Read Gogol's nose full content. N

Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol

“Today, Praskovya Osipovna, I will not drink coffee,” said Ivan Yakovlevich: “but instead I want to eat hot bread with onions.” (That is, Ivan Yakovlevich would have wanted both, but he knew that it was completely impossible to demand two things at once: for Praskovya Osipovna really did not like such whims.) Let the fool eat bread; I feel better,” my wife thought to herself: “there will be an extra portion of coffee left.” And she threw one bread on the table.

For the sake of decency, Ivan Yakovlevich put on a tailcoat over his shirt and, sitting down in front of the table, poured salt, prepared two onions, took a knife in his hands and, making a significant face, began to cut bread. “Having cut the bread into two halves, he looked into the middle and, to his surprise, saw something turning white. Ivan Yakovlevich carefully picked with a knife and felt with his finger: “Is it dense?” - he said to himself: “What would that be?”

He stuck his fingers in and pulled out - his nose!.. Ivan Yakovlevich dropped his hands; He began to rub his eyes and feel: his nose, like a nose! and it also seemed as if he was someone’s acquaintance. Horror was depicted in the face of Ivan Yakovlevich. But this horror was nothing against the indignation that took possession of his wife.

“Where are you, beast, did you cut off your nose?” she screamed with anger. - "Scammer! drunkard! I'll report you to the police myself. What a robber! I’ve heard from three people that when you shave, you pull your noses so hard that you can barely hold on.”

But Ivan Yakovlevich was neither alive nor dead. He learned that this nose was none other than the collegiate assessor Kovalev, whom he shaved every Wednesday and Sunday.

“Stop, Praskovya Osipovna! I will put it, wrapped in a rag, in a corner: let it lie there for a little while; and then I’ll take it out.”

“And I don’t want to listen! So that I allow a severed nose to lie in my room ?.. Crispy cracker! Know he only knows how to use a razor on a belt, but soon he will not be able to fulfill his duty at all, the slut, the scoundrel! So that I can answer the police for you ?.. Oh, you dirty, stupid log! There he is! out! take it wherever you want! so that I don’t hear him in spirit!”

Ivan Yakovlevich stood absolutely dead. He thought and thought - and did not know what to think. “The devil knows how it happened,” he said finally, scratching his hand behind his ear. “Whether I came back drunk yesterday or not, I certainly can’t say. And by all indications, it must have been an unrealistic incident: for bread is a baked affair, but the nose is not at all like that. I can't figure anything out !.. "Ivan Yakovlevich fell silent. The thought that the police would find his nose and accuse him drove him completely unconscious. Already he imagined a scarlet collar, beautifully embroidered with silver, a sword … and he trembled all over. Finally, he took out his underwear and boots, pulled all this rubbish on himself and, accompanied by the difficult admonitions of Praskovya Osipovna, wrapped his nose in a rag and went out into the street.

He wanted to slip it somewhere: either into a cabinet under the gate, or somehow accidentally drop it, and turn into an alley. But to his misfortune, he came across some familiar person who immediately began with the request: “Where are you going?” or “Who are you planning to shave so early?” so Ivan Yakovlevich could not find a moment. Another time, he had already completely dropped it, but the guard from afar pointed to him with a halberd, saying: “Lift up!” You dropped something!” And Ivan Yakovlevich had to raise his nose and hide it in his pocket. Despair took possession of him, especially since the people constantly multiplied on the street as shops and shops began to open.

He decided to go to the St. Isaac's Bridge: would it be possible to somehow throw him into the Neva? ?.. But I am somewhat guilty that I have not yet said anything about Ivan Yakovlevich, a respectable man in many respects.

Ivan Yakovlevich, like any decent Russian artisan, was a terrible drunkard. And although he shaved other people’s chins every day, his own was never shaved. Ivan Yakovlevich's tailcoat (Ivan Yakovlevich never wore a frock coat) was piebald, that is, it was black, but covered in brown-yellow and gray apples; the collar was shiny; and instead of three buttons there were only threads hanging. Ivan Yakovlevich was a great cynic, and when the collegiate assessor Kovalev usually said to him while shaving: “Your hands, Ivan Yakovlevich, always stink!”, Ivan Yakovlevich answered this with the question: “Why would they stink?” “I don’t know, brother, they just stink,” said the collegiate assessor, and Ivan Yakovlevich, having sniffed the tobacco, lathered him for it on his cheek, and under his nose, and behind his ear, and under his beard, in a word, wherever he needed hunting.

This respectable citizen was already on the St. Isaac's Bridge. First of all, he looked around; then he bent down on the railing as if to look under the bridge to see how many fish were running, and quietly threw the rag with his nose. He felt as if ten pounds had been dropped from him at once: Ivan Yakovlevich even grinned. Instead of going to shave the bureaucratic chins, he went to an establishment with a sign: “Food and tea” to ask for a glass of punch, when he suddenly noticed at the end of the bridge a quarterly overseer of noble appearance, with wide sideburns, in a triangular hat, with a sword. He froze; and meanwhile the policeman nodded his finger at him and said: “Come here, my dear!”

Ivan Yakovlevich, knowing the uniform, took off his cap from a distance and, approaching quickly, said: “I wish your honor health!”

“No, no, brother, not the nobility; Tell me, what were you doing there, standing on the bridge?”

“By God, sir, I went to shave, but I just looked to see how fast the river was going.”

“You’re lying, you’re lying! You can't get away with this. Please answer!”

“I am ready to shave your honor twice a week, or even three, without any argument,” answered Ivan Yakovlevich.

“No, buddy, it’s nothing! Three barbers shave me, and they honor me as a great honor. But would you please tell me what you did there?”

Ivan Yakovlevich turned pale … But here the incident is completely obscured by fog, and what happened next is absolutely unknown.

