L. Tolstoy’s respectful attitude towards the life and customs of the highlanders in the story “Prisoner of the Caucasus. Life of the mountaineers in the story "Caucasian captive" Description of the mountaineers in the story "Caucasian prisoner"

Almost every classic writer of the 19th century wrote about the Caucasus. This region, engulfed in an almost endless war (1817-1864), attracted authors with its beauty, rebellion and exoticism. L.N. Tolstoy was no exception and wrote a simple and vital story “Prisoner of the Caucasus.”

L. N. Tolstoy, who became famous all over the world after the novels “War and Peace”, “Anna Karenina” and others, in the 70s of the 19th century renounced his past work because his worldview had changed. The writer developed his neo-Christian teaching, according to which he decided to remake himself by “simplifying” life and his future works. And earlier literary works were written incomprehensibly for the people, who were the measure of morality and the producer of all goods.

Deciding to write in a new way, Tolstoy creates “ABC” (1871-1872) and “New ABC” (1874-1875), characterized by simplicity, clarity and strength of language. The first book also included “The Prisoner of the Caucasus,” which was based on the impressions of the author himself, who was almost captured by the mountaineers in 1853. In 1872, the story was published in the magazine Zarya. The writer highly appreciated his work, classifying “Prisoner of the Caucasus” as “art that conveys the simplest everyday feelings, those that are accessible to all people around the world - universal art.”

The essence of the story

A poor officer Zhilin, serving in the Caucasus, is going home to see his mother and, possibly, get married. The road was dangerous, so the hero rode along with the convoy, which was slowly trundling along under the protection of soldiers. Unable to withstand the heat, stuffiness and slow movement, the rider rode forward. Directly towards the highlanders, who captured him along with his colleague Kostylin.

The heroes live in a barn, chained in stocks during the day. Zhilin makes toys for local children, which especially attracts Dina, the daughter of their “owner”. The girl takes pity on the craftsman and brings him cakes. Zhilin cannot hope for a ransom; he decides to escape through a tunnel. Taking Kostylin with him, he heads for freedom, but his comrade, clumsy and obese, ruined the whole plan, the prisoners were returned. Conditions became worse, they were moved to a pit and the pads were no longer removed at night. With the help of Dina, Zhilin runs again, but his comrade categorically refuses. The fugitive, despite his feet being shackled in stocks, reached his own, and his friend was later ransomed.

Characteristics of the main characters

Zhilin is an officer from poor nobles, in life he is used to relying only on himself, he knows how to do everything with his own hands. The hero understands that no one will save him from captivity: his mother is too poor, he himself has not saved anything for his service. But he does not lose heart, but is engrossed in activity: digging a tunnel, making toys. He is observant, resourceful, persistent and patient - these are the qualities that helped him free himself. The man is not devoid of nobility: he cannot leave his comrade in the service, Kostylin. Although the latter abandoned him during the attack of the mountaineers, because of him the first escape failed, Zhilin does not hold a grudge against his “cellmate.”
Kostylin is a noble and rich officer, he hopes for money and influence, so in an extreme situation he turns out to be incapable of anything. He is a pampered, weak in spirit and body, an inert person. Meanness is inherent in this hero, he abandoned Zhilin to the mercy of fate both during the attack, and when he could not run because of his worn out legs (the wound was not at all large), and when he did not run a second time (probably thinking about the hopelessness of the enterprise). That is why this coward rotted for a long time in a hole in a mountain village and was ransomed barely alive.

the main idea

The work is really written simply and even its meaning lies on the surface. The main idea of the story “Prisoner of the Caucasus” is that you should never give up in the face of difficulties, you need to overcome them, and not wait for help from others, and no matter what the conditions, a way out can always be found. At least try.

It would seem, who has a better chance of escaping captivity: poor Zhilin or rich Kostylin? Of course, the latter. However, the first has courage and willpower, so he does not wait for mercy, ransom, divine intervention, but simply acts as best he can. At the same time, he does not go over his head, believing that the end justifies the means; he remains human even in a difficult situation. The main character is close to the people, who, according to the author, still have decency and nobility in their souls, and not in their pedigree. That is why he defeated all hostile circumstances.

Subjects

Many issues are raised in the story. The theme of friendship, sincere and real on the part of Zhilin and “friendship by chance” on Kostylin’s part. If the first defended the second as himself, then the latter abandoned his comrade to death.
The theme of the feat is also revealed in the story. The language and description of events are natural and everyday, because the work is for children, so Zhilin’s exploits are described in a completely ordinary way, but in reality, who will protect his comrade in any situation? Who would be willing to give everything to be free? Who would voluntarily refuse to bother an old mother with a ransom that is too much for her? Of course, a real Hero. For him, feat is a natural state, so he is not proud of it, but just lives like that.
The theme of mercy and sympathy is revealed in the image of Dina. Unlike “Prisoner of the Caucasus” by A.S. Pushkin, heroine L.N. Tolstoy saved the prisoner not out of love, she was guided by higher feelings, she took pity on such a kind and skillful man, and was imbued with purely friendly sympathy and respect for him.

