In 1847-1852, Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev created several stories, which were combined into a collection called “Notes of a Hunter.”

Writers of the previous era rarely wrote about peasants, and if they did, they depicted them as a common gray mass. Despite this, Turgenev undertook to note the peculiarities of peasant life, thanks to which the collection “Notes of a Hunter” presented a bright and multifaceted composition of the life of peasants. The stories immediately attracted readers and allowed them to gain special fame.

Features of the stories “Notes of a Hunter”

Each story features one main character, whose name is Peter Petrovich. He is a nobleman from the village of Spassky and is actively involved in hunting and hiking. Ivan Turgenev talks about various stories that happened during hunting trips. The main character has acquired such valuable character traits as observation and attention, thanks to which the narrator better understands various life situations and successfully conveys them to the reader.

“Biryuk” is a story included in the collection “Notes of a Hunter.” The work was written in 1848 and corresponds to the general literary composition. The main character again finds himself in an interesting story, which he narrates in the form of a monologue.

The plot of the story "Biryuk"

One evening Pyotr Petrovich was returning from hunting and got caught in a downpour. A further trip turned out to be impossible: we had to wait out the bad weather. Fortunately, Peter saw a forester who invited the master to his house. An important conversation took place in Biryuk’s hut. As it turned out, the forester was nicknamed Biryuk because he has a gloomy and unsociable character. Despite such harsh character traits, Biryuk decided to tell a lot about his life interesting facts.

After the rain ended, the hospitable owner of the forest hut heard the sound of an ax and decided to catch the offender. Pyotr Petrovich supported the idea, so the two of them went in search of the intruder. The thief turned out to be a beggar man, dressed in rags and with a disheveled beard. Most likely, the violation was due to a difficult life situation. Pyotr Petrovich took pity on the beggar and asked Biryuk for an important favor, or rather, to let the poor peasant go. However, the forester did not agree and led the man into his hut. The offender was released only after repeated requests for mercy from the master.

Biryuk as a person

Biryuk is an interesting and integral person, but, unfortunately, tragic. The main tragedy lies in the presence of special views on life, which sometimes have to be sacrificed. The story noted that many peasants in mid-19th For centuries, theft has been considered commonplace. This was precisely the main tragedy of Biryuk.

It is important to note that the peasants’ worldview was explained by serious social problems:

Insecurity of the peasant people;

Lack of good education;

Immorality of behavior due to lack of education.

Forester Biryuk was different from ordinary peasants. He is ready to live as a beggar even if such a situation turns out to be difficult. Any life circumstances could not induce theft.

It is important to note that Biryuk’s poor position was confirmed by the description of his house in the forest:

One room;

Smoky;

Low and empty hut;

No floors or partitions.

You can understand how difficult Biryuk’s life turns out to be. It can be assumed that if a poor man sacrificed his principles, he, being in the forest, could build a beautiful hut for himself.

Biryuk understands that if every peasant steals, the overall situation will only worsen. The forester is confident that he is right, so it is difficult for him to deviate from existing principles. Despite such character traits and the desire to walk firmly through life, sometimes you have to face challenges. The situation described in the story clearly demonstrates the struggle between feelings of pity and compassion with clear principles and the desire to improve the world. The essay shows how difficult it is to hesitate between feelings and existing principles, not to know what to choose.

“Biryuk” is a fascinating story that reveals the characters of each participant in the story. Ivan Turgenev understood the peculiarities of peasant life in the 19th century, and therefore successfully reflected them in his works. The logic of life is a worthy basis, without which it is impossible to change realities.

“Biryuk” is a story that reflected the unfair situation of many serfs. Each reader has the right to independently place emphasis on those feelings that arise when comparing heroes from the same peasant environment, but differing in their life principles and character traits.