But meanwhile, it is necessary to say something about Kovalev so that the reader can see what kind of collegiate assessor he was. Collegiate assessors who receive this title with the help of academic certificates cannot in any way be compared with those collegiate assessors who were made in the Caucasus. These are two very special genera. Academic collegiate assessors … But Russia is such a wonderful land that if you talk about one collegiate assessor, then all the collegiate assessors, from Riga to Kamchatka, will certainly take it personally. Understand the same about all titles and ranks. – Kovalev was a Caucasian collegiate assessor. He had only been in this rank for two years and therefore could not forget it for a minute; and in order to give himself more nobility and weight, he never called himself a collegiate assessor, but always a major. “Listen, my dear,” he usually said, when he met a woman on the street selling shirt-fronts: “you come to my house; my apartment is in Sadovaya; Just ask: does Major Kovalev live here? Anyone will show you.” If he met some pretty girl, he would give her a secret order, adding: “Ask, darling, Major Kovalev’s apartment.” “That’s why we ourselves will call this collegiate assessor major in the future.”

Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol

But Ivan Yakovlevich was neither alive nor dead. He learned that this nose was none other than the collegiate assessor Kovalev, whom he shaved every Wednesday and Sunday.

“Stop, Praskovya Osipovna! I will put it, wrapped in a rag, in a corner: let it lie there for a little while; and then I’ll take it out.”

“And I don’t want to listen! So that I would allow a cut off nose to lie in my room?.. Crispy cracker! Know he only knows how to use a razor on a belt, but soon he will not be able to fulfill his duty at all, the slut, the scoundrel! So that I would answer the police for you?.. Oh, you dirty, stupid log! There he is! out! take it wherever you want! so that I don’t hear him in spirit!”

Ivan Yakovlevich stood absolutely dead. He thought and thought - and did not know what to think. “The devil knows how it happened,” he said finally, scratching his hand behind his ear. “Whether I came back drunk yesterday or not, I certainly can’t say. And by all indications, it must have been an unrealistic incident: for bread is a baked affair, but the nose is not at all like that. I can’t make out anything!..” Ivan Yakovlevich fell silent. The thought that the police would find his nose and accuse him drove him completely unconscious. Already he was imagining a scarlet collar, beautifully embroidered with silver, a sword... and he was trembling all over. Finally, he took out his underwear and boots, pulled all this rubbish on himself and, accompanied by the difficult admonitions of Praskovya Osipovna, wrapped his nose in a rag and went out into the street.

He decided to go to the Isaac Bridge: would it be possible to somehow throw him into the Neva?.. But I am somewhat guilty that I have not yet said anything about Ivan Yakovlevich, a respectable man in many respects.

Ivan Yakovlevich, knowing the uniform, took off his cap from a distance and, approaching quickly, said: “I wish your honor health!”

“No, no, brother, not the nobility; Tell me, what were you doing there, standing on the bridge?”

“By God, sir, I went to shave, but I just looked to see how fast the river was going.”

“You’re lying, you’re lying! You can't get away with this. Please answer!”