Issues

The Caucasian War lasted almost half a century, and many Russians died in it. And for what? L.N. Tolstoy raises the problem of a senseless and cruel war. It is beneficial only to the highest circles; ordinary people are completely unnecessary and alien. Zhilin, a native of the people, feels like a stranger in the mountain village, but does not feel hostility, because the mountaineers simply lived quietly until they were conquered and began to try to subjugate them. The author shows the positive character of the “master” Zhilin Abdulla, whom the main character likes, and his compassionate and kind daughter Dina. They are not animals, not monsters, they are the same as their opponents.
The problem of betrayal fully faces Zhilin. Comrade Kostylin betrays him, because of him they are in captivity, because of him they did not immediately escape. The hero is a man with a broad soul; he generously forgives his colleague, realizing that not every person is capable of being strong.

What does the story teach?

The main lesson that the reader can take away from “Prisoner of the Caucasus” is to never give up. Even if everything is against you, even if it seems that there is no hope, then someday everything will change for the better if you direct all your efforts to achieve your goal. And although, fortunately, few people are familiar with such an extreme situation as Zhilin’s, it is worth learning perseverance from him.

Another important thing that the story teaches is that war and national strife are meaningless. These phenomena may be beneficial to immoral people in power, but a normal person should try to prevent this for himself, not to be a chauvinist and nationalist, because, despite some differences in values and lifestyle, each of us always and everywhere strives for the same - calmness, happiness and peace.

Story by L.N. Tolstoy, almost 150 years later, has not lost relevance. It is written simply and clearly, but this does not at all affect its deep meaning. Therefore, this work is a must read.

Included in his famous textbook for children, “ABC” (1872).

Even during the writer’s lifetime, the work enjoyed wide popularity. In simple and accessible language for children, Tolstoy talks about a simple Russian officer who was captured by the Caucasian highlanders.

2. History of creation. The source for the story could be the memoirs of Lev Nikolaevich himself, who in the 1850s. served in the Caucasus. He cited a real life incident when he himself was almost captured. At the same time, one of his comrades could not escape the pursuit and was hacked to death by the mountaineers.

Also, when creating the story, Tolstoy used “Memoirs of a Caucasian Officer” by F. F. Tornau. In them, the author described his captivity and life in captivity, an unsuccessful first escape, friendship with a Caucasian young girl and her help, as well as deliverance from captivity.

3. The meaning of the name. "Prisoner of the Caucasus" is the main character of the work. The title also refers readers to the famous poem by A. S. Pushkin.

4. Genre. A story for children. Sometimes the work is called a story.

5. Theme. When writing the story, Tolstoy was guided by educational goals. He sought to introduce children to the harsh realities of war in the Caucasus. At the same time, it was important for the writer to show human kindness and responsiveness. Therefore, the central themes of the work are condemnation of war and humanity.

Tolstoy was deeply alien to ostentatious patriotism. There is no direct indication of right and wrong in the story. Even the irreconcilable position of the old Muslim man, who demands the death of the captives, is quite understandable: all his sons were killed by the Russians. The owner of Zhilin and Kostylin is generally quite friendly. He only demands ransom for the captives.

After some kind of bargaining with Zhilin for the ransom amount, Abdul-Murat recognizes the steadfastness and courage of the Russian officer and agrees to 500 rubles. Human kindness and responsiveness are most clearly shown in the image of Dina. A Caucasian girl becomes attached to Zhilin. She does not understand the cruelty of her fellow believers. At great risk to her own life, Dina eventually helps the prisoner escape.

6. Issues. The main problem of the story is the long-term enmity and hatred between the highlanders and the Russians. Tolstoy avoids describing mutual cruelty. It is enough for children to know about the grief of the old Muslim and the situation of the captives after an unsuccessful escape. The mutual hostility of the two peoples is intensified by the huge difference between Muslim and Orthodox cultures. Even the good Zhilin treats the “smelly Tatars” and their funeral rites with some ridicule.

Zhilin has great love for his homeland. Throughout his captivity, he constantly thinks about escape. Abdul-Murat's respect cannot replace his home and his old mother. Another important problem is human behavior in captivity. Kostylin is a weak-willed person. He immediately agreed to the conditions of the highlanders (5 thousand rubles) and began to meekly wait for the ransom.

Zhilin has a strong and decisive character. He always takes the initiative. Thanks to his skillful hands, Zhilin achieves the respect of the mountaineers and, most importantly, “ties” Dina to himself. Zhilin drags Kostylin on himself in the literal and figurative sense. It is not his fault that his comrade remains in captivity awaiting ransom.

7. Heroes. Zhilin, Kostylin, Dina, Abdul-Murat

8. Plot and composition. Zhilin is captured by the highlanders. There he meets his comrade Kostylin. The mountaineers demand ransom for the captives. Otherwise, they will die. Zhilin prepares an escape and meets the owner’s daughter, Dina. The prisoners escape, but are recaptured and put in a hole.

