It’s easy to write about the people and their traditions. It is difficult to write in such a way that it is breathtaking, that colorful images appear in your head, melodies sound and a warm summer breeze blows. Not all people who call themselves writers can write like this. Today we’ll talk about an outstanding person who was gifted with a writing talent - Vasily Belove. In more detail we will consider one of his books, which is called “Lad.” It is devoted to the study of the life of a Russian person, and her other name looks like this: "Essays on folk aesthetics." Belov "Lad" (a brief summary of which we will consider in the article) was written under the influence of the muse, as you can see for yourself.
A bit about the author
Vasily Belov is a famous Russian writer, one of the brightest representatives of the so-called "village prose." He authored works that can be read not only for pleasure, but also to replenish your knowledge about the life and customs of our ancestors. Belov’s language is precise, concise and colorful, because of which many images are built in the head that lead to an understanding of the Russian soul. For his work, Belov was repeatedly awarded state prizes. His books are a kind of guide to the original Russian world, which appears before the reader's inner gaze in all its greatness and diversity.
The work of Vasily Belov
Would you like to know a summary of Belov ("Lad")? For the reader’s diary, it will be given a little lower, and now we’ll talk about the work of the writer, his career. In total, the author wrote 12 books, each of which is a pearl of its kind. Real talented writers never write too often. A lot of work is only for those who work for the public and want to get more profit. True writers write only when they cannot be silent, when they are filled with inspiration and they can no longer restrain the creative flow within themselves. Belov's works were written from 1961 to 2000. To date , the author is no longer engaged in writing, but his work is enough to plunge headlong into the mystery of the Russian soul and appreciate the giftedness of Belov. The fame came to the writer after he began to publish his ethnographic essays in various magazines. They were too short, and the reader wanted more and more. This is what made Vasily Belov think about writing the first book, and then the subsequent ones.
Books
As mentioned earlier, the author has written 12 books. His first essays were conceived as simple sketches of the northern life of Russian people. In his works, he talks about the inhabitants of the Vologda, Kirov and Arkhangelsk regions of Russia. How does he know that? He devoted his entire conscious life to collecting grain from folklore oral songs, proverbs, ex-utensils, household items and culture, and also studying archived data for sleepless nights to complete the picture.
A lot of things were written down by Belov from the lips of his mother, who instilled in him a love for everything popular. She was a real Russian woman who lived all her life according to traditions. "Essays on Folk Aesthetics" is a very valuable and interesting source for studying the ethnography of Russia, which was presented to us by the talented writer Belov. “Lad,” a summary of which you will see below, was written in 1982. It is believed that this is one of the best works of the writer.
“Lad”: part one
The book "Lad" is divided into three parts. Each of them is devoted to a review of material on a certain topic. We will consider all parts of the book, as well as one chapter in each of them. The chapter was selected according to the degree of information saturation and its importance in the text. The chapters of the first part are called so: “All year round”, “Apprentices and masters”, “Companion of female destiny”, “Needlewomen” and “Stopped moments”. What does the book Belov ("Lad") talk about? A summary for the reader's diary will contain the main points from each chapter.
The chapter “Year-round” deals with the four seasons. The author describes each of them in great detail, telling what kind of life the people led in different weather conditions. In this case, not dry facts are described - the material is presented in the form of a colorful story. Also in the text you can find old Russian proverbs. Each time period is characterized by the fact that in addition to the description of everyday life, one can meet stories about the mood of the people, cultural features and traditions of the celebration of great celebrations.
In the chapter "Apprentices and Masters" we are talking about different types of activities that were common in Russia. Here are descriptions of even healers and beggars. In addition, the author describes the work and life of shepherds, shoemakers, blacksmiths, carpenters, merchants, millers, etc. After reading this chapter, one gets the feeling that he has been in several roles at once - Belov describes each profession so accurately and vividly.
The chapter “Needleworkers” deals with women's activities such as sewing, weaving and knitting. In this chapter, the author speaks not only about work, but also about how women entertained themselves during work: they sang, invented songs, ditties, and danced. In addition, Vasily Belov focuses on the fact that, despite the fact that this work is considered female, it requires a lot of strength and perseverance.