I

On March 25th, an unusually strange incident happened in St. Petersburg. The barber Ivan Yakovlevich, who lives on Voznesensky Prospekt (his last name has been lost, and even on his sign - which depicts a gentleman with a soaped cheek and the inscription: “and the blood is opened” - nothing more is displayed), the barber Ivan Yakovlevich woke up quite early and heard the smell of hot bread Raising himself a little on the bed, he saw that his wife, a rather respectable lady who was very fond of drinking coffee, was taking freshly baked loaves out of the oven.
“Today, Praskovya Osipovna, I will not drink coffee,” said Ivan Yakovlevich: “but instead I want to eat hot bread with onions.” (That is, Ivan Yakovlevich would have wanted both, but he knew that it was completely impossible to demand two things at once: for Praskovya Osipovna really did not like such whims.) Let the fool eat bread; I feel better,” my wife thought to herself: “there will be an extra portion of coffee left.” And she threw one bread on the table.
For the sake of decency, Ivan Yakovlevich put on a tailcoat over his shirt and, sitting down in front of the table, poured salt, prepared two onions, took a knife in his hands and, making a significant face, began to cut bread. “Having cut the bread into two halves, he looked into the middle and, to his surprise, saw something turning white. Ivan Yakovlevich carefully picked with a knife and felt with his finger: “Is it dense?” - he said to himself: “What would that be?”
He stuck his fingers in and pulled out - his nose!.. Ivan Yakovlevich dropped his hands; He began to rub his eyes and feel: his nose, like a nose! and it also seemed as if he was someone’s acquaintance. Horror was depicted in the face of Ivan Yakovlevich. But this horror was nothing against the indignation that took possession of his wife.
“Where are you, beast, did you cut off your nose?” she screamed with anger. - "Scammer! drunkard! I'll report you to the police myself. What a robber! I’ve heard from three people that when you shave, you pull your noses so hard that you can barely hold on.”
But Ivan Yakovlevich was neither alive nor dead. He learned that this nose was none other than the collegiate assessor Kovalev, whom he shaved every Wednesday and Sunday.
“Stop, Praskovya Osipovna! I will put it, wrapped in a rag, in a corner: let it lie there for a little while; and then I’ll take it out.”
“And I don’t want to listen! So that I allow a severed nose to lie in my room ?.. Crispy cracker! Know he only knows how to use a razor on a belt, but soon he will not be able to fulfill his duty at all, the slut, the scoundrel! So that I can answer the police for you ?.. Oh, you dirty, stupid log! There he is! out! take it wherever you want! so that I don’t hear him in spirit!”
Ivan Yakovlevich stood absolutely dead. He thought and thought - and did not know what to think. “The devil knows how it happened,” he said finally, scratching his hand behind his ear. “Whether I came back drunk yesterday or not, I certainly can’t say. And by all indications, it must have been an unrealistic incident: for bread is a baked affair, but the nose is not at all like that. I can't figure anything out !.. "Ivan Yakovlevich fell silent. The thought that the police would find his nose and accuse him drove him completely unconscious. Already he imagined a scarlet collar, beautifully embroidered with silver, a sword … and he trembled all over. Finally, he took out his underwear and boots, pulled all this rubbish on himself and, accompanied by the difficult admonitions of Praskovya Osipovna, wrapped his nose in a rag and went out into the street.
He wanted to slip it somewhere: either into a cabinet under the gate, or somehow accidentally drop it, and turn into an alley. But to his misfortune, he came across some familiar person who immediately began with the request: “Where are you going?” or “Who are you planning to shave so early?” so Ivan Yakovlevich could not find a moment. Another time, he had already completely dropped it, but the guard from afar pointed to him with a halberd, saying: “Lift up!” You dropped something!” And Ivan Yakovlevich had to raise his nose and hide it in his pocket. Despair took possession of him, especially since the people constantly multiplied on the street as shops and shops began to open.
He decided to go to the Isaac Bridge: would it be possible to somehow throw him into the Neva? ?.. But I am somewhat guilty that I have not yet said anything about Ivan Yakovlevich, a respectable man in many respects.
Ivan Yakovlevich, like any decent Russian artisan, was a terrible drunkard. And although he shaved other people’s chins every day, his own was never shaved. Ivan Yakovlevich's tailcoat (Ivan Yakovlevich never wore a frock coat) was piebald, that is, it was black, but covered in brown-yellow and gray apples; the collar was shiny; and instead of three buttons there were only threads hanging. Ivan Yakovlevich was a great cynic, and when the collegiate assessor Kovalev usually said to him while shaving: “Your hands, Ivan Yakovlevich, always stink!”, Ivan Yakovlevich answered this with the question: “Why would they stink?” “I don’t know, brother, they just stink,” said the collegiate assessor, and Ivan Yakovlevich, having sniffed the tobacco, lathered him for it on his cheek, and under his nose, and behind his ear, and under his beard, in a word, wherever he needed hunting.
This respectable citizen was already on the St. Isaac's Bridge. First of all, he looked around; then he bent down on the railing as if to look under the bridge to see how many fish were running, and quietly threw the rag with his nose. He felt as if ten pounds had been dropped from him at once: Ivan Yakovlevich even grinned. Instead of going to shave the bureaucratic chins, he went to an establishment with a sign: “Food and tea” to ask for a glass of punch, when he suddenly noticed at the end of the bridge a quarterly overseer of noble appearance, with wide sideburns, in a triangular hat, with a sword. He froze; and meanwhile the policeman nodded his finger at him and said: “Come here, my dear!”
Ivan Yakovlevich, knowing the uniform, took off his cap from a distance and, approaching quickly, said: “I wish your honor health!”
“No, no, brother, not the nobility; Tell me, what were you doing there, standing on the bridge?”
“By God, sir, I went to shave, but I just looked to see how fast the river was going.”
“You’re lying, you’re lying! You can't get away with this. Please answer!”
“I am ready to shave your honor twice a week, or even three, without any argument,” answered Ivan Yakovlevich.
“No, buddy, it’s nothing! Three barbers shave me, and they honor me as a great honor. But would you please tell me what you did there?”
Ivan Yakovlevich turned pale … But here the incident is completely obscured by fog, and what happened next is absolutely unknown.

