Virgin soil lifted table of contents. Virgin Soil Upturned: The Beginning

Semyon Davydov, on the instructions of the party, arrives at the Gremyachy Log farm to carry out collectivization. He is assisted by members of the local party cell Makar Nagulnov and Andrei Razmetnov.

Within a year, Davydov, Nagulnov and Razmetny manage to organize a collective farm, overcoming not only the passive resistance of local residents, but also a counter-revolutionary conspiracy, which is secretly prepared by kulaks led by a resident of the village Alexander Polovtsev. At the end of the second part of the novel, Polovtsev kills Davydov and Nagulnov and flees to Uzbekistan. He is arrested and sentenced to death.

More details

The work begins with the fact that the former commander of the First World War and a civilian war Polovets comes to the farm. He goes to his former subordinate Lukich Ostrovnov. They had supper and began to talk about the unfairness of life and about the fact that a person should come to the farm and begin to call everyone to the collective farm. In addition, at his insistence, Lukich joined the Don Liberation Union.

So he happened. Soon Semyon Davydov arrived at the Gremyachiy farm and immediately set to work, he called a meeting of local activists and the poor. On it they made lists of all the kulaks who were subject to dispossession. And they began the process of dispossession and the formation of a collective farm.

These actions led to the fact that in secret, from the authorities began to gather dissatisfied with this and the actions.
A week later, at the meeting of the formed collective farm, Davydov was approved as chairman, and Ostrovsky as manager. For all the visible successes, the process of collectivization was very difficult.

In addition, this work reveals the personal relations of the heroes, so Davydov started an affair with the ex-wife of the secretary Lushkai, but considering that this would ruin his reputation, he decided to marry Varya Kharlamova, who is in love with her. However, he decided to hold this event after graduation.

The final plot of this work was the arrival of two procurers in Gremyachiy, who wanted to find the Polovets, but I felt it was not right, he and his accomplices killed them. After this incident, Davydov and his people decided to investigate the culmination of which was their murder. However, the conspirators could not escape responsibility, most of them were arrested.

This work gives an understanding that all negative actions will certainly be rewarded to those who committed them.

Retelling

Sholokhov's novel "Virgin Soil Upturned" tells about the brutal actions of a mass character in the 30s of the last century, which took place in a small Don settlement. At that moment all over the country collective farm cooperatives and the well-to-do part of the population were subjected to dispossession (peasantization). All property was taken from the kulaks and after that they were sent to uninhabited lands.

The story begins with the arrival of the communist Semyon Davydov and a retired officer of the White Army, Alexander Polovtsev, in the farm village. Each of them has different goals. Polovtsev is agitating people to fight the Soviet authorities. Davydov is engaged in uniting the poor to create a collective farm; he is trying to dispossess the rich and middle peasants. To implement his plan, Semyon enlists the support of the chairman of the village council Andrei Razmetnov and the secretary of the party cell Makar Nagulny.

The poor cannot make up their minds to create collective farms, and many vote against dispossession, because some wealthy peasants have done a lot of good for them. Titus Borodin, for example, was a poor man and made all his property thanks to his diligence, he worked tirelessly from dawn to dusk. However, at the meeting, Davydov convinces the people that it will be much better to live in a cooperative, but for this it is necessary to deprive the richest of the property. Semyon calls on the kulaks not to spare, and not to retreat on the way to a brighter future.

The opinions of people are divided, which leads to hostility in the farm. One part of the farmers supports the idea of ​​collectivization, the other does not want to join the collective farm. The poor are starting to form cooperatives. Wealthy peasants are deprived of their homes and all property, the process of dispossession of kulaks begins. The middle peasants are afraid of losing their last wealth. People's belongings are described, and those who do not want to part with it are confiscated by force for the benefit of everyone's use.

The rich, in order not to lose the remnants of their acquired property, slaughter cattle and hide grain. At the general meeting, a decision is made to expel from the collective farm those who do not want to obey. The discontent of the farmers is growing and people want to organize an uprising, while those who know about it are being killed.

Mass dissatisfaction with the Soviet regime and readiness for an uprising swept throughout the camp. Upon learning of this in Moscow, a decree was issued on the voluntariness of joining collective farms, while violence is unacceptable. Many, in connection with this decree, take their animals and leave the collective farm. Many destinies were ruined in these dramatic events. Nagulnov drives his wife out of the house, who, in turn, wants to get along with Davydov. But such an alliance is impossible for a communist, and he offers his hand and heart to a young girl who loves him.

The novel ends with the murder of Nagulny and Davydov by people dissatisfied with the policy of collectivization. In the course of exposing the revolutionary conspirators, more than 600 people were arrested. From this we can conclude that without the desire to force people to unite, it is impossible, even while promising a good life.

Picture or drawing Virgin soil lifted

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Along the last lane to the steppe, on a January evening in 1930, a horse-drawn horse drove into the farm Gremyachy Log. I asked passers-by for directions to the kuren of Yakov Lukich Ostrovnov. The owner, recognizing the visitor, looked around and whispered: “Your honor! Where are you? .. Mr. Esaul ... "This was the former commander of Ostrovnov in the First World War and civil wars Polovtsev. After supper, they began to interpret. Lukich was considered the first-class owner on the farm, a man of great intelligence and fox-like caution. He began to complain to the visitor: in the twentieth year he returned to the bare walls, left all his goods by the Black Sea. He worked day and night. In the very first year, the new government swept out all the grain out of the surplus appropriation system, and then lost count of change: it handed over bread, and meat, and butter, and skin, and poultry, paid innumerable taxes ... Now there is a new misfortune. A man came from the region and will drive everyone to the collective farm. He made money with his hump, and now give it to the common cauldron? “We have to fight, brother,” explains Polovtsev. And at his suggestion, Yakov Lukich joins the "Union for the Liberation of the Dear Don".

And the man they were talking about, a sailor in the past, and then a locksmith at the Putilov factory, Semyon Davydov, came to Gremyachy to carry out collectivization. First, he called a meeting of the Gremyachensky activists and the poor. Those present signed up for the collective farm in unison and approved the list of kulaks: those who got into it were waiting for the confiscation of property and eviction from their homes. When discussing the candidacy of Titus Borodin, there was a hitch. The secretary of the farm cell of the Communist Party Makar Nagulnov, a former Red Partisan, explained to Davydov: Titus is a former Red Guard, from the poor. But, returning from the war, he clung to the farm with his teeth. He worked twenty hours a day, overgrown with wild wool, acquired a hernia - and began to grow richer, despite warnings and persuasions to wait for the world revolution. To the persuasions he answered: "I was nothing and became everything, for this I fought."

“There was a partisan - he was honored for this, he became a fist - to crush,” - answered Davydov. The next day, under the tears of the evicted children and women, dispossession took place. The chairman of the Gremyachensky village council, Andrei Razmetnov, at first even refused to take part in this, but was persuaded by Davydov.

The residents of Gremyachen were not all aspiring to the collective farm more prosperous. Those dissatisfied with the authorities secretly gathered to discuss the situation. Among them were the middle peasants, and even some of the poor, Nikita Khoprov, for example, who was blackmailed by the fact that he had been in a punitive detachment of whites for some time. But Khoprov refused Ostrovnov's offer to participate in an armed uprising. Better he will inform himself. By the way, who lives with Lukich in the chaff — isn't that “your honor” who is inciting to mutiny? That same night, Khoprov and his wife were killed. Ostrovnov, Polovtsev and the son of a dispossessed man, the first village handsome man and accordion player Timofey Rvany took part in this. An investigator from the area was unable to get hold of the threads leading to the murder.

A week later, the general meeting of collective farmers approved the newcomer Davydov as the chairman of the collective farm, and Ostrovnov as the manager. Collectivization in Gremyachy was difficult: at first, the cattle were cut cleanly so as not to socialize it, then they hid the seed grain from surrender.

Party secretary Nagulnov divorced his wife Lukerya due to the fact that she publicly shouted at the exiled Timofey Rvaniy, her lover. And soon Lushka, known for her frivolity, met Davydov and said to him: "Look at me, comrade Davydov ... I am a beautiful woman, good for love ..."

Polovtsev and Yakov Lukich told like-minded people from a neighboring farm that the uprising was scheduled for the day after tomorrow. But they, it turns out, changed their intentions after reading Stalin's article "Dizzy with Success." They thought that it was an order of the center to drive everyone to the collective farm. And Stalin said that "you can sit in your own individuality." So they will get along with the local bosses, who are tough on collectivization, "and it is useless to turn against all Soviet power." “Fools, cursed by God! .. - Polovtsev seethed. "They don't understand that this article is a heinous deception, a maneuver!" And in Gremyachy, a week after the article appeared, about a hundred applications were submitted to leave the collective farm. Including from the widow Marina Poyarkova, "lyubushka" of the pre-village council Andrei Razmet-nov. And half an hour later, Marina, personally harnessed to the shafts of her cart, easily took the harrow and the plow from the brigade's yard.

The relations between the people and the authorities were aggravated again. And then the carts arrived from the Yarskiy farm and there was a rumor that they were looking for seed grain. And a riot broke out in Gremyachy: they beat Davydov, knocked down the locks from the barns and began to unauthorizedly disassemble the grain. After the suppression of the riot, Davydov promised not to apply administrative measures to the “temporarily deluded” ones.

By May 15, the collective farm in Gremyachy fulfilled the sowing plan. And Lushka began to visit Davydov: she took the newspapers and wondered if the chairman missed her. The resistance of the former naval was short-lived, and soon the whole village learned about their connection.

Ostrovnov met in the forest Timofey Rvany, who had escaped from exile. He ordered to tell Lukerya that he was waiting for the grub. And at home Lukich was in for an incomparably more bitter trouble: Polovtsev returned and, together with his comrade Lyatyevsky, settled with Ostrovnov for a secret residence.

Davydov, tormented by the fact that relations with Lushka undermine his authority, invited her to marry. Suddenly this led to a violent quarrel. In the absence, the chairman became depressed, entrusted the affairs to Razmetnov, and he himself drove off to the second brigade to help raise the pairs. The brigade constantly grumbled about the exorbitant thickness of Daria's cook. With the arrival of Davydov, another topic for rude jokes appeared - the love of young Vary Kharlamova with him. He himself, looking into her blushing face, thought: "After all, I am twice as old as you, wounded, ugly, chipped ... No ... grow up without me, dear."

Once, before sunrise, a horseman drove up to the camp. He joked with Daria, helped her peel the potatoes, and then ordered to wake Davydov. It was the new secretary of the district committee, Nesterenko. He checked the quality of the plowing, talked about collective farm affairs, in which he was very well versed, and criticized the chairman for omissions. The sailor himself was going to the farm: he learned that the night before Makara had been shot.

In Gremyachy, Razmetnov outlined the details of the assassination attempt: at night Makar was sitting at an open window with his newfound friend, a joker and joker grandfather Shchukar, "they cut him down with a rifle." In the morning, it was determined on the sleeve that a non-combatant was shooting: a soldier would not miss from thirty steps. And the shooter ran away so that the horseman could not catch up. The shot did not cause any injury to the party secretary, but he developed a terrible runny nose, which could be heard throughout the entire farm.

Davydov went to the smithy to inspect the inventory repaired for sowing. The blacksmith Ippolit Shaly warned the chairman in a conversation to throw Lukerya, otherwise he would also get a bullet in the forehead. Lushka is not knitting knots with him alone. And without that it is not clear why Timoshka Ragged (namely, he turned out to be an unlucky shooter) shot at Makar, and not at Davydov.

In the evening, Davydov told about the conversation between Makar and Razmetnov, and offered to inform the GPU. Makar resolutely opposed: as soon as the gepeushnik appeared on the farm, Timofey would immediately disappear. Makar personally set up an ambush at the house of his “former” wife (Lushka was locked up for this time) and on the third day he killed Timofey who appeared with the first shot. Lukerye gave the opportunity to say goodbye to the killed and released.