The plot of the story is based on a direct conflict between the forester Biryuk, who is considered lonely and gloomy, and the poor peasant. Biryuk honestly fulfills his duties and tries to protect the forest. The peasant finds himself in a difficult life situation, so he steals firewood. The master hunter, Pyotr Petrovich, stopped in a forest hut due to a sudden downpour, so he becomes an accidental witness to a conflict situation. He sees how during bad weather Biryuk decides to go into the forest and tries to catch the unfortunate thief.

Biryuk lives poorly and raises his children himself. His wife went to a passing tradesman, leaving her family. Despite such life circumstances, theft still remains the last thing, so Biryuk tries to identify violators and punish them... But you need to understand how fair such behavior turns out to be. Growing up children are hungry and eat bad bread... Biryuk shows distrust and gloominess, says little and behaves insincerely. Biryuk, of course, invites the hunter to his place and is ready to take him home, but still shows a merciless judicial attitude towards the beggar.

Biryuk is ready to justify his actions with the following point: he is a forced laborer, so they can exact a penalty from him... At the same time, during the plaintive explanations of the poor peasant, the forester remains silent. Such moments reflect a serious internal struggle. The forester wants to justify the unfortunate thief, realizing that in bad weather he steals wood from the master to fire the stove and prepare food for a hungry family, but still leaves the offender locked up. The attitude changes only after the unfortunate man at the very end of the story calls Biryuk a “beast,” a “damned murderer.” The offender is ready to accept any punishment, because even death does not frighten him. However, accusing the forester of inhumanity immediately leads to a different effect, because Biryuk lets him go. In an unexpected way, a serious internal conflict was resolved:

Cruelty and duty of service;

Clear life principles;

Sincere sympathy and understanding of the misfortune of a stranger.

At the same time, the master, Pyotr Petrovich, contributed to the successful resolution of the current situation, since he was immediately imbued with the explanations of the unfortunate thief.

The situation is better revealed through detailed descriptions of the landscape. Throughout the story, a thunderstorm rages, personifying Biryuk’s state of mind. In addition, many serfs consider the forester a manifestation of a thunderstorm. But nevertheless, Biryuk is freed from the sense of duty, since he commits a human act and goes to meet the unfortunate person. According to the law that was in force at that ominous time, the forester. who did not catch the thief had to reimburse the entire cost of the illegally cut down trees. If this could not be done, there was a risk trial with further exile to Siberia, but the fear of punishment loses... Biryuk still releases the thief and gives him his horse.

The meaning of the story “Biryuk”

Biryuk is a special hero in Ivan Turgenev’s story, because he has unique life principles and is sometimes ready to sacrifice them. Mental struggle allows you to understand how difficult it is sometimes to make the right decision. A detailed description of bad weather and thunderstorms contributes to a better understanding of the life principles and feelings and emotions of a forester. It is important to understand that a person who needs and cannot find the right way, forced to decide on hopelessness. The oscillation between feelings and principles is the best reflection of humanity.

The story has numerous artistic merits, which have been confirmed by critics:

Real and picturesque descriptions of nature;

A special style of storytelling;

Unusual heroes.

“Biryuk” is a worthy representative of the legendary collection “Notes of a Hunter,” which made it possible to strengthen the position of Ivan Turgenev in Russian literature.

“Notes of a Hunter” appeared in print as separate stories and essays at the turn of the 40-50s of the 19th century. The impetus for starting work on the cycle was a request addressed to Turgenev in the fall of 1846 to provide material for the first issue of the updated Sovremennik magazine.

This is how the first essay “Khor and Kalinich” appeared. I. S. Turgenev wrote almost all subsequent stories and essays in “Notes of a Hunter” abroad: he left in 1847 and stayed there for three and a half years.

Let's remember what a story is.

A story is a short epic work that tells about one or more events in a person’s life.

Prove that Biryuk is a story.

This is a small work. It talks about Biryuk, his life, his meeting with a man. There are few characters in the work...

The story “Biryuk” was created in 1847 and published in 1848.