II

Collegiate assessor Kovalev woke up quite early and made his lips: “brr … ”, which he always did when he woke up, although he himself could not explain for what reason. Kovalev stretched and ordered himself to hand over the small mirror that was standing on the table. He wanted to look at the pimple that had popped up on his nose the previous evening; but to my greatest amazement I saw that instead of a nose he had a completely smooth place! Frightened, Kovalev ordered water and wiped his eyes with a towel: there was definitely no nose! He began to feel with his hand to find out if he was sleeping? doesn't seem to be sleeping. Collegiate assessor Kovalev jumped out of bed, shook himself: no nose !.. He ordered him to immediately get dressed and flew straight to the chief of police.
But meanwhile, it is necessary to say something about Kovalev so that the reader can see what kind of collegiate assessor he was. Collegiate assessors who receive this title with the help of academic certificates cannot in any way be compared with those collegiate assessors who were made in the Caucasus. These are two very special genera. Academic collegiate assessors … But Russia is such a wonderful land that if you talk about one collegiate assessor, then all the collegiate assessors, from Riga to Kamchatka, will certainly take it personally. Understand the same about all titles and ranks. – Kovalev was a Caucasian collegiate assessor. He had only been in this rank for two years and therefore could not forget it for a minute; and in order to give himself more nobility and weight, he never called himself a collegiate assessor, but always a major. “Listen, my dear,” he usually said, when he met a woman on the street selling shirt-fronts: “you come to my house; my apartment is in Sadovaya; Just ask: does Major Kovalev live here? Anyone will show you.” If he met some pretty girl, he would give her a secret order, adding: “Ask, darling, Major Kovalev’s apartment.” “That’s why we ourselves will call this collegiate assessor major in the future.”
Major Kovalev used to walk along Nevsky Prospect every day. The collar of his shirtfront was always extremely clean and starched. His sideburns were of the kind that can still be seen today on provincial and district land surveyors, on architects and regimental doctors, also on those performing various police duties, and, in general, on all those men who have full, rosy cheeks and play very well at boston: these sideburns go down the middle of the cheek and go straight to the nose. Major Kovalev wore many carnelian signets with coats of arms, and those on which were carved: Wednesday, Thursday, Monday, etc. Major Kovalev came to St. Petersburg out of necessity, namely to look for a position decent for his rank: if possible, then a vice-governor, or else an executor in some prominent department. Major Kovalev was not averse to getting married; but only in such a case when the bride gets two hundred thousand in capital. And therefore the reader can now judge for himself: what was the position of this major when he saw, instead of a rather good and moderate nose, a stupid, even and smooth place.
Unfortunately, not a single cab driver showed up on the street, and he had to walk, wrapped in his cloak and covering his face with a handkerchief, looking as if he was bleeding. “But maybe I just imagined it like this: it can’t be that the nose disappeared like a fool,” he thought and went into the pastry shop specifically to look in the mirror. Fortunately, there was no one in the pastry shop: the boys were cleaning the rooms and arranging chairs; some with sleepy eyes brought out hot pies on trays; Yesterday's newspapers, stained with coffee, lay on the tables and chairs. “Well, thank God, there’s no one,” he said, “now we can take a look.” He timidly walked up to the mirror and looked: “Devil knows what, what rubbish!” he said, spitting … “At least there was something instead of a nose, otherwise there’s nothing!..”
Biting his lips in annoyance, he left the pastry shop and decided, against his usual habit, not to look at anyone and not to smile at anyone. Suddenly he stood rooted to the spot at the door of one house; an inexplicable phenomenon occurred in his eyes: a carriage stopped in front of the entrance; the doors opened; The gentleman in uniform jumped out, bent over, and ran up the stairs. Imagine Kovalev’s horror and amazement when he learned that it was his own nose! At this extraordinary sight, it seemed to him that everything turned upside down in his eyes; he felt that he could hardly stand; but he decided at all costs to await his return to the carriage, trembling all over as if with a fever. After two minutes the nose actually came out. He was in a uniform embroidered with gold, with a large stand-up collar; he was wearing suede trousers; there is a sword at his side. From his plumed hat one could conclude that he was considered to be in the rank of state councilor. It was obvious from everything that he was going somewhere on a visit. He looked at both sides, shouted to the coachman: “Give it!”, sat down and drove away.
Poor Kovalev almost went crazy. He didn't know what to think about such a strange incident. How is it really possible that the nose, which only yesterday was on his face, could not ride or walk, was in uniform! He ran after the carriage, which, fortunately, drove not far and stopped in front of the Kazan Cathedral.
He hurried into the cathedral, made his way through a row of beggarly old women with blindfolded faces and two holes for their eyes, at whom he had previously laughed so much, and entered the church. There were few worshipers inside the church; they all stood only at the entrance to the doors. Kovalev felt in such an upset state that he was in no way able to pray, and his eyes searched for this gentleman in all corners. Finally I saw him standing to the side. Nose completely hid his face in a large standing collar and prayed with an expression of the greatest piety.
“How to approach him?” thought Kovalev. “You can see from everything, from his uniform, from his hat, that he is a state councilor. The devil knows how to do it!”
He began to cough near him; but the nose did not leave its pious position for a minute and bowed.
"Dear Sir … “- said Kovalev, internally forcing himself to cheer up: “Dear sir … »
“What do you want?” - answered the nose, turning around.
“It’s strange to me, dear sir. … I think … you must know your place. And suddenly I find you and where? - in the church. Agree … »
“Excuse me, I can’t understand what you want to talk about … Explain yourself."
“How can I explain to him?” thought Kovalev and, gathering his courage, began: “Of course I … however, I am a major. You see, it’s indecent for me to walk around without a nose. Some merchant who sells peeled oranges on the Resurrection Bridge can sit without a nose; but, with a view to getting the governor's seat ,… Moreover, being familiar with ladies in many houses: Chekhtareva, state councilor, and others … You judge for yourself … I don't know, sir … (At the same time, Major Kovalev shrugged his shoulders) … Sorry … if you look at it in accordance with the rules of duty and honor … you yourself can understand … »
“I absolutely don’t understand anything,” answered the nose. “Explain yourself more satisfactorily.”
"Dear Sir … “- said Kovalev with self-esteem: “I don’t know how to understand your words … The whole point here seems to be quite obvious … Or do you want … After all, you are my own nose!”
The nose looked at the major, and his eyebrows frowned somewhat.
- “You are mistaken, dear sir. I'm on my own. Moreover, there cannot be any close relations between us. Judging by the buttons of your vice uniform, you must serve in the Senate, or at least in the Justice Department. I'm a scientist." Having said this, the nose turned away and continued to pray.
Kovalev was completely confused, not knowing what? do what? even think about it. At this time, the pleasant noise of a lady's dress was heard: an elderly lady approached, all decorated with lace, and with her a thin woman, in a white dress, very cutely drawn on her slender waist, in a fawn hat as light as a cake. Behind them, a tall hayduk with large sideburns and a dozen collars stopped and opened his snuff-box.
Kovalev stepped closer, stuck out the cambric collar of his shirtfront, straightened his signets hanging on a gold chain and, smiling around, drew attention to the light lady who, like a spring flower, bent slightly and raised her little white hand with translucent fingers to her forehead. The smile on Kovalev’s face widened even further when, from under the hat, he saw her round, bright white chin and part of her cheek, shaded with the color of the first spring rose. But suddenly he jumped back, as if he had been burned. He remembered that instead of a nose he had absolutely nothing, and tears squeezed out of his eyes. He turned around to tell the gentleman in uniform that he had only pretended to be a state councilor, that he was a rogue and a scoundrel, and that he was nothing more than his own nose. … But the nose was no longer there: he managed to gallop away, probably again to visit someone.
This plunged Kovalev into despair. He walked back and stopped for a minute under the colonnade, carefully looking in all directions to see if he could see his nose somewhere. He remembered very well that he was wearing a hat with a plume and a uniform with gold embroidery; but the overcoat did not notice the color of his carriage, nor the horses, nor even whether he had any footman behind him and in what livery. Moreover, there were so many carriages rushing back and forth and with such speed that it was difficult to even notice; but even if he had noticed any of them, he would have had no means to stop them. The day was beautiful and sunny. There was darkness among the people on Nevsky; I'll give you a whole flower waterfall pouring down all over the sidewalk, starting from the Policeman to the Anichkin Bridge. There goes the court councilor he knew, whom he called lieutenant colonel, especially if it happened in front of strangers. There is Yaryzhkin, the head of the Senate, a great friend who was always burdened in Boston when he played eight. There is another major, who received assessorship in the Caucasus, waving his hand to go to him …