In the meantime, new people appeared in Gremyachy: two livestock purveyors. But Razmetnov detained them, noticing that the pens of the newcomers were white and their faces were not village ones. Here the "procurers" presented the documents of the employees of the regional administration of the OGPU and told them that they were looking for a dangerous enemy, the White Army captain Polovtsev, and their professional instinct told them that he was hiding in Gremyachy.

After the next party meeting, Davydova watched Varya to say: her mother wants to marry her off, but she herself loves him, a blind fool. Davydov, after sleepless thoughts, decided to marry her in the fall. In the meantime, I sent him to study as an agronomist.

Two days later, two procurers were killed on the road. Razmetnov, Nagulnov and Davydov immediately established surveillance of the houses of those who bought livestock. Surveillance led to Ostrovnov's house. Makar proposed a capture plan: he and Davydov burst through the door, and Andrei would lie down in the courtyard under the window. After short negotiations, the owner himself opened them. Makar kicked the door locked with a kick, but did not manage to fire. An explosion of a hand grenade flashed near the threshold, followed by a machine gun. Nagulnov, disfigured by shrapnel, died instantly, and Davydov, caught in a machine-gun fire, died the next night.

... So the Don nightingales buried Davydov and Nagulnov, whispered to them ripening wheat, the nameless river rang out on the stones ... In the man killed by Razmetnov, the staff of the OGPU identified Lyatyevsky. Polovtsev was taken three weeks later near Tashkent. After that, arrests rolled around the edge in a wide wave. In total, more than six hundred participants in the conspiracy were rendered harmless.

A summary of Sholokhov's novel "Virgin Soil Upturned"

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The novel "Virgin Soil Upturned" summary which you will find in this article is one of the most famous works classic of Soviet literature Mikhail Sholokhov. It consists of two volumes. At the same time, the first was published in 1932, and the second was published only in 1959. The novel tells about the process of collectivization in the Don, as well as about the movement of "25-thousanders".

The beginning of the novel

The novel Virgin Soil Upturned, a summary that will help you quickly recall the plot, begins with the fact that in January 1930 the main character arrives at the farm Gremyachy Log. He goes to Yakov Ostrovnov. The guest is the former commander of Ostrovnov, Polovtsev, with whom they served in the First World War and the Civil War.

Old comrades have supper and reminisce. Yakov Lukich is considered a good owner on the farm, smart and careful. He begins to complain to the guest how difficult it was to achieve everything. After the Civil War, he was literally greeted by bare walls, so he had to work around the clock. And then a new government came, which took all the grain for the surplus appropriation. I had to pay taxes, also donate meat, bread, butter.

A summary of 1 book "Virgin Land Upturned" is given in this article. So, you can find out that the inhabitants of the farm have a new concern. A certain person came from the region who will organize the collective farm. Everyone is wary of this innovation, they suspect that everything that was acquired by back-breaking labor will have to be put into a common pot. Polovtsev claims that it is necessary to fight against this, invites Yakov to join the "Union for the Liberation of the Native Don". This is the beginning of Sholokhov's novel Virgin Soil Upturned, the summary of which you are now reading.

Collectivization

The person who was discussed by the heroes in the first chapter is the former sailor Semyon Davydov, who managed to work as a mechanic at the Putilov factory. He comes to the Gremyachiy farm to establish collectivization. In Sholokhov's novel Virgin Soil Upturned, a summary allows you to quickly recall the plot, the Soviet reality of those years is described in detail.

Davydov begins with meetings of local activists and the poor. All those present sign up for the collective farm and agree on a list of kulaks. The latter will face confiscation of property and eviction from their homes.

The candidacy of Titus Borodin is being actively discussed. The secretary of the communist party farm cell Makar Nagulnov says that Titus was a red partisan, he himself came out of the poor. But after the Civil War, he wisely took up the economy, worked around the clock, acquired many diseases, but he began to get richer. The surrounding people more than once suggested that he wait for the world revolution, but he claimed that he had already fought to become everything, being nothing.

Davydov is strict. He argues that a person should be honored for being a partisan, and that having become a fist, he should be crushed.

The next day begins the mass eviction of wealthy peasants, which is described in detail in the novel Virgin Soil Upturned. The chapter summary gives an idea of ​​this.

Women and children are crying, dispossession is under way. The chairman of the village council, Andrei Razmetnov, is so dumbfounded by what is happening that at first he refuses to participate in this, but Davydov convinces him to change his decision.

Interestingly, even some representatives of the poor, and almost all the middle peasants, did not aspire to the collective farm. They gather in secret to discuss the state of affairs. Among the disaffected are Nikita Khoprov, who is actually being blackmailed by the fact that during the Civil War he was a member of a punitive detachment of whites.

Ostrovnov invites him to participate in an armed uprising, but Nikita is against it. Refusing, he begins to ask a lot of unnecessary questions about Ostrovnov. For example, he wonders who lives in his house, is he really inciting everyone to mutiny. On the same night, Khoprov and his wife are found dead. Polovtsev, Ostrovnov himself and accordionist Timofey Rvany, the son of a kulak, take part in this.

An investigator arrives from the area, but he cannot find any evidence or evidence.

Collective farm chairman

Davydov was elected chairman of the formed collective farm, Ostrovnov became the head of the farm. Collectivization itself is making headway. Not wanting to hand over the cattle to the authorities, they kill it and hide the seed grain. All these facts are described in Sholokhov's novel Virgin Soil Upturned. The chapter summary allows you to thoroughly learn the plot of this work.

They expel Timofey the Ragged along with his father. This leads to a tragedy in the Nagulnov family, whose wife publicly cries for the accordion player. Nagulnov divorces Lukerya.

Lushka, known for her frivolity, begins to flirt with Davydov.

Meanwhile, Polovtsev and Yakov Lukich were already ripe for an uprising. Its details are described by Sholokhov in Virgin Land Upturned. Summarizing the chapters will help you quickly restore everything in memory. The conspirators inform their accomplices from a neighboring farm that they intend to speak the day after tomorrow.

Finds out that their like-minded people changed their minds after reading Stalin's article "Dizzy with Success." Now they argue that the creation of collective farms is not a decree from the center, and now Stalin is declaring that it is possible to remain in your farm. Therefore, they want to find a common language with the local chief, who is conducting collectivization, and are not ready to oppose the Soviet regime.

Polovtsev is convinced that the article is a deception. Stalin's statement had an effect on the people. Only in Gremyachy itself, dozens of applications for leaving the collective farm were submitted in one week. Among others, Razmetnov's mistress Marina Poyarkova, who herself harnesses herself to the shafts, taking the harrow and plow from the common yard.

The situation escalates when carts arrive from Yarskoe. The people say that they came for the seed grain. A riot begins in Gremyachy. A summary of Virgin Soil Upturned describes how it all happened.

The people beat Davydov, knock the locks off the barns, the grain goes from hand to hand. It is not without difficulty that the riot is suppressed. Davydov decides not to take any administrative measures against those who have temporarily become mistaken.

Communication with Lushka

Lushka still manages to fool Davydov. She constantly went to his house, took newspapers, asked if he missed her. As a result, Davydov surrendered, the whole district became aware of their connection. Good news also arrives. By May 15, the collective farm is fulfilling its annual plan.

At this time, the opponents of collectivization do not give up. Sholokhov in "Virgin Land Upturned", a summary of the chapters will help you prepare for the exam or test in this work, talks about Ostrovnov's meeting with Timofey, who fled from exile. They see each other secretly in the forest. Timofey asks to tell Lukerya that he is waiting for her. At Ostrovnov's home, another piece of news comes across. Polovtsev arrived with his comrades. They decide to secretly hide at Lukich's house.

Davydov worries that his relationship with Lushka is seriously undermining his authority. Therefore, he invites her to formalize the relationship and get married. Suddenly, this leads to a serious fight. Davydov is left alone, very worried about this, entrusts all the affairs to Razmetnov, and he himself leaves to work with the second brigade.

In the brigade, everyone is discussing the exorbitant thickness of the cook Daria, the workers are constantly scoffing about this. And with the appearance of Davydov, another topic for constant jokes appears - young Varya Kharlamova falls in love with the collective farm chairman. She always communicates with a flaming face, but Davydov does not want this connection, claiming that he is twice as old as the girl, moreover, not handsome, wounded, it is better for her to grow up without him. Sholokhov in Virgin Soil Upturned, the content of the novel confirms this, pays attention not only to social processes, but also to the personal lives of the characters.

Once a horseman comes to the brigade. He jokes with Daria, helps her around the kitchen, peels potatoes, and then orders to wake Davydov. It turns out that a new secretary of the district committee, by the name of Nesterenko, has arrived. It is his responsibility to check the quality of plowing, as well as to sort out collective farm affairs. In these matters, Nesterenko is unusually knowledgeable. He criticizes Chairman Davydov for mistakes and omissions that appear in his work. The seaman understands that he needs to return to the farm to restore business, moreover, it became known that the day before someone had shot at Makar.

The assassination attempt on Makar

From the summary of Virgin Soil Upturned, as well as from the novel, you can find out the circumstances of what happened. Razmetnov says that late at night Makar was sitting at an open window with his new friend, grandfather Shchukar, a noble joker and joker. At that moment, unknown persons fired at him from a rifle.

The next morning, it was possible to establish from the found cartridge case that a man who was not in the war was shooting, because he managed to miss from a distance of 30 meters, which does not look like a soldier. The party secretary did not receive any injuries due to the shot, but he developed a severe cold, which was now heard throughout the entire farm.

A detailed summary of Virgin Soil Upturned describes in detail the events that took place in the novel. Davydov is preparing for sowing. To do this, he goes to the forge to inspect the inventory. The blacksmith Ippolit Shaly works there, who warns the chairman that he must abandon Lukerya, otherwise he also risks getting a bullet. After all, Lushka meets not only with him alone. It turns out that Timofey the Ragged one shot Makar unsuccessfully.

Davydov on the same day passes on the conversation with the blacksmith to Razmetnov and Makar. He proposes to resort to urgent measures - to report the incident to the GPU. Makar is categorically against, he suspects that as soon as the operatives appear on the farm, Timofey will immediately disappear. Makar decides to ambush himself near Lukerya's house. The woman herself is locked up for this time. Three days later, Timofey finally appears, whom Makar kills with the first shot. He gives Lushka the opportunity to say goodbye to him and lets go.

Search for Polovtsev

A summary of Virgin Soil Upturned is provided in this article. From the novel, you can learn that new people appear on the farm, who appear to be cattle purveyors. Razmetnov immediately senses that something was wrong, he draws attention that their faces are not village faces, and their hands are too clean and white. Razmetnov detains new people who turn out to be employees of the GPU. They came from the regional administration to find the dangerous enemy of Polovtsev, according to them, he was a captain in the White Army during the Civil War, and now secretly acts against the Soviet regime.

In Davydov's personal life, everything is again restless. After the party meeting, Varya is waiting for him, who says that her mother wants to marry her off, and she only loves him. Davydov suffers all night thinking, and in the morning decides to marry her. But a little later, in the meantime, he sends him to study as an agronomist.

Killing operatives

Based on the summary of Mikhail Sholokhov's Virgin Soil Upturned, one can form a full-fledged impression of this novel without even reading it. It has a lot of unexpected and exciting plot twists. For example, a few days after the events described, it becomes known that both procurers were found killed on the road.

Davydov, Nagulnov and Razmetnov, who know that they were in fact employees of the GPU, establish surveillance of the houses from which the livestock was purchased. Surveillance leads them to Ostrovnov's dwelling.

You can read a summary of the chapters of Virgin Soil Kicked right in this article. This way you learn that Makar is proposing a plan of capture. They are going with Davydov to burst through the door, while Andrei must guard near the window so that the intruders do not hide.

After short-term negotiations, the owner himself opens them. Makar kicks out the door, locked only with a bolt, with a strong kick, but does not have time to fire. Near the threshold of the house, a hand grenade first explodes, and then they begin to shoot from a machine gun. Nagulnov disfigures with shrapnel after the explosion, he dies on the spot. Davydov was seriously wounded from a machine gun. He died the next day in the hospital.

