The Moonsund novel is a famous work by the famous writer V. Pikul, written in 1970. The popularity of this work is evidenced by the fact that the novel was repeatedly reprinted in thousands of print runs. This book was written in the genre of marine romance. The advantage of this work is that it presents the history of the Russian fleet in 1915–1918, describes the technical equipment, and also tells about the people who served on it.
Summary
The novel "Moonsund" is dedicated to the heroic defense of the islands of the same name by the sailors of the Baltic Fleet. The action of the work takes place on the eve of the revolution. In the essay, in addition to describing the feat of the Russian sailors, the difficult period of the Russian fleet is shown. The main characters of the book are officers and ordinary sailors of ships. The main character was the destroyer employee Artyev, whom the author characterizes as a strong-willed strong man with a strong character and impeccable honor.
The writer Valentin Pikul organically wove the love line into the historical context. Beloved protagonist Anna works for military intelligence, which greatly interferes with the relationship of lovers. The writer describes the spread of revolutionary ideas on the ship, but Arteniev does not support them. The officer takes command in the most dangerous area near the cape, which is subjected to the greatest attack from the Germans. Valentin Pikul emphasizes the courage, heroism and courage of the sailors who remained faithful to the oath and to the last defended the site from the Germans.
Historical context
This work is interesting in that it reproduces in sufficient detail and reliably the historical atmosphere of the early 20th century, of the difficult pre-revolutionary time. A significant part of the story is based on the memoirs of battery commander Nikolai Bartenev, who defended Cape Tserel.
During the battle, he was seriously injured. The main character of the work also has a real historical prototype. It is interesting that the real name of this legendary scout is unknown - she had many names and surnames. The novel "Moonsund" shows in great detail sailor's life on ships.
One of the heroes is the revolutionary sailor Trofim Semenchuk. This is a collective image, which combines the fate of two really living people - a sailor and a commissioner. The value of the work also increases because the author used not only domestic sources, but also memoirs of the Austro-Hungarian command.
Idea
According to critics, the Moonsund novel is not only a description of one of the most difficult stages of the First World War, but also a philosophical understanding of the turning point in Russian history. Some reviewers note that although the book was written by a writer who adheres to Soviet ideology, the interpretation of events turned out to be very ambiguous. The work is imbued with a patriotic spirit.
This is manifested in a detailed description of the power of the Russian fleet, the heroism of sailors. Of particular interest is the fact that the revolutionary mood on the ships was conveyed through the eyes of the tsarist officer, who remained faithful to the oath and did not join the rebels.
The very choice of the main character itself is indicative in ideological terms, since it indicates the author’s attempt to impartially comprehend one of the most difficult moments in Russian history. In addition, the author shows not only revolutionary sailors, but also Kolchak, who in the future became the leader of the white movement.
Reviews
The Moonsund novel collected generally positive reviews on the Internet. Readers note that the text is easy to read because it is written in good language. Users point out that the book contains not only historical moments, but also a romantic line, which gives the story some ease and allows the reader to take a break from the complex drama.
Most readers point out that one of the most difficult and intense works in the writer's work was the novel Moonzund. Pikul masterfully conveyed the tense atmosphere in the navy, not only because of the external threat of an enemy attack, but also because of the internal aggravation due to the proximity of the revolution.
However, some critics call the novel more likely a documentary-historical work, since it contains a large number of specific facts, which was so characteristic of the writer. Readers credit the author for the fact that he accurately conveyed signs of revolutionary sentiment and the beginning of discord in the more recently disciplined troops.
Value
Moonsund is a book that belongs to the genre of marine romance. Given the fact that there are not so many works of this kind in Russian literature, its significance can hardly be overestimated.
The novel was very popular, and in 1987 a very good film was shot, in which O. Menshikov played the main role. The painting received recognition, and its creators were awarded silver medals named after A.P. Dovzhenko.