Dina learns about the impending execution and helps Zhilin escape again. Kostylin remains behind, as he is completely exhausted in captivity. Zhilin miraculously escapes death and gets to the Russian soldiers. The plot of the story is extremely simple and clear. Unlike Pushkin’s poem, it has a happy ending: no one will know about Dina’s help, and Kostylin also receives freedom.

Afanasyeva Anastasia

This scientific work provides evidence that the story of L.N. Tolstoy's "Prisoner of the Caucasus" can safely be called "the book of life."

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Municipal educational institution

"Lyceum No. 4"

Section “My main books of life”

“Prisoner of the Caucasus” by L. N. Tolstoy -

my main book of life

5th grade student

Municipal educational institution "Lyceum No. 4" Saratov

Scientific supervisor: Abakumenko S. V.,

Teacher of Russian language and literature

Saratov, 2010

Introduction…………………………………………………………….2

Chapter I “Prisoner of the Caucasus” by L. N. Tolstoy - the book of life.........3

“People's Thought” in the story “Prisoner of the Caucasus”…..3
Features of human relationships in the story………4

Conclusion……………………………………………………………..7

Literature……………………………………………………………...8

APPENDIX………………………………………………………………..……….9

Introduction

In the history of Russian culture there are many names of outstanding figures, scientists, thinkers, artists, writers who constitute the glory and pride of the nation. Among them, one of the most honorable places rightfully belongs to Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy, the great creator who created immortal images and characters that remain relevant today. This is also the image of the “Caucasian captive” - a person of high morality.

In general, in the 19th century, the Caucasus was an emblematic space of freedom, of unrestricted spiritual movement, as opposed to the conventionally constrained world of “civilization.” We noticed that in Tolstoy’s prose the Caucasus began to become overgrown with details of everyday life, details of relationships, and trifles of everyday life.

So, in the story “Prisoner of the Caucasus” Tolstoy wants to say the main thing - the truth, the truth about a person and about the place of this person in society, and in a society that is alien to him, completely alien. This topic does not lose its relevance for several centuries now.

Goal of the work consist in tracking and explaining the reasons for the formation and development of the characters of the characters in the story, their morality.

We are faced with the following tasks:

1. analyze L. N. Tolstoy’s story “Prisoner of the Caucasus”;

2. highlight the distinctive features of each of the heroes;

3. determine what the moral value of “Prisoner of the Caucasus” is.

Object The study focuses on the character of the hero as a bearer of morality and moral values.

Subject research directly becomes the literary text itself - “Prisoner of the Caucasus”.

Chapter 1

“Prisoner of the Caucasus” by L. N. Tolstoy- the book of life

“People's Thought” in the story “Prisoner of the Caucasus”

“Prisoner of the Caucasus” is the last work in the “Russian Reading Book”. In a letter to N.N. Strakhov, the writer called this story his best work, because, in his opinion, it was here that he was able to most naturally use the best artistic means of folk poetics.

Leo Tolstoy worked on it in 1872, persistently striving for simplicity and naturalness of the narrative; the work was written during a period of acute reflection of the writer about life, the search for its meaning. Here, as in his great epic, the disunity and enmity of people, “war” is contrasted with what binds them together – “peace”. And here there is a “folk thought” - the assertion that ordinary people of different nationalities can find mutual understanding, because universal moral values are common - love of work, respect for people, friendship, honesty, mutual assistance. And on the contrary, evil, hostility, selfishness, self-interest are inherently anti-people and anti-human. Tolstoy is convinced that “the most beautiful thing in a person is love for people, which gives the opportunity to live a full life. Love is hindered by various kinds of social foundations, ossified national barriers, protected by the state and giving rise to false values: the desire for rank, wealth, career - everything that seems familiar and normal to people.” .

Therefore, Tolstoy turns to children who have not yet been “spoiled” by social and national abnormal relations. He wants to tell them the truth, teach them to distinguish good from evil, help them follow goodness. He creates a work where the beautiful is clearly distinguished from the ugly, a work that is extremely simple and clear and at the same time deep and significant, like a parable. “Tolstoy is proud of this story. This is wonderful prose - calm, there are no decorations in it, and there is not even what is called psychological analysis. Human interests collide, and we sympathize with Zhilin - a good person, and what we know about him is enough for us, and he himself doesn’t want to know much about himself.” .

The plot of the story is simple and clear. The Russian officer Zhilin, who served in the Caucasus, where the war was going on at that time, goes on vacation and on the way is captured by the Tatars. He escapes from captivity, but unsuccessfully. The secondary escape is successful. Zhilin, pursued by the Tatars, escapes and returns to the military unit. The content of the story consists of the impressions and experiences of the hero. This makes the story emotional and exciting. The life of the Tatars and the nature of the Caucasus are revealed by the author realistically, through the perception of Zhilin. In Zhilin’s view, the Tatars are divided into kind, warm-hearted and those who are offended by the Russians and take revenge on them for the murder of relatives and the ruin of villages (old Tatar). Customs, life, and morals are depicted as the hero perceives them.

Features of human relationships in the story

It must be said that Tolstoy’s detailed, “everyday” description of events does not obscure the ugliness of human relationships. There is no romantic tension in his story.