Polovtsev is arrested three weeks later near Tashkent. After that, arrests begin all over the region. In total, it is possible to reveal and neutralize about six hundred participants in the anti-Soviet conspiracy.

Analysis of the novel

The ideological artistic content of the novel Virgin Soil Upturned is detailed description the formation of the collective farm system in the Soviet countryside. An important place in this work is Don Cossacks... The writer shows a sincere interest in the fate of the masses during the revolution.

The novel describes in detail the transition to collectivization, when the Cossacks, together with the peasants, moved to a new form of social life. The central place is occupied by the confrontation between the supporters of socialism and the counter-revolutionaries.

Two characters representing the opposing camps are Davydov and Polovtsev. They arrive at Gremyachy Log almost at the same time. One must organize a collective farm, and the other must oppose this in every possible way.

Collective farm builders

The novel describes many characters who enthusiastically get down to business and build a collective farm. They are led by the communist Davydov. Fists and White Guards oppose this in every possible way.

Interestingly, the creation of a new life is associated with overcoming the proprietary ideas that have been cultivated among the peasants for centuries.

The novel has a large number of crowd scenes. Sholokhov depicts the difficult process of liquidating the old system in the countryside, the birth of collective farms. The main role here is assigned to Davydov, who became one of the 25 thousand communists whom the party sent to head collective farms and establish a new life on the ground.

Davydov immediately finds a common language with the people, while often making mistakes, like an ordinary person. For example, he fails to immediately recognize the enemy in Ostrovnov. He always strives to demonstrate by his own example how to live and act, this disposes many people to him, he finds such necessary support from them. A city man, a worker at the Putilov factory, who has never gone to plow, undertakes to plow in order to inspire others with his own example. He manages to achieve what he wants. People around begin to work.

Political education

Great attention paid to the Davydovs and political education. He patiently explains the party's policies to the villagers. At the same time, he retains his presence of mind, even when he is threatened with death from an angry crowd. It happened during the woman's riot.

Davydov is distinguished by an amazing feature - faith in the future. Moreover, these are not illusions or ghostly dreams. So, he talks about the Cossack girl Fedotka, whom he promises to build a good life soon. Twenty years later, he promises him to work with an electric plow, he will be happy, says Davydov.

Sholokhov demonstrates cheerfulness, charm and tenderness in Davydov. On the pages of the novel appears as the leader of the masses, an integral nature. Together with Davydov, Makar Nagulnov and Andrei Razmetnov are portrayed in the work. The latter grew up in poverty, so he strove to serve in the Red Army and was devoted to the Soviet regime. But at the same time he is not literate enough, it is difficult for him to understand the surrounding reality, but he constantly strives to learn, wants to learn new things.

Sholokhov's novel was very popular, becoming one of the author's main works.

Along the last lane to the steppe, on a January evening in 1930, a horse-drawn horse drove into the farm Gremyachy Log. I asked passers-by for directions to the kuren of Yakov Lukich Ostrovnov. The owner, recognizing the visitor, looked around and whispered: “Your honor! Where did you get it? .. Mr. Esaul ... ”This was the former commander of Ostrovnov in the First World War and the Civil War of the Polovtsi. After supper, they began to interpret. Lukich was considered the first-class owner on the farm, a man of great intelligence and fox-like caution. He began to complain to the visitor: in the twentieth year he returned to the bare walls, left all his goods by the Black Sea. He worked day and night. The new government in the very first year swept out all the grain out of the surplus allocation, and then lost count of the surrenders: he handed over bread, and meat, and butter, and skin, and poultry, paid innumerable taxes ... Now - a new misfortune. A man came from the region and will drive everyone to the collective farm. I made money with my hump, and now give it to the common cauldron? “We have to fight, brother,” explains Polovtsev. And at his suggestion, Yakov Lukich joins the "Union for the Liberation of the Dear Don".

And the man they were talking about, a sailor in the past, and then a locksmith at the Putilov factory, Semyon Davydov, came to Gremyachy to carry out collectivization. First, he called a meeting of the Gremyachensky activists and the poor. Those present signed up for the collective farm in unison and approved the list of kulaks: those who got into it were waiting for the confiscation of property and eviction from their homes. When discussing the candidacy of Titus Borodin, there was a hitch. The secretary of the farm cell of the Communist Party Makar Nagulnov, a former Red Partisan, explained to Davydov: Titus is a former Red Guard, from the poor. But, returning from the war, he clung to the farm with his teeth. He worked twenty hours a day, overgrown with wild wool, acquired a hernia - and began to grow richer, despite warnings and persuasions to wait for the world revolution. To the persuasions he answered: "I was nothing and became everything, for this I fought."

“There was a partisan - he was honored for this, he became a fist - to crush,” - answered Davydov. The next day, under the tears of the evicted children and women, dispossession took place. The chairman of the Gremyachensky village council, Andrei Razmetnov, at first even refused to take part in this, but was persuaded by Davydov.

The residents of Gremyachen were not all aspiring to the collective farm more prosperous. Those dissatisfied with the authorities secretly gathered to discuss the situation. Among them were the middle peasants, and even some of the poor, Nikita Khoprov, for example, who was blackmailed by the fact that he had been in a punitive detachment of whites for some time. But Khoprov refused the offer of Ostrovnov to participate in the armed uprising. Better he will inform himself. By the way, who lives with Lukich in the chaff — isn't that “your honor” who is inciting to mutiny? That same night, Khoprov and his wife were killed. Ostrovnov, Polovtsev and the son of a dispossessed man, the first village handsome man and accordion player Timofey Rvany took part in this. An investigator from the area was unable to get hold of the threads leading to the murder.

A week later, the general meeting of collective farmers approved the newcomer Davydov as the chairman of the collective farm, and Ostrovnov as the manager. Collectivization in Gremyachy was difficult: at first, the cattle were cut cleanly so as not to socialize it, then they hid the seed grain from surrender.

Party secretary Nagulnov divorced his wife Lukerya due to the fact that she publicly shouted at the expelled Timofey Rvaniy, her lover. And soon Lushka, known for her frivolity, met Davydov and said to him: "Look at me, comrade Davydov ... I am a beautiful woman, good for love ..."

Polovtsev and Yakov Lukich told like-minded people from a neighboring farm that the uprising was scheduled for the day after tomorrow. But they, it turns out, changed their intentions after reading Stalin's article "Dizzy with Success." They thought that it was an order of the center to drive everyone to the collective farm. And Stalin said that "you can sit in your own individuality." So they will get along with the local bosses, who are tough on collectivization, "and it is useless to turn against all Soviet power." “Fools, cursed by God! .. - Polovtsev seethed. "They don't understand that this article is a heinous deception, a maneuver!" And in Gremyachy, a week after the article appeared, about a hundred applications were submitted to leave the collective farm. Including from the widow Marina Poyarkova, "lyubushka" of the pre-village council Andrei Razmet-nov. And half an hour later, Marina, personally harnessed to the shafts of her cart, easily took the harrow and the plow from the brigade's yard.

The relations between the people and the authorities were aggravated again. And then the carts arrived from the Yarsky farm and there was a rumor that they were looking for seed grain. And a riot broke out in Gremyachy: they beat Davydov, knocked down the locks from the barns and began to unauthorizedly disassemble the grain. After the suppression of the riot, Davydov promised not to apply administrative measures to the “temporarily deluded” ones.

By May 15, the collective farm in Gremyachy fulfilled the sowing plan. And Lushka began to visit Davydov: she took the newspapers and wondered if the chairman missed her. The resistance of the former naval was short-lived, and soon the whole village learned about their connection.

Ostrovnov met in the forest Timofey Rvany, who had escaped from exile. He ordered to tell Lukerya that he was waiting for grubs. And at home Lukich was in for an incomparably more bitter trouble: Polovtsev returned and, together with his comrade Lyatyevsky, settled with Ostrovnov for a secret residence.

Davydov, tormented by the fact that relations with Lushka undermine his authority, invited her to marry. Suddenly this led to a violent quarrel. In the absence, the chairman became depressed, entrusted the affairs to Razmetnov, and he himself drove off to the second brigade to help raise the pairs. The brigade constantly grumbled about the exorbitant thickness of Daria's cook. With the arrival of Davydov, another topic for rude jokes appeared - the fall in love with young Vary Kharlamova. He himself, looking into her blushing face, thought: "After all, I am twice as old as you, wounded, ugly, chipped ... No ... grow up without me, dear."

Once, before sunrise, a horseman drove up to the camp. He joked with Daria, helped her peel the potatoes, and then ordered to wake Davydov. It was the new secretary of the district committee, Nesterenko. He checked the quality of the plowing, talked about collective farm affairs, in which he was very well versed, and criticized the chairman for omissions. The sailor himself was going to the farm: he learned that the night before Makara had been shot.

In Gremyachy, Razmetnov outlined the details of the assassination attempt: at night Makar was sitting at an open window with his newfound friend, a joker and joker grandfather Shchukar, "they cut him down with a rifle." In the morning, it was determined on the sleeve that a non-combatant was shooting: a soldier from thirty steps would not miss. And the shooter ran away so that the horseman could not catch up. The shot did not cause any injury to the party secretary, but he developed a terrible runny nose, which could be heard throughout the entire farm.

Davydov went to the smithy to inspect the inventory repaired for sowing. The blacksmith Ippolit Shaly warned the chairman in a conversation to throw Lukerya, otherwise he would also get a bullet in the forehead. Lushka is not knitting knots with him alone. And without that it is not clear why Timoshka Ragged (namely, he turned out to be an unlucky shooter) shot at Makar, and not at Davydov.

In the evening, Davydov told about the conversation between Makar and Razmetnov, and offered to inform the GPU. Makar resolutely opposed: as soon as the gepeushnik appeared on the farm, Timofey would immediately disappear. Makar personally set up an ambush at the house of his “former” wife (Lushka was locked up for this time) and on the third day he killed Timofey who appeared with the first shot. Lukerye gave the opportunity to say goodbye to the killed and released.

In the meantime, new people appeared in Gremyachy: two livestock purveyors. But Razmetnov detained them, noticing that the pens of the newcomers were white and their faces were not village ones. Here the "procurers" presented the documents of the employees of the regional administration of the OGPU and told them that they were looking for a dangerous enemy, the White Army captain Polovtsev, and their professional instinct told them that he was hiding in Gremyachy.

After the next party meeting, Davydova watched Varya to say: her mother wants to marry her off, but she herself loves him, a blind fool. Davydov, after sleepless thoughts, decided to marry her in the fall. In the meantime, I sent him to study as an agronomist.

Two days later, two procurers were killed on the road. Razmetnov, Nagulnov and Davydov immediately established surveillance of the houses of those who bought livestock. Surveillance led to Ostrovnov's house. Makar proposed a capture plan: he and Davydov burst through the door, and Andrei would lie down in the courtyard under the window. After short negotiations, the owner himself opened them. Makar kicked the door locked with a kick, but did not manage to fire. An explosion of a hand grenade flashed near the threshold, followed by a machine gun. Nagulnov, disfigured by shrapnel, died instantly, and Davydov, caught in a machine-gun fire, died the next night.

... So the Don nightingales buried Davydov and Nagulnov, whispered to them ripening wheat, the nameless river rang out on the stones ... In the man killed by Razmetnov, the staff of the OGPU identified Lyatyevsky. Polovtsev was taken three weeks later near Tashkent. After that, arrests rolled around the edge in a wide wave. In total, more than six hundred participants in the conspiracy were rendered harmless.

Sholokhov: "Virgin Soil Upturned"

The novel opens with a picture of a pre-spring garden.

