaintance of Maxim Maksimovich and listened and wrote down his story about Pechorin.

Other characters

Azamat- Circassian prince, an unbalanced and selfish young man, Bela’s brother.

Kazbich- a young Circassian who fell in love with Bela and became her killer.

Grushnitsky- a young cadet, a proud and unrestrained man. Pechorin's rival, killed by him in a duel.

Faith- Pechorin's former lover, appears in the novel as a reminder of his past in St. Petersburg.

Undine- a nameless smuggler who amazed Pechorin with her appearance (“undine” is one of the names of mermaids; the reader will never know the girl’s real name).

Yanko- smuggler, friend of Ondine.

Werner- a doctor, an intelligent and educated person, an acquaintance of Pechorin.

Vulich- an officer, Serb by nationality, a young and passionate man, an acquaintance of Pechorin.

Preface

In the preface, the author addresses the readers. He says that readers were struck by the negative traits of the main character of his work and blame the author for this. However, Lermontov points out that his hero is the embodiment of the vices of his time, therefore he is modern. The author also believes that readers cannot be fed sweet stories and fairy tales all the time; they must see and understand life as it is.

The action of the work takes place in the Caucasus in early XIX century. Partially in this area Russian Empire military operations are underway against the highlanders.

Part one

I. Bela

This part begins with the fact that the narrator-officer meets on his way to the Caucasus the middle-aged staff captain Maxim Maksimych, who makes a positive impression on him. The narrator and the staff captain become friends. Finding themselves in a snowstorm, the heroes begin to remember the events of their lives, and the staff captain talks about a young officer whom he knew about four and a half years ago.

This officer's name was Grigory Pechorin. He was handsome in face, stately and intelligent. However, he had a strange character: he either complained about trifles, like a girl, or fearlessly rode a horse over the rocks. Maxim Maksimych at that time was the commandant of the military fortress, in which this mysterious young officer served under his command.

Soon the sensitive captain noticed that his new subordinate began to feel sad in the wilderness. Being a kind man, he decided to help his officer unwind. At that time he was just invited to a wedding eldest daughter Circassian prince, who lived not far from the fortress and sought to establish a good relationship with royal officers.

At the wedding Pechorin liked youngest daughter the prince - the beautiful and graceful Bela.

Escaping from the stuffiness in the room, Maxim Maksimych went outside and became an involuntary witness to the conversation that took place between Kazbich, a Circassian with the appearance of a robber, and Bela’s brother Azamat. The latter offered Kazbich any price for his magnificent horse, proving that he was even ready to steal his sister for him for the horse. Azamat knew that Kazbich was not indifferent to Bela, but the proud Circassian Kazbich only brushed off the annoying young man.

Maxim Maksimych, having listened to this conversation, inadvertently retold it to Pechorin, not knowing what his young colleague was up to.

It turned out that Pechorin later invited Azamat to steal Bela for him, promising in return that Kazbich’s horse would become his.

Azamat fulfilled the agreement and took his beautiful sister to the fortress to Pechorin. When Kazbich drove the sheep into the fortress, Pechorin distracted him, and at that time Azamat stole his faithful horse Karagez. Kazbich vowed to take revenge on the offender.

Later, news came to the fortress that Kazbich had killed the Circassian prince - own father Bela and Azamat, suspecting him of complicity in the theft of his horse.

Meanwhile, Bela began to live in Pechorin’s fortress. He treated her with unusual care, without offending her either in word or deed. Pechorin hired a Circassian woman who began to serve Bela. Pechorin himself, with affection and pleasant treatment, won the heart of the proud beauty. The girl fell in love with her kidnapper. However, having achieved the beauty’s favor, Pechorin lost interest in her. Bela felt a cooling on the part of her lover and began to be greatly burdened by this.

Maxim Maksimych, having fallen in love with a girl, how my own daughter, tried with all his might to console her. One day, when Pechorin left the fortress, the staff captain invited Bela to take a walk with him outside the walls. From a distance they saw Kazbich riding Bela's father's horse. The girl became afraid for her life.

Some more time passed. Pechorin communicated with Bela less and less, she began to feel sad. One day Maxim Maksimych and Pechorin were not in the fortress, when they returned, they noticed from afar the prince’s horse and Kazbich in the saddle, who was carrying some kind of bag on it. When the officers chased after Kazbich, the Circassian opened the bag and raised a dagger over it. It became clear that he was holding Bela in the bag. Kazbich abandoned his prey and quickly galloped away.

The officers drove up to the mortally wounded girl, carefully lifted her and took her to the fortress. Bela was able to live two more days. In her delirium, she remembered Pechorin, talked about her love for him and regretted that she and Grigory Alexandrovich were in different faiths, therefore, in her opinion, they would not be able to meet in heaven.

When Bela was buried, Maxim Maksimych no longer spoke about her with Pechorin. Then the elderly staff captain came to the conclusion that Bela’s death was the best way out of the current situation. After all, Pechorin would eventually leave her, and she would not be able to survive such a betrayal.

After serving in the fortress under the command of Maxim Maksimych, Pechorin left to continue it in Georgia. He gave no news about himself.

This is where the staff captain's story ended.