“Prisoner of the Caucasus” by Tolstoy is a true story. Zhilin is captured by the Gentiles on completely legal grounds. He is an enemy, a warrior, and according to the customs of the highlanders, he can be captured and ransomed for him. The character of the main character corresponds to his surname; he is strong, persistent, and wiry. He has golden hands, in captivity he helped the mountaineers, repaired something, people even came to him for treatment. The author does not indicate his name, only that he is called Ivan, but this is what all Russian prisoners were called. Kostylin - as if on crutches, supports. But pay attention: in fact, Tolstoy has only one prisoner, as the title eloquently suggests, although there are two heroes in the story. Zhilin managed to escape from captivity, but Kostylin remained not only and not so much in Tatar captivity, but in captivity of his weakness, his selfishness.

Let us remember how helpless, how physically weak Kostylin turns out to be, how he hopes only for the ransom that his mother will send.

Zhilin, on the contrary, does not count on his mother, does not want to shift his difficulties onto her shoulders. He gets involved in the life of the Tatars, the village, constantly does something, knows how to win over even his enemies - he is strong in spirit. It is this idea that the author primarily wants to convey to readers.

The main technique of the story is opposition; The prisoners Zhilin and Kostylin are shown in contrast. Even their appearance is depicted in contrast. Zhilin is outwardly energetic and active. “He was a master of all kinds of needlework” , “Even though he was short in stature, he was brave” , - emphasizes the author. And in the appearance of Kostylin, L. Tolstoy brings to the fore unpleasant features: “the man is overweight, plump, sweating” . Not only Zhilin and Kostylin are shown in contrast, but also the life, customs, and people of the village. Residents are depicted as Zhilin sees them. The appearance of the old Tatar man emphasizes cruelty, hatred, malice: “the nose is hooked, like a hawk, and the eyes are gray, angry and there are no teeth - only two fangs” .

Kostylin is in double captivity, as we discussed above. The writer, drawing this image, says that without getting out of internal captivity, it is impossible to get out of external captivity.

But L.N. Tolstoy, an artist and a man, wanted Kostylin to evoke in the reader not anger and contempt, but pity and compassion. The author has similar feelings towards him, who sees every person as an individual, and the main way to change life is in self-improvement, and not in revolutions. Thus, in this story, L. N. Tolstoy’s favorite thoughts are affirmed, his knowledge of human psychology and the ability to depict the inner world and experience are manifested; the ability to clearly and simply draw a portrait of a hero, a landscape, the environment in which the heroes live.

The image of the Tatar girl Dina evokes the warmest sympathy. In Dina, traits of sincerity and spontaneity are noted. She squatted down and began to turn out the stone: “Yes, my hands are thin, like twigs, there is no strength whatsoever. Threw a stone and cried" . This little girl, obviously deprived of affection, constantly left unattended, reached out to the kind Zhilin, who treated her in a fatherly way.

“Prisoner of the Caucasus” is a realistic work in which the life of the mountaineers is vividly and vividly described and the nature of the Caucasus is depicted. It is written in accessible language, close to fairy tales. The story is told from the point of view of the narrator.

By the time he wrote the story, Tolstoy was finally convinced of the need to learn from the people their morality, their views on the world, simplicity and wisdom, the ability to “get used to” in any environment, to survive in any situation, without complaining and without shifting their troubles onto the shoulders of others. The writer at this time was completely occupied with public education, he wrote “The ABC” for peasant children, all the literary texts in which are simple, entertaining, and instructive. “The Prisoner of the Caucasus” is published in the 4th book of “Russian Children's Books for Reading,” that is, the story was written by Tolstoy specifically for children, and that is why it is so instructive.

We also conducted a survey among grades 5-7 (60 people) of our lyceum. The results of the survey are presented in the Appendix.

Conclusion

So, reading the story “Prisoner of the Caucasus” captivates the reader. Everyone sympathizes with Zhilin, despises Kostylin, and admires Dina. Emotionality of perception, the ability to empathize, even to the point of identifying oneself with one’s favorite characters, faith in the reality of what is happening in the story - these are the features of the perception of a literary work, but the reader must also develop, enrich his perception, learn to penetrate the thoughts of the writer, and experience aesthetic pleasure from reading. The moral issues of the story attract attention in order to understand Tolstoy’s ideal of a beautiful person.

In the story “Prisoner of the Caucasus,” L. Tolstoy solves the following problem: can people live in peace and friendship, what separates them and what connects them, is it possible to overcome the eternal enmity of people with each other? This leads to the second problem: are there qualities in a person that make the unity of people possible? Which people have these qualities and which do not, and why?

Both of these problems are not only quite accessible to readers, but also deeply relevant, because relationships of friendship and camaraderie occupy an increasingly important place in life.

