It is these lines from the unforgettable "Reserve of Goblins" that come to mind when you read the study below on the topic "Farewell, unwashed Russia" and the history of the penetration of this masterpiece into all textbooks. So let's start praying.
"The manuscript of the first poem has come down to us. The hand of Lermontov. The second appeared in the lists in the early 70s of the XIX, then in the magazine" Russkaya Starina "under his name 46 (!) Years after the fatal duel. that publication in the lists is preceded by “leaders”, there is a variant of “kings.” Neither a draft, nor Lermontov's autograph is known.
1. Homeland
I love my homeland, but with a strange love!
My mind will not conquer her.
Not blood-bought glory
No peace full of proud confidence,
Neither dark antiquity cherished traditions
Do not stir in me a joyful dream.
But I love - for what, I don't know myself -
Cold silence of her steppes,
Its boundless forests sway,
The floods of her rivers are like the seas;
I like to ride in a cart on a country road
And, with a slow gaze piercing the night shadow,
To meet on the sides, sighing for an overnight stay,
The quivering lights of the sad villages;
I love the smoke of burnt stubble
Overnight wagon train in the steppe
And on a hill in the middle of a yellow cornfield
A couple of whitening birches.
With joy, unfamiliar to many,
I see a complete threshing floor
Hut covered with straw,
Window with carved shutters;
And on a holiday, dewy evening,
Watch until midnight ready
To the dance with stamping and whistling
Under the talk of drunken peasants.
2. Goodbye, unwashed Russia
Goodbye unwashed Russia
A land of slaves, a land of masters.
And you blue uniforms
And you, their loyal people.
Perhaps behind the wall of the Caucasus
I will hide from your pasha
From their all-seeing eye
From their all-hearing ears.
The historian P. Bartenev, a well-known archaeographer and bibliographer, was publicly named as the discoverer. In a private letter, he refers to a certain "original of Lermontov's hand," which has never been shown to anyone. Nobody saw him. Mysteriously disappeared. Later, in his journal "Russian Archive", Bartenev published a postscript: "Recorded from the words of the poet by a contemporary." The original record of that unnamed "contemporary" has also not been found to this day. Strange disappearances, agree.
Now let's look at both works through the eyes of a reader inexperienced in the art of poetry. If both works belong to the same author, then he describes some completely different Russia. He loves the first. He calls his feeling "strange", because, as if, when viewed from the side, "sad villages" with "straw huts", not bright, poor in forms and colors, plain nature and disastrous "floods of rivers" cannot evoke "consolation" ... But Russia for Lermontov and for those to whom he addresses lyrical recognition is the Motherland. And this gives "strangeness" an individual sense of joyful amazement. If our poet, for example, was a French voyage through the empire (like the initially disliked Marquis de Custine), he would certainly have noted mocking, scolding peasants at the village festival. But a Moscow nobleman, in love with his poor, imperfect homeland, hears not foul language, but "dialect"; and not peasants, but complaisant "peasants".
In the second poem, the author (Lermontov? Another?) Does not "ride in a cart on a country road", looking around the surroundings with a loving gaze. He, as much as possible, flees from Russia, in a hurry to leave the same homeland, which in the poem of the same name "loved with a strange love." He wants to be "behind the wall of the Caucasus", surrounded by alien landscapes, among the tribes for which he is an enemy, for a conqueror. He dreams of "hiding" either from some "leaders" or from "pasha", although the empire he serves is Russian, not Ottoman (and a poet of average skill, tipsy, will not write such absurdity). He does not notice nature, which has touched him since childhood, does not hear the "dialect of drunken peasants." Now they have only "obedient to the blue uniforms people", slaves from "the land of slaves and masters." The author refuses to call her Motherland, she is ... "Unwashed Russia".
One might think that the poet, on the run, was not up to the selection of a definition; weaved into a line that came to an irritated mind, if only in a rhythm.
