- Volodya- a boy of sixteen, preparing to enter the university.
- Zinaida Alexandrovna- a twenty-one-year-old princess, beautiful, smart, changing throughout the story.
- Peter Vasilevich- Volodya's father, a man still young and handsome, but distant and cold, married for convenience.
Vladimir Petrovich invites two of his comrades to tell the stories of their first love. They turn out to be very simple and uninteresting, and then Vladimir writes and reads his story aloud.
Chapter 1
In the summer of 1833, Volodya's parents rented a dacha in Moscow. His mother was a jealous woman 10 years older than his father, Pyotr Vasilyevich was a confident, calm, handsome man.
They lived in a large mansion. Volodya felt the approach of the first feelings, the image of a woman constantly hovered around him. At this time, in a neighboring outbuilding, small and very dilapidated, the family of Princess Zasekina settled.
Chapter 2
One of the main entertainments of Volodya was shooting at crows. Every day the young man took a gun with him and went around the garden. Once, through a crack in the fence, he saw a beautiful graceful girl hitting young people crowded around her with flowers on the forehead.
Suddenly, imperceptibly being near the boy, one of them (Lushin) made a playful remark to him. The girl laughed, and Volodya shyly ran home. All the rest of the day he was possessed by a strange excitement and joy.
Chapters 3-4. First visit to the Zasekins
While Volodya was thinking about ways to get acquainted with the princess, his mother received a letter from the princess. In a completely illiterate note, Zasekina asked for patronage from a more influential neighbor. The young man was sent to convey the answer.
All the decoration of the house was cheap, tasteless, untidy. After a short conversation with the hostess, Voldemar, as the princess called him, went to help her unravel the wool.
Zinaida quickly liked the young man. When she ran out to meet the hussar Belovzorov, who brought her a kitten, the young master felt awkward. He was tormented by jealousy.
Chapter 5
Princess Zasekina visited Volodya's mother and was invited to dinner with her daughter. Pyotr Vasilievich knew something about the late Zasekin and the whole family, he spoke of Zina as an intelligent and educated girl.
During a walk in the garden, Volodya met the princess, but she did not pay attention to him. But, bowing to her father, she looked after him for a long time and in amazement.
Chapter 6
Marya Nikolaevna did not like either mother or daughter. At dinner, the princess behaved rather rudely, constantly complaining about her problems.
Zinaida Aleksandrovna, on the other hand, was cold and important, her dress and hairstyle betrayed her special charm. Volodya's father entertained her, she was indifferent to the boy. However, leaving, she invited him to visit in the evening.
Chapter 7
Going to the Zasekins, Volodya found himself in the midst of a game of forfeits. A fine was imposed on Zinaida: he who pulled out a lucky ticket kissed her hands. Zina's guests included the poet-novelist Maidanov, Dr. Lushin, Malevsky, a Polish count, Nirmatsky, a retired captain, and Belovzorov.
The ticket went to Voldemar. All evening young people had fun, ate and played. Returning home, the young man for a long time saw in front of him a portrait of his beloved princess. He could not sleep, it was "sparrow night" outside the window. The storm raged so far away that no thunder could be heard.
Chapter 8
Father rarely attracted Volodya to himself, he had other vital interests. He asked his son to tell everything that he did with the neighbors. Involuntarily, the young man began to praise Zinaida.
Thinking, the father said goodbye to him and went to the wing. He stayed there for no more than an hour, then Volodya came in. He undertook to rewrite the request of the princess. Zina appeared from her room for a second. The girl was pale and thoughtful.
Chapter 9
Zina's fans were very different, and she needed everyone. She knew that they were all in love with her, felt her strength, played with them. The princess treated Voldemar like a child. She told him that she could only love a person stronger than her, and the whole company cringed before her.
Once, wandering around the garden, the boy met a sad Zinaida. The girl called him and asked him to read "On the hills of Georgia lies the darkness of the night." Then they went to listen to Maidanov's poems. On this day, Volodya realized that Zina fell in love with someone.
Chapter 10
Zinaida's behavior changed, she liked to walk alone. The young man suffered more and more, was jealous, suspected everyone. Once, sitting at the Zasekins, he was talking with Luzhin. The doctor urged Volodya to take up the abandoned textbooks again and not go to this house.
Chapter 11
In the Zasekins' house, they read a poem written by Maidanov. Zinaida offered her plot, which the poet promised to use.
The girl started the comparison game. She went to the window and suggested that the clouds looked like the sails of Cleopatra's ships sailing to Mark Antony. She was interested in the age of the commander, and Luzhin said that he must have been over forty.
Chapter 12
Going to Zina, Volodya found her crying. She began to twist his hair, saying that she was in pain too, and accidentally pulled out a strand. She promised to put it in her locket. The scandal was ending in the manor house: the mother was arguing with the father. Vladimir got it too.