On a January evening in 1930, a horseman entered the Gremyachy Log farm. He asks the woman he meets where Yakov Lukich Ostroznov lives here, she points out. The horseman enters the hut to Yakov Lukich and asks the owner if he remembers Polovtsev. Ostrovnov is frightened, recognizes Alexander Anisimovich as a horseman, with whom they went through the German war together, and parted in Novorossiysk - Ostrovnov Thought that the Esaul sailed to Turkey with the Cossacks. After dinner, the host and guest retire to talk.

Davydov, one of the "twenty-five thousand," arrives at the party's district committee, staying in Rostov due to illness. Davydov works at the Putilov factory, in the past he was a sailor. The secretary of the district committee explains the task facing Davydov - to go today as an authorized person to carry out complete collectivization. They discuss the tactics of behavior with their fists: do not let the descent, but at the same time do not scare off the middle peasant with unreasonably high demands. It is also mentioned that it is also necessary to fight all kinds of deviators.

Davydov arrives at Gremyachy Log, the Cossacks notice his arrival, they joke about, discuss his horse. Davydov goes to the village council, where he finds the secretary of the party cell Makar Nagulnov. Soon the chairman of the village council Andrei Razmetnov comes. Davydov talks about the collective farm, Nagulnov mentions that they have a "partnership for joint cultivation of the land," but he has neither the means nor the equipment, since only the poor are included. Nagulnov adds that in 1920 they had a commune, which he also entered, but it "disintegrated from selfishness." In addition, a chairman was unsuccessfully appointed there, who exchanges a breeding bull for a damaged motorcycle (after that he was nicknamed - Menok). Razmetnov says that it would be good for them to be chairman of Ostrovnov Yakov Lukich, who is “his own man” and a prudent owner. Nagulnov, on the other hand, does not trust Ostrovnov.

Yakov Lukich and Polovtsev talked all night. Ostrovnov asks whether collectivization is everywhere or only with them, Polovtsev replies that everywhere. Yakov Lukich complains about the numerous insults to which the Soviet regime subjected him - they take away the bread, and in return they give receipts - "I will soon collect a bag of these papers." Ostrovnov talks about his farm, in which he knows a lot, about how he raised a mare, which took a prize at an agricultural exhibition, about how he began to "listen" to agronomists, about how he became a "cultural master", that the Soviet government ordered to sow as much as possible, and now Ostrovnov is afraid that he will be enrolled in the kulaks. Yakov Lukich does not want to go to the collective farm, since he made his own farm with sweat and blood, while the others did nothing. Polovtsev recalls that even during the retreat in Yekaterinodar he said to the Cossacks: “You will be bitterly mistaken, guys! The communists will squeeze you, they will twist you into a ram's horn. Vkhomyanitsya you, but it will be too late. " Polovtsev says that he did not manage to leave Novorossiysk, as they were betrayed by the volunteers and abandoned by the allies. Polovtsev joined the Red Army, commanded a squadron. However, on the way to the Polish front, the filtration commission checked the former officers. Polovtsev was dismissed from office, arrested and sent to the Revolutionary Tribunal. Polovtsev understands that he will either be shot or sent to a concentration camp, since one of the villagers reported that he participated in the execution of Podtelkov (during the Cossack uprising, which is mentioned in the novel "Quiet Don"), On the way to the revolutionary tribunal he fled, hid for a long time, lived under a false name, and in 1923 he returned to his native village. The document that he fought in the ranks of the Red Army was preserved, and, despite the fact that at first Polovtsev had to give explanations to the Cheka, he was soon left alone. Until recently, Polovtsev was a teacher. When Yakov Lukich asked why collective farms are needed, the captain replies that this is the path to communism - the complete destruction of property. “At first, bulls and cows are common, and then everything will be common - children, wives, cups, spoons. You would like to eat noodles with goose giblets, and they will feed you kvass. You will be a serf near the earth. " Polovtsev mentions that he read Karl Marx and the famous "Manifesto of the Communist Party" and that this is exactly what follows from them. To Ostrovnov's objections, Polovtsev replies that no one will ask him. Yakov Lukich agrees that it is necessary to fight. Polovtsev claims that they have many like-minded people in Moscow, in the Red Army, and among the Cossacks. To Ostrovnov's uncertainty about whether the people would follow them, Polovtsev remarks: "The people are like a herd of sheep, they must be led." Answering the direct question whether he is with them or not, Yakov Lukich asks to think one day. The next morning, he decides and signs a paper, a commitment to the last drop of blood to fight the Communist Bolsheviks.

Gremyachensky asset and the poor gather for a meeting. Davydov speaks to them, says that he was sent to organize a collective farm and destroy the "bloodsucking fist." It would be nice to organize a collective farm only of the poor, but the poor have nothing, and in order to sow and harvest a lot, funds and a tractor are needed. The Cossacks argue - some agree with the collective farm, since “it’s good to beat the artel and the daddy”, some have doubts. Someone Lyubishkin speaks, who says that it is not necessary to agitate him for Soviet power, that he did not fight with the cadets so that the rich would live better than him again, mentions the fist of Frol Rvany, demands “to cut the veins of the kulak”, then “let's go to the collective farm ". When they start voting, approving the list of kulak farms, one person abstains. Davydov, and Nagulnov, and Razmetnov attacked him. The latter motivates his refusal to vote "for" by the fact that one of the "kulaks" is his neighbor and he saw a lot of good things from him. After the suggestion, during the second vote, the person reluctantly raises his hand. Confirming as a fist Titus Borodin, the meeting is in indecision: Davydov is informed that Borodin himself is of a poor family, in the 18th year he volunteered for the Red Army, has wounds and awards, and when he returned, he took up farming and made three pairs of bulls and "Gnawing from lifting weights." Then Titus began to hire workers and, according to him, “was nothing, but became everything,” for which he fought. Titus says that it is he who feeds the Soviet government, and he calls Nagulnov and Razmetnov "briefcases" and refuses to obey them. Davydov is indignant: "he was a partisan - he was honored, but he became a fist, he became an enemy - to crush!" The assembly reluctantly votes to dispossess Titus. On the way from the meeting, Davydov discusses with Nagulnov about property, who says that he has "a hatred for property from an early age." Nagulnov's father was a well-to-do peasant, and one day a neighbor's pig climbed into their garden, his mother splashed pigs on her, the pig died as a result, and a week later 23 heaps of wheat burned down at the Nagulnovs in the steppe. The case was obvious, the father filed a lawsuit, a lawsuit began, which dragged on for five years, until the neighbor's son was found murdered on the threshing floor - someone whipped him with a pitchfork. The investigation did not find the killers. Then Nagulnov recalls the war with the Germans, when, lying in the trenches, he thought what he was fighting for, for whose property he was afraid, he added that he was gassed, and he was concussed into the civilian, then “he began to beat him with fits,” he was given the order , from which he "becomes warmer at once." He ends up saying that "we need to bury ourselves in the ground, and to lure everyone into the collective farm — closer and closer to the world revolution." Nagulnov recalls how, together with Titus Borodin, he was at the suppression of the uprising in one of the volosts of the Donetsk district. Once Titus came to the apartment and brought bales into the hut, which turned out to be eight pairs of severed legs. Nagulnov is indignant, but Titus objects that the rebels deserve it, and he will shoe the whole family with these boots. Later Titus himself declared that later he himself became afraid of his actions.

Andrei Razmetnov left for service in 1913. He did not have money, not only for a horse, but also for decent uniforms. At the meeting in the village, they decide to send him to the service at the expense of the troops. A share of Andrei's land was taken by the stanitsa government and, while he was at war, was leased. In German, Andrew deserved three St. George's crosses. He sent money to his wife and mother. By the end of the war, his wife came to Andrei in the regiment, stayed there for several days, and after the prescribed time, she gave birth to a boy in her village. In the 18th year, Andrei returned to the village, but did not stay there for long - he left for a civilian. He was wounded, and in the hospital, from an accidentally met villager, Andrei learned that after the defeat of Podtelkov's detachment in Gremyachy Log, White Cossacks, “taking revenge on him for going to the Reds, fiercely dabbled with his wife, that all this became known to the farm and that Evdokia, black shame, laid hands on herself. " Two weeks later, Andrei's son died of a cold. Andrei returns to the village and, having learned that his wife was raped by a certain Deryabkin, went to his kuren. Having met his father there, Andrei is going to hack him to death, but Deryabkin's wife appears here with a huge number of children and begins to shout that he then chops down everyone, since they are the children of the offender Andrei. Andrey retreats with the words “Your happiness. Kids ... ”leaves. Two more years pass. Andrey returns home from the Polish front. Andrei's mother tries to persuade him to marry, but he is silent. In the same year, Andrei became friends with Marina, the widow of a sergeant-major who was killed near Novocherkassk. Marina was ten years older than Andrei. She invited him to cover the roof, however, then it turned out that she did it not without intent (the roof was then re-blocked by grandfather Shchukar). According to her, her husband, the dashing sergeant-major Poyarkov, she loved for one courage. Andrey stays with her to spend the night and from that day begins to visit Marina's house often. Marina “seemed to have thrown off twenty years,” even started going to meetings to watch Andrey there - if he was flirting with young women. She gave him all her husband's clothes, and Andrei, "who had previously been a beggar, not ashamed, as a successor, flaunted Gremyachy in cloth general trousers and shirts, the sleeves and collars of which were noticeably short and narrow for him." Returning from the meeting of the poor, Andrei tells Marina that she must go to the collective farm. She flatly refuses. Andrey gets angry, dresses, leaves.

The next day, before the board, 14 people (including grandfather Shchukar) gather to evict the kulaks. Nagulnov refuses to go to dispossess the Damaskovs, since his wife Lushka lives with Timofei, the son of Frol Damaskov. Tita Borodin is not at home. His wife says that Titus has left. There are no Titus bulls either. Nagulnov assumes that Titus stole the bulls for sale, having learned that they were going to dispossess him. Jumping on one of Titus' horses, Nagulnov begins pursuit. He soon catches up with Titus and orders him to turn back. After some hesitation, Titus obeys the order. Titus has a sawn-off shotgun with him, Titus refuses to give out the sawn-off shotgun of Nagulnov, then complains that in vain he fought for "just power", which now takes them "by the scruff."

Razmetnov, meanwhile, goes to Frol Damaskov. He shows Razmetnov a certificate signed by Razmetnov stating that Damaskov completed the change in bread. Razmetnov claims that bread has nothing to do with it, and begins an inventory of the property. Damascus does not understand why they are describing his property and being evicted. The poor, who came with Razmetnov, begins to break open the chests and joyfully list their contents. After breaking into the barn, the wheat is confiscated. Some of the poor peasants have already pulled on Frol's boots and, while no one sees, they are eating honey from a tin can with a spoon. Nagulnov and Titko return to the farm at noon. During their absence, Davydov described the property of two more kulak farms and evicted the owners themselves. Nagulnov again demanded that Titus give out the sawn-off shotgun, but he, apparently, threw it away on the road. Davydov threatens Titus with arrest, he loses his temper, rushes at Davydov, cuts his eyebrow. There is a commotion, Titus's wife releases the dog from the chain, which, having caught up with Shchukar's grandfather, begins to wag him. After a while, everything calmed down. Nagulnov writes a letter to the GPU regarding Titka, who is sent right there to the region. Titus threatens, promises Nagulnov that their paths will "clash", despite their past friendship. Davydov, Nagulnov, Razmetnov gather in the village council after dispossession of kulaks. Razmetnov declares that he will no longer be dispossessed of kulaks, that he "has not been trained to fight with children," recalls that Gaev, whom they dispossessed, has eleven children. Davydov loses his temper, shouts that no one felt sorry for them, so they shouldn't feel sorry for anyone either. He tells how his father was exiled to Siberia after the strike. The mother had four of them, and the mother, so as not to starve to death, went out into the street. Davydov recalls how, at the age of 9, he hid behind a curtain when his mother “brought guests”. Then he begins to convince Andrei that the kulak families are also being evicted, "so that they do not interfere with building a new life." Suddenly, Nagulnov has a seizure, he shouts that if even thousands of women, children and old people were needed "in a spray for the revolution," he would not have thought for a minute. The next day, a meeting is held at which the plan of the future collective farm is discussed. Davydov talks about the life of the workers, then the floor is given to Kondrat Maidannikov, who "writes down his entire life." Maidannikov talks about how many children he has, how much bread he needs, how much he sowed last year, etc. From all these figures it becomes clear that living alone is not good. Hence the conclusion - everyone needs a collective farm. However, when voting out of more than 200 households, only about 60 raised their hands in favor. There was no one against - the others simply did not want to go to the collective farm. Kondrat Maidannikov comes home, goes to the barn and begins to say goodbye to the bulls, talks to them - recalls how he nursed them, how the bulls worked for him, and, crying, leaves the barn. Arriving in the hut, he writes a statement to Nagulnov "to the cell of the Communist Party" so that he "will be admitted to the collective farm", "until a new life." The first public nursery (for cattle) is being built in Gremyachy. Maidannikov points out that "it will be difficult," since "three are working, and ten are being turned by gypsies at the fence."