But Lermontov is not like that. Its originals contain every word with meaning. No, he could not change the genius with which the Creator awarded him. I would not dare to dirtyly distort the opening line of "Farewell to the sea", which was written by his idol, the slave of honor: "Farewell, free element!" Publicist P. Krasnov noted in "Unwashed Russia" "a crooked syllable, poor comparisons and a complete lack of depth, so characteristic of Lermontov ... Analysis shows a complete inconsistency with the style of Lermontov. So," blue uniforms "," pasha "are not found in the author of" Rodina " nowhere else. " G.Klechenov saw the "rudeness, clumsy lines" in this poem.
ABOUT RUSSIAN BANK AND EUROPEAN TASIKS
The main thing that immediately catches the eye, causes bewilderment and internal protest is the insult to the Fatherland - from the first line. Lermontov, a nobleman and a patriot, who spoke with love in his writings about the common people, nowhere, with a single word, does not note the bodily uncleanliness of the lower classes. “By the way,” writes P. Krasnov, “if anything is remarkable about the phrase“ unwashed Russia ”, it is its meanness and turning the situation upside down. steam bath, at least once a week, cannot be compared not with the European peasants who washed twice in their lives, but also the most sophisticated French nobles, who washed, at best, once a year, and who came up with perfumes and cologne to fight off the unbearable the stench of an unwashed body, and to noblewomen wearing flea traps. "
Your humble servant, dear reader, after the Second World War, at a young age, was honored to visit Europe, where our family was brought by the military roads of our father. Let me remind you that this was the middle of the twentieth century. In the Siberian town where we, the Sokurovs, come from, there was a bathhouse in almost every courtyard (or one for 2-3 courtyards). The same is in the villages. In the Magyar Nyiregyhaza, in the Galician Sambor, at first there was nowhere to wash. Some of the middle class apartments had bathrooms, but the running water took some time. In common quarters, the townspeople used common speakers in the streets, splashed in the kitchen in basins. For villagers - a river and a well, no problem. In winter, firewood, peat and coal were used only for cooking and heating the house. So it was right to exclaim: "Hello, unwashed Europe!"
A LITTLE DOUBT, FOR PROPERTIES
And yet, I will make a theoretical assumption: what if Lermontov really wrote both poems under the influence of a lousy mood! More precisely, "one of two" Lermontovs, separated in his physical body by some event that changes consciousness, priorities, views on himself and the environment in a person. We know Pushkin, a hooligan atheist, who invented republican views for himself in the first seven years after the Lyceum. And we know a completely different Pushkin, who settled down, recognized God, a supporter of the enlightened autocracy, who he remained until his last days. The fateful village of Mikhailovskoye, "a haven of calmness, work and inspiration", made it such. The process of rebirth, in an intensive phase, lasted from 1824 to 26. He almost halved the poetic life of a genius in its printed period: 9 years before the northern exile and 10 after.
Lermontov wrote "Homeland" in 1841, shortly before his death. "Unwashed Russia" could theoretically appear under his pen when, after a vacation, in the same year he returned to his regiment in the Caucasus. If such a daring challenge to the authorities appeared in 1837, when the author of the poem "The Death of a Poet" was already going to go to war with the highlanders by the Highest command, then such a "salvo of mud" towards the throne would be immediately heard by everyone. It turns out that between two poems, sharply opposite in tonality, a matter of months, if not weeks, and even days. This time period is not enough for the world outlook transformation of a person, especially the Byronic mindset. This conclusion would be weighty in the reasoning, if we were guessing, wrote - did not write "unwashed Russia" a man to whom criticism and thoughtful readers prophesied to take the place of Pushkin, who had left early. However, there is nothing to guess. The author is known. Let's just clarify: the author of the fake.