II. Maxim Maksimych

The narrator and Maxim Maksimych parted, each went about his own business, but soon they unexpectedly met again. Maxim Maksimych excitedly said that he had met Pechorin completely unexpectedly again. He learned that he had now retired and decided to go to Persia. The elderly staff captain wanted to communicate with an old friend whom he had not seen for about five years, but Pechorin did not at all strive for such communication, which greatly offended the old officer.

Maxim Maksimych could not sleep all night, but in the morning he decided to talk to Pechorin again. But he showed coldness and ostentatious indifference. The staff captain was greatly saddened.

The narrator, having seen Pechorin in person, decided to convey to the readers his impressions of his appearance and demeanor. He was a man of average height with a beautiful and expressive face, which women always liked. He knew how to behave in society and speak. Pechorin dressed well and without provocation, his suit emphasized the slenderness of his body. However, what was striking about his entire appearance was his eyes, which looked at his interlocutor coldly, heavily and penetratingly. Pechorin practically did not use gestures in communication, which was a sign of secrecy and distrust.

He left quickly, leaving only vivid memories of himself.

The narrator informed the readers that Maxim Maksimych, seeing his interest in Pechorin’s personality, gave him his journal, that is, his diary. For some time the diary lay idle with the narrator, but after Pechorin’s death (he died suddenly at the age of twenty-eight: having unexpectedly fallen ill on the way to Persia), the narrator decided to publish some parts of it.
The narrator, addressing the readers, asked them for leniency towards Pechorin’s personality, because he, despite his vices, was at least sincere in his detailed description their.

Pechorin's Journal

I. Taman

In this part, Pechorin talked about what he thought was a funny adventure that happened to him in Taman.

Arriving at this little-known place, he, due to his characteristic suspicion and insight, realized that the blind boy with whom he was staying for the night was hiding something from those around him. Following him, he saw that the blind man was meeting with beautiful girl, which Pechorin himself calls Undine (“mermaid”). The girl and boy were waiting for the man they called Yanko. Yanko soon appeared with some bags.

The next morning, Pechorin, spurred by curiosity, tried to find out from the blind man what kind of bundles his strange friend had brought. The blind boy was silent, pretending that he did not understand his guest. Pechorin met with Ondine, who tried to flirt with him. Pechorin pretended to succumb to her charms.

In the evening, together with a Cossack he knew, he went on a date with a girl on the pier, ordering the Cossack to be on the alert and, if something unexpected happened, to rush to his aid.

Together with Ondine, Pechorin boarded the boat. However, their romantic journey was soon cut short when the girl tried to push her companion into the water, despite the fact that Pechorin did not know how to swim. The motives for Ondine's behavior are understandable. She guessed that Pechorin understood what Yanko, the blind boy and she were doing, and therefore he could inform the police about the smugglers. However, Pechorin managed to defeat the girl and throw her into the water. Ondine knew how to swim quite well, she rushed into the water and swam towards Yanko. He took her aboard his boat, and soon they disappeared into the darkness.

Returning after such a dangerous voyage, Pechorin realized that the blind boy had stolen his things. The adventures of the past day entertained the bored hero, but he was unpleasantly annoyed that he could have died in the waves.

In the morning the hero left Taman forever.

Part two

(end of Pechorin's journal)

II. Princess Mary

Pechorin spoke in his journal about life in the city of Pyatigorsk. He was bored with provincial society. The hero was looking for entertainment and found it.

He met the young cadet Grushnitsky, a hot and ardent young man in love with the beautiful Princess Mary Ligovskaya. Pechorin was amused by the feeling young man. In the presence of Grushnitsky, he began to talk about Mary as if she were not a girl, but a racehorse, with its own advantages and disadvantages.

At first, Pechorin irritated Mary. At the same time, the hero liked to anger the young beauty: either he tried to be the first to buy an expensive carpet that the princess wanted to buy, or he expressed evil hints towards her. Pechorin proved to Grushnitsky that Mary belongs to the breed of those women who will flirt with everyone and marry a worthless man, at the behest of their mother.

Meanwhile, Pechorin met Werner in the city, a local doctor, an intelligent but bilious man. The most ridiculous rumors circulated around him in the city: someone even considered him the local Mephistopheles. Werner liked this exotic fame, and he supported it with all his might. Being an insightful person, the doctor foresaw the future drama that could occur between Pechorin, Mary and the young cadet Grushnitsky. However, he did not elaborate on this topic.

Meanwhile, events took their course, adding new touches to the portrait of the main character. A socialite and relative of Princess Mary, Vera, came to Pyatigorsk. Readers learned that Pechorin was once passionately in love with this woman. She also retained a bright feeling for Grigory Alexandrovich in her heart. Vera and Gregory met. And here we saw a different Pechorin: not a cold and angry cynic, but a man of great passions, who had not forgotten anything and felt suffering and pain. After meeting with Vera, who, being a married woman, could not unite with the hero who was in love with her, Pechorin jumped into the saddle. He galloped over mountains and valleys, greatly exhausting his horse.

On an exhausted horse, Pechorin accidentally met Mary and frightened her.

Soon Grushnitsky, with ardent feeling, began to prove to Pechorin that after all his antics he would never be received in the princess’s house. Pechorin argued with his friend, proving the opposite.
Pechorin went to the ball with Princess Ligovskaya. Here he began to behave unusually courteously towards Mary: he danced with her like a wonderful gentleman, protected her from a tipsy officer, and helped her cope with fainting. Mother Mary began to look at Pechorin with different eyes and invited him to her house as a close friend.

