âKrechinsky's Weddingâ is a breathtaking comedy by Alexander Sukhovo-Kobylin, which has become famous and in demand from the very first productions on the stage. She competed in popularity along with the sensational plays âWoe from Witâ and âThe Examinerâ.
A summary of the Krechinsky Weddings, prototypes, and the history of writing a work are truly exciting and unique. Let's get to know this dramatic creation, as well as its unrivaled author.
Aristocrat and playwright
Sukhovo-Kobylin Alexander Vasilievich - Russian nobleman, illustrious philosopher and translator, author of several eccentric and topical dramatic works.
The writer was born in the fall of 1817, studied at Moscow University, where he became interested in philosophy and began to travel a lot around Europe. There he made acquaintance with a certain Louise Simon-Demanche. This meeting was fatal for both young people.
Murder case
The pretty French modista moved to Moscow for her Russian lover, where she became his mistress and kept woman. Sukhovo-Kobylin rented her expensive apartments, paid for food and accommodation. This connection lasted for seven years, during which time cold estrangement came to the place of tender affection.
Everything was complicated by the fact that Alexander Vasilievich had incredible attractiveness and enjoyed incredible success with women. He had an affair, fell in love with him. And, of course, he fell in love himself. Another woman of the philosopher was the married aristocrat Nadezhda Naryshkina, to whom the Frenchwoman Louise was repeatedly jealous.
And then a young woman is found murdered. An investigation was opened, during which charges were brought against Sukhovo-Kobylin, five servants and his mistress Naryshkina.
Who was to blame for the crime remained a mystery. The investigation did not reveal anything, the defendants were confused in the evidence. Alexander Vasilievich was arrested several times and detained, his servants were tortured, and his lover fled abroad.
Despite the fact that all charges were dropped from the young philosopher, the light could not forgive him a dark spot on his already impeccable reputation. Alexander Vasilievich was rejected by the aristocracy, attributing to him this brutal and senseless murder.
Creative way of the author
This tragedy and personal experiences prompted Alexander Vasilievich to engage in creativity. The author of Krechinskyâs Wedding wrote his first work outside the prison, consumed by a sense of anxiety and uncertainty. A variety of emotions and internal struggles, as well as a close acquaintance with the case, were reflected in this unforgettable play. âKrechinsky's Weddingâ was the beginning of a whole trilogy, united by one goal and one impulse.
A bit about the work
Unusual comedic genre âWeddings of Krechinskyâ. It not only encourages fun to laugh, but also makes you think about the meaning of life, makes you empathize and cry. As you can see, the place of writing and the internal state of the author had a huge impact on the work itself, later called âsocial comedyâ.
In his play, the playwright puts on display the squalor of light and aristocracy, their moral degradation and hypocrisy. For him, a true hero is an unspoiled man, a landowner from a province, a real master.
Prototypes
The plot of âWeddings of Krechinskyâ is based on real events. Perhaps the author was greatly impressed by the story of a certain false graph, which occurred several years before the play was written. According to rumors, a certain Krysinsky, who is a servant of a wealthy aristocrat, impersonated a noble and wealthy nobleman, thanks to which he gained access to the upper world.
Or the protagonist of the main character could be the nobleman Golokhvast - a secular dandy, a frivolous idler and a windy dude.
Be that as it may, the brief summary of âKrechinsky's Weddingâ, as well as the work as a whole, shows that the author was able to vividly and realistically show the manners and life of that time, prevailing in the upper circles of the true nobility. Familiar with all secular tinsel and emptiness, the author with subtle psychologism conveyed the depravity and idleness of high society.
Characters
Before considering a brief summary of âKrechinskyâs Weddings,â let's get acquainted with the main characters of the work.
First of all, it is Krechinsky himself, a man of thirty-five years old, an avid gambler and a restless mot. It is also worth mentioning Pyotr Konstantinovich of Murom - a noble good-natured man, an exemplary master and an exemplary father. An important role in the work is played by Rasplyuev - an accomplice of the protagonist, an unprincipled man, a petty thief without morality and personal affection.
Among the other protagonists of Krechinskyâs Wedding, Lidochka stands out - the daughter of Peter Konstantinovich, a rich heiress, a naive and shy provincial. The image of the main character is noteworthy - a good simpleton with a clear mind, extraordinary thinking and deep feelings.
Another female heroine of the play is Aunt Lidochka, Anna Atueva, aspiring to the upper world and imitating his manners.
What brought these people so different in character and way of life? To find out the answer to this question, a brief summary of Krechinskyâs Wedding will help us.
Rich bride
The play begins with a dialogue between Muromsky and Atuev. From the conversation it turns out that two applicants have the views of the daughter of Pyotr Konstantinovich â the landowner Nelkin, a serious man indifferent to secular amusements, and Krechinsky, a womanizer and a womanizer.