PARTNER IN CRIME
When the conversation comes about the appearance of the scandalous poem "Farewell, unwashed Russia" into the Light of God, first in the lists, then in print, the bibliographer Bartenev invariably appears. There are no other witnesses. This man devoted his whole life to finding and publishing unknown materials and literary and biographical documents about Russian writers. We are grateful to him for the revival of interest in Pushkin, after his furious debunking by Pisarev. But the famous archeographer had, as they say, "a stigma in a cannon". Sometimes, for the sake of increasing influence on the interested public, for the sake of increasing the number of subscribers to his magazine, for the sake of "sensational discoveries", he went to funny rallies, which somehow quietly and sweetly turned into serious forgeries. Moreover, he carefully cooperated with Herzen, who was "awakened by the Decembrists" at one time and who "called Russia to the ax" at a safe distance from London. The uncensored press required "revelatory" works by renowned poets and prose writers. If there were not enough such works, they were composed "under well-known names" by the quick-to-play liberal verseplets. Bartenev himself did not shine with writing talents. Once he mastered several lines by borrowing from Pushkin, but honestly admitted his poetic mediocrity. To his good fortune, a like-minded person, a master of versification, who became a friend, appeared, the same one with a puffy face that introduced himself as Mitri-Mitrich.
Mystic
D. D. Minaev in post-reform Russia deservedly enjoyed the fame of a caustic satirist, a talented parodist and devilishly cheerful mystifier. Was not a fool to drink, the soul of the company. Successfully (well, almost originals!) Parodied the classics of poetry, from Dante to Pushkin (the latter, for the amusement of the scoffers, ridiculed him with the parody novel "Eugene Onegin of Our Days"). Prose writers, even Leo Tolstoy, got it from him.
Once (it was in 1873), when the publisher of the "Russian Archive" was especially in need of a freshly exposed document of autocracy, Minaev brought a friend a miraculously discovered poem, which began with the words "Farewell, unwashed Russia" with the smacking smell of an unwashed people's body.
"Pushkin, or what?" Asked Bartenev, recalling the first line of the famous message "To the Sea", written when the disgraced poet said goodbye to the "free element", going to Mikhailovskoye. "No, Lermontov," Minaev responded to the drunken one, according to his custom. After reading the entire eight-verse, Bartenev, on reflection, agreed. The same Minaev, grinning into his beard, recently introduced him to the satirical poem "The Demon", which contained the following lines:
"The demon is racing. No interference
He does not see on the night air.
On his blue uniform
Stars of all ranks sparkle. "
Although there was no signature, Bartnev understood without explanation who the author of this other "Demon" was. The "blue uniform" betrayed the writer of "Unwashed Russia" with a head, especially since, the bibliographer was in charge, Lermontov never and nowhere used this phrase. However, Herzen's informant had no reason to expose the hoaxer.
Alas, this time Bartenev was mistaken. As our contemporary V.Khatyushin wrote, the parody abomination of a democrat Minaev, sounding blasphemous and disgusting, survived both tsarism and socialism (including the developed one) and feels comfortable in the post-Soviet era. heritage of Lermontov.
UNION OF GREATS AND IGNORES
P. Krasnov called the introduction of this fake into textbooks, starting with the Soviet ones, as an act of competent ideological war; its unlimited replication. In fact, the "screaming Russophobia" expressed in poetry has become, as it were, the hallmark of the great poet. And all efforts to refute the authorship of Lermontov by such authoritative researchers as Academician Skatov, for example, are nullified by ignorant and conscious scoundrels. Recently in one of the "TV shows" the public writer Bykov again relished "unwashed Russia", allegedly quoting Lermontov. Well, it's understandable with the ignorant. And what is the goal of the "conscious scoundrels"? Indeed, thanks to the authority of Lermontov, vilely "substituted" here, each new generation from school years gets used to seeing the Motherland "unwashed", that is, in the guise of a world bum, unkempt, foul-smelling, wretched against the background of a clean, well-groomed, thickly fragrant with French perfume, but saving the water of the West. Who is interested in the Russophobic cliche insanely embedded in the subconscious of people reading in Russian? Of course, those forces that aim to manipulate the consciousness of the inhabitants of a huge country, which for the Atlantic world is like a bone in the throat, like an annoying log, which has been lying for centuries on the path of their universal expansion.