Out of annoyance, he climbed onto his favorite ruined greenhouse. Suddenly the princess passed below. She joked that if a young man loves her, he should jump down. From a strong blow, Volodya lost consciousness for a moment.
He felt Zinaida kiss his face and lips. When she realized that everything was fine with the boy, she began to scold him and sent him home.
Chapters 13-14. Horseback riding
Volodya was sitting with Zinaida and did not dare to talk about what had happened. Belovzorov entered, promising to find a fast horse for the girl. He failed to find out with whom Zina was going to ride, and she promised to take him with her.
The next day the young man went for a walk. Father and Zina galloped past him on horseback. Pyotr Vasilievich leaned over to the girl and was telling something. She was pale. A hussar rode at a distance from them.
Chapter 15
Zina was sick for several days. Fans still visited her, but were sad. She avoided Vladimir. Once he saw her in the window. Zinaida looked with a stern look and seemed to decide on something.
She herself called the boy and offered to be friends. Moreover, she granted him to her pages. The young man saw striking changes in the whole appearance of Zinaida and fell in love even more.
Chapter 16
The whole company gathered at the Zasekins. We played forfeits, but without fun and violence. Zina offered to come up with stories and told her own. The queen gave a ball, and every guest was in love with her. All of them were ready to fulfill her every desire, but the queen herself loved only one, who stood under the window by the fountain.
The girl suggested what each of those gathered would do if he were a guest at this ball. Only for Volodya there was no definition. The boy did not sleep at night. He, thinking about the story, went out into the garden. He suddenly realized that he was not alone. Nobody answered his call.
Chapter 17
Malevsky went to visit Volodya's family. Having met the boy, he venomously hinted to him that the page should watch over the queen even at night, in the garden by the fountain. Jealousy boiled up in the young man, and he decided to take revenge.
Taking his English knife, at dusk he went to watch. After waiting for more than one hour, he calmed down and walked around the garden. Suddenly he saw a man crouching. Volodya managed to hide. It was his father. A curtain was falling in the window of Zina's bedroom. The young man was struck by a new guess.
Chapter 18
The boy decided to go to Zinaida, but she immediately gave him her cadet brother in charge. Next to him, Volodya felt like a perfect child. Zina was kind and involuntarily did whatever she wanted with him.
Chapter 19
Returning home, Volodya found a strange picture: his father had left, his mother was sick. The barman told him that thanks to an anonymous letter (of which Malevsky was the addressee), Marya Nikolaevna found out about the relationship between her husband and the girl next door.
Chapter 20
Everything was settled without scandal, but the mother insisted on returning home. Volodya went to say goodbye, and Zina kissed him goodbye. In the city he met Luzhin. He said that Voldemar managed to get off easily. Belovzorov left for the Caucasus.
Chapter 21
One day, his father took Vladimir to ride horses. Suddenly he dismounted, gave the reins of his horse to his son and ordered him to wait. He was gone for a long time, and Volodya followed him. A picture opened up to his eyes: Pyotr Vasilyevich was talking to Zinaida, looking out of the window.
He asked for something, she refused. He took out a whip and hit the girl's hand, she kissed the scar. Shortly after the family moved to St. Petersburg, the father died. Mother sent money to Moscow, Volodya entered the university.
Chapter 22
After 4 years, Vladimir learned that Zinaida had married a wealthy man and was going abroad. He wanted to visit her, but at the hotel he was told that Mrs. Dolskaya had died from childbirth.
. "First Love" is one of his most striking works.
In contact with
The story of the Russian classic begins with introducing the reader to the situation that preceded the fact that the author suddenly delved into memories. The protagonist of the work - Vladimir Petrovich - starts a story about the days of his youth.
He came to visit, stayed up late. The interlocutors started talking about the experience of their first love. The author then admitted that his story was special, but persuaded his friends to wait until he described everything that happened on paper. A couple of weeks later, friends again made an appointment, and the story from the notebook was read to them by the author himself.
"First Love": a summary of the chapters
Chapter 1
The protagonist, being a young man of sixteen, on the eve of meeting a girl who was to become his first love, was relaxing at his parents' dacha near Moscow and preparing for university exams. Volodya foresaw the approach of something unusual in his life. Soon in the next poor outbuilding the princely family of the Zasekins settled.
Chapter 2
On one of those summer days, the protagonist of the story found himself on the territory next to the outbuilding of the Zasekins. Behind the fence, he saw a blond girl of extraordinary beauty, surrounded by a company of young boys. She laughed at them, and they only happily responded to her amusements.
Volodya looked in confusion:
- graceful stature,
- light and charming movements of a young lady.
The company took notice of him. The girl laughed, and the young man, burning with shame he did not understand, ran away to his place.