Literature

Afanasyeva T.M., Tolstoy and childhood, M., 1978
Bulanov A.M., Philosophical and ethical quests in Russian literature of the 2nd half of the 19th century, M., 1991.
Voinova N.M., Russian literature of the 19th century, M., 2004.
Lomukov K.N. L. Tolstoy. Essay on life and creativity, M., 1984.
Tolstoy Lev Nikolaevich // Brief literary encyclopedia.-vol.7.-M., 1972.
Khrapchenko M.B., Tolstoy as an artist, M., 2000
Shklovsky V. Leo Tolstoy.-M., 1963 – (ZhZL).

APPLICATION

Are you familiar with L.N. Tolstoy’s story “Prisoner of the Caucasus”?

“Yes, I know you” – 54 people.

“Heard something” – 5 people.

“Difficult to answer” – 1 person.

Do you remember who the main character of the story is?

“Yes, I remember” – 54 people.

“Difficult to answer” – 6 people.

What character traits, in your opinion, does the main character, Zhilin, have?

“Courage, Courage” – 45 people.

“Honesty, devotion, gratitude” – 31 people.

“Caring, kindness” – 22 people.

“Carefulness, foresight” – 14 people.

Do you think the image of the main character is a “folk character”?

“Yes, I think” – 48 people.

“Rather no than yes” – 8 people.

“No, this is not a “national character” - 4 people.

Do you consider the story “Prisoner of the Caucasus” to be a kind of book of life?

“Yes, I think” – 40 people.

“Rather no than yes” – 16 people.

“No” – 4 people.

Zhuravlev V.P., Korovina V.Ya., Korovin V.I. Literature. 5th grade. In 2 parts. Part 1. Enlightenment, 2007

life of the highlanders in the story captive of the Caucasus and received the best answer

Answer from BratKa[guru]
The Caucasian captives were specifically Chechens.
Prisoners were taken for ransom. This is a tradition. They still kidnap people for ransom.
This is their folk pastime.

Answer from Crocus[guru]
Prisoner of the Caucasus.
In 1896, the First World War began. Kutuzov attacked Egypt, where the feudal lord Socrates ruled at that time. The war was not going shaky, not sluggishly: there were not enough guns and there was finally no gunpowder. Kutuzov had 10 horses and two donkeys in his army, and they fought on them. And in the Caucasus at that time there lived abreks. They had a large knife in their belts and cartridges on their chests. They were very angry and also wanted to fight. And so they crawled into Kutuzov’s camp and dragged away the first soldier they came across. It turned out to be Pecherin, who served as a cook. They stuffed him into a sack and dragged him to the bank of the Terek. He kicked and cursed hard there, but he couldn’t do anything, they dragged him and threw him into the hole in which Mtsyri, like black lightning, was already sitting. A day later, two more poor fellows were thrown there - Zhilin and Kostylin, who were walking along the road and did not bother anyone. But they had a donkey, and the abreks coveted it. They were given one bowl of lentils and one spoon for all. But Mtsyri was stronger than everyone and he gobbled it all up in one minute, leaving nothing for others. Lermontov fell in love with him for this and wrote the poem “Mtsyri”. The next day they were all dragged to hang. And when they had already thrown ropes over them, at that time a tiger burst into the yard and devoured the executioner. The rest all ran away in all directions, and Robin Hood freed the prisoners and gave them a bag of potatoes and 2 kopecks for vodka. Zhilin dressed in a woman's dress and walked through the market, wherever his eyes looked. All the dogs looked after him and yapped at him, but he strove to go home, because he had not eaten fried potatoes with sausage for a long time, and in the prison they didn’t give him any - he didn’t deserve it. He swam across the Amazon River and came to his aunt Pelageya, a cousin of his sister-in-law on his mother’s side. There he put on Ukrainian trousers and no one recognized him, and who needs him? At this time, Kutuzov instructed Suvorov to crawl across the Alps with his army and attack the abreks. They did just that, crawled over, tore all their pants, but kicked all the Chechens and Georgians in the neck. Kutuzov was a great commander. One day he crawled across the Alps again and a stone flew right into his eye. So he became one-eyed. But he still saw better than everyone else and was the first to see Napoleon crawling across the border. He wanted to crawl to Moscow to steal paintings from the Louvre and bring them to his home. But Kutuzov mounted his horse and rode towards Napoleon’s army. They met on Lake Peipsi and the battle began. The Napoleons were dressed in iron trousers and the ice fell through and everyone drowned. And Kutuzov came to Moscow and set it on fire so that it would not fall to the Roman legionnaires, who came from the rear on a wooden horse. For this, Kutuzov was awarded the Order of Glory and given social rations, and a monument was also erected directly with a horse on the main square. Kutuzov and Napoleon fell in love with the same princess, her name was Penelope. They took turns taking her around the cities and showing her the sights, but she preferred Suvorov and went with him to America to live, where she died in 1936 without giving birth to a child. And then Moscow was built again and now it is again waiting for its Kutuzov, but it just can’t wait, because there are no more fools. But no, there is no trial!

