After the ball, Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy summary. "After the Ball" main characters. Other retellings and reviews for the reader's diary

Retelling plan

1. Ivan Vasilyevich begins a story about an incident that turned his life upside down.
2. Description of the ball. The hero's love.
3. After the ball. The hero accidentally witnesses the execution and cruelty of Varenka’s father.
4. This incident turns the hero’s life upside down and disrupts all his future plans.

Retelling

Dear Ivan Vasilievich, unexpectedly for all those present, expresses the idea that it is not the environment that influences the formation of a worldview young man, but the case. The elderly man reinforces his statement with a story about an incident from his own life, after which “his whole life changed” for him.

As a young man, Ivan Vasilyevich was in love with a certain Varenka B., a lovely girl: tall, slender, graceful. At that time he was a “student at a provincial university,” a cheerful and lively fellow, and also rich. Like many young people in his circle, Ivan Vasilyevich spent his evenings at balls and caroused with friends.

Ivan Vasilyevich characterizes the ball at the provincial leader as “wonderful” not so much because everything was really wonderful there, but because his beloved was at the ball. Varenka looked especially beautiful in a pink and white dress. Ivan Vasilyevich danced with her all evening and felt that his love for her was mutual.

Varenka’s father, a colonel (“a very handsome, stately, tall and fresh old man”), has the same affectionate and joyful smile as his daughter. The owners persuade him to dance a mazurka with their daughter. The dancing couple attracts everyone's attention. Main character is touched by the fact that the colonel is wearing unfashionable calf boots, since, obviously, he is forced to deny himself a lot in order to dress and take his daughter out into the world. After the dance, the colonel brought Varenka to Ivan Vasilyevich, and for the rest of the evening the young people were not separated. They don’t talk about love, and there’s no need to: Ivan Vasilyevich is happy. He fears only one thing: that his happiness will not be spoiled by anything.

The hero returns home in the morning, but cannot sleep because he is “too happy.” He goes to wander around the city in the direction of Varenka’s house. Suddenly the young man hears the sounds of a flute and a drum, hard, bad sounds. It turned out that this music accompanied the punishment of a Tatar soldier for escaping. He was “run through the gauntlet.” Varenka’s father commanded the execution. The person being punished begged for “mercy,” but the colonel strictly monitored compliance with the punishment procedure. Therefore, he hit the “frightened, short, weak soldier” in the face because he “smeared”, i.e. lightly lowers his stick onto the already mutilated back of the person being punished. The sight of the soldier's red, motley, blood-wet back terrifies Ivan Vasilyevich, as does the punishment procedure itself. But what shocked the young man most was the realization that he was unable to understand the colonel’s obvious confidence in the correctness of his actions, who, meanwhile, noticing Ivan Vasilyevich, turned away and pretended to be unfamiliar with him.

After everything he saw, Ivan Vasilyevich “could not enter the military service, as I wanted before,” and “from that day on, love began to wane.” So just one incident changed the hero’s entire life and views.

The main characters of the story:

Ivan Vasilievich– a storyteller who shares the story of his greatest love and what caused its sudden demise. A person who is not indifferent to beauty, who wants to see good traits in his neighbor, but who cannot tolerate violence against the individual. He is disgusted by the oppression of poor, unfortunate people. Pity for the mutilated soldier, albeit a guilty one, who continues to be inhumanly mocked, despite pleas, without showing any mercy, leads the hero into a state of despair, even to the point that he decides to get drunk with a friend until he passes out. The young man is especially struck by the fact that the execution process is led by a colonel, the father of his beloved Varenka. After this, he decides never to be a military man, although at first he wanted it.

Varenka- daughter of Colonel Pyotr Vladislavovich, bride of Ivan Vasilyevich, the object of his great love. A very beautiful, graceful girl with a gentle look.

Varenka's father, Colonel Pyotr Vladislavovich- at first he made a good impression on Ivan Vasilyevich, such that he even experienced an “enthusiastic and tender” feeling towards him.

However, the charm dissipated when the narrator saw the colonel in charge of the process of beating the guilty Tatar fugitive, whom, on the orders of Pyotr Vladislavovich, every soldier in the ranks beat with sticks. No pity, no compassion, only cruelty and anger - this is how Varenka’s father actually turned out.

Beginning of the story: Ivan Vasilyevich expresses his opinion

In one house there was a leisurely conversation, the essence of which was that human behavior in most cases is influenced by the external environment. Ivan Vasilyevich categorically disagreed with this, and, deciding to prove he was right, he began to tell a story that happened to him one day.