The chapter “Stopped Moments” tells about the beauty: bone carving, birch bark, silver blackening and lace-making. Much attention is paid to skill, the ability to do their job. The chapter received this name because the masters created when inspiration came to them, and the time around them stopped until a masterpiece was created.
"The companion of female fate"
This chapter of the first part of the book was not taken out separately by chance. Firstly, it is the most voluminous, and secondly, all types of female labor are considered here. The author describes the work with great accuracy, which makes the reader really plunge into the era. Much attention is also paid to the mystical meaning of female labor. For example, flax has long been considered a companion of female life. According to legends, when a woman works with flax, she procures her fate. An interesting fact: girls in Russia began to prepare their dowry from the age of 7-8. In other words, already at this age they knew how to work with flax.
Very interesting facts are combined with popular beliefs. Each stage of any work process went along with certain customs. Belov’s gift is precisely to imperceptibly switch from factual to artistic, thereby creating interesting literature. In addition to individual works, there were general female works. For example, every year came the day of rope twisting. In the middle of the street, firewood was exposed, and everyone could twist the handle in order to twist the ropes. It was a kind of folk fun, which was loved by both children and the elderly.
“Lad”: part two
The second part of the book introduces us to such chapters: “Laymen”, “Life Circle”, “Native Nest”, “Weekdays and Holidays”, “Feast”, “Clothing”, “Games”. As you can see from the chapters, this part of the book is devoted to the daily life of people. Here, unlike the first section, culture, traditions and customs are no longer paid partial, but full attention.
The chapter “Laymen” tells about the structure of life from the region to an individual family. We consider the way of life in the region, village, volost, courtyard and in the family. "Native Nest" will lead a villager into the house. The reader will visit the courtyard, the house, the barn, the hut and the hayloft. The chapter “Weekdays and Holidays” is devoted to stories about how people shared the days of the week and how each of them was special. In the chapter “Clothes”, the author talks about the clothes of the people for different occasions, and the section “Games” tells about folk pampering, fun, games and ditties.
Life circle
A chapter entitled "Life Circle" tells us about life from infancy to old age, tells about what stages each Russian person went through. Here everything that a person meets on his way is described in detail. Life is a certain rhythm, which should be obeyed to make a beautiful melody. The whole life of Russian people is subordinated to rhythm. Everything has its duration, its time: there are games for different seasons, holidays, seasonal work, fun, etc. The transition from one age stage to the next took place gradually, there were no sharp boundaries, because everyone felt the charms of his time.
Part three
What did Vasily Belov prepare in the last part of his book? The “Lad,” the summary of which is drawing to a close, ends with a philosophical chapter. Here the reader learns about the holidays in Russia. This will tell the chapter "Long in Life." We learn about how houses, mills, temples and chapels were built from the chapter “Wood-stone-stone”. Belov also highlights religious aspects in the part “Not in a Single Word”. This part will also tell about folk sculpture, philosophical issues of culture and human life.
"The Beginning of All Beginnings"
What will Belov reveal in this chapter? "Lad", a brief summary of which is very briefly considered here, in this chapter will tell about folk conspiracies, riddles, fairy tales, ditties, lamentations, etc. All of the above is the basis of the people's life, something that it relies on in difficult times. Summary of Belov ("Lad") only in a small fraction conveys all the information and artistic richness. That is why this most brilliant work should be read in full.
main characters
Where did Vasily Belov get the information from? “Lad,” whose main characters are anonymized, describes ordinary people with whom he has spoken throughout his life. Heroes were created as prototypes of people known to him: mother, relatives, fellow villagers, etc. Each image is concise, but finished precisely because it is not fictional. Important features that distinguish each hero are life and hard work, kindness and innocence.
He gave the keys to an ancient and wonderful door - that’s what Belov did. Lad, a brief summary of the chapters of which we have examined, is a very valuable and significant work on ethnography of the north of Russia. To read this work is to plunge into the marvelous world of our ancestors and enjoy their wisdom. “Lad” (Vasily Belov), reviews of which are hard to find on the Internet, is not the most read book. You can think for a long time about what is the reason, but it all lies in the reluctance of the people to know about their past.