Chapter 3 - 4
Volodya fell in love with a neighbor and looked for an excuse to meet the object of his attraction again. Mother instructed him to go to the neighbors and invite them to visit. The reason for this was a letter from Princess Zasekina, where she complained about her unenviable position and begged for help. The note was extremely poorly written.
The young master noticed that the neighbors in the guest room were cramped and dirty. The princess had rather simple manners. But the heiress was not at all like her. With a slight smile, Zinaida, that was the name of the lovely girl, asked "Voldemar" to help her unravel the skein of thread. They introduced themselves to each other, and Volodya was invited to the princess for dinner.
Chapter 5-7
Mother Volodya spoke negatively about Zasekina and found the princess a vulgar, selfish person, and said that the princess, who grew up in the family of a clerk, went down the aisle with Zinaida's father when he squandered all his fortune. About young Zasekina, mother said that she was unlike any of her parents and was educated and smart.
In the evening, Volodya met with Zinaida, however, she was again surrounded by fans. They played forfeits, and the girl immediately dragged the embarrassed "Voldemar" into the game. He was introduced to the company. Among those present were:
- poet Maidanov,
- Dr Lushin,
- Count Malevsky,
- hussar Belovzorov,
- retired German captain.
During the game, Volodya got the cherished phantom - to kiss the girl's hand. Thanks to this, for the rest of the evening he was in an ecstatic state and experienced a feeling of great happiness.
Chapter 8 - 9
Pyotr Vasilyevich, Volodya's father, did not pay much attention to his family. He was in his inner world and kept repeating that the sweetest thing is to have the opportunity to belong only to himself and power.
Volodya told his father about his visits to the Zasekins and, although not immediately, he nevertheless dared to mention Zina. The father is deep in thought and at the end of the conversation he orders the servant to saddle the horse.
He went to the Zasekins. In the evening, for the first time, the young man saw Zina differently - pale, thoughtful, with carelessly collected curls.
Volodya is no longer able to think about anyone and nothing but her, and compares himself with soft wax in her palms. Zina herself declares herself that she is an actress and behaves accordingly - she plays with her admirers, either pulling them closer to herself or pushing them away.
Once the hero found his beloved in some new frame of mind. Seeing him, she said aloofly: “The same eyes ...” And then she said doomedly that she was sick of everything. Volodya, at her request, recited poetry to her. He realized that the girl fell in love. But in whom?
Chapter 10-12
Dr. Lushin, having met with the young man, seeks to warn him of ardent feelings, says that the choice of a house for frequent visits is unfavorable for him, that the atmosphere there is harmful. It reminds of the importance of preparing for the university and makes a hint that there is a lot going on around Volodya that he should know.
Zina becomes more and more strange. She allows herself sudden antics: for example, she grabs Volodya by the hair, asking: “Does it hurt? Doesn't it hurt me?" - and as a result pulls out a piece. She tells him to jump towards her from an imposing height and, when he jumps and passes out without much thought, she covers his face with passionate kisses.
Chapter 13-15
The young man keeps remembering about Zina's kisses and feel at the top of bliss. However, when meeting with her, he cannot help but notice that she looks at him like a child. The girl is planning a horseback riding excursion for the coming day.
Volodya learns in the morning that his parent is riding with Zina. Through the window, the young man sees that the father is enthusiastically telling the girl something, bending low towards her. Over the next week, Zina was sick and did not go out to anyone. After that, she avoided Volodya's company for a long time, but as a result she asked his forgiveness for the dryness and offered him her friendship.
Chapter 16
When Zinaida again began to take at her guests, one day she offered to tell dreams. Her story came out like this: she imagines in her nightly dreams the life of some queen, whose neighborhood is again full of boyfriends, and each of them intends to give everything for her sake. However, she herself belongs only to the one who is waiting for her at the fountain, waiting for her to come to him herself. Volodya understands that Zina's dream must be understood as an allegory about her life. He admires her role as an "adventurer" and is fascinated with fresh strength.
Chapter 17-19
A young man comes across Malevsky on the street, and he gives him a hint that the “pages” need to be near their mistress inseparably both during the day and, and especially at night. Volodya makes it clear that we are talking about the double life of his beloved and decides at night to find out the truth. In the garden, he suddenly meets his father, hiding under a spacious cloak and hurrying somewhere. The young man does not dare to give free rein to his conjectures.
However, the situation is soon resolved. Something is going on in Volodya's home. Mother does not talk to her father, and the servants gossip that a very repulsive scene has happened between the owners. Mother Volodya accused his parent of treason, and the young man guessed everything. He decided to see Zina for the last time and at the meeting admitted to her that always, no matter what she did, she would always have the best opinion of her. Zina answered with a passionate kiss. They said goodbye forever.