Pechorin began to visit the Ligovskys. He became interested in Mary as a woman, but the hero was still attracted to Vera. On one of their rare dates, Vera told Pechorin that she was terminally ill with consumption, so she asked him to spare her reputation. Vera also added that she always understood the soul of Grigory Alexandrovich and accepted him with all his vices.

Pechorin, however, became close to Mary. The girl admitted to him that she was bored with all the fans, including Grushnitsky. Pechorin, using his charm, out of nothing to do, made the princess fall in love with him. He couldn’t even explain to himself why he needed this: either to have fun, or to annoy Grushnitsky, or perhaps to show Vera that someone needed him too and, thereby, to provoke her jealousy.

Gregory succeeded in what he wanted: Mary fell in love with him, but at first she hid her feelings.

Meanwhile, Vera began to worry about this novel. On a secret date, she asked Pechorin never to marry Mary and promised him a night meeting in return.

Pechorin began to get bored in the company of both Mary and Vera. He was tired of Grushnitsky with his passion and boyishness. Pechorin deliberately began to behave provocatively in public, which caused tears from Mary, who was in love with him. People thought he was an immoral madman. However, the young Princess Ligovskaya understood that by doing so he only bewitched her more.

Grushnitsky began to get seriously jealous. He understood that Mary’s heart was given to Pechorin. He was also amused by the fact that Grushnitsky stopped greeting him and began to turn away when he appeared.

The whole city was already talking about the fact that Pechorin would soon propose to Mary. The old princess - the girl's mother - was expecting matchmakers from Grigory Alexandrovich from day to day. But he did not want to propose to Mary, but wanted to wait until the girl herself confessed her love to him. On one of the walks, Pechorin kissed the princess on the cheek, wanting to see her reaction. The next day, Mary confessed her love to Pechorin, but in response he coldly noted that he did not have any loving feelings for her.

Mary felt deeply humiliated by words loved one. She was waiting for anything, but not this. The heroine realized that Pechorin laughed at her out of boredom. She compared herself to a flower that an angry passer-by picked and threw on the dusty road.

Pechorin, describing in his diary the scene of the explanation with Mary, discussed why he acted so basely. He wrote that he did not want to get married because a fortune teller once told his mother that her son would die from an evil wife. In his notes, the hero noted that he values ​​his own freedom above all else, and is afraid to be noble and seem funny to others. And he simply believes that he is not capable of bringing happiness to anyone.

A famous magician has arrived in town. Everyone hurried to his performance. Only Vera and Mary were absent there. Pechorin, driven by passion for Vera, late in the evening went to the Ligovskys’ house, where she lived. In the window he saw the silhouette of Mary. Grushnitsky tracked down Pechorin, believing that he had an appointment with Mary. Despite the fact that Pechorin managed to return to his house, Grushnitsky is full of resentment and jealousy. He challenged Grigory Alexandrovich to a duel. Werner and a dragoon unfamiliar to Pechorin acted as seconds.

Before the duel, Pechorin could not calm down for a long time; he reflected on his life and realized that he had brought good to few people. Fate has prepared for him the role of executioner for many people. He killed some with his words, and others with his deeds. He loved with insatiable love only himself. He was looking for a person who could understand him and forgive him everything, but not a single woman or man could do this.

And so he received a challenge to a duel. Perhaps his rival will kill him. What will remain after him in this life? Nothing. Only empty memories.

The next morning, Werther tried to reconcile Pechorin and his opponent. However, Grushnitsky was adamant. Pechorin wanted to show generosity to his opponent, hoping for his reciprocity. But Grushnitsky was angry and offended. As a result of the duel, Pechorin killed Grushnitsky. To hide the fact of the duel, the seconds and Pechorin testified that the young officer was killed by the Circassians.

However, Vera realized that Grushnitsky died in a duel. She confessed to her husband her feelings for Pechorin. He took her out of town. In an attempt to catch up with Vera, he drove his horse to death.

Returning to the city, he learned that rumors about the duel had leaked into society, so he was assigned a new duty station. He went to say goodbye to Mary and her mother's house. The old princess offered him the hand and heart of her daughter, but Pechorin rejected her proposal.

Left alone with Mary, he humiliated this girl’s pride so much that he himself felt unpleasant.

III. Fatalist

The final part of the novel tells that Pechorin, on business, ended up in the Cossack village. One evening there was a dispute among the officers as to whether there was a fatal confluence of circumstances in a person's life. Is a person free to choose his own life or is his fate “predetermined from above”?

During a heated argument, the Serb Vulich took the floor. He stated that, according to his convictions, he is a fatalist, that is, a person who believes in fate. Therefore, he was of the opinion that if it was not given to him to die from above tonight, then death would not take him, no matter how much he himself strived for it.

To prove his words, Vulich offered a bet: he would shoot himself in the temple; if he was right, he would remain alive, and if he was wrong, he would die.

None of those gathered wanted to agree to such strange and terrible terms of the bet. Only Pechorin agreed.

Looking into the eyes of his interlocutor, Pechorin firmly said that he would die today. Then Vulich took a pistol and shot himself in the temple. The gun misfired. Then he fired a second shot to the side. The shot was a combat shot.

