Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol is a famous Russian writer. His works are familiar to us from school. We all remember his Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka, Dead Souls and other famous creations. In 1835 Gogol finished his mystical novel “Viy”. The summary of the work outlined in this article will help to refresh the main points of the plot. The story stands apart in the writer's work. Viy is an ancient Slavic demonic creature. It could kill with just one look. Gogol embodied his image in his story. The work "Wii" at one time was not appreciated by critics. Belinsky called the story "fantastic", devoid of useful content. But Nikolai Vasilievich himself attached great importance to this work. He remade it several times, removing the details of the description of terrible fairy-tale creatures that killed the protagonist. The story was published in the collection "Mirgorod".
“Viy”, Gogol (summary): introduction
The most long-awaited event for the Bursaks in the Kiev seminary is vacancies when all students go home. They go home in groups, earning spiritual chants along the way. Three bursaks: the philosopher Homa Brut, the theologian Freebie and the rhetorician Tiberius Gorodets - stray off the road. At night, they go to an abandoned farm, where they knock on the first hut asking for permission to spend the night. The old mistress agrees to let them in on the condition that they lie down in different places. She identifies Homu Brutu for the night in an empty sheep’s stable. Not having time to close his eyes, the bursak sees how an old woman enters him. Her gaze seems ominous to him. He understands that he is a witch. The old woman comes up to him and quickly jumps onto his shoulders. Before the philosopher has time to come to his senses, he is already flying through the night sky with a witch on his back. Homa tries to whisper prayers and feels that the old woman is weakening. Having chosen the moment, he slips out from under the cursed witch, sits on her and begins to haunt her with logs. Exhausted, the old woman falls to the ground, and the philosopher continues to beat her. Groans are heard, and Homa Brut sees that in front of him lies a young beauty. In fear, he runs away.
“Viy”, Gogol (summary): developments
Soon, the rector of the seminary summoned Homa to his home and informed him that a wealthy centurion from a distant farm sent him a wagon and six healthy Cossacks to take the seminar to pray over his deceased daughter, who had returned from a walk that had been beaten. When Bursak is brought to the farm, the centurion asks him where he could meet his daughter. After all, the last desire of the panel is for the seminar seminar Homa Brut to read the waste. Bursak says he does not know his daughter. But when he sees her in a coffin, he notes with fear that this is the same witch whom he used to hunt with logs. At dinner, the residents of the farm tell Home different stories about the deceased panel. Many of them noticed that the devilry was happening to her. By night, the seminarians are taken to the church where the coffin stands, and they lock it there. Approaching the choir, Homa draws a protective circle around him and begins to read prayers aloud. By midnight, the witch rises from the tomb and tries to find a bursak. The protective circle does not allow her to do this. Homa reads prayers in his last breath. Then a rooster cries out and the witch returns to the coffin. Its lid slams. The next day, the seminarian asks the centurion to let him go home. When he refuses this request, he tries to escape from the farm. He is caught and taken to the church again by night and locked. There, Homa, not yet having time to draw a circle, sees that the witch has again risen from the tomb and walks around the church - looking for him. She casts spells. But the circle again prevents her from catching the philosopher. Brutus hears countless unclean forces bursting into the church. Of his last strength, he reads prayers. The cry of a rooster is heard, and everything disappears. In the morning, Homa is taken out of the church as gray-haired.
“Viy”, Gogol (summary): denouement
It was time for the third night of prayer by a seminarian in the church. All the same circle protects Homa. The witch is rampant.
Impure force bursting into the church, trying to find and grab a bursak. The latter continues to read prayers, trying not to look at the spirits. Then the witch shouts: “Bring Wii!” Walking heavily, a squat monster enters the church with large eyelids covering his eyes. An inner voice tells Home that you cannot look at Wii. The monster demands that his eyelids be opened. Evil rushes to fulfill this order. The seminarist, unable to resist, casts a glance at Wii. He notices him and points to him with an iron finger. All evil spirits rush to Homa, who immediately gives off the spirit. A cry of a rooster is heard. Monsters rush away from the church. But this is the second cry, the first they did not hear. Unclean power does not have time to leave. The church remains standing with the evil spirits stuck in the cracks. Nobody will come here anymore. After all these events, Freebie and Tiberius Gorodets, learning about the plight of Homa, commemorate the soul of the departed. They conclude that he died of fear.
The work "Viy" is not included in the compulsory program for the study of literature in secondary schools. But it is very interesting to us. This mystical tale allows you to plunge into the atmosphere of ancient fairy-tale legends (here is a brief retelling of it). "Wii" Gogol wrote over a century and a half ago. Then the work caused a lot of talk and talk. Nowadays it is read with no less trepidation.