Chapter 20
The family of the protagonist returned to the city. One day, Pyotr Vasilievich took his offspring with him to ride around the Moscow environs. At the end of the walk, the parent asked his son to wait and went off somewhere. Quite a lot of time passed, and the young man went in search of a parent. He found him near the window of a log house, behind the curtain of which Zinaida was hiding.
The girl put her hand out the window, and Pyotr Vasilievich hit her with a whip. The girl only flinched, and then kissed the wound from the blow. The offender dropped the whip and flew towards her. What happened shocked the young man. He was overwhelmed by a new thought: this is love. A completely different feeling - not what he experienced himself.
Six months later, Volodya's father died from a stroke. Before his death, he managed to say to his son: "Be afraid of a woman's love ..."
Subsequently, already a student, Volodya met Maidanov and learned from him that Zina had married and was currently in the capital. Volodya wanted to meet her, but he was swallowed up by business. When he nevertheless appeared at the indicated appointment, it was too late: the princess had died four days later during childbirth. The hero's story ends with reflections on the reckless nature of youth.
The story of Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev "First Love" tells about the emotional experiences of a young hero, whose childhood feelings have grown into an almost insoluble problem of adult life and relationships. The work also touches on the relationship between father and son.
History of creation
The story was written and published in 1860 in St. Petersburg. The work was based on the real emotional experience of the writer, so a clear parallel can be drawn between his biography and the events of the story, where Volodya or Vladimir Petrovich is Ivan Sergeevich himself.
In particular, in his work, Turgenev fully described his father. He became the prototype for the character of Peter Vasilyevich. As for Zinaida Aleksandrovna herself, the prototype for her character was the first love of Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev, who was also his father's mistress.
Due to such frankness and transferring the lives of real people to the pages of the story, the public met her rather ambiguously. Many condemned Turgenev for his excessive frankness. Although the writer himself has repeatedly admitted that he does not see anything wrong with such a description.
Analysis of the work
Description of the artwork
The composition of the story is built as Volodya's recollection of his youth, namely, the first almost childish, but serious love. Vladimir Petrovich is a 16-year-old boy, the protagonist of the work, who comes to a country family estate with his father and other relatives. Here he meets a girl of incredible beauty - Zinaida Alexandrovna, with whom he falls irrevocably in love.
Zinaida loves to flirt and has a very capricious disposition. Therefore, he allows himself to accept courtship from other young people, in addition to Volodya, without making any choice in favor of any one, specific candidate for the role of his official boyfriend.
Volodya's feelings do not reciprocate in her, sometimes the girl allows herself to mock him, ridiculing their age difference. Later, the main character learns that his own father has become the object of desire for Zinaida Alexandrovna. Unnoticed spying on the formation of their relationship, Vladimir understands that Pyotr Vasilyevich has no serious intentions towards Zinaida and plans to leave her soon. Having accomplished his plan, Peter leaves the country house, after which he suddenly dies for everyone. On this, Vladimir stops his communication with Zinaida. After a while, however, he learns that she got married and then died suddenly during childbirth.
Main characters
Vladimir Petrovich is the main character of the story, a 16-year-old boy who moves to a country estate with his family. The prototype of the character is Ivan Sergeevich himself.
Pyotr Vasilyevich is the father of the protagonist, who married Vladimir's mother because of her rich inheritance, who, in addition, was much older than himself. The character was based on a real-life person, the father of Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev.
Zinaida Alexandrovna is a young 21-year-old girl who lives next door. Has a very frivolous disposition. It has an arrogant and capricious character. Due to her beauty, she is not deprived of the constant attention of suitors, including from Vladimir Petrovich and Pyotr Vasilyevich. The prototype of the character is considered to be Princess Ekaterina Shakhovskaya.
The autobiographical work "First Love" is directly related to the life of Ivan Sergeevich, describes his relationship with his parents, mainly with his father. A simple plot and ease of presentation, which Turgenev is so famous for, helps the reader to quickly immerse himself in the very essence of what is happening around, and most importantly, to believe in sincerity and experience with the author all his emotional experience, from appeasement and delight to real hatred. After all, there is only one step from love to hate. It is this process that the story mainly illustrates.
The work demonstrates exactly how the relationship between Volodya and Zinaida is changing, and also illustrates all the changes between the son and father when it comes to love for the same woman.
The turning point of the protagonist's growing up emotionally is perfectly described by Ivan Sergeevich, because his real life experience is taken as the basis.