“Damn it!” - said Kovalev. “Hey, cab driver, take me straight to the chief of police!”
Kovalev got into the droshky and just shouted to the cab driver: “Go at full speed in Ivanovo!”
“Is the chief police chief at home?” he cried, entering the hallway.
“No way,” answered the gatekeeper: “I just left.”
“Here you go!”
“Yes,” added the gatekeeper, “it wasn’t that long ago, but he left. If only they had come a minute earlier, they might have found us at home.”
Kovalev, without taking his handkerchief from his face, sat down on the cab and shouted in a desperate voice: “Let’s go!”
"Where?" said the cab driver.
“Go straight!”
“How straight? Is there a turn here: right or left?”
This question stopped Kovalev and made him think again. In his position, he should have first of all been referred to the Deanery Office, not because it was directly related to the police, but because its orders could be much faster than in other places; to seek satisfaction from the authorities of the place in which the nose declared himself to be an employee would be foolhardy, because from the nose’s own answers one could already see that for this man nothing was sacred, and he could also lie in this case, how he lied, claiming that he had never met him. So, Kovalev was about to order to go to the Deanery Office, when the thought again came to him that this rogue and swindler, who acted in such an unscrupulous manner at the first meeting, could again conveniently, using the time, somehow sneak out of the city - and then all searches will be in vain, or they may continue, God forbid, for a whole month. Finally, it seemed that heaven itself had come to his senses. He decided to go straight to the newspaper expedition and make a publication in advance with a detailed description of all his qualities, so that anyone who met him could immediately introduce him to him or at least let him know about his whereabouts. So, having decided on this, he ordered the cab driver to go on a newspaper expedition, and the whole way he did not stop punching him in the back, saying: “Hurry, you scoundrel! Hurry up, you swindler! - “Oh, master!” said the cabman, shaking his head and whipping the reins of his horse, whose hair was as long as that of a lapdog. The droshky finally stopped, and Kovalev, out of breath, ran into a small reception room, where a gray-haired official, in an old tailcoat and glasses, was sitting at the table and, taking a pen in his teeth, counted the copper money he had brought.
“Who takes advertisements here?” Kovalev shouted. “Oh, hello!”
“My respect,” said the gray-haired official, raising his eyes for a moment and lowering them again to the laid out piles of money.
“I wish to seal...”
“Excuse me. I ask you to wait a little,” said the official, putting a number on the paper with one hand and moving two points on the abacus with the fingers of his left hand. A footman with braid and an appearance that showed his stay in an aristocratic house stood near the table with a note in his hands and considered it decent to show his sociability: “Would you believe, sir, that a little dog is not worth eight hryvnia, that is, I would not give eight groschen for it; and the countess loves, by God, she loves - and here’s a hundred rubles to the one who finds her! To put it politely, then just like you and I now, people’s tastes are not at all consistent: when you’re a hunter, keep a kicking dog or a poodle; Don’t spare five hundred, give a thousand, but make sure it’s a good dog.”
The venerable official listened to this with a significant expression, and at the same time was busy estimating how many letters were in the note he brought. On the sides stood many old women, merchants' servants and janitors with notes. One stated that a coachman of sober behavior was being released into service; in the other there is a little used carriage, exported from Paris in 1814; a 19-year-old yard girl was released there, practicing laundry, and also suitable for other work; a strong droshky without one spring, a young hot horse in gray apples, seventeen years old, new turnip and radish seeds received from London, a cottage with all the land: two stalls for horses and a place where you can plant an excellent birch or spruce garden; There was also a call for those wishing to buy old soles, with an invitation to come to the auction every day from 8 to 3 in the morning. The room in which this whole company was located was small, and the air in it was extremely thick; but the collegiate assessor Kovalev could not hear the smell, because he covered himself with a handkerchief, and because his very nose was in God knows what places.
"Dear sir, let me ask you … I really need it,” he finally said impatiently.
- “Now, now! Two rubles forty-three kopecks! This minute! Ruble sixty-four kopecks!” said the gray-haired gentleman, throwing notes into the eyes of the old women and janitors. “Anything you want?” he finally said, turning to Kovalev.
"I ask … “said Kovalev: “there was a fraud or trickery, I still have no way of finding out. I only ask you to print that whoever introduces this scoundrel to me will receive a sufficient reward.”
- “Let me know what your last name is?”
“No, why a surname? I can't say it. I have many friends: Chekhtareva, state councilor, Palageya Grigorievna Podtochina, staff officer … What if they find out, God forbid! You can simply write: collegiate assessor, or, even better, holding the rank of major.”
“Was the man who ran away your yard man?”
“What, yard man? It wouldn't be such a big scam! Ran away from me … nose … »
“Hm! what a strange name! And on a large amount Did this Mr. Nosov rob you?”
"The nose, that is … you don't think so! The nose, my own nose, disappeared to God knows where. The devil wanted to play a joke on me!”
“How did he disappear? There’s something I can’t understand well.”
“Yes, I can’t tell you how; but the main thing is that he now travels around the city and calls himself a state councilor. And therefore I ask you to announce that the person who caught him will present him immediately to me as soon as possible. Just think, how can I live without such a noticeable part of my body? It’s not like some little toe on the foot that I’m wearing in a boot - and no one will see if it’s not there. I visit State Councilor Chekhtareva on Thursdays; Podtochina Palageya Grigorievna, a staff officer, and she has a very pretty daughter, also very good friends, and you judge for yourself, how can I now … Now I can’t come to them.”
The official wondered what the tightly pursed lips meant.
“No, I can’t place such an advertisement in the newspapers,” he finally said after a long silence.
"How? why?
- "So. The newspaper may lose its reputation. If everyone starts writing that his nose has run off, then … And so they already say that a lot of inconsistencies and false rumors are being published.”
“Why is this thing incongruous? There seems to be nothing like that here.”
“It seems to you that it’s not. And here, on last week, the same case happened. An official came in the same way as you just came, brought a note, the money was 2 rubles according to the calculation. 73 k., and the whole ad was that a black coat poodle had run away. It seems what? would this happen here? And a libel came out: this poodle was the treasurer, I don’t remember any institution.”
“But I’m not making an announcement to you about a poodle, but about my own nose: therefore, it’s almost the same as about myself.”
“No, I can’t place such an ad.”
“Yes, when my nose definitely disappeared!”
“If it’s missing, then it’s a matter for the doctor. They say that there are people who can put on whatever nose they want.
But, however, I notice that you must be a person of a cheerful disposition and like to joke in society.”
“I swear to you, this is how holy God is! Perhaps, if it comes to that, I’ll show you.”
"Why bother!" continued the official, sniffing tobacco. “However, if not to worry,” he added with a movement of curiosity, “then it would be advisable to take a look.”
The collegiate assessor took the handkerchief from his face.
- “Indeed, extremely strange!” - said the official: “the place is completely smooth, as if it were a freshly baked pancake. Yes, incredibly smooth!”
“Well, are you going to argue now? You see for yourself that it is impossible not to print. I will be especially grateful to you, and I am very glad that this occasion gave me the pleasure of meeting you … “The major, as can be seen from this, decided to be a little mean this time.
“Publishing it, of course, is not a big deal,” said the official: “but I don’t foresee any benefit for you in this. If you already want, then give it to someone who has a skillful pen, describe it as a rare work of nature and publish this little article in the “Northern Bee” (here he took another sniff of tobacco) for the benefit of youth (here he wiped his nose), or so, for the general curiosity."
The collegiate assessor was completely hopeless. He looked down at the newspaper, where there was notice of performances; his face was already ready to smile, having met the name of the pretty actress, and his hand took hold of his pocket: did he have a blue note, because, in Kovalev’s opinion, staff officers should sit in armchairs - but the thought of the nose ruined everything!