Everyone began to loudly discuss what had happened. But Pechorin insisted that Vulich would die today. Nobody understood his persistence. Disgruntled, Vulich left the meeting.

Pechorin walked home through the alleys. He saw a pig lying on the ground, cut in half by a saber. Eyewitnesses told him that one of their Cossacks, who likes to take a drink from a bottle, was doing this kind of weird thing.
In the morning, Pechorin was woken up by officers and told him that Vulich had been hacked to death at night by this same drunken Cossack. Pechorin felt uneasy, but he also wanted to try his luck. Together with other officers, he went to catch the Cossack.

Meanwhile, the Cossack, having sobered up and realized what he had done, was not going to surrender to the mercy of the officers. He locked himself in his hut and threatens to kill anyone who gets in there. At mortal risk, Pechorin volunteered to punish the brawler. He climbed into his hut through the window, but remained alive. The Cossack was tied up by officers who arrived in time.

After such an incident, Pechorin had to become a fatalist. However, he was in no hurry to draw conclusions, believing that everything in life is not as simple as it seems from the outside.

And the kindest Maxim Maksimych, to whom he retold this story, noticed that pistols often misfire, and what is written in one’s family will happen. The elderly staff captain also did not want to become a fatalist.

This is where the novel ends. When reading a brief retelling of “A Hero of Our Time,” do not forget that the work itself is much more interesting than the story about its main episodes. So read this famous work M.Yu. Lermontov and enjoy what you read!

Conclusion

Lermontov’s work “Hero of Our Time” has remained relevant for readers for almost two hundred years. And this is not surprising, because the work touches on the most important life problems human existence on earth: love, personal purpose, fate, passion and faith in higher power. This work will not leave anyone indifferent, which is why it is included in the treasury classical works Russian literature.

Novel test

After reading summary Lermontov's works - try to pass the test:

Retelling rating

Average rating: 4.4. Total ratings received: 23376.

Maria Ligovskaya. In the novel, Princess Mary uses it to emphasize her status.

Here is Princess Ligovskaya,” said Grushnitsky, “and with her is her daughter Mary, as she calls her in the English manner.

This Princess Ligovskaya

Age

Not sure exactly, but probably around 16.

Why am I trying so hard to get the love of a young girl?

But there is immense pleasure in possessing a young, barely blossoming soul!

Relation to Pechorin

Dismissive and negative at first:

I pointed the lorgnette at her and noticed that she smiled at his gaze, and that my impudent lorgnette had seriously angered her.

Over the course of two days, my affairs progressed terribly. The princess absolutely hates me;

The daughter listened with curiosity. In her imagination, you became the hero of a novel in a new taste

she flirts with you to her heart's content, and in two years she will marry a freak, out of obedience to her mother

The princess also wanted to laugh more than once, but she restrained herself so as not to leave the accepted role: she finds that languor is coming to her - and, perhaps, she is not mistaken

At the same time, quite proud. She made other women jealous.

hostile intentions against the dear princess

my daring lorgnette really angered her. And how, in fact, dare a Caucasian army soldier point a glass at a Moscow princess?

And what is she proud of? She really needs to be taught a lesson

This Princess Ligovskaya is an unbearable girl! Imagine, she pushed me and didn’t apologize, and even turned around and looked at me through her lorgnette

passing by Grushnitsky, she assumed such a decorous and important look - she didn’t even turn around

Princess Mary is a lover of romantic stories

The characterization of Mary in the novel “A Hero of Our Time” by Lermontov is inseparable from her relationship with the main character of the work, Pechorin. It was he who involved her in a story that might not have happened if Princess Mary had other character traits and outlook on life. Or it would have happened (Pechorin always fulfills his plans), but with much less sad consequences for her.
Mary turned out to be a lover of romantic stories. A subtle psychologist, Pechorin immediately noted her interest in Grushnitsky as the owner of a “gray soldier’s overcoat.” She thought that he had been demoted for the duel - and this aroused romantic feelings in her. He himself as a person was indifferent to her. After Mary found out that Grushnitsky was just a cadet and not romantic hero, she began to avoid him. Exactly on the same basis her interest in Pechorin arose. This follows from the story of Doctor Werner: “The princess began to talk about your adventures... My daughter listened with curiosity. In her imagination, you became the hero of a novel in a new style..."

Characteristics of Mary

Appearance

Princess Mary, of course, had no reason to doubt her feminine attractiveness. “This Princess Mary is very pretty,” Pechorin noted when he saw her for the first time. “She has such velvet eyes...” But then he saw the inner emptiness of this secular young lady: “However, it seems that there is only good in her face... And what, are her teeth white? It is very important! It’s a pity that she didn’t smile...” “You talk about a pretty woman like an English horse,” Grushnitsky was indignant. Pechorin, indeed, did not find a soul in her - just an outer shell. And beauty alone is not enough to arouse deep feelings for yourself.

Interests

Mary is smart and educated: “she reads Byron in English and knows algebra.” Even her own mother respects her intelligence and knowledge. But reading and studying science is obviously not her natural need, but a tribute to fashion: “in Moscow, apparently, young ladies have embarked on learning,” notes Dr. Werner.

The princess also plays the piano and sings, like all the girls from high society that time. “Her voice is not bad, but she sings poorly...” Pechorin writes in his journal. Why try if it's enough for the fans? “A murmur of praise” is already guaranteed for her.