When creating this work, like the entire “Notes of a Hunter” cycle, Turgenev relied on his own impressions of the life of peasants in the Oryol province. One of the former serfs of I.S. Turgenev, and later the village teacher A.I. Zamyatin, recalled: “My grandmother and mother told me that almost all the persons mentioned in “Notes of a Hunter” were not fictitious, but copied from living people, even their real names: there was Ermolai ... there was Biryuk, who was killed in the forest by his own peasants ... "

— Guys, how many stories did the writer include in the “Notes of a Hunter” series? (The children remember that there are 25 of them.)

— “Notes of a Hunter” is a kind of chronicle of a Russian fortress village. The stories are similar in theme and ideological content. They expose the ugly phenomena of serfdom.

Creating a picture of Russian reality, Turgenev in “Notes of a Hunter” used a unique technique: he introduced a hunter-narrator into the action. Why do you think?

Thanks to this, the reader can, together with a hunter, an observant, intelligent and knowledgeable person, walk through the writer’s native fields, visit villages with him. He appreciates beauty and truth. His presence does not bother anyone and often goes unnoticed. The image of a hunter helps us to better understand reality, understand what is happening, evaluate what he saw, and understand the soul of the people. Pictures of nature prepare the reader's acquaintance with the main character of the story - Biryuk.

Biryuk appears unexpectedly, the author immediately notes his tall figure and sonorous voice. Despite the fact that Biryuk’s first appearance is accompanied by a certain romantic aura (white lightning illuminated the forester from head to toe, “I raised my head and in the light of lightning I saw a small hut ...”). There is nothing in the hero's life that we learn about.
romantic, on the contrary, it is ordinary and even tragic.

Find a description of the forester's hut.

“The forester’s hut consisted of one room, smoky, low and empty, without floors or partitions. A tattered sheepskin coat hung on the wall. A single-barreled gun lay on the bench, and a pile of rags lay in the corner; two large pots stood near the stove. The torch burned on the table, sadly flaring up and going out. In the very middle of the hut hung a cradle, tied to the end of a long pole. The girl turned off the lantern, sat down on a tiny bench and began to rock the cradle with her right hand and straighten the splinter with her left. I looked around - my heart ached: it’s not fun to enter a peasant’s hut at night.”

-What does this description tell you? (The description of the hut’s situation, “smoky, low and empty,” speaks of poverty. But amid this poverty, the life of the hero’s little children glimmers. The joyless picture evokes sincere sympathy in readers for Biryuk.)

- What does Biryuk look like? What does the writer emphasize in his portrait? (Tall, powerful muscles, black curly beard, stern, courageous face, wide eyebrows and small brown eyes.)

- Let's turn to the portrait of Biryuk. “I looked at him. Rarely have I seen such a young man. He was tall, broad-shouldered and beautifully built. His powerful muscles bulged out from under his wet, dirty shirt. A black curly beard covered half of his stern and courageous face; small brown eyes looked boldly from under fused wide eyebrows...”

How does this portrait express the narrator’s attitude towards Biryuk? (It is clear that he likes Biryuk for his build, strength, handsome, courageous face, bold look, strong character, as evidenced by his fused eyebrows. He calls him a good fellow.)

- What do the men say about him? Children give examples from the text: “he won’t let the fagots be dragged away,” “... he’ll come like snow,” he’s strong... and as dexterous as a devil... And nothing can take him: neither wine, nor money; doesn’t take any bait.”

- Why is the hero called Biryuk? Why does he behave this way with men? His name is Biryuk because he is lonely and gloomy.
- Turgenev emphasizes that the forester is formidable and unyielding not because he is a stranger to his brother, the peasant, he is a man of duty and considers himself obligated to take care of the farm entrusted to him: “I am fulfilling my duty... I don’t have to eat the master’s bread for nothing.”

“He was entrusted with the protection of the forest, and he guards the owner’s forest like a soldier on duty.

Find and read the description of Biryuk’s collision with the man. What is the reason for the conflict between the man and Biryuk? What landscape do the events take place against? How do the peasant and Biryuk change in the climax scene? What feelings does the forester evoke in the author and in us, the readers?