Compatriots, be vigilant and discerning! Read the real Lermontov - "Motherland", "Borodino", and practically everything that he wrote. The "Bulletin of Literature" responded to the centenary anniversary of the poet with the following words: "Lermontov is the pride and glory of Russian poetry, to whom, along with other" heroes of the pen, "we owe the strength of our national feelings ... After all, Lermontov, undoubtedly, was one of those poets who taught us love our homeland and made us proud of it ... ". VO Klyuchevsky wrote: "... remember Lermontov's HOMELAND ... Poetry, warmed by the poet's personal feeling, becomes a phenomenon of folk life, a historical fact. Not a single Russian poet has so far been so capable of deeply penetrating the national feeling and giving it artistic expression. like Lermontov ".
What is patriotism? Literally translated from ancient Greek, this word means "fatherland", if you look for information even deeper, you can understand that it is as ancient as the human race. This is probably why philosophers, statesmen, writers, poets have always talked and argued about him. Among the latter, it is necessary to highlight Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov. He, who had twice survived exile, knew like no one else the true value of love for the motherland. And the proof of this is his amazing work "Homeland", which he wrote literally six months before his tragic death in a duel. You can read the verse "Homeland" by Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov online completely on our website.
In the poem "Homeland" Lermontov speaks of love for his native patronymic - Russia. But from the very first line, the poet warns that his feeling does not correspond to the established "model". It is not "stamped", not official, not official, and therefore "strange". Further, the author explains his "strangeness". He says that love, for whoever or for whatever it may be, cannot be guided by reason. It is the reason that turns her into a lie, demands from her immeasurable sacrifices, blood, relentless worship, glory. In this guise, patriotism does not touch Lermontov's heart, and even the ancient legends of humble monastic chroniclers do not penetrate into the soul. Then what does a poet like?
The second part of the poem "Motherland" begins with a loud statement that the poet loves in spite of everything, and the truth of this statement is felt in the words that he himself does not know why. And indeed, a pure feeling cannot be explained, seen. It is inside, and it connects a person, his soul with some invisible thread with all living things. The poet speaks of this spiritual, blood, endless connection with the Russian people, land and nature, and thereby opposes the homeland to the state. But his voice is not accusatory, on the contrary - nostalgic, gentle, quiet and even humble. He describes his innermost experience through the creation of vivid, expressive and imaginative pictures of Russian nature ("boundless swaying of forests", "sad trees", "a train for the night in the steppe"), and also thanks to the repeated repetition of the verb "I love": "I like to ride in cart ”,“ I love the smoke of burnt stubble ”. It is now easy to study the text of Lermontov's poem "Motherland" and prepare for a literature lesson in the classroom. On our site you can download this work absolutely free.
I love my homeland, but with a strange love!
My mind will not conquer her.
Not blood-bought glory
No peace full of proud confidence,
Neither dark antiquity cherished traditions
They do not stir in me a pleasant dream.
But I love - for what, I don't know myself -
Cold silence of her steppes,
Its boundless forests sway,
The floods of her rivers are like the seas;
I like to ride in a cart on a country road
And, with a slow gaze piercing the night shadow,
To meet on the sides, sighing for an overnight stay,
The quivering lights of the sad villages;
I love the smoke of burnt stubble
Overnight wagon train in the steppe
And on a hill in the middle of a yellow cornfield
A couple of whitening birches.
With joy, unfamiliar to many,
I see a complete threshing floor
Hut covered with straw,
Window with carved shutters;
And on a holiday, in the dewy evening,
Watch until midnight ready
To the dance with stamping and whistling
Under the talk of drunken peasants.