Answer from Ruslan Arstanov[newbie]
The events of this story by L.N. Tolstoy take place in the Caucasus during the bloody war of conquest under Nicholas I, who sent Russian troops to conquer the Caucasian lands. The plot of the story is simple and clear. The Russian officer Zhilin, who served in the Caucasus, where the war was going on at that time, goes on vacation and on the way is captured by the Tatars. Officer Kostylin, a cowardly and cowardly man, was captured with him. Zhilin escapes from captivity, but unsuccessfully. The secondary escape is successful. Zhilin, pursued by the Tatars, escapes and returns to the military unit. The content of the story consists of the impressions and experiences of the hero. This makes the story emotional and exciting. The life of the Tatars and the nature of the Caucasus are revealed by the author realistically, through the perception of Zhilin. In Zhilin’s view, the Tatars are divided into kind, warm-hearted and those who are offended by the Russians and take revenge on them for the murder of relatives and the ruin of villages (old Tatar). Customs, life, and morals are depicted as the hero perceives them.
Tolstoy carefully wrote out the characters of both heroes, clearly showing how differently they behave in the same circumstances. Zhilin is a modest Russian officer, “although he is not great in stature, he is brave.” He is courageous, brave, straightforward and humane. In his hands, all sorts of things can be done; he knows how to repair a watch and sculpt toys from clay for Dina. Zhilin is contrasted with a contrasting character - his regimental comrade, officer Kostylin. This is an overweight, fat, indecisive and cowardly person. At a difficult moment, when the Tatars attacked the officers on the road, Kostylin abandons his comrade and gallops to the fortress. Having met Kostylin in captivity, Zhilin does not leave his comrade, and during the escape from captivity he even carries him on his back when Kostylin’s legs hurt. Zhilin shows will, courage, and resourcefulness. Kostylin is selfish and extremely passive.
The image of the Tatar girl Dina is remarkable. She is charming, kind, childishly naive. She feels a feeling of compassion and love for Zhilin. Dina stealthily runs to the pit where he is sitting, brings him milk, cakes, and finally arranges an escape. Zhilin is a bright representative of the Russian people, who are characterized by perseverance, breadth of soul, and peacefulness.
The writer clearly sympathizes with the main character. And his last name is appropriate: wiry, strong-willed - that’s what they say about a hardy person. Throughout his work, Tolstoy calls on the reader to respect the customs and traditions of people of all nationalities. The writer claims that there are no “good” and “bad” nationalities, but there are good and bad people, and it doesn’t matter at all what color their eyes, hair and skin are...
The story ends with a touching meeting between Zhilin and the Cossacks and soldiers. The story is distinguished by the features of the historical, everyday and adventure genre. It equally actively influences both the feelings and the consciousness of the child reader. After all, the work depicts military events. The image of a courageous hero is drawn, among the characters there is a girl heroine. The story excites children with its sharp plot and energetically developing events. It is accessible to them with its figurative language and lively dialogue. “Prisoner of the Caucasus” is a highly artistic, truly Russian story.

Russian literary classics could provide Russian politicians, military personnel, journalists and the entire Russian society with invaluable information about what kind of enemy we are facing in the Caucasus. If this attention to literature had been shown, we would have been able to pacify Chechnya with less bloodshed.

This is how Pushkin describes the mountain robber and his life values in his romantic “Prisoner of the Caucasus”:

Circassian is hung;
He is proud of him, comforted by him;
He is wearing armor, a arquebus, a quiver,
Kuban bow, dagger, lasso
And a checker, an eternal friend
His works, his leisure. (...)
His wealth is a zealous horse,
Pet of mountain herds,
A loyal and patient comrade.
In a cave or in the deaf grass
An insidious predator lurks with him
And suddenly, like a sudden arrow,
Seeing a traveler, he strives;
In an instant, a sure fight
His mighty blow will decide,
And a wanderer in the gorges of the mountains
The flying lasso is already attracting.
The horse strives at full speed
Filled with fiery courage;
All the way to him: swamp, forest,
Bushes, cliffs and ravines;
A bloody trail follows him,
There is a trampling sound in the desert;
The gray stream rustles before him -
He rushes into the boiling depths;
And the traveler, thrown to the bottom,
Swallows a muddy wave,
Exhausted, he asks for death
And he sees her in front of him...
But the powerful horse shot him with an arrow

The foamy one washes up on shore.

Here the entire psychology of a mountain robber fits into a few lines: he attacks from an ambush without engaging in a fair fight. He tortures the prisoner, who is already defenseless. But here’s a different situation and a different attitude towards a random traveler:

When with a peaceful family
Circassian in his father's home
Sometimes he sits in stormy weather,
And the coals smolder in the ashes;
And, hiding from his faithful horse,
Belated in the desert mountains,
A tired stranger will come to him
And timidly sits by the fire, -
Then the owner is supportive
Greetings, kindly, gets up
And to the guest in a fragrant cup
Chikhir serves a gratifying one.
Under a damp cloak, in a smoky hut,
The traveler enjoys a peaceful sleep,
And in the morning he leaves
Accommodation for the night is hospitable.

For a highlander, there is no contradiction between robbery and family hospitality. That is why it is so difficult for a Russian to distinguish a “peaceful” mountaineer from a “non-peaceful” one. Deceived by the friendliness of the family hearth, the Russian begins to judge the mountaineers as generally peace-loving and kind people. And he may even be ashamed of his excessive belligerence. Until he encounters a robber on a mountain path or serves as a hostage.