The picture of a thunderstorm prepares the central episode of the story: the clash between Biryuk and the man-thief he caught. We read the description of Biryuk’s clash with the men and find out the reasons for the conflict between the man and Biryuk.

— Between which characters is there a conflict? Between Biryuk and the man who stole the forest.

Children must understand that the scene of struggle - first physical, then moral - not only reveals the views, feelings, and aspirations of the heroes, but also deepens their images. Author
emphasizes that physically the man clearly loses to Biryuk during their fight in the forest, but later in terms of strength of character, inner dignity they become
equal to each other. Turgenev, creating the image of a peasant, captured the features of an impoverished peasant, exhausted by a half-starved existence.

Let’s read the description of the man: “In the light of the lantern, I could see his wasted, wrinkled face, drooping yellow eyebrows, restless eyes...” But it is precisely this kind of man who moves from pleas to threats.

Reading by role of a man's conversation with Biryuk.

— How does Turgenev show that the external appearance and internal state of the peasant is changing? Let's return to the text.

At first the man is silent, then “in a dull and broken voice,” addressing the forester by his first name and patronymic - Foma Kuzmich, he asks to let him go, but when his patience is full, “the man suddenly straightened up. His eyes lit up and color appeared on his face.” The man's voice became “fierce.” The speech became different: instead of abrupt phrases: “Let go... clerk... ruined, what... let go!” - clear and menacing words sounded: “What do I need? Everything is one - to disappear; Where can I go without a horse? Knock down - one end; Whether it’s from hunger or not, it’s all the same. Get lost."

The story “Biryuk” is one of the few stories in “Notes of a Hunter” that touches on the issue of peasant protest. But due to censorship restrictions, Turgenev could not directly depict the peasants' protest against serfdom. Therefore, the anger of a peasant driven to despair is directed not at the landowner for whom he works, but at his serf servant, who protects the owner’s property. However, this anger, which has become an expression of protest, does not lose its strength and meaning.

For the peasant, the personification of the power of serfdom is not the landowner, but Biryuk, endowed by the landowner with the right to protect the forest from robbery. The image of Biryuk in the climactic scene deepens psychologically; he appears before us as a tragic image: in his soul there is a struggle between feelings and principles. An honest man, for all his rightness, he also feels the rightness of the peasant, whom poverty brought to the master’s forest: “By God, from hunger... the children squeak, you know. It’s cool, as it happens.”

- Why does Biryuk let the guy go? He doesn’t let go out of fear of his threats: “Yes, wait, you won’t reign for long! they’ll tighten your throat, wait!”, but because of sympathy. Biryuk sees the despair that grips the man at the thought of his future fate.

— This scene is emotional, tense, and takes place as if to the accompaniment of rain. Look for confirmation in the text.

“The rain began to drizzle again and soon poured down in streams. With difficulty we reached
huts"; “the rain pounded on the roof and slid across the windows; we were all silent"; “The poor man looked down... The rain didn’t stop. I was waiting for what would happen."

— At the end of the story, when Biryuk turns to the hunter, bad weather is mentioned again. “Yes, I’d better see you off,” he added, “to know that you won’t be able to wait out the rain...”

What mood does the motif of incessant rain bring to the story?

- Mood of hopelessness, sadness.
- Agree that pictures of nature deepen the meaning of the story, showing that bad weather - bad weather - both in the soul of the heroes of the story, and in the soul of all the serf people...
— What gives us the right to talk about the writer’s sympathy for the people?
“He describes Biryuk’s portrait and home with love and compassion; his sympathy for the beggar man is also visible.

Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev

"Biryuk"

Summary

I was driving home from hunting in the evening alone, in a racing droshky. On the way I was caught in a severe thunderstorm. I somehow hid myself under a wide bush and patiently waited for the end of the bad weather. Suddenly, with a flash of lightning, I saw a tall figure on the road. It turned out to be the local forester. He took me to his house - a small hut in the middle of a vast yard surrounded by fences. The hut consisted of one room. In the very middle hung a cradle with a baby, which was rocked by a barefoot girl of about 12 years old. I realized that the mistress was not in the hut. Poverty stared from all corners.