Later it turns out that the young man urgently needs to find a rich bride to pay huge debts and cover embezzlement. His victim, he chooses Lidochka - a simple but rich young lady who is selflessly in love with him. For this purpose, Mikhail Vasilievich is ready to play with the feelings of the girl and her relatives, ready to pretend and deceive.
For example, with the father of the future bride, he talks about a calm village life next to his beloved wife, because he knows that he is a rustic and good-natured gentleman. With Lidaâs aunt, Krechinsky speaks very differently. He hints at his high position in the world and shares his dream of making Moscow's father-in-law's house the most refined and popular.
Ruined nobleman
In the next action, the whole depth of the fall of Krechinsky opens. Walking his estate, owing debt to all creditors, he hides from them and eludes an almost miserable existence. He is a player, mot, a drunkard and a reveler.
In addition to loans, Mikhail Vasilyevich has a huge card debt with which the merchant Shchebnev blackmails him. To return the money, Krechinsky decides on a scam.
At home, he has an exact copy of expensive jewelry belonging to Murom. He decides to use it to borrow money from the usurer Beck. Mikhail Vasilyevich asks the bride to give him for a while this jewel, made in the form of a pin, in the hope of deceiving an experienced lender. The trusting Lidochka passes the pin to the groom through his envoy Rasplyuev.
With the help of fake jewelry, Krechinsky received a considerable amount of money and paid his debts.
Final exposure
The same evening, a young man gathers guests - a bride with relatives and Nelkin, who wants to expose a successful rival. He informs everyone that Krechinsky is a gambler and a deceiver who has laid the brideâs expensive thing. Lidochka is very upset, but Mikhail Vasilyevich quickly reassures her. He takes a pin from the secretary and returns it to the unhappy girl, and then with aplomb kicks out an unlucky competitor.
Then the indignation of the guests subsides, and Murom agrees to the imminent marriage of his daughter with Krechinsky. It would seem that everything ends well, but at the very last moment Beck and the policeman burst into the room to arrest Mikhail Vasilyevich for forgery.
Finally, Lidochka realizes who her bridegroom actually turned out to be. However, out of love for him, she gives her loan shark to her moneylender, stating that an error has occurred. Sobbing, she leaves the apartment of her beloved. Her father and aunt leave for her.
What is Krechinskyâs reaction to such disappointing events? He says: âFailedâ, thereby showing that the whole story for him is just a game. He does not think about the girlâs feelings and her tears, he does not feel shame and remorse.
Opinion of critics and theatergoers
Reviews about the âKrechinsky Weddingâ from the very beginning were positive. The audience enthusiastically accepted the light, uncomplicated dialogues of the play, reflecting the mindset and emotional character of the characters.
The playwright was able to vividly and realistically expose the foundations of some sections of society. His characters, so vital and relevant, deeply touched the soul and made you worry and worry.
Many noted that after watching the social comedy written by Sukhovo-Kobylin, for a long time they were impressed by what they saw, feeling in their souls heaviness and anxiety.
Contribution to Culture
The play âKrechinskyâs Weddingâ has become truly popular and legendary due to the topical issues raised in it. Some heroes of the work became common nouns, and their statements became allegorical.
Many quotes âWeddings of Krechinskyâ still enjoy widespread attention and popularity. These are the statements of the characters about such eternal values ââas knowledge, reason, evil and love. These are well-aimed, sharp phrases exchanged between the main characters in the process of narration. These are comic, fervent cues that have become jokes and fables.
Nowadays
This production, despite its venerable age, is of interest to many modern theatergoers. The play does not leave the stages of the leading theaters in Russia. Over the past sixty years, several comedies have been made.
First of all, this is a film-performance, shot in 1953, in which the leading roles were played by the talented Mikhail Nazvanov, Marina Kuznetsova and Olga Viklandt.
An interesting musical film is the 1974 film adaptation, filmed by Russian director Vladimir Vorobyov. Such wonderful actors as Viktor Kostetsky, Boris Smolkin, Zoya Vinogradova and Lev Petropavlovsky were involved in the picture.
In 2002, an attempt was also made to shoot an original film based on the play. The idea was conceived and implemented by director Mikhail Kozakov. The cast included: Mikhail Efremov, Anatoly Ravikovich, Olga Ostroumova, Victor Bortsov, Elena Podkaminskaya. The movie was released under the intriguing title âJokerâ.
Such frequent productions and film adaptations indicate that the work of Alexander Vasilyevich Sukhovo-Kobylin is still relevant and interesting. And this despite the fact that more than a hundred years have passed since the writing of the play, that times and customs have changed. However, such changes do not affect human souls, feelings and emotions. People still want to believe in love, they want to trust each other, they want to laugh at flaws and comic events. So, the play âKrechinskyâs Weddingâ will be relevant and popular among connoisseurs of Russian literature and dramaturgy for a long time to come.