The action of the story takes place in 1833 in Moscow, the main character - Volodya - is sixteen years old, he lives with his parents in the country and is preparing to enter the university. Soon, the family of Princess Zasekina moves into the poor outbuilding next door. Volodya accidentally sees the princess and really wants to get to know her. The next day, his mother receives an illiterate letter from Princess Zasekina asking him to protect her. Mother sends a verbal invitation to Princess Volodya to come to her house. There Volodya meets the princess - Zinaida Alexandrovna, who is five years older than him. The princess immediately calls him to her room to unravel the wool, flirts with him, but quickly loses interest in him. On the same day, Princess Zasekina pays a visit to his mother and makes an extremely unfavorable impression on her. However, despite this, the mother invites her and her daughter to dinner. During dinner, the princess noisily sniffs tobacco, fidgets in her chair, turns around, complains about poverty and talks about her endless bills, and the princess, on the contrary, is majestic - she talks with Volodya's father in French all dinner, but looks at him with hostility. She does not pay attention to Volodya, however, as she leaves, she whispers to him to come to them in the evening.
Appearing to the Zasekins, Volodya meets the princess's admirers: Dr. Lushin, the poet Maidanov, Count Malevsky, the retired captain Nirmatsky and the hussar Belovzorov. The evening is fast paced and fun. Volodya feels happy: he gets a lot to kiss Zinaida's hand, all evening Zinaida does not let him go and gives him preference over others. The next day, his father asks him about the Zasekins, then he goes to them himself. After dinner, Volodya goes to visit Zinaida, but she does not come out to him. From that day, Volodya's torment begins.
In the absence of Zinaida, he languishes, but even in her presence he does not feel better, he is jealous, offended, but cannot live without her. Zinaida easily guesses that he is in love with her. Zinaida rarely goes to the house of Volodya's parents: her mother does not like her, her father speaks little to her, but somehow especially cleverly and significantly.
Zinaida suddenly changes a lot. She goes for a walk alone and walks for a long time, sometimes she doesn’t show herself to guests at all: she sits in her room for hours. Volodya guesses that she is in love, but does not understand with whom.
Once Volodya is sitting on the wall of a dilapidated greenhouse. Zinaida appears on the road below. When she sees him, she orders him to jump onto the road if he truly loves her. Volodya immediately jumps and faints for a moment. The alarmed Zinaida fusses around him and suddenly begins to kiss him, however, guessing that he has come to his senses, gets up and, forbidding him to follow him, leaves. Volodya is happy, but the next day, when he meets with Zinaida, she keeps herself very simple, as if nothing had happened.
One day they meet in the garden: Volodya wants to pass by, but Zinaida herself stops him. She is sweet, quiet and kind to him, invites him to be her friend and bestows the title of her page. A conversation takes place between Volodya and Count Malevsky, in which Malevsky says that the pages should know everything about their queens and follow them relentlessly day and night. It is not known whether Malevsky attached particular importance to what he said, but Volodya decides to go to the garden at night to guard, taking an English knife with him. He sees his father in the garden, gets very frightened, loses his knife and immediately returns home. The next day, Volodya tries to talk about everything with Zinaida, but her twelve-year-old cadet brother comes to her, and Zinaida instructs Volodya to entertain him. On the evening of the same day, Zinaida, finding Volodya in the garden, inadvertently asks him why he is so sad. Volodya cries and reproaches her for playing with them. Zinaida asks for forgiveness, consoles him, and a quarter of an hour later he is already running around with Zinaida and the cadet and laughing.
For a week, Volodya continues to communicate with Zinaida, driving away all thoughts and memories from himself. Finally, returning one day for dinner, he learns that a scene had taken place between his father and mother, that his mother reproached his father in connection with Zinaida, and that she learned about it from an anonymous letter. The next day, mother announces that she is moving to the city. Before leaving, Volodya decides to say goodbye to Zinaida and tells her that he will love and adore her until the end of her days.
Volodya once again accidentally sees Zinaida. They are riding with their father for a ride, and suddenly the father, dismounting and giving him the reins of his horse, disappears into the alley. Some time later, Volodya follows him and sees that he is talking through the window with Zinaida. The father insists on something, Zinaida does not agree, finally she holds out her hand to him, and then the father raises the whip and sharply beats her bare arm. Zinaida shudders and, silently raising her hand to her lips, kisses the scar. Volodya runs away.
Some time later, Volodya moved with his parents to St. Petersburg, entered the university, and six months later his father died of a stroke, having received a letter from Moscow a few days before his death, which greatly excited him. After his death, his wife sends a fairly significant amount of money to Moscow.
Four years later, Volodya meets Maidanov at the theater, who tells him that Zinaida is now in St. Petersburg, she is happily married and is going abroad. Although, Maidanov adds, after that story it was not easy for her to form a party for herself; there were consequences... but with her mind, anything is possible. Maidanov gives Volodya the address of Zinaida, but he goes to see her only a few weeks later and finds out that she died suddenly from childbirth four days ago.
retold
The story "First Love" by Turgenev was written in 1860, and in many ways became a reflection of the author's personal experiences. On our website you can read a summary of "First Love" chapter by chapter. This is a story about the first, still half-childish love, which had to face adult love, full of drama and sacrifice. A brief retelling of the work is useful for the reader's diary and preparation for the literature lesson.