The next day, the collective farmers go to dispossess the old man Lapshinov, who was a stingy, zealous owner and managed to hide his property better in advance. Then Maidannikov recalls Lapshinov that at one time he gave Maidannikov millet for seeds - having given two measures, back demanded three. At this Lapshinov is sincerely surprised - did Maidannikov really think that they would give him millet for free. Some sympathize with Lapshinov, who touchingly says goodbye to his farm. Demo Ushakov, one of the poor, is trying to take the goose from Lapshinov's wife. They pull it to one another for a long time, until the goose's head comes off and Demka falls on the purse with the eggs that the goose incubated. Those present laugh, everything turns into a joke by itself. The evicted kulaks live with their relatives and friends. They begin to gather for gatherings, which are attended by some of the middle peasants who rebelled against the collective farm, and even two from the poor, one of whom is Nikita Khoprov, an artilleryman of the Guards battery, a colleague of Podtelkov, who in 1919 participated in the punitive detachment. He was afraid that his participation would be revealed, and begged Lapshinov and Ostrovnov, who were in the know, to keep quiet. Lapshinov took advantage of this - Nikita plowed him for free, threshed him, etc. Yakov Lukich did not force Nikita to work, but from time to time he "went for a treat", drank vodka, thanked him and left. Although Khoprov was angry with both, he still endured.

Polovtsev still lives with Ostrovnov, at his instigation Yakov Lukich speaks at a collective farm meeting, campaigning for the collective farm. Ostrovnov has a meeting of fists. They say that officers are announced, that the people are embittered and must revolt. Khoprov asks Ostrovnov about the officer who lives with him, Yakov Lukich refuses. Khoprov leaves the gathering, Lapshinov tries not to let him in. In the heat of the moment, Khoprov says that Lapshinov and the others are bloodsuckers, that he will inform himself about his participation in the punishers, "but you are holding on." Ostrovnov together with Frol Rvany go to Polovtsev, talk about what happened. Polovtsev orders to take the ax and go to Khorov. After some hesitation, Khoprov opens the door and is killed. Then they try to find out from his wife whether Khoprov has already informed about the fists or not, then they kill her too.

The investigator who came to the village could not find the killers of Khoprov. Nagulnov and Davydov vaguely surmise that this murder is somehow connected with collectivization, and at one of the next meetings of collective farmers a unanimous decision is made to evict kulak families from the North Caucasian Territory.

Davydov lives with the Nagulnovs. Lushka, Nagulnov's wife, despite the freckles covering her face, is beautiful and charming. She flirts with Davydov, he tries to talk to Nagulnov about how he would act on his wife. Nagulnov shrugs it off, says that he will figure it out himself. Davydov mentions that he is going to Ostrovnov, as he wants to invite him to the collective farm. Nagulnov declares that he is against this, since Ostrovnov is wealthy and by nature a fist.

Yakov Lukich recalls his life, thinks that if it were not for the Soviet power, thanks to his labors, he would have lived "richer than the rich, nourishing." Yakov Lukich is an economic man, “he does not want a worker or a Red Army soldier to eat the meat of his sheep somewhere in a factory canteen. They are Soviet. The Soviet government offended Yakov Lukich with taxes and extortions for ten years, did not give an opportunity to run a large-scale economy. " When the Soviet government began to take away bread, cattle and other things for nothing, Yakov Lukich sold a steam engine, bought in 1916 * he buried 30 golden tens and a leather bag of silver in his moneybox! sold the surplus cattle, curtailed the sowing. Thanks to his perspicacity, since “he was able to discern the coming timelessness in time,” Yakov Lukich remained intact and no one touched him. Polovtsev tells Yakov Lukich that it is necessary to slaughter the cattle, that "it is necessary to tear the earth out from under the Bolsheviks." Polovtsev explains that cattle can still be earned, that bulls from America and Sweden will be sent, but the boltseviks must be strangled. Suddenly Davydov comes to Yakov Lukich. Polovtsev is hiding in the next room. Ostrovnov tells Davydov about useful agronomic advice, which he read in magazines. Davydov leaves Ostrovnov with a stack of magazines under his arm and the confidence that Ostrovnov is a very useful person.

Meanwhile, in the village, they begin to slaughter livestock so as not to give it to the collective farm. All the cellars are crammed with meat, "they ate a lot and had stomach aches from young to old." Grandfather Shchukar was one of the first to stab his heifer and overeat so that then he suffered from an upset stomach for a long time. Razmetnov, having learned about the mass slaughter of cattle, resorts to Davydov and tells about what happened. Davydov listens to him absentmindedly - they sent him a parcel from Leningrad with cigarettes, chocolate and other things, and he is pleased that his friends have not forgotten him. Razmetnov notes that it would not be a sin for Davydov to wash and wash his clothes, otherwise the shirt on him "you can't cut through with a saber, and then it stinks like a stained horse." Davydov promises to do this.

Davydov goes to Nagulnov, meets Lushka, who, after the eviction of the kulaks, with whom Timofey Rvanyy left, walks as if she were lowered into the water. When the carts with kulak families and belongings were leaving, Lushka publicly shouted for Timothy, and after that day, “and even her husband became a little forgiven.” Nagulnov declares that he gives her a few days to get ready, and then let her go wherever she looks. Davydov again reproaches Nagulnov for his wife, he replies that women mean nothing to him and that he is all "pointed to the world revolution." He adds / that he himself allowed Lushka, "if she needs it," to go for a walk - so long as she does not bring it in the hem or "what kind of ailment she doesn’t capture." But what she and her kulak son smelled about, Nagulnov cannot forgive her, since he enters into a "new life" and does not want to "dirty his hands". Then he says that as soon as the world revolution takes place, he “is the first to make a noise to marry people of different law” - then everyone will laugh, and there will be no such shame in the world that one is white in body, the other is yellow, and the third is black, and others are white. Their skin color is reproached and considered inferior to themselves. All will be pleasantly dark-skinned and all the same. " Davydov gets angry, says that he is leaving Nagulnov, takes his suitcase and leaves.

Nagulnov, having learned that livestock is being slaughtered, proposes to petition the CEC for the right to shoot those who do it. Davydov objects that, according to the law, one can "imprison for three years, evict from the region," but execution is too much. He adds that people need to be educated. At the next meeting, Davydov and Nagulnov declare that those who slaughter livestock will be expelled from the collective farm. People begin to regret that they have slaughtered livestock, they complain to each other. On the way from the meeting, Davydov enters the stable, where the collective farm horses are. There are a lot of people near the stables, Kondrat Maidannikov is on duty, who explains to Davydov that as soon as the time comes to feed the horses, people come and demand that their horse be given more and better hay;

At the next meeting of the cell, it was decided to socialize all livestock, including even poultry. Davydov visits grandfather Shchukar, who is still suffering from a stomach. On his stomach, the nurse-grandmother puts a little iron pot, "to pull it away." The grandfather groans, yells that the grandmother will tear his stomach. Davydov is frightened, breaks the iron pot, freeing Shchukar. Shchukar confesses that he killed a cow. The next day, Shchukar, walking around the village, tells everyone that Davydov and Nagulnov came to him personally for advice on collective farm affairs.

Meanwhile, the confiscated kulak property and clothing are distributed among the poor. This case is entrusted to Yakov Lukich Ostrovnov. Shchukar also comes running to the village council to get him a paper to receive a new fur coat, since during the dispossession of his old sheepskin coat a dog patted him. Shchukar gets his way, and a little later walks around the village, boasting a new sheepskin coat. Night. Kondrat Maidannikov lies and remembers his life - about his parents, who were poor, about how he prayed for the "dark image of the Old Believer letter", about how he was military service and "together with his hundred, he whipped and chopped the striking Ivanovo-Voznesensk weavers with a saber, defending the interests of the manufacturers." Then, in 1920, Kondrat cut down the White Poles and Wrangelites, defending Soviet power. "Kondrat no longer believes in God, but believes in the Communist Party, leading the working people of the whole world to liberation, a blue future." Kondrat took all his cattle to the collective farm bases, but nevertheless he could not sleep at night, as "he remained in him a pity-viper for his good." On the eve, Maidannikov saw a boy-shepherd driving the cows to the watering hole - at a gallop, there he did not look at which cow was drunk, which was not - and just galloped back.

Nagulnov, meanwhile, is debating whether the collective farmers did the right thing by socializing the poultry - too small a matter for the tasks that are facing them. Davydov stands for “scattering the chickens home.” At the suggestion of Davydov, they do just that. Davydov goes to the center with the latest news. There he is given a new task - to bring collectivization to 100%.

In the spring, collective farmers at a meeting discuss how much, what and where to sow, how much virgin soil to plow, how much to put aside in a seed fund, etc. collective farmers. Polovtsev still lives with Yakov Lukich, draws some maps, sends dispatches, prepares for an uprising. Yakov Lukich lives a double life - although, on the one hand, he is an ardent opponent of Soviet power, on the other, he likes to manage. He likes to talk with Davydov, with the collective farmers, establish a common business, build sheds, cowsheds, etc. In the evening, he usually reports to Polovtsev about what happened during the day. Polovtsev listens in silence, only once he loses his temper - when he was told about the distribution of kulak clothes among the poor, he said that in the spring they would cut everyone who took part in this. Yakov Lukich notes that he made a list of those who took kulak goods. Polovtsev is in charge of Yakov Lukich, and at his instigation Ostrovnov orders to fill the bulls with sand instead of straw bedding, ostensibly for cleanliness. Davydov approves of this, since he still does not know much about agriculture. One of the collective farmers - Lyubishkin - resorts to him, warns that the bulls will freeze in the sand, but Davydov dismisses him, saying that "enough to work the old fashioned way." The next morning, half of the bulls could not get up. As a result, Yakov Lukich barely held on to his position as manager. Davydov forgives Ostrovnov, as he believes that this happened by misunderstanding. Meanwhile, a certain Vatslav Avgustovich Lyatyevsky, a Polish nobleman, a former cornet, comes to Polovtsev at Ostrovnov's house. He looks about 30 years old, he is yellow-faced and thin, his left eye is screwed up, "apparently, after a concussion." Lyatyevsky constantly jokes, jokes. Some important news is reported to Polovtsev, and soon he leaves. Lyatyevsky remains. He "turned out to be a restless man and military unceremonious." Once Yakov Lukich runs into Lyatyevsky in the entryway, who presses his daughter-in-law. Lyatyevsky reacts calmly to the appearance of Yakov Lukich, even offers to smoke, hinting that he should not say anything to his son. Ostrovnov didn’t say anything to his son, but he took his daughter-in-law into the barn and whipped him well with the reins. Somehow Lyatyevsky gets drunk and says that he does not understand why Yakov Lukich contacted them. “Polovtsev and I have nowhere to go, we are going to our death ... We have nothing to lose except chains, as the communists say. Are you here? You are, in my opinion, just a victim of the evening. You should live and live for a fool ... ”Lyatyevsky adds that he is a nobleman and that it was a shame for him to leave his country and in a foreign land by the sweat of his brow to get his daily bread. "And you? Who are you? Bread grower and bread eater! Dung beetle! " Yakov Lukich makes excuses that they have no place to live, that they are taking everything away, strangling them with taxes. Lyatyevsky objects that in other countries the peasants also pay taxes, even higher than here. Yakov Lukich does not believe and is in some bewilderment. Once a letter is delivered from Polovtsev, in which he says that "Bolsheviks after a while will begin to collect allegedly seed grain, which will actually go for sale abroad. And this threatens the peasants and all the people of Russia with starvation. Yakov Lukich should start on this occasion. explanatory work among the villagers.