Love for Varenka

“I was very much in love” - this is how Ivan Vasilyevich begins a sad story about an episode of his life. The object of his affection turned out to be Varenka, the daughter of Colonel Pyotr Vladislavovich, a very beautiful girl - at eighteen years old, graceful and even majestic. A gentle smile never left her face, and this captivated Ivan Vasilyevich even more. He himself characterizes himself as a rich young man, fond of balls and enjoying life. And then one day, on the last day of Maslenitsa, he had the opportunity to go to a ball with the governor’s leader.

At the ball…

Everything was wonderful that day: the narrator danced only with Varenka. “I was not only cheerful and contented, I was happy, blissful, I was kind, I was not me, but some unearthly creature who knows no evil and is capable of only good...” - this is how Ivan Vasilyevich describes his state. Love for the colonel's daughter grew more and more in his soul. After dinner, the hostess persuaded Pyotr Vladislavovich to go through one round of the mazurka with her daughter, and everyone was delighted with this couple.
The hero was happy, and was afraid of only one thing: that something would darken the bright joy that reigned in his soul. Unfortunately, very soon his fears came true.

“My whole life changed from one night...”

Arriving home after the ball, Ivan Vasilyevich was so excited that he could not fall asleep. Little did he know then that in a few minutes he would make a decision that would turn out to be fateful. And it seemed like nothing special - driven by insomnia, the young man in love decided to walk around the city early in the morning. If only he knew what this innocent walk would lead to. The young man's soul was filled with beautiful music, to which he danced at the ball, but suddenly completely different sounds were heard: harsh, bad.

As he approached, he saw a terrible picture: walking towards him was “a man naked to the waist, tied to the guns of two soldiers who were leading him.”

It was a captured deserter who was led through the line, and each soldier was obliged to hit the fugitive. Sometimes human cruelty knows no bounds, and the author tried to convey this in bright colors.

Disappointment in Varenka's father

The terrible sight was forever imprinted in the consciousness of Ivan Vasilyevich, who just a few hours ago considered the colonel to be a rather nice person. Now he was cruel, merciless, terrible. “Will you smear it, will you?!” - Pyotr Vladislavovich shouted at the soldier who did not hit the deserter hard enough... No one listened to the quiet request of the poor sufferer, who barely whispered: “Brothers, have mercy.” And Ivan’s pleasant feelings towards Varenka’s father instantly disappeared, leaving room for bitter surprise, disappointment, even shock. It’s no wonder that the young man got drunk that morning with a friend.

"Love has come to naught..."

From then on, Ivan Vasilyevich could no longer relate to Varya as before. Every time he met her, he remembered the colonel in the square. And love gradually melted away.
“So this is why a person’s fate can change,” the narrator concluded. Alas, to our greatest regret, this also happens.

The author’s intention when creating the story “After the Ball”

Inhumane treatment of people, unfortunately, was the norm in those days. And this was clearly understood by Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, who, although he was a count, sympathized with the suffering people with all his soul.

Throughout the story, the author gives the reader a reason to reflect on the question: what makes a person cruel or, conversely, kind? The environment where he lives? Or is it something else? But can there be a clear answer to such a complex question? And what is the opinion of the author himself?

The position of Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy: on the side of moral principles

Throughout his life, Leo Tolstoy experienced torment from the fact that a person lives like an atheist, and this cannot but affect his behavior and views. The oppression of the poor by the rich, the obvious vices of the nobility and those who managed to occupy some position in society - everything led the writer into a confusion of feelings. Having an amazing gift for putting thoughts into words, Lev Nikolaevich became the author of novels, novellas, and short stories that reflect the essence of his experiences. He was convinced that man, despite all the evil, retains some “higher intelligence” endowed by the Creator. But is it? Trying to fulfill the Christian commandments, Leo Tolstoy did not realize the main thing: the whole world lies in evil, and vice cannot be defeated by one’s own efforts. This simply requires the power of God.

Reviews of the story “After the Ball”

After reading the story “After the Ball,” I was a little shocked by the events that happened there. Poor soldier who was subjected to such cruel execution! What happened to him next? Was he really beaten to death? Why can’t a person’s heart have compassion, condescension, pity? I find the answer to some of these questions in the Bible: “The heart of man is evil always.” Unfortunately, Lev Nikolaevich did not come to terms with this conclusion of the Holy Scripture, but looked for his own ways to solve the problem, in particular, through self-improvement. Alas, this was the wrong position.”