The main characters of the story
Main characters:
Vladimir is a sixteen-year-old boy who had to go through all the joys and troubles of his first love.
Zinaida is a 21-year-old impoverished princess, spoiled by male attention, with whom Vladimir was in love.
Pyotr Vasilyevich is Vladimir's father, a smart, freedom-loving middle-aged man who started an affair with Zinaida.
Other characters:
- Princess Zasekina is the mother of Zinaida, an untidy, uneducated woman with bad manners.
- Vladimir's mother is a restrained, delicate woman who was much older than her husband.
- Malevsky, Lushin, Maidanov, Nirmatsky and Belovzorov are fans of Zinaida.
Turgenev "First Love" summary
First love Turgenev summary for the reader's diary:
The main character of the story is the nobleman Vladimir Petrovich V. Being already a 40-year-old man, he recalls the story of his first love.
One day, 16-year-old Vladimir falls in love with a neighbor in the country, 21-year-old Zinaida Zasekina. First love causes a storm of emotions in Vladimir's soul. The young man hopes for reciprocity, but Zinaida sees in him only a child and plays with his feelings. Zinaida is a beautiful, smart and charming girl with a difficult character. She has many fans, but she does not reciprocate anyone.
Unexpectedly, Zinaida falls in love with the father of the protagonist, Pyotr Vasilievich, who is 20 years older than her. The girl secretly meets with him, despite the fact that he is married and has a son. For the sake of this love and passion, Zinaida risks her reputation. Soon, others, including young Vladimir, will find out about their relationship. This news shocks the boy, he cannot recover for a long time. At the same time, he does not condemn either his father or Zinaida.
Vladimir's family terminates relations with Zinaida's family. The young man does not see his beloved, and his spiritual wound gradually heals. Soon Vladimir witnesses a secret meeting between his father and Zinaida. The young man understands that they are connected by tender feelings, which are mixed with some kind of insoluble conflict. Vladimir unsuccessfully tries to understand these mysterious relationships.
After 2 months, Vladimir enters the university and the whole family moves to St. Petersburg. By this time, the young man's feelings for Zinaida have completely cooled down. Six months later, Vladimir's father dies from a stroke (stroke). The day before, the man receives a letter, probably from Zinaida. The letter worries him very much and causes a quarrel with his wife. Nothing is known about the content of the letter.
After 4 years, Vladimir graduates from the university. He learns that Zinaida has married a wealthy Mr. Dolsky. A few weeks later, Vladimir finally comes to visit her, but finds out that 4 days ago she died from childbirth. She was about 25 years old. The sudden death of Zinaida shocks Vladimir and makes him think about many things.
This is interesting: Turgenev's fifth novel "Smoke" was first published in 1867 in the journal "Russian Messenger". The action takes place on the waters in Baden-Baden. for the reader's diary will help you get acquainted with the plot of the work and prepare for the lesson of literature.
A short retelling of Turgenev's "First Love"
The action of the story takes place in 1833 in Moscow, the main character - Volodya - is sixteen years old, he lives with his parents in the country and is preparing to enter the university. Soon, the family of Princess Zasekina moves into the poor outbuilding next door. Volodya accidentally sees the princess and really wants to get to know her. The next day, his mother receives an illiterate letter from Princess Zasekina asking him to protect her. Mother sends a verbal invitation to Princess Volodya to come to her house. There Volodya meets the princess - Zinaida Alexandrovna, who is five years older than him.
The princess immediately calls him to her room to unravel the wool, flirts with him, but quickly loses interest in him. On the same day, Princess Zasekina pays a visit to his mother and makes an extremely unfavorable impression on her. However, despite this, the mother invites her and her daughter to dinner. During dinner, the princess noisily sniffs tobacco, fidgets in her chair, turns around, complains about poverty and talks about her endless bills, and the princess, on the contrary, is majestic - she talks with Volodya's father in French all dinner, but looks at him with hostility. She does not pay attention to Volodya, however, as she leaves, she whispers to him to come to them in the evening.
Appearing to the Zasekins, Volodya meets the princess's admirers: Dr. Lushin, the poet Maidanov, Count Malevsky, the retired captain Nirmatsky and the hussar Belovzorov. The evening is fast paced and fun. Volodya feels happy: he gets a lot to kiss Zinaida's hand, all evening Zinaida does not let him go and gives him preference over others. The next day, his father asks him about the Zasekins, then he goes to them himself. After dinner, Volodya goes to visit Zinaida, but she does not come out to him. From that day, Volodya's torment begins.