"I love the Motherland, but with a strange love"
Perhaps the theme of the homeland is the main one in the work of all great Russian writers. She finds a peculiar refraction in the lyrics of M. Yu. Lermontov. In some ways, his soulful thoughts about Russia coincide with those of Pushkin's. Lermontov is also not satisfied with the present of his homeland, he also wishes her freedom. But in his lyrics, there is no Pushkin's ardent optimistic confidence that "she will rise, the star of captivating happiness." His shrewd and merciless gaze of the artist exposes those negative aspects of Russian life that make the poet feel hatred for them and part with his fatherland without any regret.
Goodbye unwashed Russia
Land of slaves, land of masters
And you blue uniforms
And you, their loyal people.
In the chased laconic Lermontov lines, the evil that causes his anger and indignation is concentrated to the limit. And this evil is the slavery of the people, the despotism of the autocratic power, the persecution of dissent, the constraint of civil liberties.
The feeling of sorrow for the oppressed homeland permeates the poem "Complaints of a Turk". The sharp political content forces the poet to resort to allegory. The title of the poem refers to the despotic state regime of Turkey, in which the national liberation struggle of the Greeks under her dominion was waged. These anti-Turkish sentiments found sympathy in Russian society. At the same time, progressive-minded readers understood the true meaning of the poem, directed against the hated autocratic-feudal regime of Russia.
There, early life is hard for people,
There, for the joys, reproach rushes,
There a man groans from slavery and chains! ..
Friend! this land ... my homeland!
Yes, Lermontov was not satisfied with the Nikolaev Russia of the 30s of the XIX century, in which his creative maturity fell. What nourished Lermontov's love for the motherland? Maybe her glorious heroic past? Lermontov, like Pushkin, admired the courage, resilience, patriotism of the Russian people, who defended the freedom of their native country in the terrible years of the Patriotic War of 1812. The most striking heroic event of this war, which was already history for Lermontov, he dedicated the wonderful poem "Borodino". Admiring the feat of the Russian heroes of the past, the poet involuntarily recalls his generation, which passively endures oppression, without making an attempt to change the life of his fatherland for the better.
Yes, there were people in our time,
Not like the current tribe:
Bogatyrs are not you!
They got a bad share:
Not many returned from the field ...
Do not be the will of the Lord,
They wouldn’t give Moscow away!
In the poem "Homeland" Lermontov still says that this "glory bought with blood" cannot give him a "joyful dream." But why is this poem filled with some kind of light, Pushkin's mood? There is no rebellious, angry spirit characteristic of Lermontov. Everything is quiet, simple, peaceful. Even the poetic rhythm here gives the work smoothness, slowness and majesty. At the beginning of the poem, Lermontov speaks of his "strange" love for his homeland. This oddity lies in the fact that he hates autocratic serf Russia, the country of "blue uniforms," and with all his heart he loves the people of Russia, its discreet but charming nature. In Rodina, the poet draws people's Russia. Pictures dear to the heart of every Russian person appear before the poet's mind's eye.
But I love - for what, I don't know myself -
Cold silence of her steppes,
Its boundless forests sway,
The floods of its rivers are like the seas.
The artist paints here three successively changing landscape images: steppe, forest and river, which are typical of Russian folklore. Indeed, in folk songs, the steppe is always wide, free. With its immensity, infinity, it attracts the poet. The image of a heroic, mighty forest enhances the impression of the power and scope of Russian nature. The third image is the river. In contrast to the fast, impetuous mountain rivers of the Caucasus, they are majestic, calm, full-flowing. Lermontov emphasizes their strength by comparing them with the seas. This means that the greatness, scope and breadth of his native nature evokes in the poet "gratifying dreams" about the great future of Russia and its people. These reflections of Lermontov echo the thoughts of other great writers of Russia - Gogol and Chekhov, who saw in their native nature a reflection of the national spirit of their people. The entire Lermontov poem is imbued with an ardent love for rural, rural Russia.
I love the smoke of burnt stubble
A nomadic wagon train in the steppe
And on a hill in the middle of a yellow cornfield
A couple of whitening birches.
With joy to many unfamiliar
I see a complete threshing floor
Hut covered with straw,
Window with carved shutters ...