“One can talk a lot about the theme of cruelty, evil, oppression of the weak, which was raised in Leo Tolstoy’s story “After the Ball.” However, one thing is clear: not a single author could offer a clear solution to the problem, because a person who does not place his hope in the Creator, who does not accept His laws, will not be able to change only through the implementation of the moral code or the Sermon on the Mount of Jesus Christ. Here is what the very famous evangelical preacher Ivan Stepanovich Prokhanov wrote about this, who came to Yasnaya Polyana with believing friends to personally meet Lev Nikolaevich and talk with him: “Of course, we could not convince Tolstoy to change his mind. Likewise, he could not change our beliefs and our faith.

After talking with Tolstoy, I became even more convinced that the salvation of the world lies in the simple Gospel. Not in part of the Gospel, not even in most of the Gospel, but in a clearer interpretation of the whole Gospel...” Only in this is the real truth!

Leo Tolstoy is a writer of world significance. For example, the writer’s works have repeatedly become the basis for cinematic adaptations. Tolstoy's literary heritage inspired the Italian directors brothers Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, who in 1990 shot the film “And the Light Shines in the Darkness”, and in 2001 - “Resurrection”. Both films are an attempt to comprehend the images and plots of Tolstoy’s works through the form of cinema.

“After the Ball” is a story that the writer wrote in 1903. However, the work reached readers only in 1911. Tolstoy was inspired by events that actually happened, so the story was based on an incident from the life of his brother Lev Nikolaevich. The author's brother fell in love with the daughter of one of the military commanders. The passion for the girl was strong, and the man intended to offer his chosen one his hand and heart. However, he did not do this because one day he saw how cruelly the girl’s father behaved towards the soldier. Therefore, it would be fair to say that Tolstoy writes a story at the intersection of two planes - philosophy (namely ethics) and literature, which here demonstrates the ability to reflect the moral principles of the author. “After the Ball” makes you think about universal human issues of life.

From the history of writing a story

This work is special not only because the story was published posthumously - in 1911 (the writer died in 1910). Also, the specificity of the text is literal realism. Tolstoy wrote “After the Ball,” so to speak, in hot pursuit. The plot is based on a situation from the life of Sergei Tolstoy (1826–1904), the author’s brother. By the way, Sergei was characterized as a witty, talented person, to whom success was easy.

Dear readers! We invite you to familiarize yourself with the image of Platon Karataev in Leo Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace”, which in the context of the epic embodies a set of traits associated with the Russian peasant, a simple peasant who has his own philosophy.

It is noteworthy that the situation mentioned in the story occurred in Sergei’s young years. Then he shared his story with his brother. Varya, a charming, sweet girl, attracted Sergei’s attention.

Varya's father served as a military mayor. Tolstoy became seriously interested in the girl, and even intended to make Varya his bride. But the young man’s plans never came true.

The fact is that one day Sergei saw how brutally, with extraordinary cruelty, Varya’s father treated a fugitive soldier, a guilty man, much lower in rank.

The mayor viciously dealt with the soldier. This act made Sergei change his mind about entering into family ties with the girl’s father. The message of the story is that humanity is a universal dimension of human life, regardless of status and position.

Leo Tolstoy was struck by Sergei’s story, but the writer managed to put what he heard into literary form many years later, in fact, a year before his brother’s death. In addition, the title of the story was also in question. Tolstoy chose between several options, thinking of calling the work “Father and Daughter”, “The Story of the Ball and Through the Gauntlet”, or “And You Say...”. As a result, the writer settled on the “After the Ball” option.

The title of the story has a deep meaning. Life is ambiguous and contradictory. On the one hand, people live in palaces, dance in luxurious halls, dress in magnificent and rich outfits. Here hypocrisy rules the roost, manners turn into vulgarity, and people lose their humanity. On the other hand, there is the wrong side of life - external grandeur and luxury hide unjustifiably cruel actions and brutal treatment of lower-ranking people, the fossilization of the human heart and the lack of compassion and empathy. The writer wants to show that not all people are able to accept the fact of such ambivalence in life.

Problems of Leo Tolstoy's story

“After the Ball” is filled with philosophical meaning. Tolstoy brought to the fore ethical problems, the situation prevailing on the moral plane. In the work, the writer asks questions about honor, morality, dignity, decency and justice. Moreover, this problem is characteristic not only of the society of imperial Russia, but also of the world as a whole.