Here Pushkin describes how an innocent fun-game turns into a bloody massacre among the mountaineers:

But the monotonous world is boring
To hearts born for war,
And often games of idle will
They are embarrassed by the cruel game.
Checkers often flash menacingly
In the mad frolic of feasts,
And the heads of the slaves fly to dust,
And the babies splash in joy.

The last lines talk about the murders of defenseless prisoners in front of the younger generation of future robbers. From the experience of the Chechen war, we know about participation in the abuse of Russian prisoners, who were entrusted to teenagers.

In his “Journey to Arzrum” at a more mature age, Pushkin writes about the highlanders without much romanticism: “The Circassians hate us. We drove them out of free pastures; their villages were destroyed, entire tribes were destroyed. Hour by hour they further go deeper into the mountains and direct their raids from there. The friendship of peaceful Circassians is unreliable: they are always ready to help their violent fellow tribesmen. The spirit of their wild chivalry has noticeably dropped. They rarely attack Cossacks in equal numbers, never infantry, and run when they see a cannon. But they will never miss an opportunity to attack a weak squad or a defenseless one. The local side is full of rumors about their atrocities. There is almost no way to pacify them until they are disarmed, as the Crimean Tatars were disarmed, which is extremely difficult to accomplish, due to the hereditary strife and blood vengeance that prevail among them. The dagger and saber are members of their body, and the baby begins to wield them before he can babble. For them, killing is a simple gesture. They keep prisoners in the hope of ransom, but treat them with terrible inhumanity, force them to work beyond their strength, feed them raw dough, beat them whenever they want, and assign their boys to guard them, who, for one word, have the right to chop them up with their children's sabers. Recently they caught a peaceful Circassian who shot at a soldier. He made the excuse that his gun had been loaded for too long.”

The picture painted by Pushkin corresponds exactly to what the Russian army faced in Chechnya. Russian residents of Chechnya were also able to see that the mountaineers, deprived of the bonds of Russian statehood, turn murder “into a simple gesture.”

Pushkin asks the question “What to do with such a people?” And he sees only two ways: geopolitical - cutting off the Caucasus from Turkey, and cultural - joining the Russian way of life and preaching Christianity: “We must, however, hope that the acquisition of the eastern edge of the Black Sea, cutting off the Circassians from trade with Turkey, will force them to join us get closer. The influence of luxury may favor their taming: the samovar would be an important innovation. There is a stronger, more moral means, more in keeping with the enlightenment of our age: preaching the Gospel. The Circassians very recently adopted the Mohammedan faith. They were carried away by the active fanaticism of the apostles of the Koran, among whom Mansur was distinguished, an extraordinary man who for a long time outraged the Caucasus against Russian rule, who was finally captured by us and died in the Solovetsky Monastery.”

However, the latter raises a skeptical thought in Pushkin: “The Caucasus awaits Christian missionaries. But it is easier for our laziness to replace the living word with dead letters and send silent books to people who do not know how to read and write.”

Pushkin's ideas about the highlanders coincide with Lermontov's descriptions with great accuracy. In “A Hero of Our Time” in the story “Bela” there is a whole series of sketches showing the Caucasians, their relationships between themselves and the Russians.

One of the first episodes is of Ossetians urging bulls harnessed to a cart. They do this in such a way that the half-empty cart moves apparently with great difficulty. To this Maxim Maksimych says: “These Asians are terrible beasts! Do you think they are helping by shouting? Who the hell knows what they are shouting? Bulls understand them; Harness at least twenty, and if they shout in their own way, the bulls will not move... Terrible rogues! What will you take from them?.. They love to take money from people passing by... The scammers have been spoiled! You’ll see, they’ll charge you more for vodka.”

Two Caucasian traits are recorded here: the willingness to make money at the expense of a visitor who does not know the tricks of the local population and the prices for certain services, as well as taking advantage of the Russians’ lack of understanding of their language.

By the way, about vodka and wine. Maxim Maksimych says that Tatars don’t drink because they are Muslims. The other mountaineers are not Muslims or recent Muslims at all. Therefore, they not only drink, but also make their own wine - chikhir. Circassians “will get drunk at a wedding or a funeral, and that’s how it goes.” It is no coincidence that the robber Kazbich, invited to a wedding, wears thin chain mail under his dress. Guests here can get chopped up along with their friends.

Elsewhere in the story it is said how Azamat (Circassian, “Tatar”?) for the money offered by Pechorin, the very next night he stole the best goat from his father’s herd. We see the love of money combined with thieving recklessness and recklessness.

It must be said that cordiality and hospitality in the Caucasus are of a completely different nature than in Russia. “Asians, you know, have a custom of inviting everyone they meet to a wedding.” This cordiality is not the result of special benevolence. It is rather a desire to elevate oneself in one’s own eyes, as well as to boast to relatives and kunaks about the large number of feasts.

