One of the most famous narratives of Nikolai Gogol is “Taras Bulba”. The work describes the life of the Cossacks against the backdrop of beautiful landscapes of Ukraine. Like any other creation of Gogol, the history of the creation of "Taras Bulba" is no less interesting.
He devoted the story to more than nine years of his life, returning to it for improvements and improvements. There are several editions of the work, each of which has its own characteristics. The story of the creation of Taras Bulba by Gogol is no less fascinating than the plot of the story itself.
Gogol's work on the story
The writer began his work by studying historical sources. From them he learned the actual details of the historical events of the era described. However, in the time indicated by the plot, there are certain contradictions. The author himself indicated that the main character was born at the beginning of the 15th century. At the same time, he smoked a pipe that could appear on Cossack lands no earlier than the 17th century.
The prose "Taras Bulba", the history of which is considered, is presented by the author as a fantastic work. The image of his protagonist is collective. However, it has its own prototypes.
One of them is considered Ohrim Makukha, a smoking ataman of the Zaporizhzhya Army. He was an associate of Bogdan Khmelnitsky and lived in the 17th century. He had three sons. One of them, Nazar, switched from the Cossacks to the side of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, as he was in love with the Polish panel. The second son, Homa, died, wanting to deliver the traitor brother to his father. The third son, Omelka, was the ancestor of the famous traveler Nikolai Miklouho-Maclay. A descendant of Omelka studied with Nikolai Gogol. He handed the writer the tradition of his family. The sons clearly show the images of the traitor Andrius and Ostap, faithful to the Cossack community.
Another prototype of Taras Bulba is Ivan Gont. He was mistakenly credited with the murder of two sons from a Polish wife. But there is no evidence of such an act.
List of sources used to create the story "Taras Bulba"
The history of the creation of Gogol’s work is impossible without considering the historical sources that Gogol studied:
- “Description of Ukraine” by Guillaume de Boplan;
- "The story of the Cossacks of Zaporozhye" Seeds Myshetsky;
- works (handwritten) Velichko, Samovidtsa and others.
Of great importance for the study of the life of the Cossacks were Ukrainian folk songs and thoughts, which Gogol also studied for a long time. Some of them took their place in the story. For example, the dramatic story of Mosiah Shila, who was captured by the Turks and saved his comrades from hostile captivity, was inspired by a popular Duma about Samil Kishk.
Why there are several editions of the novel
The story of the creation of the story "Taras Bulba" is quite complicated. The work was first published in 1835 in Mirgorod. Seven years later, in 1842, the writer published a story in the second volume of “Works”. The second edition was revised and supplemented.
Gogol in writing had one notable feature, which was that he never considered the published work to be finished. He continued to improve it even after publication. The writer often expressed the idea that the work would be “quite artistically complete” only after the eighth correspondence with his own hand.
The main differences in the editions of 1835 and 1842
It has already been mentioned that the prose "Taras Bulba", the history of which is presented, has two main editions. They are different from each other. First of all, they vary in volume. So, for 1835 the story consisted of nine chapters, and for 1842 - of twelve. This allowed new characters to appear, descriptions of nature, conflicts, situations.
In the second edition, the domestic and historical background of the story was significantly enriched, details of the Sich type appeared, battle scenes were expanded, the scene of the koshev election was re-presented. The history of the creation of Taras Bulba by Gogol is not limited to these additions.
The images of the main characters in the latest edition are more spelled out. So, Taras Bulba becomes the defender of the oppressed people, although in the "Mirgorod" edition Gogol described him as a great "hunter of raids and riots."
The image of Andria has become more complex. Gogol perfected it, making the hero’s inner world more capacious. His love for the Polish girl acquired a brighter emotional coloring in the story.
However, these are not the main differences between the editions. The main advantage of the 1842 story is a brighter and more complete disclosure of the theme of the national liberation movement against Polish self-will. The story acquired the character of a national heroic epic.
Popular sayings of “Taras Bulba”
The popularity of a work is often measured by how deeply it could enter the minds of ordinary people. The story "Taras Bulba", the history of which is presented, is known for its expressions that have become winged:
- "Be patient the Cossack - you will be the chieftain."
- "I gave birth to you, I will kill you."
- "There is life in the old dog yet".