Due to rumors that bread will go abroad, the delivery of the seed fund is very slow, with delays. Nagulnov gathers meetings every day, threatens, but no changes for the better happen. Among others, a certain Bannik comes to refuse to hand over bread and make excuses to Nagulnov. After long quarrels with Nagulnov, he says that he will not hand over bread, so that "later on to ships and to foreign lands ... Buy Antanmobiles, so that the party members can ride with their shorn women." In the heat of the moment, he says that when he comes home, it is better to feed the pigs with bread than to give them for harvesting. Nagulnov, unable to control himself, jumps up and hits him with a revolver in the temple. Then, under the threat of weapons, he forces him to write a paper stating that Bannik is “a pest, a White Guard, a Mammoth,” and so on. After Bannik gives the paper, Nagulnov notices that if he does not bring bread to the barn tomorrow, he will kill him. Nagulnov goes home, he dreams of his comrades who died in the fighting. Razmetnov comes to Nagulnov and reports that Bannik went to report Nagulnov to the police. Razmetnov shames Nagulnov, and then it turns out that Nagulnov locked in the pantry where the accounting records were kept, a few more peasants who refused to hand over seed grain. They sat in the "cold" all night. Razmetnov unlocks them and tries to apologize, but does not have time - they admit that they were hiding bread. Razmetnov remains at a loss, thinking about whether he is right or wrong.

Nagulnov, implementing the collective farm policy by similar methods. Davydov, who was absent at that time (he went to the district for high-quality wheat), finds out about what happened, goes to Nagulnov, scolds him, promises to put a question about him on the party cell today. Davydov advises Nagulnov to take an example from the Komsomol member Naydenov from the propaganda brigade, who recently arrived in Gremyachy, - “they carry their own bread without massacre and imprisoning in the“ cold ”one. Nagulnov is silent, but the next day he goes home with Naydenov. Naydenov communicates with the people on equal terms, sits down at the table, tells funny stories from his life, so that he makes the owners laugh until you drop. Imperceptibly he turns the conversation to the hard life of the peasants in capitalist countries, talks about how they mock people who are campaigning for the overthrow of capitalism. He tells with pathos how a Romanian Komsomol member died heroically - despite the fact that even his own mother begged him, he still did not betray his comrades. Then, unexpectedly, Naydenov starts talking "about business" and friendly advises the owners to hand over the bread. As a result, the owners bring bread the next day. Nagulnov asks if it is true what Naydenov told about the Romanian Komsomol member. He answers in the affirmative - once upon a time he read it in a magazine. Nagulnov is surprised - after all, Naydenov told the owners that he had read it in the newspaper yesterday. Naydenov brushes off, says that it is not important, “it is important that people feel hatred for the executioners and the capitalist system, for our fighters - sympathy. It is important that the seeds were taken out ... ".

The seed fund has been fully prepared by mid-March. It was necessary to repair a lot of collective farm plows, harrows, etc., and the blacksmith Shaly got to work and managed to do everything on time. For this, Davydov, with a large crowd of collective farmers, rewarded him with his instruments brought from Leningrad. Davydov accompanies everything with a speech befitting the event, the collective farmers approve of the awarding of Shaly, and the one who was not accustomed to such signs of attention and was usually content with stingy vodka maharych from the farmers, was completely confused, said words of gratitude in confusion, and at the sign of Nagulnov “an orchestra composed of two balalaikas and a violin, ”the International began to play.

Two days later, Nagulnov divorced Lushka. Somehow Lushka met with Davydov near the kolkhoz board on the pretext that she needed to figure out how to continue to live. Davydov advises her to work, and not idle. In response, Lushka asks to find her some kind of "lying groom" or to Davydova himself to marry her. Davydov is embarrassed and replies that "you are a lucky girl and the leg under you is beautiful, but only you are not walking there with these legs."

Polovtsev comes to Yakov Lukich at night. Lyatyevsky is asleep, as he has been drinking all this time. Polovtsev says that one should speak right now, that there is an agitation column nearby and that one should start with it. In a conversation with Yakov Lukich, Polovtsev recalls how in childhood he saw the puppy that bit him to death, and how then Polovtsev himself became hysterical from pity for the animal. Since then, Polovtsev does not like dogs, but, according to him, loves cats and small children. Polovtsev, together with Ostrovnov, go to a secret meeting where sympathizers gather white movement peasants. Polovtsev informs the audience that 4Tq will not wait long and that the performance is scheduled for tomorrow. The peasants answer that they have doubts, report that a newspaper has been published with an article by Stalin about excesses in collectivization. The peasants say that before they thought that such an order came from the center, but now it turns out that these local authorities did everything. Therefore, their "paths-paths" with Polovtsev now parted. They doubt that the foreigners from whom Polovtsev promises help will turn out to be better than the Communists and that "then they will not have to be dragged out of their native land by force." The peasants demand their receipts back. Polovtsev snatches out a revolver, shouts that he will shoot everyone as traitors, and runs away with Yakov Lukich. Upon arrival in Gremyachy Polovtsev tells Yakov Lukich that he is leaving for the time being, but will return soon. In the rest of the villages, the Cossacks also refused to rebel, Polovtsev scolds the Cossacks for not understanding that Stalin's article is just a maneuver and a dastardly deception. A few days later, late due to the flood, newspapers with Stalin's article "Dizzy with Success" were brought to Gremyachy. The peasants read the article, argue about what they read. At the meeting, Nagulnov expresses dissatisfaction with this article, says that it "not in the eye, but in the very heart" hit him. Nagulnov is trying to justify himself before the audience for his "excesses", says that he did it from the bottom of his heart, "rushing to the world revolution." However, Nagulnov still stands firm on his own: even with the middle peasant who opposes joining the collective farm and "the approach of the world revolution", it is necessary to deal with all the severity. He declares that he would ask Stalin himself to let him go to the Chinese border - "there I will be needed by a hefty party, and Gremyachy let Andryushka Razmetnov collectivize." To Davydov's question whether he admits his mistakes, Nagulnov replies that he admits, but disagrees with the letter and "the article is wrong." Davydov threatens to inform the district about Nagulnov's speech against the party line. He replies that he will do it himself and for his excesses and will answer for everything at once. Davydov shames Nagulnov for showing up at the meeting in a drunken state, suggesting that if it comes to proceedings, he will most likely be expelled from the party. Davydov proposes to return some of the cows and small livestock to the owners, but the main emphasis should be placed on ensuring that the collective farm does not disintegrate. Many middle peasants apply to leave the collective farm. Davydov warns that if they ask back, they will still think about taking them or not. An incomprehensible directive comes from the district committee on how to eliminate excesses at the local level. One can feel that complete confusion reigns in the region, none of the bosses shows up on the collective farms. There are no replies to inquiries from the field. But after the Central Committee's decree "On the fight against line curvatures in the collective farm movement" was received, the district committee fussed, and orders were poured into Gremyachy to urgently provide lists of dispossessed people, to return the socialized small livestock and poultry to the collective farmers, and so on.

More and more people are leaving the collective farm. A certain Belykh, a member of the Bureau, comes from the district committee, says that Davydov should not give cattle to those who leave the collective farm, only in exceptional cases, "adhering to the class principle." Davydov doubts whether the same will come out as with 100 percent collectivization. Belykh calms him down, recalls Nagulnov, against whom a whole case has been instituted in the district committee: "You will have to answer for excesses, you have to sacrifice someone." After the departure of his superiors, Davydov was informed that the "individual farmers" took their bulls and horses without permission. Only in the evening, the cattle can be beaten back, the matter is not even complete without a fight. Despite the increased security that Davydov placed at the public corrals and stables, those who left the collective farm still manage to drive some of the cattle into the steppe and secluded places. Those who came out demand "land, otherwise they threaten to start plowing their old plots, which have gone to the collective farm. Davydov says that they will be given new land on distant pastures, where there is no cultivated land at all. The peasants are outraged, some even begin to plow their old allotments. But they are driven away and given new plots on uncultivated land. Andrey Razmetnov's friend Marina Poyarkova also leaves the collective farm. Marina has recently become a frequent visitor to church, and their life together with Andrey did not go well with them. Andrei persuades her not to leave the collective farm, otherwise he will have to leave her, but Marina makes a scandal and leaves with the air of a winner. After that, she forcibly takes her property from the collective farm storage. The next day Razmetnov left Marina and for several days he was grieving about his grief.

Shchukar was appointed as a permanent coachman during the management of the collective farm. Shchukar assures that many horses passed through his hands, although in fact he had two horses, and he exchanged one of them for a cow, and the second, being very tipsy, he bought from passing gypsies for 30 rubles. The filly's sides were round, and Shchukar, despite the fact that she had a thorn in her eye and rotten teeth, bought it. The gypsies laugh after Shchukar, and after a while a strange change occurs with the mare - she turns into a skinny nag. It turned out that the gypsies, before selling to Shchukar, had inflated her by inserting a straw under their tail. Shchukar comes back, but the gypsy has already gone cold. Shchukar got it then from his wife, "a stout woman and fierce to reprisal." Soon the horse fell ill with scabies, peeled off and died. We drank the skin of the Shchukar with the godfather. Despite all this, Shchukar really likes his new appointment. Davydov goes with Shchukar to the field. On the way, he dreams of a new life, of how many tractors, cars, factories and so on will appear here. Shchukar, meanwhile, complains to him about his life, says that he was unlucky in childhood - during his baptism he was scalded by drunken priest and a sexton in the font, then he and the dogs tore, and the gander pinched him, and at the age of 9 he was even caught on a hook: the children got into the habit of biting off hooks under water at a deaf grandfather's while fishing, which were very much appreciated. The shchukar, diving in and about to bite off the hook, accidentally pulled the line, and the grandfather, thinking that it was a fish, pulled the udu and grabbed the boy by the lip with a hook. It was since then that they called him Shchukar. Shchukar tells some more funny stories about his bad luck.

Razmetnov, meanwhile, comes to Nagulnov, reports that he left Marina. Nagulnov approves of this act, assures that he knows all this by himself, but now Andrei "is again good for the cause of the world revolution." Nagulnov himself, according to him, found something to do - he studies English language, but since this is a difficult occupation, he learned only eight words, among which are "proletariat", "communism" and so on. Nagulnov needs to study English in order to find a common language with the English workers, with the oppressed Indian people and others, when Soviet power comes there.

The next day Nagulnov leaves for the region. He is present at the bureau of the district committee, where he learns from Belykh's report that sowing has not yet begun in places in the district. Nagulnov is told that in the section "miscellaneous" there will be a question about him. Everyone avoids Makar, avoids him. Finally they come to the question of him. Samokhin, who came to "investigate the case", reads the report, speaks of "sabotage and arbitrariness" of Nagulnov. Samokhin in his report also mentions Nagulnov's divorce, he tries to say a word in his own defense, says that he did all this for the good of the revolution. The chairman of the district committee Korchzhinsky believes that Nagulnov should be expelled from the ranks of the party and puts the issue to a vote. Balabin, also a member of the bureau, strongly objects, says that this is a bureaucratic approach to the person, and enters into a skirmish with the chairman. He is not allowed to speak and, since the decision has already been made, they demand a party card from Nagulnov. Nagulnov replies that he will not give up his party card. Balabin advises Nagulnov to go to the okrug. Nagulnov says that it would be better to shoot him than to be expelled from the party, since he gave his whole life to the party and cannot imagine his existence without it. He shouts that those present are not his comrades, that they are all poisonous bastards, recalls that one of those present at the time when a gang was walking around the district, surrendered his party card, motivating it by the fact that he wants to do agriculture... Nagulnov leaves, goes to Gremyachy Log.