The following assessment of Maxim Maksimych, who served in Chechnya for more than ten years, is as follows: “Well, father, we are tired of these thugs; Today, thank God, it’s more humble; and it used to happen that you would go a hundred steps behind the rampart, and somewhere a shaggy devil would sit and stand guard: if he was a little gape, you’d see either a lasso on the neck or a bullet in the back of the head.”

Murder and kidnapping in the Caucasus was, therefore, a manifestation of some kind of special prowess that was part of the national character - a kind of “sport” like hunting.

Kazbich kills Bela and Azamat's father, slaughtering him like a ram. And he didn’t even think to check his involvement in the kidnapping of his beloved horse. This is how they take revenge “in their own way.”

In general, people here don’t like to sort out grievances and judge who is right and who is wrong. When Azamat runs into the hut and says that Kazbich wanted to stab him, everyone immediately grabs their guns - screaming and shooting begin... No one cares what actually happened.

The image of Kazbich says a lot about the psychology of a mountaineer: “The beshmet is always torn, in patches, and the weapon is in silver. And his horse was famous throughout Kabarda, and for sure, it’s impossible to invent anything better than this horse.”

Is this why in Soviet times the pride of a mountaineer was an expensive hat and leather jacket, and now - a car? With monstrous disorder, uncleanliness in everything else.

In mountain customs, theft and robbery are not considered crimes. On the contrary - part of a daring life of robbery. Maxim Maksimych says: “These Circassians are a well-known nation of thieves: they can’t help but steal whatever is lying badly; there is no need for anything else, but he will steal everything...":

It should be noted that Circassians and “Tatars” here refer to all highlanders, including Chechens, and the “Tatar side” refers to remote territories.

Actually, the Russians from the time of the Caucasian War characterize the Chechens very unflatteringly. Thus, in the essay “The Caucasian,” Lermontov says in the words of a veteran Russian officer: “Good people, only such Asians! The Chechens, it's true, are rubbish, but the Kabardians are just great; Well, there are also a fair number of people among the Shapsugs, but they are not all equal to the Kabardians, they cannot dress like that, nor can they ride on horseback.”

In the above-mentioned essay, Lermontov shows how a Russian officer, over the years of long and hard service, gradually adopts mountain habits in clothing and manners, begins to love the Caucasus as his field of work - becomes an expert in mountain customs and psychology (which gives an understanding of the enemy) and even studies the local language.

Leo Tolstoy partially repeats in the famous “Prisoner of the Caucasus” Pushkin’s story about the love of a Russian prisoner and a mountain girl (in Tolstoy’s story, a 13-year-old girl helps a Russian officer escape from captivity), but refrains from direct evaluative characteristics. The main thing that is important for us here is the previous attitude of the mountaineers towards prisoners as a source of profit and their cruel treatment. In this, Pushkin’s assessments are repeated in full. (By the way, the film remake of “Prisoner of the Caucasus”, which transferred the literary plot to modern war, even with the wonderful acting of the actors, must be recognized as a hundred percent lie.)

In the story “The Raid,” the plot of “Caucasian Prisoner” contrasts with the fragment where a Russian officer, having captured a Chechen in battle, himself treats his wounds and, after recovery, releases him with gifts. In the features of the Russian lieutenant one can easily discern a Lermontov veteran officer, a “Caucasian.”

In the story “Cutting Wood,” Tolstoy contrasts the calm and unostentatious courage of Russian soldiers with the courage of the southern peoples, who certainly need to inflame themselves with something. The Russian soldier “does not need effects, speeches, war cries, songs and drums,” in him “you will never notice boasting, brashness, a desire to become foggy, get excited in times of danger: on the contrary, modesty, simplicity and the ability to see in danger something completely different than danger.” " According to the law of contrast, Tolstoy saw opposite traits among the mountaineers.

The story “Hadji Murat” speaks about the mountain character recorded by Tolstoy. The famous “field commander” Imam Shamil goes over to the side of the Russians and is warmly received by his former enemies. Hadji Murat is left with weapons, bodyguards, and even the right to go on horseback rides in the surrounding area. During one of these walks, Hadji Murat changes his plans and escapes, killing four Cossacks. And then, together with his bodyguards, he shoots back from his pursuers and dies. For Russians, such a change in behavior and such black ingratitude are completely incomprehensible. And Tolstoy tries to reconstruct the motives of Hadji Murad’s actions. The conclusion that can be drawn from this reconstruction is that Shamil’s former comrade-in-arms is only concerned about the fate of his family remaining in the mountains, and has absolutely no intention of taking into account any interests of the Russians or in any way taking into account the reception given to him.

Probably, it was precisely this feature that prompted the Russians during the Caucasian War to take amanats - especially respected old people or children - into the fortresses from mountain villages as guarantors of the peaceful behavior of their relatives. Of course, the position of the amanats was much more advantageous than the position of the Russian hostages captured by the mountaineers, whom even feeding was considered a sin.

Alas, getting rid of the romantic view of the highlanders was very costly for the Russians who fought in Chechnya. So did other journalists in 1994-1995. Those who wrote sympathetically about the Chechen national liberation war needed to sit in the Chechen zindan to change their point of view.