The story "The Nose" is one of the most fun, original, fantastic and unexpected works of Nikolai Gogol. The author did not agree to publish this joke for a long time, but his friends persuaded him. The story was first published in the Sovremennik magazine in 1836, with a note by A.S. Pushkin. Since then, heated debates have not subsided around this work. The real and the fantastic in Gogol's story "The Nose" are combined in the most bizarre and unusual forms. Here the author reached the pinnacle of his satirical skill and painted a true picture of the morals of his time.

Brilliant grotesque

This is one of my favorites literary devices N.V. Gogol. But if in early works it was used to create an atmosphere of mystery and mystery in the narrative, then in more late period turned into a way of satirically reflecting the surrounding reality. The story "The Nose" is a clear confirmation of this. The inexplicable and strange disappearance of the nose from the face of Major Kovalev and his incredible independent existence separately from the owner suggest the unnaturalness of the order in which high status in society means much more than the person himself. In this state of affairs, any inanimate object can suddenly acquire significance and weight if it acquires the proper rank. This is the main problem of the story "The Nose".

Features of realistic grotesque

In the late work of N.V. Gogol is dominated by realistic grotesque. It is aimed at revealing the unnaturalness and absurdity of reality. Incredible things happen to the heroes of the work, but they help to reveal the typical features of the world around them, to reveal the dependence of people on generally accepted conventions and norms.

Gogol's contemporaries did not immediately appreciate the writer's satirical talent. Only having done a lot for a correct understanding of Nikolai Vasilyevich’s work, he once noticed that the “ugly grotesque” that he uses in his work contains “an abyss of poetry” and “an abyss of philosophy”, worthy of “Shakespeare’s brush” in its depth and authenticity.

“The Nose” begins with the fact that on March 25, an “extraordinarily strange incident” happened in St. Petersburg. Ivan Yakovlevich, a barber, discovers his nose in freshly baked bread in the morning. He throws him off the St. Isaac's Bridge into the river. The owner of the nose, the collegiate assessor, or major, Kovalev, waking up in the morning, does not find an important part of the body on his face. In search of the loss, he goes to the police. On the way he meets his own nose in the garb of a state councilor. Pursuing the fugitive, Kovalev follows him to the Kazan Cathedral. He tries to return his nose to its place, but he only prays with “the greatest zeal” and points out to the owner that there can be nothing in common between them: Kovalev serves in another department.

Distracted by an elegant lady, the major loses sight of the rebellious part of the body. After making several unsuccessful attempts to find the nose, the owner returns home. There he gets what he lost back. The police chief grabbed his nose while trying to escape using someone else's documents to Riga. Kovalev's joy does not last long. He cannot put the body part back in its original place. Summary The story "The Nose" does not end there. How did the hero manage to get out of this situation? The doctor can't help the major. Meanwhile, curious rumors are creeping around the capital. Someone saw the nose on Nevsky Prospekt, someone saw it on Nevsky Prospect. As a result, he himself returned to his original place on April 7, which brought considerable joy to the owner.

Theme of the work

So what is the point of such an incredible plot? The main theme of Gogol's story "The Nose" is the character's loss of a piece of his self. This probably happens under the influence of evil spirits. The organizing role in the plot is given to the motive of persecution, although Gogol does not indicate the specific embodiment of supernatural power. The mystery captivates readers literally from the first sentence of the work, it is constantly reminded of it, it reaches its climax... but there is no solution even in the finale. Covered in the darkness of the unknown is not only the mysterious separation of the nose from the body, but also how he could exist independently, and even in the status of a high-ranking official. Thus, the real and the fantastic in Gogol’s story “The Nose” are intertwined in the most unimaginable way.

Real plan

It is embodied in the work in the form of rumors, which the author constantly mentions. This is gossip that the nose regularly promenades along Nevsky Prospekt and other crowded places; that he seemed to be looking into the store and so on. Why did Gogol need similar form messages? Maintaining an atmosphere of mystery, he satirically ridicules the authors of stupid rumors and naive belief in incredible miracles.