Character traits

Only Pechorin is in no hurry to give flattering reviews - and this clearly hurts the princess’s pride. This feature is inherent in the image of Mary in “A Hero of Our Time” in to the greatest extent. Having easily identified its weak point, Pechorin hits exactly this point. He is in no hurry to get to know Mary when all the other young people are hovering around her.

He lures almost all of her admirers into his company. He frightens her with his daring antics during a walk. He looks through his lorgnette. And he is glad that the princess already hates him. Now, as soon as he shows attention to her, she will perceive it as a victory, as a triumph over him. And then he will blame himself for being cold. Pechorin “knows all this by heart” and subtly plays on the strings of her character.

The princess's sentimentality and love of reasoning “about feelings and passions” will also greatly let her down. The insidious tempter Pechorin will not fail to take advantage of this, pitying her with a story about his difficult fate. “At that moment I met her eyes: tears were running in them; her hand, leaning on mine, trembled; cheeks were burning; she felt sorry for me! Compassion, a feeling that all women so easily submit to, has sunk its claws into her inexperienced heart.” The goal has almost been achieved - Mary is almost in love.

In "A Hero of Our Time" Princess Mary is one of the women who fell victim to Pechorin. She is not stupid and vaguely realizes that his intentions are not entirely honest: “Either you despise me, or you love me very much!.. Maybe you want to laugh at me, outrage my soul and then leave me?” - says Mary. But she is still too young and naive to believe that this is possible: “It would be so vile, so low, that one assumption... oh no! Isn’t it true... there is nothing in me that would exclude respect?” Pechorin also uses the naivety of the princess to subordinate her to his will: “But there is immense pleasure in possessing a young, barely blossoming soul! She is like a flower whose best fragrance evaporates towards the first ray of the sun; You need to pick it up at this moment and, after breathing it to your heart’s content, throw it on the road: maybe someone will pick it up!”

Lesson learned from Pechorin

The heroine of the novel “A Hero of Our Time,” Mary, finds herself in a very humiliating position. Until recently, she allowed herself to look at other people with contempt, and now she herself found herself an object of ridicule. Her lover does not even think about getting married. This is such a painful blow for her that she suffers from mental breakdown and becomes seriously ill. What lesson will the princess learn from this situation? I would like to think that her heart will not harden, but rather will soften and learn to choose those who are truly worthy of love.

Work test

Article menu:

“Princess Mary” is a story from the cycle “Hero of Our Time,” written by Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov in 1838-1840. This cycle is considered one of the first samples psychological novel in classical Russian literature.

We bring to your attention the poem by M.Yu. Lermontov, which describes the fate of an orphan boy who was captured and subsequently became a runaway monk.

The story told in the story takes place in the Caucasus and is presented to the reader in the form of the diary of its main character - an officer Russian army, scandalous heartthrob Pechorin.

May 11

Main character arrived in Pyatigorsk, rented an apartment and went to explore the surrounding area and the public who were walking along the streets of the resort town. Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice. It was his comrade in the service, cadet Grushnitsky. He was wounded in the leg and arrived at the waters a week earlier than Pechorin.

Juncker said that of the interesting personalities in the city, only Princess Ligovskaya from Moscow with her lovely young daughter, whom she calls Mary in the English manner. But Grushnitsky does not join them, because, according to him, a soldier’s overcoat is a seal of rejection.

At this time, Moscow aristocrats, dressed in the latest fashion, appeared in the field of view of their comrades. Pechorin noted that the young princess was really very pretty, and Grushnitsky was very embarrassed at the sight of noble ladies.

After this, the narrator continued his walk alone, but returning back, he found an entertaining scene at the well with mineral water. Grushnitsky dropped a glass on the sand and could not pick it up because he was leaning on a crutch, and then Princess Mary Ligovskaya flew out from under the arch framing the entrance to the gazebo. She came to the aid of the cadet, being incredibly embarrassed, and hastily retreated back to her mother. After this, the ladies proceeded to their mansion. And Pechorin again arrived in time to Grushnitsky, realizing that the young princess’s sympathy for the cadet aroused in him a feeling of envy.

may 13

Doctor Werner came to visit Pechorin. The narrator describes his friend very warmly. They met at some party during a discussion of a metaphysical direction, where they became imbued with mutual respect in the process of a long dispute. Later they became close and began to communicate often and spend time together.

We invite you to get acquainted with the artist who has proven himself to be an artist of words, the owner of great talent.

Princess Mary was interested in Grushnitsky, suggesting that such a noble young man was demoted to soldier because of a duel. But the princess, on the contrary, was interested in Pechorin. When the doctor told her his last name, the woman remembered how much noise he had made in St. Petersburg with his adventures. Mary listened to these stories with interest. The doctor also said that in the princess’s house he met some relative of theirs, whose name he forgot. This lady had a mole on her cheek. The mention of this made the officer feel nervous.

In the evening, Pechorin met the Ligovskys sitting on a bench surrounded by many young people. He positioned himself at a distance, stopped two officers who were passing by and began to amuse them with his anecdotes. Over time, all the young people from the circle of aristocrats moved to Pechorin’s bench. This caused considerable irritation and annoyance to Princess Mary.

