The novel "Faculty of Unnecessary Things" by Dombrowski is the author’s most famous work, on which he worked from 1964 to 1975. This is a book about the fate of humanistic values ​​in a world where there is no place for humanism and Christianity. In this article we will tell the plot of this work, reviews on it.
The plot of the novel
Dombrowski's “Faculty of Unnecessary Things” begins with a description of the 30-year-old historian Georgy Zybin, who works in a museum in the Kazakh SSR. He appreciates himself as the keeper of antiquities, is going to live quietly and invisibly to others.
It seems that nothing can interfere with his quiet life and work. Yuri Dombrovsky in the "Faculty of Unnecessary Things" describes the people who surround him. This is the director of the museum, which treats him with paternal care, the friend and drinking companion, Grandfather, who is listed as a carpenter, the beautiful Klara, secretly in love with him.
A young researcher Kornilov appears in the museum, who was evicted here from the capital. Everything indicates that the very nature of the work, which is connected with the study of history and rare artifacts, will help Zybin resist the horror that filled 1937. But Zybin does not succeed.
The power of the masses
In the “Faculty of Unnecessary Things” by Dombrowski (a summary of the novel is given in this article), old Rodionov, an archaeologist and former partisan, suggests going to the excavations of the ancient city at the point that he will indicate.
The protagonist realizes that he is influenced by the ignorant power of the broad masses that invade science. But at the same time, he cannot resist them. In the museum itself, the main character constantly has to deal with the illiterate Zoya Mikhailovna, who is trying to influence his work. He writes neutral notes about culture to the newspaper, but this collaboration ends with a skirmish with Secretary Dupova because Zybin did not reflect the work of librarians in servicing workers and students in publications. Everyone asks the main character to calm down, but he can no longer stop.
The story of the snake
In Dombrowski’s “Faculty of Unnecessary Things”, the hype begins in the newspapers around the snake that lives on the Mountain Giant collective farm. Only Brigadier Potapov saw her, who because of this could pay with her career.
“Lawyers” appear on the collective farm who explain to Zybin that the foreman actually works for German intelligence, and that the whole story is a well-designed sabotage. Instead, he goes to the foreman to help him. Tom manages to find and deal with the "giant boa", which turns out to be an ordinary snake. They bring a bag with a snake to the city. This is where the story ends, but Zybin feels that this is only a respite.
Terrible things are happening around - show trials, arrests. Brought up on humanistic values, Zybin does not believe in the complete wildness of people. At half-delirium nights, he talks with Stalin. The problem of choice becomes fundamental for him, because he is part of a culture that is in danger of complete destruction. If he does not oppose this, he will agree with the uselessness of culture, with the fact that he himself is not needed, nothing depends on him. An analysis of the Faculty of Unnecessary Things by Dombrowski shows that this is the main idea of ​​the author.
Arrest
Workers bring an unexpected find to the museum. Gold coins are not much of what they discovered. After making sure that it is truly value, they disappear.
The museum is deprived of the treasure, they learn about it in the NKVD. Zybin does not count on the success of the police, he is rushing to search. In the steppe, what has been waiting for him for a long time is happening, his arrest.
The protagonist is accused of anti-Soviet propaganda, an attempt to hide abroad with stolen values. The case is led by investigator Neumann, an intellectual who sincerely serves Stalin's ideas. The operative Khripushin works with him, who is famous for being able to “knock out” the necessary testimony from almost anyone.
The investigators have no evidence; they count on Zybin's confession of his guilt. In the “Faculty of Unnecessary Things”, Yuri Osipovich Dombrovsky describes the classical process of that time. His cellmate advises to confess, because it will not work out anymore, and so the process itself will go easier and faster.
For Zybin, this is impossible; for him, this would mean a personal recognition of the legality of the judicial system. Therefore, he decides to fight. Khripushin during interrogations yells at the prisoner, arousing in him a surge of strength and retaliatory fury.
The Kornilov Case
In the "Faculty of Unnecessary Things" by Dombrowski, the exhausting method of continuous interrogations is applied to the protagonist. They do not let him sleep, and investigators take turns one after another. But he holds on firmly. Zybin is not aware that his arrest is only part of the plan drawn up by Neumann. He wants to start a grandiose process against total wrecking in the field of art and culture. In the NKVD call Kornilov. He is asked to help close cases to another museum employee, a former priest of Kutorgu.
Kornilov, who is in exile in Alma-Ata, is awaiting his own arrest. He agrees to fulfill their request, to find out how trustworthy Kutorg is. They talk about the trial and execution of Jesus Christ, and discuss his betrayal by the disciples. Kornilov writes reports describing Kutorg as a private and loyal citizen.
On one of the visits to the NKVD he was invited to Colonel Gulyaev. He begins to accuse Kornilov of intent to confuse the organs. He demonstrates reports written by Kutorga. The priest performs a similar task, accusing Kornilov of anti-Soviet conversations. He is asked to go out into the corridor to wait and leave for a day. Then Khripushin takes him to himself, shame, notes that he is forgiven only for the first time, and in the future they count on his trustworthiness. Kornilov gets the undercover nickname Gadfly.
New episodes
New people appear in the Zybin case. In the punishment cell, where he was sent for a hunger strike, the main character is visited by the prosecutor Myachin. He is a rival of Neumann, so he immediately goes towards Zybin.
At the reception to Gulyaev comes Polina Pototskaya, who has long known Zybin. She reports that he conducted confidential conversations with the famous writer Stern, an employee of the Allied prosecutor's office, Neumann's brother. In addition, personal motives become clear: Stern and Zybin many years ago were in love with Polina, but she chose the latter.
For Neumann, things get complicated. To improve his situation, he replaces Khripushin with a niece named Tamara Dolidze. This is a young but educated investigator who is eager to prove herself.
Zybin and Dolidze
Zybina is struck by a young and pretty girl who conducts interrogation. He begins to feel compassion for her. Having destroyed the accusation schemes, the protagonist speaks with Tamara as a person who has made an irreparable mistake in his life.
Dolidze is lost; he cannot argue anything. Their conversation is interrupted suddenly, for a long time sick Zybin faints. He is in the hospital. Neumann, deciding to help a relative to fix everything, is looking for irrefutable evidence of the guilt of the protagonist. He sets off on his route along the steppe, on a trip he learns about the dismissal of all the senior staff of the NKVD department, the arrest of investigators, and an urgent call to the department. Neumann understands that this is the end.
He goes to a random acquaintance of the barmaid to spend the last hours at her place. Suddenly he discovers a lost treasure. Having arrested the treasure hunters, the investigator returns to the city. The found gold is demonstrated to Zybin, announcing that his case is closed. He is free now. Despite the fact that the release was a consequence of a combination of circumstances, Zybin still feels like a winner, he is pleased that he managed to survive.
Exemption
In the novel "The Faculty of Unnecessary Things" by Y. Dombrovsky, Neyman was the first to meet Zybin at large, who was specially waiting for him at the entrance to the department. He congratulates him, and the investigator's face is struck by the face of the investigator, his eyes are truly sad and simple. The expression of hidden horror that Zybin noticed a month ago was gone.
They go to the park to drink for the liberation of Zybin. There Kornilov joins them. They are located opposite the artist, who begins to sketch their expressive figures.
Reviews
In reviews of the "Faculty of Unnecessary Things" by Yuri Dombrovsky, many readers admire this philosophical, absurd, autobiographical novel. After all, the author himself has repeatedly been under investigation, therefore, the material presented looks very believable.
Lyrical digressions give him depth in the days of Jesus Christ and Pontius Pilate, the author’s reasoning.