Characteristics of the main character

Why did Major Kovalev deserve such attention from supernatural forces? The answer lies in the content of the story "The Nose". The point is that main character works - a desperate careerist, ready to do anything for a promotion. He managed to receive the rank of collegiate assessor without an exam, thanks to his service in the Caucasus. Kovalev’s cherished goal is to marry profitably and become a high-ranking official. In the meantime, to give yourself more weight and significance, he everywhere calls himself not a collegiate assessor, but a major, knowing the superiority of military ranks over civilian ones. “He could forgive everything that was said about himself, but he did not apologize in any way if it related to rank or title,” the author writes about his hero.

Here evil spirits and laughed at Kovalev, not only taking away an important part of his body (you can’t make a career without it!), but also endowing the latter with the rank of general, that is, giving it more weight than the owner himself. That's right, there is nothing Real and fantastic in Gogol's story "The Nose" makes you think about the question "what is more important - the personality or its status?" And the answer is disappointing...

Hints from a brilliant author

Gogol's story contains many satirical subtleties and transparent hints at the realities of his contemporary time. For example, in the first half of the 19th century, glasses were considered an anomaly, giving the appearance of an officer or official some inferiority. In order to wear this accessory, special permission was required. If the heroes of the work strictly followed the instructions and corresponded to the form, then the Nose in the Uniform acquired for them the importance of a significant person. But as soon as the police chief “logged out” of the system, broke the strictness of his uniform and put on glasses, he immediately noticed that in front of him was just a nose - a part of the body, useless without its owner. This is how the real and the fantastic intertwine in Gogol’s story “The Nose”. No wonder the author’s contemporaries were engrossed in this extraordinary work.

Many writers noted that “The Nose” is a magnificent example of fantasy, Gogol’s parody of various prejudices and people’s naive belief in the power of supernatural forces. Fantastic elements in the works of Nikolai Vasilyevich are ways of satirically displaying the vices of society, as well as affirming the realistic principle in life.

One of the characteristic features of N.V. Gogol’s skill is the ability to make a masterpiece from a randomly heard story or a popular anecdote. A striking example The story “The Nose,” which caused a lot of controversy among contemporaries and has not lost its relevance to this day, serves as such a writer’s ability.

The work “Nose” was written by N.V. Gogol in 1832-1833, it is included in the collection “Petersburg Tales”. The plot of the book is based on a well-known joke at that time, translated from French, about a missing nose. Such stories were very popular and had many variations. For the first time, the motif of the nose, which prevents one from living fully, appears in Gogol’s unfinished essay “The Lantern Was Dying” in 1832.

This story has undergone many changes over the course of several years, which was due to censorship comments, as well as the desire of the author in the best possible way bring your idea to life. For example, Gogol changed the ending of “The Nose”; in one version, all incredible events are explained by the hero’s dream.

Initially, the writer wanted to publish his work in the Moscow Observer magazine, but he was refused. A.S., who had already opened his own magazine by that time, came to the rescue. Pushkin, and the story “The Nose” was published in Sovremennik in 1836.

Genre and direction

By the time the story “The Nose” was published, Gogol had already become famous for his collection “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka,” where he addresses the theme of mysticism. But if "Evenings..." is mostly based on folk superstitions, then in “Petersburg Tales” Nikolai Vasilyevich skillfully interweaves motifs of the supernatural with the depiction of poignant social problems. This is how a new direction for Russian literature is formed in Gogol’s work - fantastic realism.

Why does the author come to this particular writing method? Throughout his entire literary career, he heard social dissonances, but, as a writer, he could only identify them in his works and encourage the reader to pay attention to them. He saw no way out, and turning to the fantastic made it possible to depict the picture of modernity even more dramatically. This same technique would later be used by Saltykov-Shchedrin, Andrei Bely, M. Bulgakov and other authors.

Composition of the story

Gogol divides “The Nose” into 3 parts, in a classic way: 1 – exposition and plot, 2 – climax, 3 – denouement, a happy ending for the main character. The plot develops linearly, sequentially, although the logic of certain events is not always explained.

The first part includes characteristics of the characters, a description of their life, as well as the starting point of the entire narrative. In its structure, it also consists of three blocks: detection of the nose - the intention to get rid of it - release from the burden, which turned out to be false.
The second part introduces the reader to Major Kovalev himself. There is also a plot (discovery of the loss), development of the action (an attempt to return the nose) and, as a result, the return of the nose.
The third movement is homogeneous, a laconic and bright chord that completes the work.

About what?

The description of the story “The Nose” can be reduced to a fairly simple and schematic plot: loss of the nose - search - acquisition. The main thing in this work is its ideological content.

On the morning of March 25, barber Ivan Yakovlevich discovers the nose of one of his clients, Major Kovalev, in his bread. The discouraged barber hastened to get rid of the evidence; he could not think of anything better than accidentally throwing his nose into the river. Ivan Yakovlevich already felt relieved, but a policeman approached him, “and absolutely nothing is known what happened next.”

Collegiate assessor Kovalev woke up and found his nose missing. He goes to the “Chief Police Chief”. He didn’t find him at home, but on the way he met his nose, which behaved self-sufficiently and did not want to know its owner. Kovalev is making attempts to reunite with his nose, he wanted to publish an ad in the newspaper, but he is refused everywhere and treated quite rudely. Finally, the fugitive was caught trying to emigrate and returned to his owner. But the nose was not going to grow back to its original place. The major comes to the assumption that this is damage caused by headquarters officer Podtochina. He even writes her a letter, but receives a puzzled response and realizes that he was mistaken. Two weeks later, Kovalev finds his face in its original form, everything resolves itself.

Real and fantastic

Gogol skillfully combines in his story. If, for example, in “The Overcoat” the mystical element appears only at the end of the work, then “The Nose” from the first pages carries the reader into the writer’s fairy-tale world.