Finally I was able to see the forester. He was tall, broad-shouldered and well-built, his stern and courageous face was overgrown with a beard, and small brown eyes looked boldly from under wide eyebrows. The forester introduced himself as Foma, nicknamed Biryuk. From Ermolai I often heard stories about Biryuk, whom all the surrounding men were afraid of. It was impossible to carry even a bundle of brushwood out of his forest - he was strong and dexterous, like a demon. It was impossible to bribe him, and it was not easy to get rid of him.

I asked if he had a mistress. Biryuk replied with a cruel smile that his wife abandoned the children and ran away with a passing tradesman. He could not treat me: there was nothing in the house except bread. Meanwhile, the thunderstorm ended and we went out into the yard. Biryuk said that he heard the sound of an axe; I didn't hear anything. The forester took his gun, and we went to the place where the forest was being cut down. At the end of the road, Biryuk was ahead of me. I heard the sounds of a struggle and a plaintive cry. I quickened my pace and soon saw a felled tree, near which the forester was tying the hands of a thief - a wet man in rags with a long, disheveled beard. I said that I would pay for the tree and asked to let the unfortunate man go. Biryuk remained silent.

It started to rain again. With difficulty we reached the forester's hut. I promised myself to free the poor man at all costs. By the light of the lantern, I could see his wasted, wrinkled face and thin body. Soon the man began to ask Foma to let him go, but the forester did not agree. Suddenly the man straightened up, color appeared on his face, and he began to scold Biryuk, calling him a beast.

Biryuk grabbed the man, freed his hands in one movement and told him to get the hell out. I was surprised and realized that Biryuk was actually a nice guy. Half an hour later he said goodbye to me at the edge of the forest. Retold Yulia Peskovaya

First person story. The hunter was returning home from hunting. There were still eight miles left to the house. Clouds were rising from behind the forest, and a thunderstorm was approaching. The heat and stuffiness were gone, and they were replaced by damp coolness. The hunter accelerated and drove into the forest. The wind howled loudly, and drops knocked on the leaves. Taking shelter under a bush, the hunter was going to wait out the inclement weather there. With another flash of lightning, a tall figure appeared in the distance. It was a local forester. He offered to hide from the thunderstorm in his hut. The hunter agreed and they went. He lived in a one-room hut standing in the middle of a wide courtyard. In the middle of the hut hung a cradle with a child, rocked by a barefoot girl who looked no more than twelve.

The situation was poor and it was clear from everything that the hostess was not here. The forester was a tall, broad-shouldered, brown-eyed man. He called himself Thomas, nicknamed Biryuk. Ermolai said that everyone was afraid of Biryuk, he did not allow even a little brushwood to be taken out of the forest. He was strict and incorruptible. When asked where his wife was, he replied that she ran away with a tradesman, leaving him with the children. The only edible food in the house was bread, so there was nothing to offer the guest. After the thunderstorm, the hunter and the forester went out into the yard. Biryuk heard the sound of an ax and went for a gun. They headed towards the place where the sounds were coming from. Biryuk overtook the hunter and accelerated, then the sounds of a struggle and a pitiful squeal were heard. Having reached the place where the tree was cut down, the hunter saw a tree lying and a thief tied up nearby by a forester. He was bearded and dressed in rags; it was clear from everything that this man was poor. The hunter asked to be released and promised to pay for the damage. The forester did not answer. The rain started from new strength, and the travelers returned home.

The man asked the forester to free him, but he was adamant. Suddenly he got angry and started shouting at Biryuk, calling him a beast. Suddenly, the forester sharply untied the thief’s hands and drove him away. The hunter was surprised. Half an hour later they said goodbye at the edge of the forest.