In the absence of Zinaida, he languishes, but even in her presence he does not feel better, he is jealous, offended, but cannot live without her. Zinaida easily guesses that he is in love with her. Zinaida rarely goes to the house of Volodya's parents: her mother does not like her, her father speaks little to her, but somehow especially cleverly and significantly.
Zinaida suddenly changes a lot. She goes for a walk alone and walks for a long time, sometimes she doesn’t show herself to guests at all: she sits in her room for hours. Volodya guesses that she is in love, but does not understand with whom.
Once Volodya is sitting on the wall of a dilapidated greenhouse. Zinaida appears on the road below. When she sees him, she orders him to jump onto the road if he truly loves her. Volodya immediately jumps and faints for a moment. The alarmed Zinaida fusses around him and suddenly begins to kiss him, however, guessing that he has come to his senses, gets up and, forbidding him to follow him, leaves. Volodya is happy, but the next day, when he meets with Zinaida, she keeps herself very simple, as if nothing had happened.
One day they meet in the garden: Volodya wants to pass by, but Zinaida herself stops him. She is sweet, quiet and kind to him, invites him to be her friend and bestows the title of her page. A conversation takes place between Volodya and Count Malevsky, in which Malevsky says that the pages should know everything about their queens and follow them relentlessly day and night. It is not known whether Malevsky attached particular importance to what he said, but Volodya decides to go to the garden at night to guard, taking an English knife with him. He sees his father in the garden, gets very frightened, loses his knife and immediately returns home.
The next day, Volodya tries to talk about everything with Zinaida, but her twelve-year-old cadet brother comes to her, and Zinaida instructs Volodya to entertain him. On the evening of the same day, Zinaida, finding Volodya in the garden, inadvertently asks him why he is so sad. Volodya cries and reproaches her for playing with them. Zinaida asks for forgiveness, consoles him, and a quarter of an hour later he is already running around with Zinaida and the cadet and laughing.
For a week, Volodya continues to communicate with Zinaida, driving away all thoughts and memories from himself. Finally, returning one day for dinner, he learns that a scene had taken place between his father and mother, that his mother reproached his father in connection with Zinaida, and that she learned about it from an anonymous letter. The next day, mother announces that she is moving to the city. Before leaving, Volodya decides to say goodbye to Zinaida and tells her that he will love and adore her until the end of her days.
Volodya once again accidentally sees Zinaida. They are riding with their father for a ride, and suddenly the father, dismounting and giving him the reins of his horse, disappears into the alley. Some time later, Volodya follows him and sees that he is talking through the window with Zinaida. The father insists on something, Zinaida does not agree, finally she holds out her hand to him, and then the father raises the whip and sharply beats her bare arm. Zinaida shudders and, silently raising her hand to her lips, kisses the scar. Volodya runs away.
Some time later, Volodya moved with his parents to St. Petersburg, entered the university, and six months later his father died of a stroke, having received a letter from Moscow a few days before his death, which greatly excited him. After his death, his wife sends a fairly significant amount of money to Moscow.
Four years later, Volodya meets Maidanov at the theater, who tells him that Zinaida is now in St. Petersburg, she is happily married and is going abroad. Although, Maidanov adds, after that story it was not easy for her to form a party for herself; there were consequences... but with her mind anything is possible. Maidanov gives Volodya the address of Zinaida, but he goes to see her only a few weeks later and finds out that she died suddenly from childbirth four days ago.
See also: The story "Spring Waters" by Turgenev was written in 1872. To better prepare for the literature lesson, we recommend reading chapter by chapter. The work belongs to the late period of the writer's work, and tells about the love story of a wealthy Russian landowner who fruitlessly wasted his best years. A retelling of the story will be useful for the reader's diary.
I. S. Turgenev First love summary with a description of each chapter:
Sixteen-year-old Volodya was preparing to enter the university at his parents' dacha. He lived in anticipation of something extraordinary, and this "was destined to come true soon." Soon the family of Princess Zasekina moved into a small outbuilding.
During one of the walks, Volodya saw an unusually attractive blond girl in the company of young people. The stranger struck the young man in the heart and he, feeling "unprecedented excitement", ran home.
The next morning, all Volodya's thoughts were occupied only with how to get acquainted with the object of his passion. The young man was rescued by his mother, who ordered "to go to the princess and explain to her in words" so that she would come to visit her.
Once in the chambers of the Zasekins, Volodya was unpleasantly surprised by the excessive simplicity and untidiness of the decoration and the princess herself. Her daughter Zinochka turned out to be the complete opposite - gentle, graceful, with excellent manners. She admitted that she was five years older than Volodya, and asked to tell her "always the truth." At that moment, the young man was as "well, like a fish in water." But soon his joy faded when a young hussar appeared at the Zasekins and presented a kitten to Zinaida - Volodya was jealous for the first time in his life.