At its core, there is nothing special in the reality depicted by Gogol: Petersburg, the life of a barber and a state councilor. Even topographical details correspond to reality and exact dates events. The author dilutes such plausibility with one single fantastic element: Major Kovalev’s nose runs away. And throughout the work, he develops from the separated part to an independent independent personality, and in the finale everything returns to normal. It is curious that this fact, although it shocks the reader, is woven into the fabric of the work quite organically, because the greatest absurdity lies not so much in the escaped part of the face, but in the attitude towards what happened, in admiration for officials and aspirations for public opinion. According to the writer, such cowardice is more difficult to believe than the disappearance of the nose.

The main characters and their characteristics

Petersburg There is much more to Gogol’s “The Nose” than just the city. This is a separate place with its own laws and realities. People come here to make a career for themselves, and those who have already achieved some success try not to fade in the eyes of others. Here everything is possible, even the nose can become independent for a while.
Traditional for Gogol image of a little man represents the character Major Kovalev. What matters to him is how he looks; the loss of his nose drives him into despair. He believes that you can do without an arm or a leg, but without a nose - you are not a person, “just take it and throw it out the window.” The hero no longer occupies the lowest rank: 8 out of 14 according to the Table of Ranks, but dreams of more high rank. However, even being at this level, he already knows with whom he can be arrogant and with whom he can be modest. Kovalev is rude to the cab driver, does not stand on ceremony with the barber, but ingratiates himself with respected officials and tries not to miss parties. But he is absolutely discouraged by the meeting with Nose, who is 3 ranks higher than his owner. What to do with the part of yourself that does not know its place in the physical sense, but perfectly understands its position in society?
Image of the Nose in the story is quite bright. He is superior to his master: his uniform is more expensive, his rank is greater. An important difference between them is their behavior in church: if Nos humbly prays, then Kovalev stares at beautiful woman, thinks about anything, but not about his soul.

Themes of the story

The subject of the story is quite broad. Main topic, of course, social inequality. Each hero has his place in social system. Their behavior and role in society fully corresponds to their position, but this idyll cannot be violated. It will be strange if the highest official does not be rude to the titular councilor, and the titular councilor is not rude to the groom.
The theme of the little man in the story is illuminated quite clearly. Major Kovalev, having no special connections, cannot publish an advertisement in the newspaper about his missing nose. The victim of the “Table of Ranks” cannot even come close to his property, which turned out to be more noble.
The theme of spirituality is also present in the work. Kovalev does not have good education, military service allowed him to become a major, the main thing for him was appearance, not inner world. The nose is contrasted with the hero: the fugitive is focused on worship, he is not distracted by the surrounding ladies, unlike the owner. The major is characterized by frivolous behavior: he invites girls to his place and deliberately torments Podtochina’s daughter with imaginary hope.

Problems

Gogol in “The Nose” reveals vices that concern both society as a whole and individuals. Main problem the story is philistinism. Kovalev is proud of his rank and dreams of a brilliant career. He is worried that his facial defect will interfere with his future plans. He values public opinion, and what kind of rumor can there be about a person without a nose?
The problem of immorality is raised in the story. The barber does not seek to return the nose to the owner, or to admit his, perhaps, guilt in ruining the face. No, he is in a hurry to get rid of the strange object, hoping to remain unpunished. And the immorality of Kovalev’s behavior speaks for itself.
Another vice highlighted by Gogol is hypocrisy. The arrogant Nose does not want to communicate with those of lower rank, just like his cowardly owner.

The meaning of the work

The main idea of the story is to show, through the contrast of paradoxes, all the depravity and cowardice of St. Petersburg society. One can consider the loss of the nose as a kind of punishment for Major Kovalev for his sins, but Gogol does not focus on this; the story is devoid of direct moralizing. The author did not dare to show the way to cure society; he could only identify the problems. This will give rise to the erroneous idea of a “natural school”: fix society and the problems will stop. Gogol understood: the most he could do to improve the situation was to present the shortcomings of society in the brightest light. And he succeeded: the reader was blinded, many contemporaries recognized their acquaintances or even themselves, horrified by the insignificance of man.

What does it teach?

In his story “The Nose,” Gogol depicts the spiritual crisis of a person obsessed with vain desires. Career growth, entertainment, women - that’s all that attracts the main character. And this depravity does not bother Kovalev, he has the right, along with all these aspirations, to be called a man, but without a nose, no. But the image of Major Kovalev is collective, he is similar to the writer’s contemporaries. The conclusion suggests itself: the situation in society dictates rules of behavior that no one dares to break: neither little man will not show persistence, nor high-ranking official will not show generosity. About the approach of such a catastrophe that will affect society as a whole and each person individually, N.V. Gogol warns his readers.

Artistic originality

The story “The Nose” uses a very rich literary toolkit. Gogol most widely uses such a means of expression as the grotesque. Firstly, this is the autonomy of the Nose, which is superior in position to its owner. Secondly, comic exaggeration is typical for depicting relationships between people of different social levels. Kovalev is afraid to approach Nos, and Ivan Yakovlevich begins to treat his client with incredible trepidation and excitement after the incident.

Gogol humanizes the nose, but the technique of personification is also used on an enlarged scale. The nose becomes independent from the owner, an almost full-fledged member of society, he even planned to flee abroad.

At the syntactic level, Gogol refers to zeugma: “Dr.<…>had beautiful resinous sideburns, a fresh, healthy doctor.” These features help the writer portray humor and irony in the work.

Criticism

The story “The Nose” caused a wide resonance in the literary environment of the first half of the 19th century. Not all magazines agreed to publish the work, accusing N.V. in the vulgarity and absurdity of what was written. Chernyshevsky, for example, treated this story as nothing more than a retold joke that existed at that time. The first to recognize the merits of “The Nose” was A.S. Pushkin, seeing the farcical nature of the creation. The review by V.G. was significant. Belinsky, who called on the reading public to pay attention to the fact that such Major Kovalevs in society can be found not just one person, but hundreds, even thousands. S. G. Bocharov saw the greatness of the work in the fact that the author here encouraged society to look into the eyes of reality. V. Nabokov considered this story one of the brightest images of the motif, which runs through the entire work of N.V. as a cross-cutting theme. Gogol.

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