16th of May

Pechorin continued his tactics of petty mischief to the young princess. The girl increasingly threw disdainful, angry glances at him. Grushnitsky, in turn, fell madly in love with young Mary. He looked for a meeting with her in every possible way and dreamed of being invited to the prince’s house.

During an evening walk, our hero thought about a woman with a mole on her cheek; memories of her made his heart flutter. Having reached the grotto, Pechorin, as if by magic, met this woman there. It turns out that he was not mistaken in his premonitions - it was a noble lady named Vera, with whom the narrator had a relationship several years ago. Vera told Pechorin that she has since married a second time, for the well-being of her son. Her husband is an old rich man, a distant relative of Princess Ligovskaya. Pechorin promised to introduce himself to Ligovsky in order to meet with Vera. The woman also asked him to pursue the princess in order to divert attention from their relationship, which had every chance of resuming.

After conversations and passionate hugs, Vera went home. Pechorin, in order to put his thoughts in order, saddled a hot horse and went to the steppe. On the way back, he met a procession of young people led by Grushnitsky and Princess Mary. Jumping out to cross them, Pechorin frightened the princess; for a second she decided that he was a Circassian savage. Grushnitsky was very dissatisfied with this meeting.

In the evening of the same day, the cadet importantly informed Pechorin that he had been in the princess’s living room, and that Mary had spoken very unflatteringly about Pechorin. In response, the young officer assured him that, if he wanted, the very next evening he would be in the house of the aristocrats, and would even begin to pursue the young princess. Grushnitsky reacted to this statement with distrust.

22nd of May

The restaurant hall turned into the hall of the Noble Assembly. By nine o'clock all the nobles had arrived there, including the princess and her daughter. Within a few minutes, Pechorin called Mary to dance. The girl waltzed with the officer with barely concealed triumph on her face. During the dance, Pechorin apologized to the princess for somehow, without even getting to know each other, angering her. Mary retorted that he would hardly have a chance to justify himself, because he did not visit them. And at that moment, when Pechorin lost all hope of squeezing into the Ligovskys’ living room, he had an opportunity to change the situation.

A very drunk officer began to pester the young princess, very brazenly inviting her to a mazurka. The girl was scared and confused, no one was in a hurry to help her. And then Pechorin separated from the crowd and gave a tough rebuff to the insolent man, forcing him to leave the dance hall. Mary told her mother everything. She thanked the officer very much for his action and invited her to visit. And Pechorin continued to communicate with the young princess all evening, hinting to her in every possible way that he had liked her for a long time, and also mentioned that one of her gentlemen, Grushnitsky, was not demoted at all for the duel, but simply held the rank of cadet.

May, 23rd

The next morning, Grushnitsky warmly thanked Pechorin for saving Mary at the ball, where he was not included. And he noted that today in a conversation with him the girl was cold and her eyes were dull. He asked Pechorin to watch the princess in the evening, when they would all be visiting her together.

On the way to the Ligovskys’ living room, Pechorin saw Vera in the window. They exchanged quick glances. Soon she also appeared at the princess's, and they were introduced to each other. During the tea party, the officer tried in every possible way to please the princess: he joked, told anecdotes, making the noble lady laugh heartily. Princess Mary was also ready to laugh, but stuck to her chosen languid image.

Afterwards everyone went into the room with the piano. Mary began to sing. Taking advantage of the moment, Pechorin took Vera aside. She told him that she was very sick, but her thoughts were not occupied by the future, but only by him. The woman asked him to see the Ligovskys. Pechorin did not like this way of putting the question; he wanted more. Mary, meanwhile, noticed that Pechorin was not listening to her singing, and this greatly angered her. The princess defiantly left and spent the entire evening talking with Grushnitsky. Pechorin, in turn, chatted a lot with Vera.

Going out into the street, Grushnitsky asked what Pechorin thought about his prospects with the young princess, but he just shrugged.

May 29

The narrator strictly followed his plan to win the heart of Princess Mary. A calculating, experienced man watched how the girl reacted to his behavior. Among other things, it became obvious that she was completely bored with Grushnitsky.

June 3

Pechorin thought for a long time about why he was seeking the love of a young girl whom he did not want to seduce and whom he would never marry. His thoughts were interrupted by Grushnitsky. He came, happy that he had been promoted to officer. Pechorin tried to tell him that the officer’s epaulettes would not help him win the princess, and that she was fooling him. But the young man in love did not believe these words.

In the evening of that day, a large company went to the hole, which was considered the crater of an extinct volcano. Pechorin helped Mary climb the mountain, and she did not leave his hand throughout the entire walk. The man spoke very biliously about their mutual acquaintances, which surprised and frightened the girl. Then Pechorin launched into long conversations about his childhood and why he became so angry. As a result, tears of pity welled up in the eyes of the young princess. The narrator reasoned that women's pity is Right way to nascent love. He also noticed that Mary’s behavior is very predictable, and this makes him bored.

June 4

Vera began to torment Pechorin with her jealousy. He denied in every possible way that he had feelings for the young princess. Then Vera begged him to follow her to Kislovodsk and rent an apartment nearby. The man promised to do so. The Ligovskys should also move there over time.

Grushnitsky informed Pechorin that tomorrow there would be a ball, at which he intended to dance with Mary all evening in his new officer's overcoat.

When meeting the young princess, Pechorin invited her in advance to a mazurka and hinted that a pleasant surprise awaited her.