Essays

Analysis of the essay by I.S. Turgenev "Biryuk" Miniature essay based on I. S. Turgenev’s story “Biryuk” How does the author feel about Biryuk and his actions? Analysis of one of the stories in the series "Notes of a Hunter" Forester Foma (based on the story “Biryuk” by I. S. Turgenev) (2) Depiction of peasant life in I. S. Turgenev’s story “Biryuk” (2) The image of the main character in Turgenev’s story “Biryuk” Forester Foma (based on the story “Biryuk” by I. S. Turgenev) (1) An essay based on a story by I.S. Turgenev "Biryuk" Review of the essay by I.S. Turgenev “Biryuk”. Depiction of peasant life in I. S. Turgenev’s story “Biryuk” (3) Forester Foma (based on the story “Biryuk” by I. S. Turgenev) (3) Essay on Russian literature based on the story “Biryuk” Psychological depth of the depiction of folk characters in the stories of I. S. Turgenev “Biryuk” Poetry of folk life (based on the story “Biryuk” by I. S. Turgenev) Depiction of peasant life in I. S. Turgenev’s story “Biryuk” (1) Images of feudal tyrants in “Notes of a Hunter”

Main characters

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The story “Biryuk,” which we will analyze, begins with a description of a thunderstorm that caught the hunter in the forest in the evening. Details specifying the place and time of action create an alarming atmosphere. So far it is only barely felt. But the gloomy colors (“lilac cloud”, “gray clouds”) and the movement that began in nature (“a thunderstorm was approaching”, “the trees were raging”, “drops... knocked”, “lightning flashed”) enhance it.

A man appears “at the flash of lightning.” His “figure seemed to grow out of the ground.” And this is not just a common expression - it speaks of unity this person with nature.

When a person appears, anxiety does not go away. Moreover, it is also fueled, but not by nature, but by man himself. We perceive people, events and nature through the eyes of a hunter-storyteller, that is, detachedly.

The image of Biryuk in the story

The hunter from Turgenev’s “Biryuk” saw both the forester himself and his house. This is a “small hut” in which “a light shone dimly.” In the “smoky” hut there was not a single bright spot - a “torn sheepskin coat”, “a pile of rags” and a splinter that could not dispel the darkness. It seems that only traces of a past life remain here, and that life itself has gone somewhere. Even the presence of children does not relieve this feeling.

The appearance of the owner in the hut brightens the atmosphere for a while. The narrator saw a man of “tall stature,” who had “mighty muscles,” “a courageous face,” and “small brown eyes that looked boldly.” Quite a recognizable image. Where is he from? In the story “Biryuk” by Turgenev there is a hint: “Rarely have I seen such a fine fellow.” “Well done” is an epic fairy-tale hero. But then why is he here, in this wretched hut with the unfortunate children? There is a clear discrepancy between the hero’s appearance and his lifestyle. It caused the narrator not only surprise, but also interest: “I... asked his name.”

We gradually learn information about the forester. People talk about him first. Their opinion is known from the forester himself: “My name is Foma... and my nickname is Biryuk.” The narrator also heard something about Biryuk from people. They “feared him like fire,” considered him incorruptible, and more than once “they were going to put him out of the world.”

Is this characterization of Biryuk fair? The narrator has to test her. And what? From a terse conversation, he realized that he saw a correct person, honestly fulfilling his duty. “I’m doing my job,” Biryuk says about himself. And he is also lonely - his wife “ran away with a passing tradesman,” leaving the children with him. In the characterization of the hero, his loneliness is a very significant component. Lonely means deprived of the support of family and friends and, most likely, an unhappy person. An ordinary story, but Biryuk himself is not entirely ordinary, which will soon be confirmed.

Biryuk and the man

Late in the evening a thief appeared in the forest. The forester’s direct duty is to catch him, which he does.

The man is wet, “in rags”, he has “a worn-out, wrinkled face... restless eyes.” His portrait is straight - the opposite of Biryuk's portrait. The forester evokes admiration, you want to admire him, but the man is just a pity.