Bannik goes behind the farm with carts, meets people from a neighboring village, who in conversation inform him that they have come to Gremyachy for seeds: they have nothing to sow, and they were ordered from the region to take it here. Bannik returns to the farm, tells everyone that the seeds are being taken from them. The gathered crowd goes to the barns with the intention of not letting the grain be taken out. A fight ensues, the aliens get it, and they, beaten in blood, throw sacks of bread and go home. Demo Ushakov, who has the keys to the barns, escapes from the crowd and is looking for Davydov. Davydov takes the keys from him. The women at this time are pulling Andrei Razmetnov out of the village council and demanding that a rally be opened. Razmetnov has nothing to do. The women demand that the seed grain be returned to them so that the collective farm board cannot distribute it to strangers. The women get angry, attack Razmetnov, shout that he has good clothes, and the people have nothing to wear. They begin to pull off his boots, footcloths and even breeches. Then the revolver is beaten and taken away. Kondrat Maidannikov comes running to Davydov, says that Razmetnov's "community" was arrested and locked up. Davydov refuses to hide, says that Maidannikov galloped into the field, took 15 people from the brigade and came back. Gives him the keys to the barns. Then he goes to the barns. He tries to behave "calmly, but they attack Davydov, beat him, turn his pockets inside out, demand keys. Davydov is playing for time, says that he has the keys in his apartment. The women take him to his apartment, the men remain to wait at the barns. At home, Davydov rummages through things for a long time. , then says that the keys, apparently, are with Nagulnov. He is being taken to Nagulnov's apartment. Dear women begin to beat him. He laughs it off, although they beat him seriously, and does not give back, only when they start beating with stakes, he takes away from one stake and breaks about In the apartment of Nagulnov, the women arrange a real pogrom. Davydov says that Ostrovnov has the keys, then pretends to remember that the keys are on the table in the collective farm board. While they reach the board, Davydov is beaten so that he can barely stand. In the end, he says that he will drive them until nightfall, but will not give the keys. Suddenly a girl appears, shouts that the Cossacks have knocked down the locks and are already sharing bread. The women run away. Grandfather Shchukar, who has appeared from the hayloft, invites Davydov to sit out. with him. Nagulnov's horse comes running with a torn bridle. Davydov leaves Shchukar and heads for the barns.

Nagulnov was returning from the area, on the way he met a wolf, and the horse, breaking the bridle, ran away. Therefore, Nagulnov had to walk to the farm. Arriving at the farm and seeing people at the barns, he immediately understands what the matter is. The people who heard that Nagulnov were supposedly going to be tried for Bannik and did not expect to meet him after his departure to the region, meet his appearance with confusion. But then people come to their senses and try to continue looting the barns. Nagulnov takes out his weapon, shoots up and declares that he will kill anyone who tries to approach the door. The people, knowing Nagulnov's tough temper, retreat, but then again try to attack. At this moment, help comes - collective farmers from the field, and in the evening a policeman summoned by Davydov arrives. The instigators were arrested - some in the field, some at home. The next day, they began to collect the plundered bread, and in the end they collected all, with the exception of a few poods. Then a meeting is called, at which Davydov speaks and shames those who beat him, says that he, like all Bolsheviks, will never kneel before a class enemy. He adds that only the instigators and active speakers will be punished, and everyone else must understand their mistake. "The Bolsheviks do not find, but mercilessly punish only enemies." In conclusion, Davydov encourages everyone to go to the field the next day and work properly. People say that they are ashamed and that they respect Davydov because he does not remember evil. The next day, many of those who had previously left the collective farm applied for membership again. Sowing begins.

Davydov and Razmetnov arrange a meeting with women about the construction of a nursery. At this moment, Lyubishkin (the foreman) comes running and says that many in his brigade are loafing, plowing anyhow, and after each furrow they sit down to smoke. He says that Davydov sent him unsuitable workers, that he could not attach Shchukar to anything, who is not good for anything, and even when he was identified as a cook, he ate bacon, instead of putting it into the cauldron, and salted the porridge, etc. e. Lyubishkin is advised not to blame the circumstances, but to do business. After a while, Davydov collects a change of linen and declares that, despite Razmetnov's dissuasions, he goes to the field and will work there until the end of plowing. At the entrance to the field, Davydov meets Shchukar, with whom something clearly has happened. The fact is that after the story with the porridge, Shchukar decided to curry favor and for this purpose he watched a chicken in one of the yards for a long time, and when he finally caught it, the owner caught him at the crime scene. However, having learned that it was for ploughmen, he allowed Shchukar to take another one. Shchukar is pleased, he cooks porridge, but he fears that it will plow with mud, since he drew water from the nearest shallow pond. Everyone likes the porridge, even Lyubishkin is grateful to his grandfather. But when the diners get to the bottom of the cauldron, they find a frog's paw there. Shchukar is trying to get out, says that this is the "Wustritsa" that the generals ate under the old regime. Lyubishkin loses his temper, shouts that he is a red partisan and does not want the general's food. The Shchukar fancies that Lyubishkin has drawn the knife, and he rushes as fast as he can. After his arrival, Davydov notices Atamanchukov and Maidannikov on the arable land, who are fighting because Atamanchukov wants to plow in the rain (you cannot plow in the rain, as you can rub the bull's neck with a yoke), arguing that the bulls are not his personal, and collective farm. Maidannikov shows Davydov Atamanchuk plowing - it is not enough and it is shallow. To Davydov's reproaches, Atamanchukov replies that in words they are all heroes, but how to show an example yourself, then there is no one. Having assembled a brigade, Davydov raises the question of excluding Atamanchukov from the collective farm. The decision was made almost unanimously. Then Davydov says that everyone plows badly and is going to show by personal example that a hectare and even a hectare and a quarter can be plowed in a day. The next day, Maidannikov explains to Davydov how to plow, since he had never done this before. By late evening Davydov is plowing as much as he promised. He continues to plow the next day. The rest unwittingly adjust to it, start to work better. The laggards are catching up, and Davydov, on occasion, notices that socialist competition has spontaneously begun in the brigade.

The sowing is over, but about a hundred hectares of Kuban wheat were sown late, and people, not without reason, fear that it will not sprout. They come to Davydov and say that it is necessary to order a prayer service. Davydov replies that "it is necessary to manage the economy with science, and not with the priests." Nagulnov threatens that if the priest is brought in, he will take the sheep's shears and cut his beard. A resolution came from the district committee to cancel the previous decision to exclude Nagulnov from the party - a change of leadership took place in the district committee - Korchzhinsky and Khomutov were removed. Makar was reprimanded, and that was the end of the case. Meanwhile, Nagulnov stands his ground, stating that he is making excesses even by the okrug - in particular, he did not allow the return of cattle and equipment to people from the collective farm, and this, in his opinion, is incorrect. Marina Poyarkova found herself a new boyfriend, Demid Molchun. Razmetnov was at first invigorated, but then he began to drink. Marina is pleased with her new husband, who works on her farm "like a good bull." The illegally dispossessed Gaev is returning to Gremyachiy. The regional election commission restored his citizenship rights. After his arrival, Davydov invites him to join the collective farm. He replies that there is nothing to do, you will have to join. Meanwhile, the Gremyachinsk party cell is growing twice, several people are being accepted as candidates for the party. But Kondrat Maidannikov, when asked to write a statement, refuses, saying that he is unworthy, as he is on the collective farm, and “suffers for his good” - he feels sorry for his horse, the bulls, which some careless collective farmers treat badly.

Rumors about "new party members" are quickly spreading throughout the village, someone tells Shchukar that he also needs to apply to the party, that he will then immediately be given a position and a leather portfolio. Shchukar goes to Nagulnov and says that he wants to join the party. Nagulnov is angry with Shchukar, kicks him out, because he makes tributes to the priests, he really doesn’t know how to work, etc. The distressed Shchukar leaves, thinking that he has come at a bad hour and that he should have come in after dinner.

After the looting of public barns, Yakov Lukich was almost removed from office, as Davydov suspected something was wrong. However, after that Ostrovnov launched such an ebullient activity that Davydov's doubts were dispelled. Davydov offers to weed bread, Ostrovnov doubts whether the people will do this, because no one has weeded bread before. Yakov Lukich understands that the decision is correct, and regrets that he did not do this in his own field.

Lushka also begins to work in the field: she was assigned to one of the brigades. Lushka immediately begins to arrange festivities in the evenings - songs, dances until dawn, and so on. The brigadier comes to Davydov, says that he shouldn't have assigned Lushka to him, that she outraged all the guys for him, invites him to come and see what she is doing. In the afternoon, after all these nocturnal festivities, people's work is not going well. Davydov gets angry and says that if she does not work well, let the foreman kick her out himself. Recently, Davydov has been thinking about Lushka more and more often, especially after that conversation when Lushka offered to marry himself. Until the end of sowing, Lushka is still in the brigade, and as soon as the brigade leaves the field, he immediately comes to Davydov. Lushka flirts, says that she "came to visit", mockingly asks what they write in the newspapers, what is "heard about the world revolution." Davydov is afraid that rumors will spread about him that Lushka is visiting him. He freaks out and sends her out. Then he regrets it, fears that he offended Lushka, but this turns out to be far from the truth - Lushka never so easily deviated from her plans, and her plans included the conquest of Davydov. The next day she comes again, this time even more discharged and defiant. She asks if there are still newspapers and any books about love. Then Lushka begins to talk about the organization of collective farm affairs, about plowing, about a dairy farm, and Davydov gets involved in the conversation, gradually getting carried away more and more. When Lushka is going home, Davydov goes to see her off. Dear Lushka offers to sit and asks Davydov to lay down his jacket. Ultimately, Lushka seduces Davydov, he suffers, thinks that the relationship with Lushka needs to be formalized somehow, otherwise “it’s uncomfortable in front of people and in front of Makar”. Yakov Lukich goes to mark the forest for felling, thinks that the Soviet government just can't be shoved aside, that the Polovtsians are unlikely to be able to do this, and accidentally meets Timofey Rvany in a fishing line, who escaped from prison. Ostrovnov gives him bread, Timofey asks where Lushka is, asks to tell her to bring him food. Timofey is going to dig out a rifle and "start trading." Yakov Lukich arrives home, there is another unpleasant news awaiting him - Polovtsev and Lyatyevsky came to him.

The rain that has passed in time leads to the fact that very good crops are sprouting on all collective farm fields. Yakov Lukich goes outside the village to admire the bread, with annoyance thinking that the Soviet government is lucky and that in all the years of sole management there has never been any rain on time, or bread so poured has never sprung up. Polovtsev and Lyatyevsky still live with Ostrovnov. At night, some people come to Polovtsev, and Ostrovnov escorts them to the upper room. One of the night guests brings Polovtsev a disassembled machine gun and his personal saber. Lyatyevsky makes fun of Polovtsev's touching meeting with the "police herring" who has served the emu since the 15th year. A quarrel almost breaks out between them. Polovtsev wants to hide the machine gun, but Lyatyevsky discourages him, arguing that the machine gun may be needed at any time. Yakov Lukich does not close his eyes until dawn, regrets that he contacted Polovtsev, thinks that the Bolsheviks will surely beat the officers and then he will get it too. The whole next day, Yakov Lukich has a bad feeling, he even begs for leave from work. The presentiment was not deceived: at home, the wife reports that the old woman's mother of Yakov Lukich is trembling all over the village that officers are living with them, and a day ago four old women came to their house and asked to show the officers, since they wanted to ask when they were together with Yakov Lukich and other Cossacks overthrew Soviet power. Ostrovnov tells Polovtsev about this, he agrees that he needs to leave. Leaving, Polovtsev advises Yakov Lukich to think "about mummy": she could ruin their whole business. Upon arriving home, Ostrovnov tells his wife not to feed her mother anymore and give her no water, since “she’s not going to die today or tomorrow.” The old woman is locked up. Several days pass for Yakov Lukich as if in some kind of nightmare - the old woman asks for water and food, but nothing is served to her. Everyone avoids being at home. A few days later, the old woman dies.