The morally ambiguous image of the colonel

At the center is a moral conflict, which is revealed through an appeal to the ambivalence of the figure of the colonel. The hero's appearance is certainly beautiful. The Colonel is depicted as a stately, attractive man, mature, however, at the same time, surprisingly youthful.

The colonel has a pleasant appearance and the strict bearing of a military servant. Aristocratic features and impeccable manners are complemented by a voice that you want to listen to and a beautifully delivered speech. Tolstoy introduces the colonel during the ball: the hero’s demeanor is fascinating, it seems that this man is capable of winning the favor of any guest.

After the ball, after the night, morning comes. In the morning, the colonel demonstrates a completely different side of his personality. During the performance of official duties, the hero shows cruelty and menacing character. Punishing the fugitive soldier, the colonel knows no mercy. The transformation, the duality of the colonel’s nature struck the young man, who was about to get engaged to the daughter of this formidable man. The young man watches the execution of the fugitive: this leads to irrevocable changes in the worldview of the young hero. In the eyes of the young man, the evil living inside the colonel will come into contact with him if he marries Vara. Although the girl is sweet and does not show signs of an equally cruel character, personal happiness and evil still turn out to be disproportionate for the young man. These things cannot exist side by side.

Behind the situation described by Tolstoy lies a philosophical meaning: society demonstrates external complacency, which, however, is accompanied by an unpleasant “lining” of falsehood, hypocrisy, loss of human qualities, and inability to sympathize and sympathize. The author does not take a naive position: Lev Nikolaevich concludes that these unspoken rules that reign in society, this situation cannot be changed. But even if transformations are impossible, then the duty of a person (as a conscious person) is to do moral choice between good and evil.

Compositional and stylistic features of the story

The specificity of the composition “After the Ball” is the presence of an antithesis, that is, the opposition of the ball and the subsequent morning execution of the soldier. The genre of Tolstoy's work was defined above - it is a story. The direction in which the text is written is characterized as realism. In fact, there are not many works in literature whose narrative unfolds over the course of just one day. Among the texts that come to mind first are James Joyce's Ulysses and Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband.

"After the Ball" also describes the events that take place on the eve of the soldier's execution - during the dance evening, and what happened in the morning. Literary critics they say that Tolstoy seemed to put “a story within a story”, included a story that the reader learns as if from the lips of a young man, and a general description of the ball. Therefore, the composition of the story includes, respectively, an exposition (presented in the form of a dialogue-summary to the main events of the work), a plot (a ball), a climax (the execution of a fugitive), and a denouement (in the form of a philosophical, ethical conclusion made by a young man). “A story within a story” allowed Tolstoy to describe two historical periods: the youth of the character, the prototype of which was Sergei (1840s), and late XIX century.

Dear lovers of the classics! We invite you to read the description of the second - final - part of the epilogue in the novel by L.N. Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” chapter by chapter.

Antithesis - Tolstoy's central artistic device here - is presented in two variations. The reader sees the first instance of such a contrast when he encounters a description of the circumstances - a ball in the evening and an execution in the morning. The second is in the personality of the colonel himself, who displays completely different traits at the ball and during the performance of his official duties.

“Respected by all,” Ivan Vasilyevich recalls something that happened to him long ago, which changed his entire future life.

He says his whole life changed because of one morning.

Ivan Vasilyevich was passionately in love with Varenka B... Even now, at fifty years old, she was a beauty, and as an eighteen-year-old girl she was lovely.

He was a provincial student, was not involved in politics, and loved balls and dancing. Life was wonderful.

At the ball they danced almost all the dances together. She danced one dance with her father.

Varenka's father was a very handsome, stately, tall and fresh old man. His face was ruddy with a white mustache like Tsar Nicholas I. He was an old campaigner of Nicholas's bearing. Father and daughter danced wonderfully, everyone admired them.” Ivan Vasilyevich was touched. He was especially touched by his boots, not fashionable ones, but old ones, “obviously built by a battalion shoemaker.” To take out and dress his beloved daughter, he does not buy fashionable boots, but wears homemade ones, the young man thought. The father was out of breath and brought Varenka to him so that they could continue the dance. Soon the colonel left, but Varenka remained at the ball with her mother.

Itn Vasilyevich was happy “and was afraid of only one thing: something!” didn’t spoil... happiness.”

Returning home, he could not sit still and went outside. It's already light. It was the most Pancake week weather, fog was spreading, water-saturated snow was melting on the roads, and it was dripping from all the roofs. There was a Yule not far from his house. When Ivan Vasilyevich went out there, he saw something big black and heard the sounds of a drum and a flute. It was some kind of hard, unpleasant music.