In the evening, visiting the princess, our hero touched Vera by tenderly retelling to those gathered the story of their meeting and love. He changed the names and some events, but the woman, of course, recognized herself in the heroine of his stories. This improved her mood, and she was cheerful and active all evening.

June 5

Grushnitsky came to Pechorin half an hour before the ball. He was dressed in a new infantry uniform and was very pompous. Soon he went to wait for the princess at the entrance to the hall.

Pechorin appeared later and found Mary, who was frankly bored in Grushnitsky’s company. The young man pursued the princess all evening. Pechorin noted that by mid-evening she openly hated him and behaved very harshly with him. At the same time, the girl showed her favor to our hero, although they did not manage to dance or talk.

Nevertheless, Pechorin accompanied Mary to the carriage and secretly kissed her hand, which was also part of his cunning plan.

Returning to the hall for dinner, our hero noticed that a conspiracy was brewing against him, led by Grushnitsky.

June 6

Vera left for Kislovodsk with her husband. In her farewell glance, Pechorin read a reproach. He thought that perhaps feelings of jealousy would force a woman to agree to meet in private. Princess Mary did not show up that day, saying she was ill. Grushnitsky with his newly formed gang wandered around the city, and he looked very disheveled.

Pechorin noted with surprise that he missed the company of Princess Mary, whom he did not manage to see, but did not allow the thought that this could be falling in love.

June 7

Pechorin learned from his friend Werner that rumors were spreading around the city that he was going to marry Mary. The man immediately realized that Grushnitsky was the source of the rumors. He assured the doctor that there was no talk of any wedding. The next morning he went to Kislovodsk.

June 10th

The narrator reports that he has been in Kislovodsk for three days and regularly sees Vera at the source. She felt refreshed and gained strength.

One day ago, Grushnitsky and his gang arrived in Kislovodsk. They were constantly raging in the tavern. And Grushnitsky began to behave very belligerently towards others.

June 11

The Ligovskys finally arrived in Kislovodsk. Pechorin met them with bated breath and again wondered if he was in love with young Mary. That day he dined with them and noticed that the princess was very gentle with him and kept looking at her daughter. The man didn't think it was very good good sign. But he saw that he had achieved what he wanted - Vera, in her jealousy, was almost driven to despair.

12 June

The evening was full of incidents. A large cavalcade went to watch the sunset in the mountains. Among the company were the Ligovskys and Pechorin. The man spent the entire evening next to the princess. On the way back, he helped her horse cross a mountain river; when looking at the current, Mary felt dizzy, then the officer grabbed her by the waist and took the opportunity to kiss her on the cheek.

On the other side of the river, an excited girl held her horse to talk to Pechorin. But he remained stubbornly silent and did not want to explain himself. Then Mary spoke: “...do you want me to be the first to say that I love you? Do you want this? But the calculating seducer just shrugged his shoulders and said: “Why?”

These words brought the poor thing out of peace of mind, she galloped ahead and acted feignedly cheerfully all the way home.

Pechorin admitted to himself that he enjoyed the thought that she would spend the night without sleep and cry. Meanwhile, he was excited, and after escorting the ladies to the door of the princess’s house, he galloped off to the mountains to dispel his thoughts.
In one of the houses above the cliff, Pechorin heard the noise of an army feast. He crept up to the open window and began to listen to what was being said. They talked about him. The officer from whom Pechorin once defended Mary at the ball shouted the loudest. He invited the public to teach Pechorin a lesson, calling him a coward. The result of the discussion was a plan in which Grushnitsky was to challenge Pechorin to a duel, but not load the pistols. The drunken officer assured that Pechorin would simply be a coward. The line was behind Grushnitsky. Our narrator secretly hoped that he would abandon his dastardly plan. But after a second of hesitation, he still agreed.

Pechorin returned home in extreme excitement and did not sleep all night. In the morning he looked very sick, Mary told him about this at the well. Then she again tried to talk to him about feelings, asked him to stop tormenting her and honestly admit what was on his mind. To which the man answered her: “I will tell you the whole truth, I will not make excuses or explain my actions; I do not love you…"

The girl’s lips turned pale, and Pechorin just shrugged and left.

June 14

The narrator reports that since childhood he developed an aversion to marriage. A fortune teller predicted to his mother the death of her son from his evil wife. This struck the boy so much that he began to deny marriage as such. Any woman who dreamed of dragging him down the aisle became uninteresting to him.

June 15

A magician came to town and was supposed to give a performance in the evening. Vera's husband left for Pyatigorsk, and she took the opportunity to invite Pechorin to her place. Vera gave tickets to the performance to all her servants and the Ligovskys' servants, with whom they shared the same mansion. Pechorin took advantage of the opportunity and came on a date. On the way to Vera, he felt that he was being watched. The long-awaited date began with scenes of jealousy and reproaches. But the man managed to convince his beloved that he was not going to marry the princess.

Pechorin had to leave Vera’s bedroom through the window, knitting two shawls. His path lay through the balcony of the princess's bedroom. The man curiously looked behind the curtain and saw a sad, detached girl who was trying to concentrate on a book.

Having barely touched the ground with his feet, our hero was ambushed by Grushnitsky and his friend. They tried to grab and beat Pechorin, shouting: “...you will go to my princesses at night!..” Pechorin managed to fight back and run home. The officers raised eyebrows throughout the city, claiming that a Circassian robber was running through the streets.