In the images of Biryuk and the peasant they collided not only physical strength and weakness, but also two opposing life positions. Biryuk “does his duty”, honors the law, but the man, by stealing, breaks the law. And that’s not all - he also justifies his actions - “from hunger”, “ruined”, “children...” Both his clerk and Biryuk, who is a “beast”, a “bloodsucker”, are to blame. Only he himself is not to blame for anything. And the fact that he drinks is like, “Isn’t it your money, murderer...”

Biryuk’s situation is no better: he is “also a forced man”, he also has children, and there is nothing to eat “besides bread...”, he doesn’t even drink tea, but he doesn’t steal either.

So, the conflict revealed the inner essence of two men. While socially equal, they are morally absolute antipodes. Consequently, one should not count on the objectivity of the assessment that Biryuk received from the thief’s fellow villagers.

The situation unfolds unexpectedly - Biryuk, contrary to his own convictions and professional duty, releases the thief, once again confirming the ambiguity of his personality. But is the conflict settled by his decision to let the thief go? Of course not. This guy isn't the only one breaking the law. “I know you... a thief among a thief,” says Biryuk. Therefore, his clashes with them are inevitable: “Wait, we’ll get to you,” the thief threatens.

Bad weather of human relations

The whole story takes place against the backdrop of rain. It begins with him, even with a thunderstorm, and ends with him. “You can’t wait out the rain...,” Biryuk says to the hunter and sees him off on the road.

The rain, which intensifies and then subsides, creates in the story a mood of some inexplicable sadness that permeates the entire story of Biryuk. But the words “rain” and “thunderstorm” are used in the story not only in a literal, but also in a symbolic sense. Continuous rain is bad weather in human relationships. The sun disappeared from them for a long time, if not forever.

The story is called by the nickname of the main character. It accurately indicates his character and place among people. But it turns out that Biryuk doesn’t have a place. He's alone everywhere. “Their” men call him a “beast” and promise to deal with him. The master has him in bondage. Biryuk's loneliness is emphasized by details: his hut is alone in the middle of the forest, and in the hut he is alone (without his wife) with his children. Biryuk's drama is that, being strong and handsome, courageous and honest, being correct, he should live well, as he deserves, but he lives poorly. And no brightness is expected in his life.

Main features of the story “Biryuk”:

• genre - story;
• narration from the narrator's point of view;
• main character: serf forester;
• plot: one episode from the life of the hero;
• image of nature;
• a reflection of the life of a Russian forced person.

​​

Characteristics of the hero

Biryuk is a solid, but tragic personality. His tragedy is that he has his own views on life, but sometimes he has to sacrifice them. The work shows that most peasants of the mid-19th century treated theft as something ordinary: “You won’t let a bundle of brushwood be stolen from the forest,” the man said, as if he had every right to steal brushwood from the forest. Of course, some social problems played a major role in the development of such a worldview: the insecurity of the peasants, lack of education and immorality. Biryuk is not like them. He himself lives in deep poverty: “Biryuk’s hut consisted of one room, smoky, low and empty, without floors or partitions,” but he does not steal (if he had stolen timber, he could have afforded a white hut) and is trying to wean him from this from others: “But don’t go stealing anyway.” He clearly understands that if everyone steals, it will only get worse. Confident that he is right, he firmly steps towards his own goal.

However, his confidence is sometimes undermined. For example, in the case described in the essay, when human feelings of pity and compassion compete with life principles. After all, if a person is truly in need and has no other way, he often resorts to stealing out of hopelessness. Foma Kuzmich (the forester) had the hardest fate of vacillating between feelings and principles all his life.

The essay “Biryuk” has many artistic merits. These include picturesque pictures of nature, an inimitable narration style, the originality of the characters, and much, much more. Ivan Sergeevich's contribution to Russian literature is priceless. His collection “Notes of a Hunter” ranks among the masterpieces of Russian literature. And the problems raised in the work are relevant to this day.