He began to look closely at this “black and incomprehensible” and, after walking a few steps, he saw many people. He decided that this was a teaching. The soldiers stood in two ranks with guns at their feet and did not move. "What are they doing?" - Ian Vasilyevich asked a blacksmith passing by. He replied that he was driving the soldier through the ranks “for escaping.”

Taking a closer look, Ivan Vasilyevich saw a soldier, bare to the waist, tied to a gun, who was being dragged by two soldiers. Walking nearby was a tall military man who seemed familiar to Ivan Vasilyevich. Under the blows, the back of the person being punished turned into a continuous bloody mess. The soldier twitched, paused, but he was dragged forward, more and more blows fell on his back. And next to him walked Varenka’s father, as fit and ruddy as in his old days. The person being punished moaned and asked to “have mercy,” but everyone beat him and beat him. Suddenly the colonel hit the short soldier in the face, who had not hit the man being punished hard enough. Then he ordered the young spitzrutens to be served, but, looking back, he saw Ivan Vasilyevich, and admitted that he did not recognize him. Returning home, Ivan Vasilyevich kept imagining the terrible picture he had seen and could not sleep. But he did not condemn the colonel. He thought that, “obviously, the colonel knows something that I don’t know. If I knew what he knows, I would understand what I saw, and it would not torment me.” He fell asleep only in the evening and only after he got drunk. Izan Vasilyevich did not judge the colonel, he wanted and could not understand “his truths.” He did not enlist in the military as he had previously wanted. He didn’t serve anywhere at all and turned out to be, in his words, “a worthless person.” And from that day on, love began to wane, as he noticed the features of his father’s face in Varenka’s smile. As soon as I saw her, I immediately remembered her father in the square during the execution. And the love just faded away.

Year: 1903 Genre: story

Main characters: narrator Ivan Vasilyevich, colonel, daughter of Colonel Varenka.

L.N. Tolstoy wrote the story “After the Ball” in 1903. The plot of the work is based on real events that happened to his brother.

A conversation took place among friends about whether the external environment can influence a person’s life. Ivan Vasilyevich shared a story from his biography that completely changed his life.

His story begins with a ball that took place on the last day of Maslenitsa. He loved to go to balls and social parties in his youth. Ivan Vasilyevich is incredibly happy to communicate with his beloved, that everything around him seems delightful: hospitable hosts, luxurious clothes, a beautiful hall, live music. All evening Ivan does not take his eyes off his beloved. Varenka was a cute, naive girl, about eighteen. He did not leave the beauty a single step, he danced only with her.

After dinner, the mistress of the house persuaded the colonel to dance a mazurka with her daughter. All the guests admired the dance of Pyotr Vladislavovich and his daughter Varenka. Ivan himself admired Varenka’s father and showed the most tender feelings towards him.

Under the strong impression of that day, Ivan Vasilyevich, returning home, could not sleep all night. The hero decided to take a walk around the city. The city itself and the passers-by seemed nice to him. There was a sparkle in his eyes, a smile on his face, he was beaming with happiness, until he accidentally found himself near the house of the colonel, Varenka’s father. He was amazed by the picture he saw. By order of higher authorities, the soldiers beat the Tatar with sticks for escaping. The latter begged for mercy. The poor man's back was scarlet, scratched, and wet with blood.

The boss who led this entire operation was Pyotr Vladislavovich. Seeing Ivan Vasilyevich, he pretended that he did not know him and continued his work.

The main character for a long time could not “come to” from the terrible picture that he happened to see. Ivan tried for a long time to understand the colonel’s actions. But I couldn’t find an excuse for him. Ivan Vasilyevich felt horror, fear and disappointment. Thus, the colonel appeared before Ivan as an insensitive officer who knew no mercy, a tyrant.

This event completely changed his life. Ivan ended his relationship with Varenka. He did not become an officer, since his moral principles did not allow him to serve for the good of the fatherland with cruel and ill-conceived laws.

The story “After the Ball” is still relevant today. The work teaches its reader kindness, responsiveness, compassion, tolerance, and honesty.

Read the summary After Tolstoy's ball (more details)

In a company of comrades, they started talking about the fact that in order to improve oneself, a person should create appropriate living conditions. Ivan Vasilyevich, who took part in the conversation, decided to tell a story from his life. According to him, this story changed his entire subsequent life.