The severity of the servitude of the people makes the poet with particular joy to see the few "traces of contentment and labor" that still exist in peasant life. He seems to lead the reader through the forest and the steppes, along a country road to the village, to a simple hut and stops to admire the daring Russian dance "with stamping and whistling to the sound of drunken peasants." He is endlessly pleased with the sincere folk fun at the holiday. One can feel the poet's ardent desire to see the Russian people happy and free. Only her, people's Russia, is considered by the poet his real homeland.
Analysis of the poem by M.Yu. Lermontov "Homeland"
I love my homeland, but with a strange love!
My mind will not conquer her.
Not blood-bought glory
Neither dark antiquity cherished traditions
Do not stir in me a joyful dream.
But I love - for what, I don't know myself -
Cold silence of her steppes,
Its boundless forests sway,
The floods of her rivers are like the seas;
I like to ride in a cart on a country road
And, with a slow gaze piercing the night shadow,
To meet on the sides, sighing for an overnight stay,
The quivering lights of the sad villages;
I love the smoke of burnt stubble
Overnight wagon train in the steppe
And on a hill in the middle of a yellow cornfield
A couple of whitening birches.
With joy, unfamiliar to many,
I see a complete threshing floor
Hut covered with straw,
Window with carved shutters;
And on a holiday, dewy evening,
Watch until midnight ready
To the dance with stamping and whistling
Under the talk of drunken peasants.
Semantic Analysis
1.In the poem by M.Yu. Lermontov's "Homeland" there are two opposite key images, the interaction of which creates its dynamics and gives energy - this is the image of the author and the image of nature. After reading it, we can conclude that the author is a patriot. He loves his country very much, despite the fact that he would like to change a lot:
I love my homeland, but with a strange love!
My mind will not conquer her.
2. The lexical strings associated with each of these key images:
The image of a lyrical hero - love for the Motherland - love for nature - memories of village life
The image of nature - steppes - forests - rivers
3. Secondary is the way of life of Russian people in the villages. It allows you to reveal the meaning of the main:
I see a complete threshing floor
Hut covered with straw,
Window with carved shutters;
And on a holiday, dewy evening,
Watch until midnight ready
To the dance with stamping and whistling
Under the talk of drunken peasants.
4. Since in this poem the author pays great attention to nature, then, upon first reading, several images appear in associations: a forest, a meadow, a river. There is peace and tranquility everywhere. A Russian village is located very close, the author describes the life of the Russian people, their festivities. These images allow you to delve deeper into the poem and understand its meaning.
5. So, from the first stage of the analysis of the poem, we revealed that the author loves his homeland, despite its shortcomings. Love manifests itself in relation to the homeland, space and nature.
Analysis of visual media
1. In the poem of the expansion of key images, the author uses various pictorial means. For example:
Hyperbole is used to enhance impressions of the power of Great Russia.
River floods are like seas.
Lermontov also usesInversion : « I love my homeland, but with a strange love! "
Anaphora and Epiphora give a wonderful poetic sound:
Not blood-bought glory
No peace full of proud confidence,
Neither dark antiquity cherished traditions,
Do not stir in me a joyful dream.
Incarnation: ... her steppe cold silence,
Its endless forests swaying ...
2. .
The following features are auxiliaries. This poem consists of 2 eight lines, one six lines and one quatrain. The poem is written in iambic six-foot. This poem combines several rhymes at once to give more expressiveness.
cross:
The floods of its rivers are like the seas ...
Analysis of the poem in context.
1. In the work of Lermontov, there are many poems dedicated to the homeland.
Borodin's Field; Borodino; "Novgorod", etc.
But there is a clear difference between these poems and Rodina. In the poem "Homeland" the author pays more attention to nature and village life, Lermontov admires her, and in the other three he pays great attention to the power of Great Russia, and admires the merits of the people to the country.
2. I believe that there are many authors who wrote poetry about their homeland. Similar poems can be found in the works of writers such as Byron (his poetry penetrated the poet's soul at the beginning of his career), as well as Blok, Nekrasov, etc.