June 16

The next morning, everyone in the city was talking about the Circassian raid. Vera's husband invited Pechorin to breakfast; he was extremely worried that his wife had been alone the previous night and was in danger. Arriving at the restaurant, the men sat down at a table. Grushnitsky's company sat behind a thin partition. The young man loudly told those gathered that in fact there were no Circassians in Kislovodsk, the princess was simply receiving a secret visitor. After a short pause, Grushnitsky said that this man was Pechorin. Our hero at that moment suddenly appeared right in front of the nose of his former comrade. He accused Grushnitsky of slander and a minute later he was negotiating with his second about a future duel. Vera's husband was quite touched by Pechorin's courageous behavior and heartily shook his hand.

Pechorin immediately went to Werner and honestly confessed to him all his relationships, and also told him about the conversation he had overheard the other day. The doctor agreed to be his second and went to Grushnitsky for negotiations. Returning back, he guessed that there really was a conspiracy against Pechorin, but, most likely, now Grushnitsky’s friends want to load only one pistol with live ammunition, which looks more like murder. Our hero refused the doctor's intention to confess to his rivals that they had unraveled their vile plans. He said that he would sort everything out himself.

Pechorin spent the night without sleep. The situation was extremely dangerous - they agreed to shoot from a distance of six steps. The man thought about the prospect of possible death, and it did not frighten him. But nevertheless, he was not going to expose his forehead to Grushnitsky’s bullet.

Finally it was dawn. His nerves calmed down. Pechorin refreshed himself in the cold bath and ordered the horses to be saddled.

Doctor Werner came to him and was sad. The friends moved to the appointed meeting place and saw three figures on the rock. It was Grushnitsky with his seconds.

Werner offered to resolve the dispute amicably, to which Pechorin readily agreed on the condition that Grushnitsky publicly renounce his slander and apologize. The young officer did not accept these conditions. It was decided to shoot at the edge of a sheer cliff, so that the defeated one would fall down, and his death could be imagined as an unsuccessful jump. Grushnitsky's appearance betrayed an internal struggle. Arriving at the edge of the gorge, the rivals cast lots. Grushnitsky was the first to shoot. His hands were shaking; he was ashamed to shoot at a virtually unarmed man. But still the shot rang out, it slightly scratched Pechorin’s knee. Grushnitsky's seconds could hardly restrain a smile, being confident that their comrade was not in danger. Pechorin, in turn, loudly asked Werner to reload his pistol. The opponent's seconds began to protest, but Grushnitsky accepted his fate and ordered the enemy to shoot. Pechorin once again inquired if he was ready to renounce his slander, but he refused. And Pechorin shot...

When the smoke cleared, Grushnitsky was no longer on the edge of the gorge. Our hero went down to his horse, along the way seeing the bloody remains of his opponent on the stones. He went home, his soul was stoned.

Pechorin returned home only in the evening. Two notes were waiting for him there - one from Werner, and the other from Vera. The doctor wrote that everything was arranged in the best possible way and there was no evidence regarding the duel. Therefore, Pechorin can be calm.

For a long time he did not dare to print the note from Vera. But he did it anyway. It was a long, heartfelt message in which the woman described why she loved him so much. And then she said that, frightened by the future duel that her husband had told her about, she confessed to him her love for Pechorin. The husband was very angry, called her names and hastily drove her away from Kislovodsk.

Pechorin perked up, ran out of the house and galloped towards Pyatigorsk on his horse, already tired from the day.

He certainly wanted to catch up with Vera, at that moment she became for him the whole meaning of existence. But after fifteen miles of mad racing, the man’s horse died. He was left alone in the steppe, fell to the ground and cried like a child for several hours.

Having come to his senses, Pechorin went home, because he no longer saw the point in chasing his lost happiness. He returned on foot and slept the sleep of Napoleon after Waterloo.

On the evening of the next day, Werner came to Pechorin to report that Mary had a nervous breakdown, and the princess was quite sure that he shot himself because of her daughter. Rumors about the duel could harm Pechorin. And so it happened. The next morning he received an order from the command to go to the fortress N...

Our hero came to say goodbye to the princess. In a conversation with him, she burst into tears out of pity for her daughter, who was wasting away every day from her mental illness. The unfortunate mother directly invited Pechorin to take Mary as his wife. To which he replied that he would like to talk to the girl alone. Soon the princess entered the room; she was pale and even somehow a little transparent. Pechorin, in very dry and straightforward terms, told her that he simply laughed at her and never intended to marry. He recommended that she simply despise him. To which the poor thing replied that she hated him now. Pechorin took his leave and left.

At the end of the work, the narrator was transported to the fortress where he was exiled. There he often analyzed what happened to him on the waters. The man wondered if he should have settled down and tried calm affectionate family life. But still he comes to the conclusion that nothing would come of it. He says the following words about himself: “I am like a sailor, born and raised on the deck of a robber brig: his soul has become accustomed to storms and battles, and, thrown ashore, he is bored and languishing, no matter how much the shady grove beckons him, no matter how much light the sun is peaceful for him; he walks all day along the coastal sand and listens to the monotonous murmur of the incoming waves and peers into the foggy distance..."