In his youth he was in love with a girl, her name was Varvara. The girl was very attractive and also had a slender figure. She had good posture and had a majestic appearance. But despite her regal appearance, she had a wonderful, gentle smile that attracted others.

Ivan Vasilyevich was still a young student at that time. There were no clubs at the university where he studied. The guys from the university were young, loved to party and have fun. Ivan Vasilyevich was a handsome, brave, cheerful and rich guy. His favorite entertainment was balls. He loved to dance, he was good at it.

Somehow he was lucky enough to get to the ball. There was a good buffet, great musicians and lots of champagne. Despite the fact that Ivan Vasilyevich was a champagne lover, he did not drink alcohol that evening. He was intoxicated with love, he danced with Varvara all evening. Everyone admired her without exception; she attracted the admiring glances of both men and women.

At three o'clock in the morning, when it was time for dinner, the girl drew Ivan Vasilyevich's attention to her father. He was a tall, handsome man with a stately figure and a joyful, even affectionate smile. He held the rank of colonel, and his broad chest was decorated with medals. The hostess of the ball wanted him to dance with her daughter. At first the colonel was shy and refused to dance, but then he took Varvara by the hand and, despite his age and rather heavy figure, he briskly began to dance. Everyone present was moved by them and followed every movement of their dance.

Ivan Vasilyevich was struck by the colonel’s boots; they were completely unfashionable, homemade with square toes. This indicated that the old colonel denied himself everything for the sake of his daughter. At the end of the dance, the colonel got down on one knee and then tenderly hugged his daughter and kissed her. The colonel did not stay for dinner, citing the need to get up early.

After dinner, Ivan Vasilyevich again danced with the magnificent Varvara. His happiness knew no bounds; he was completely and completely absorbed in the feeling of love for her.

Returning home in the morning, Ivan Vasilyevich could not sleep, his thoughts were filled with tender Varvara. Her glove and the feather from the fan remained with him; he thought about the beautiful girl. He recalled her dance with her father, the admiring glances of the people around her. Ivan Vasilyevich experienced awe, a feeling of tenderness and enormous, all-consuming love.

He lived then with his brother, but now he is no longer alive. His brother was preparing for the exam, led a healthy lifestyle, did not like parties and did not go to balls. At that moment, his brother was sleeping, Ivan Vasilyevich looked at him and regretted that his brother could not share his moments of happiness with him.

Ivan Vasilyevich could not sleep, so he got dressed and went outside. It was already light, about seven o'clock in the morning. It was foggy, the road was covered in water from melting snow.

Ivan Vasilyevich began to move towards Varvara’s house; it was located at the end of the city in a large field. When Ivan Vasilyevich entered the field, he noticed some kind of celebration in the distance, music could be heard. However, it was somehow harsh and completely different from the recent gentle music that sounded at the ball.

Ivan Vasilyevich began to move in the direction of the sounds coming and soon saw people in black robes. Taking a closer look, he realized that they were soldiers. The blacksmith who walked in front of Ivan Vasilyevich said that the soldier was being punished for escaping.

As the soldiers approached, Ivan Vasilyevich saw a half-dressed Tatar being led by officers. Walking next to them was a tall, stately man; he seemed familiar to Ivan Vasilyevich. He had a decisive gait, it was the colonel, the father of his beloved Varvara. The tied man walked barefoot through the melting snow, blows raining down on him from both sides. Suffering was reflected on the Tatar’s face; he begged for mercy. This man's back looked like a bloody mess. Ivan Vasilyevich felt sick. He saw the colonel quickly walk up to one of the soldiers. He hit him in the face with his glove because the young soldier did not hit the punished man hard enough.

The colonel looked around and met the gaze of Ivan Vasilyevich, he pretended that they did not know each other.

Unconscious, Ivan Vasilyevich reached home; he was in a terrible state from the sight he had seen. He thought about the colonel’s behavior and recalled the Tatar’s plaintive appearance. Ivan Vasilyevich couldn’t wrap his head around how the colonel turned from a sweet man with a gentle smile into a tough boss. He fell asleep late in the evening and only after he got drunk with a friend.

Subsequently, no matter how the young man tried to justify the colonel’s actions, nothing worked for him. He refused military service, which he had previously dreamed of. The love for the beautiful girl Varya has faded away. Every time Ivan Vasilyevich looked at her, he remembered the colonel and experienced unpleasant sensations. With this, Ivan Vasilyevich finished his sincere story.