But naturally, all these works will be different, because each country has its own situation and each writer has his own views on life.
"Rodina" M.Yu. Lermontov
I love my homeland, but with a strange love!
My mind will not conquer her.
Not blood-bought glory
No peace full of proud confidence,
Neither dark antiquity cherished traditions
Do not stir in me a joyful dream.But I love - for what, I don't know myself -
Cold silence of her steppes,
Its boundless forests sway,
The floods of her rivers are like the seas;
I like to ride in a cart on a country road
And, with a slow gaze piercing the night shadow,
To meet on the sides, sighing for an overnight stay,
The quivering lights of the sad villages;
I love the smoke of burnt stubble
Overnight wagon train in the steppe
And on a hill in the middle of a yellow cornfield
A couple of whitening birches.
With joy, unfamiliar to many,
I see a complete threshing floor
Hut covered with straw,
Window with carved shutters;
And on a holiday, dewy evening,
Watch until midnight ready
To the dance with stamping and whistling
Under the talk of drunken peasants.
The creative heritage of the Russian poet and writer Mikhail Lermontov includes many works that express the author's civic position. However, the poem "Motherland", written by Lermontov in 1941, shortly before his death, can be classified as one of the brightest examples of patriotic lyrics of the 19th century.
The writers who are contemporaries of Lermontov can be roughly divided into two categories. Some of them glorified the beauty of Russian nature, deliberately turning a blind eye to the problems of the village and serfdom. Others, on the contrary, tried in their works to reveal the vices of society and were known as rebels. Mikhail Lermontov, in turn, tried to find a golden mean in his work, and the poem "Motherland" is rightfully considered the crown of his aspirations to express his feelings for Russia as fully and objectively as possible.
One consists of two parts, different not only in size but also in concept. The solemn introduction, in which the author confesses his love for the Fatherland, is replaced by stanzas that describe the beauty of Russian nature. The author admits that he loves Russia not for its feats of arms, but for the beauty of nature, originality and vivid national flavor. He clearly divides concepts such as homeland and state, noting that his love is strange and somewhat painful. On the one hand, he admires Russia, its steppes, meadows, rivers and forests. But at the same time, they realize that the Russian people are still oppressed, and the stratification of society into rich and poor becomes more and more pronounced with each generation. And the beauty of the native land is not able to veil the "trembling fires of the sad villages."
Researchers of the poet's work are convinced that Mikhail Lermontov was not a sentimental person by nature. In his entourage, the poet was known as a bully and brawler, he loved to taunt his fellow soldiers and resolved disputes with the help of a duel. Therefore, it is all the more strange that from under his pen were born not bravura patriotic and not accusatory lines, but delicate lyrics with a touch of light sadness. However, there is a logical explanation for this, which some literary critics adhere to. It is believed that creative people have amazing intuition or, as it is commonly called in literary circles, the gift of foresight. Mikhail Lermontov was no exception and, according to Prince Peter Vyazemsky, he had a presentiment of his death in a duel. That is why he hastened to say goodbye to everything that was dear to him, taking off for a moment the mask of the jester and the actor, without which he did not consider it necessary to appear in high society.
However, there is also an alternative interpretation of this work, which, undoubtedly, is the key one in the poet's work. According to the literary critic Vissarion Belinsky, Mikhail Lermontov not only advocated the need for state reforms, but also anticipated that very soon Russian society with its patriarchal way of life would change completely, finally and irrevocably. Therefore, sad and even nostalgic notes slip through the poem "Motherland", and the main leitmotif of the work, if you read it between the lines, is an appeal to the descendants to love Russia as it is. Not to praise her achievements and merits, not to focus on social vices and imperfection of the political system. After all, the homeland and the state are two completely different concepts that should not be tried to bring to a common denominator, even from good intentions. Otherwise, love for the Motherland will be seasoned with the bitterness of disappointment, which the poet, who experienced this feeling, was so afraid of.