Chapters 5–7
Volodya's mother found the princess "a very vulgar woman", obsessive and mercenary. It turned out that she was the daughter of a wealthy clerk, and married a ruined prince, who soon squandered her dowry.
At the reception with Volodya's parents, Princess Zasekina "did not repair at all," while Zinaida "behaved very strictly, almost arrogantly, a real princess." Saying goodbye, she invited Volodya to come to them in the evening.
Arriving at the appointed hour to the Zasekins, Volodya saw Zinaida surrounded by young people. Among her admirers were "Count Malevsky, Dr. Lushin, poet Maidanov, retired captain Nirmatsky and Belovzorov." The guests had fun with might and main: they played forfeits, "sang and danced, and represented the gypsy camp."
Mother was against Volodya's communication with neighbors, whom she considered ill-bred. She reminded her son that he should "prepare for the exam and study."
Volodya shared his impressions of Zinaida with his father, a smart, interesting man who valued freedom above all else. After a conversation with Volodya, he "ordered to saddle his horse" and went to the Zasekins. In the evening, the young man found Zinaida pale and thoughtful.
Volodya was languishing with love for Zinaida, who by that time had become interested in playing with her fans - "she kept them all on a leash, at her feet."
Once Volodya found his chosen one in a strange mood. When looking at his face, she noted that he had “the same eyes,” and then admitted that she was sick of everything. Volodya realized that Zinaida was in love.
Chapters 10–12
Volodya kept trying to figure out who was the lucky one with whom Zinaida fell in love. Dr. Lushin tried to warn him against the frequent visits of the Zasekin family - the choice of the house was already "painfully unsuccessful", and its atmosphere was fatal for a pure, ardent young man.
Meanwhile, "Zinaida became more and more strange, more and more incomprehensible." She began to allow herself strange antics, and once passionately kissed Volodya.
Chapters 13–15
The young man for a long time felt indescribable bliss after the kisses of his beloved. Once he noticed how, during a horse ride, his father was whispering something enthusiastically in Zinaida's ear. Throughout the next week, the girl did not show herself to anyone, saying she was sick. After a while, she told Volodya that "now everything is gone", asked for forgiveness for her former coldness and offered friendship.
One day the young princess invited the guests to tell their dreams. When it was her turn, she described her dream. In it, she was in the form of a queen, surrounded by fans. Each of them is ready to die for her, but the queen's heart is given to the only one that is waiting for her near the fountain. "No one knows him", but the queen is ready to come at his first call and "and stay with him, and get lost with him."
Chapters 17–19
The next day, Malevsky, "contemptuously playfully" looking at Volodya, hinted that he needed to be inseparably close to his "queen", especially at night. The young man realized that Zinaida was leading a double life.
At night, in the garden, Volodya noticed his father crouching, but did not attach any importance to this. Soon everything fell into place - "a terrible scene took place between father and mother." The mother “reproached the father for infidelity, for meeting the neighboring young lady,” and he, in response, flared up and left. This "sudden revelation" completely crushed Volodya.
It was decided to return to Moscow. Volodya came to say goodbye to Zinaida and tell her that he would "love and adore" her until the end of his days. The touched girl pressed Volodya to her, "kissed him firmly and passionately."
In Moscow, a young man who survived a love drama did not soon "get rid of the past, did not soon set to work." His spiritual wound healed very slowly, but he did not feel anger towards his father. During a frank conversation, Pyotr Vasilyevich advised his son to "live normally and not succumb to hobbies."
Once Volodya went with his father to ride. After a long walk, Pyotr Vasilyevich asked his son to wait a bit and disappeared somewhere in an alley. Tired of the long wait, Volodya began to look for his father, and soon found him near a wooden house, in the window of which Zinaida was visible. A tense conversation took place between them, during which Pyotr Vasilievich hit Zinaida's bare hand with a whip, and she only "kissed the scar that had turned red on her." The father immediately “threw the whip aside” and ran into the house to his beloved.
Volodya was shocked by what he saw - he realized what true, "adult" love was, which had nothing to do with his enthusiastic youthful feeling. Six months later, his father died of a stroke, having received before that "a letter from Moscow, which greatly excited him." Before his death, he warned Volodya against female love.
After four years, Volodya successfully graduated from the university. He found out that Zinaida was married, but at first it was not easy for her to make a party for herself after contacting Pyotr Vasilyevich. Volodya delayed the meeting with his first love until he found out that she "died almost suddenly from childbirth."
This is interesting: Turgenev's novel "The Nest of Nobles" was written in 1858. The book is based on reflections on the fate of the Russian nobility. On our website, you can read chapter by chapter to test your knowledge. Immediately after publication, the novel gained great popularity in society, as the author touched upon deep social problems.
Video summary First love Turgenev
