Pavel Bazhov, “Malachite Box”: summary

Like almost all of Bazhov’s tales, the “Malachite Box” is a “legend of the Ural Mountains”. She is included in the collection of the same name with such well-known works as: “The Fire-Jumping Horse”, “Sinyushkin Well”, “Golden Hair”, “Silver Hoof” and so on.

The tale "Malachite Box" is a continuation of the story "Copper Mountain mistress", as it refers to the daughter of Stepan and Nastassya - Tanyushka. These tales were created in 1936-1938, and later were combined by him in the collection "Malachite Box". Through the character in all stories of the collection is the Mistress herself. Moreover, in many stories she herself does not appear, but acts indirectly. The story itself is not very large, but we will try to further reduce it by providing you with a brief retelling.

"Malachite Box"

Bazhov did not immediately give such a name to the story, at first it was called “Tyatino Present”, but just before its publication in print, the author decided to change the name. As we can judge now, it turned out to be extremely successful. But this does not entirely relate to the topic of our conversation, but we promised you to retell what Pavel Petrovich Bazhov wrote. The "Malachite Box" (a summary of the tale we will describe below) tells us about the events that develop several years after the adventures of the heroes described in the tale "The Copper Mountain mistress."

Stepan and Nastasya did not succeed in family life - she was widowed, left with two children. The eldest sons can already help the mother, and Tanya is still too small for this. To occupy her daughter, Nastasya gives her a wedding gift from the Mistress herself at the end of the previous tale - the development of wonderful events and Bazhov decided to continue. The "malachite box", the summary of which you are reading now, is not in vain carries such a name. She is full of jewelry crafted by mountain craftsmen from local gems. Nastasya, these jewelry did not fit: as soon as she put earrings in her ears, threaded the rings and adorned herself with a necklace, the case ended up with the earlobes starting to swell, fingers swelling, and a heavy and cold collar covering her neck.

So she gave kindness to the sincere little Tanya to play with jewels. The girl was completely delighted! Immediately realizing that the rings were designed for fingers, and earrings should be put in her ears, she began to try on the headset, looking at which the empresses could feel like beggars.

Frightened that the case might end up with the casket being stolen, Nastasya hides it from her daughter. But she finds a mother’s cache and continues to secretly try on jewelry, assuring that the stones are good for her. Behind this occupation, a poor beggar catches her, who has gone into the hut to ask for some water. Having quenched thirst, the beggar decides to linger for a while in a hospitable house, promising to teach Tanyushka to embroider marvelous tapestries in silk and beads as a fee for a batch. She kept her word and even provided her student with the materials necessary for work. Soon the wanderer went on, leaving a valuable artifact to the memory of Tanyushka - a button through which she could communicate with her. This technique was borrowed from the old Russian fairy tales Bazhov.

"Malachite Box": a summary. Development of events

The family ceased to live in poverty, since needlework brought good income, but here fate destroys the family with another blow - a fire. Everything burned up by back-breaking labor burned down. To survive, Nastasya decides to sell the box, and the buyer is instantly. It turns out to be the local clerk Parotya, more precisely, his wife and former mistress of the young gentleman Turchaninova. But the clerk's wife jewelry was not the size.

Meanwhile Turchaninov, having decided to inspect his Ural property, left Petersburg and appeared in Polevoy. I looked at the acquisition of my former lover and wanted to talk with the previous owner. Seeing Tanyushka, he instantly ignited with high feelings and, not leaving his place, offered her his hand, heart and condition. As proof of his decency, he presents her with a gift bought from a former mistress's jewelry.

Tanya did not directly refuse, but set the condition that the answer would be given after she was introduced to the Empress. Moreover, the acquaintance ceremony should take place in the chambers decorated with malachite, which was obtained by the late Stepan, and for now she considers herself a conditional bride and temporary custodian of the contents of the box. A little taken aback by such demands, Turchaninov agrees and goes to the capital in order to prepare everything for the bride’s visit.

Bazhov "Malachite Box": summary - end

In St. Petersburg, he began to boast that he would soon marry a dazzling beauty. Such news excited the entire capital's elite, and the Empress herself wished to see this Ural miracle of beauty. Turchaninov instantly informs Tanyushka that she should arrive in St. Petersburg. Having agreed that the groom would meet her on the steps of the palace, Tatyana Stepanovna put on all the jewelry from the casket and went on foot to meet. So that passers-by would not be blinded by the sparkle of gems, she covered them with an old fur coat. Seeing the bride so modestly dressed, the groom was ready to fall through the marble floor with shame, and shamefully retreated from the meeting place. Tanya, however, easily penetrated the territory of the palace, presenting her jewelry as a pass to the guards. Having handed over the fur coat to the servants, she went to the malachite chambers, but no one was waiting for her there, since the empress appointed an audience in another hall. Realizing that the groom cheated on her brazenly, she told him everything that she thought, and then she stepped into the nearest malachite column and disappeared into it. Turchaninov was left not only without a bride, but also without the contents of a malachite box: jewelry, although they didn’t go into stone after Tanya, remained on the surface, but they could not be collected. And in the Urals since then two Mistresses began to appear to the people ...