Davydov's soul is restless because of Lushka. He tries to find solace in physical labor, works in a smithy for several days, but he is constantly interrupted from work by collective farm affairs, and he returns to the board. Razmetnov advises him "to look less at girls, especially at divorced wives." Lushka shamelessly flaunts her relationship with Davydov, as this flatters her pride. She even comes to the board, so that later, arm in arm with Davydov, go home. During such walks, Davydov looks around, afraid to meet Makar, and silently curses his weak character. When Davydov tries to reproach Lushka for exposing their relationship to everyone, Lushka is indignant, says that he thinks only of himself, wants to "fornicate, and that good people would not think anything like that about him." Calls him a woman and invites him to put on his skirt. For several days after that, Davydov and Lushka do not see each other, but then she comes to the board and makes him a new date. Davydov thinks that it would be necessary to marry Lushka and reeducate her - to involve her in social work, to force her to engage in self-education. A few hours before the appointed time, Lushka herself appears at the office, Davydov gets angry, says that there is nothing to play with, and either they formalize their relationship or break up. Lushka replies that she does not need such a slobbering coward, that with him "any woman will die from a toodi." Lushka says goodbye to Davydov and leaves. The disagreement turns out to be serious, Lushka avoids Davydov, who more and more often remembers and thinks about her. In order to somehow distract himself, he decides to go to one of the brigades and work there.

Nagulnov continues to study English at night, listens to the rooster singing, which is coordinated into a single polyphonic choir, and only one rooster constantly climbs out of turn. This makes Makar angry, he finds out whose cock it is, and invites the owner to exchange cocks. After that, he goes to one of the neighbors and buys a rooster from him. An expensive rooster begins to yell in the sack, and Nagulnov accidentally breaks his neck. He has to go to his neighbor again and buy a second rooster. The exchange takes place, and Makar immediately arranges reprisals against the unruly rooster. People are puzzled at his actions, suggesting that he is crazy. From that time on, Nagulnov began to freely listen to rooster singing at night. Shchukar comes to Makar and asks to read some book. He gives him an encyclopedic dictionary, tells him to sit quietly, and after a while they begin to listen to the roosters together. Shchukar admires. Fearing that Maidannikov will slaughter his rooster, which plays one of the main roles in the choir, Shchukar and Nagulnov go to his wife and give instructions not to cut their rooster, because they want to buy it for the collective farm for divorce. Meanwhile, a rumor spreads throughout the village that Makar Nagulnov is buying up roosters in all yards and paying huge sums of money for them. Razmetnov comes to Nagulnov. Makar hints that Andrei should go to help weeding. He objects that this is not a man's business. Nagulnov says that Razmetnov is obliged to do what the party orders, adding that if he is ordered to milk the cows himself, he will do it "to the bitter end, until the last drop of milk is drained from the cow." At night, Nagulnov and Shchukar again listen to the rooster singing, Shchukar compares the rooster choir with the choir in the "bishop's cathedral", and Nagulnov says that "it is like being on horseback."

Davydov goes to work in one of the brigades, Nagulnov and Razmetnov see him off, sympathetically looking at how their comrade has grown thin and thin. Nagulnov notices that he understands the gravity of Davydov's situation, since he himself was in his shoes and "he himself fought this family counter-conflict." Nagulnov is outraged that Lushka took up his comrade Davydov, but otherwise, according to Makar, he does not care about her. He invites Andrey to warn Davydov in a comradely manner.

Davydov drives through the fields, admires the beauties of nature, talks to a driver who meets on the road, which drives very slowly. In response to Davydov's question about the reasons for this slowness, he talks about his life, about his father, who was beaten to death by the brothers of his married mistress. The father did not die immediately, but was ill for a long time. Before his death, he called his son and took an oath from him that he would take revenge on the offenders. Arzhanov (that was the name of the driver) promised his father. Throughout his childhood, he noted his growth at the lintel, followed Averyan (that was the name of the husband of his father's mistress), waiting for the moment when it would be possible to deal with him. With the money he earned, he bought an inferior sawn-off shotgun in the regional center and somehow lay in wait in the forest for Averyan and shot him. From the shot, the horses carried and almost killed the boy - since then he does not like to drive fast. An investigator came to the village after the murder, but he never found anyone, since no one could think of the boy. Soon one of Averyan's brothers fell ill and died. Arzhanov was worried that he would not be able to take revenge as his father bequeathed, and shot his second brother a few days later through the window. After that, Arzhanov drowned the sawn-off shotgun in the river and erased all the marks from the lintel. Arzhanov's mother guessed that he had killed his father's offenders, asked bluntly about it, he confessed. The mother said nothing, only took his right hand and placed it on her heart. This story makes a strong impression on Davydov. Arzhanov adds that he has repeatedly asked Ostrovnov to transfer him to water transport, but he does not do this, because, according to Arzhanov, Yakov Lukich wants to "smile to the last" at him. When Davydov asked why, Arzhanov replies that at one time he was a farm laborer at Ostrovnov, that Ostrovnov always had many farm laborers and that he had calmed down only four years ago, “when they began to reap taxes,” “curled up into a ball like a viper before jumping ".

Davydov arrives in the field to the lagging team. There everyone jokes about a very fat cook, jokes about her. At dinner, Davydov accidentally meets a very young girl, Varya, and suddenly realizes that she is in love with him. This is noticeable to everyone else. Davydov sadly thinks that this young girl fell in love with him, despite the fact that many young guys are hovering around her. Sadly, Davydov realizes that he dreams that completely different eyes would look at him "with such selfless devotion and love." Davydov has to plow on Maidannikov's bulls, who, due to his wife's illness, was allowed to go home. It was Varya who drove the bulls at Maidannikov's, whom everyone jokingly calls "Varyukha-bitter", so Davydov has to work with her. Davydov works, not sparing himself, rarely rests. When, during plowing, his vest is accidentally torn, he wants to go to the camp, despite the fact that it is two kilometers away, and put on a jacket, because he is afraid that Varya will notice an indecent tattoo on his belly. This tattoo was done to him in the navy, when he was drunk and was lying in the cockpit, and his fellow drunken comrades gave free rein to their obscene imaginations. However, Davydov does not have time to move away from the plow, as Varyukha starts herself for his jacket. Davydov falls asleep and wakes up from the fact that someone drives a straw over his face. He rises abruptly, he and Varyukha are very close, she closes her eyes, waits for the first step from Davydov, but he does not take it. He thanks Varya, she secretly cries. "Her first girlish pure love stumbled upon Davydov's indifference. " Varya suffers, and then asks Davydov for a vest, intending to wash and sew it up. Davydov rejects for a long time, but then concedes. During conversations and discussion of the affairs of the brigade, Davydov unexpectedly notices in the look that Atamanchukov secretly awards him, fierce hatred (Atamanchukov was not expelled from the collective farm: the general meeting of collective farmers canceled the decision of the brigade).

Atamanchukov changed his behavior, as Polovtsev said that he needed reliable people, on whom even a shadow of suspicion should not fall. Davydov reflects on how difficult the people around him are, recalls Arzhanov, who turned out to be not as simple as everyone thought of him, about Atamanchukov, about Yakov Lukich, who is also a big mystery to him. In the morning, getting up, Davydov notices his skillfully sewn and washed vest near the head of the bed, and in addition, a fresh canvas shirt, for which, as it turns out, Varya specially ran to the village at night and returned only towards morning. She reports on the latest events in the village and, among other things, mentions that Nagulnov was shot at at night while he was reading in his hut. The attempt was unsuccessful - Nagulnov only scratched his temple. Davydov decides to return to the village, as circumstances force him to do so. Meanwhile, the field appears stranger , he cheerfully talks to the cook, asks her about collective farm affairs, about Davydov. Soon Davydov comes, and the visitor introduces himself to him - the secretary of the district committee Ivan Nesterenko. He speaks with Davydov heart to heart, examines the allotment that Davydov personally plowed, even offers to fight, which they are doing right on the arable land. Davydov wins, Nesterenko reacts to this with a joke, and this brings them closer together. Nesterenko criticizes the manner of some leaders to treat people soullessly, tells how they had a commander in the Red Army who passionately loved books and wherever expropriation was carried out, confiscated the volumes he liked. He constantly carried several cartloads of books with him, and took care of them like ammunition. And on vacation, after cleaning weapons and food, he ordered the soldiers to read books, and then he personally asked for the content. Nesterenko himself, according to him, used to be a stupid guy, did not want to study, and more and more looked at the girls. Once the commander summoned him, talked to him, explained that a scientist has all the same masculine qualities as an uneducated one, so that the scientist's advantage is obvious. In conclusion, he called Nesterenko a young * shem. After that, for half a month, in every possible way, he sawed and ridiculed Nesterenko, even brought him to tears, but eventually taught him to read. Now Nesterenko is very grateful to him and believes that this is one of those people who greatly influenced him in life. Nesterenko says that educational work should be carried out among the collective farmers, and for this Davydov needs to have a library on the collective farm and buy books there. Davydov says that in the fall they wanted to sell a certain amount of cattle, and now they will buy books with this money. Nesterenko wonders why sell cattle in the fall, and until that time work on it: in the fall there will be a lot of cattle on the market, besides, after hard work, the cattle will be skinny and no one will buy it. Upon learning that Ostrovnov advised Davydov, Nesterenko is even more surprised - how such an intelligent, zealous owner could advise such an obvious stupidity. Then Nesterenko touches on the connection between Davydov and Lushka, says that Davydov should solve this faster, since he drops the authority of the authorities, since people feel sorry for him, and people “feel sorry for all the orphaned and poor - this is in the order of things. But when they begin to feel sorry for the smart guy, and even their leader, - what could be more terrible and shameful for such a person? " Davydov asks if he can leave Gremyachiy. To this Nesterenko replies: "If you have played a dirty trick, then you first need to clean it up, and then talk about leaving." Then he asks why Davydov still does not have a Komsomol cell in Gremyachy, and obliges to organize it. Reminds that Davydov should be more attentive to people, so that he delves into their problems, mentions that before the holiday Davydov did not give the women two teams to go for soap, salt, matches, etc. Women were forced to go to the village on foot, and this diminishes the authority of the Soviet government. Davydov thanks Nesterenko for his frankness and good attitude to himself, promises to improve. Before parting, Nesterenko begins to tremble, and he explains that even in Central Asia, where he fought with the Basmachi, caught a fever. Finally, he gives Davydov a Browning. Upon learning of the secretary's departure, the cook is saddened (“Although, you see, he is an employee, and did not bury potatoes with me to peel”).

Varya is looking for a meeting with Davydov, but he believes that he should not respond to the love of a young girl. Upon arrival in Gremyachy, Davydov learns the circumstances of the assassination attempt on Nagulnov. Nagulnov chased after the gunman, but did not overtake him and did not hit him with the revolver either. Grandfather Shchukar, who was sitting at Nagulnov's, was wounded by a chip that flew off the window frame. Imagining that it was a bullet, the grandfather groaned for a long time and, lying on the floor, prepared for death. After that, Makar developed a nervous runny nose, so strong that even the paramedic could not do anything. In addition, he began to carry a revolver with him in a holster in plain sight, arguing that "every bastard shoots at him," and he "must ride with a childish slingshot." Davydov reflects on what happened, tries to understand who shot Nagulnov, and decides, on occasion, to go and talk to the secretary of the district committee and the head of the OGPU.

Davydov enters the smithy, checks the repaired inventory and accidentally learns that, despite the tremendous work that Shaly did, he was almost never credited with workdays, that Ostrovnov dictates his laws to the accountant, and so on. Davydov is indignant, and Shaly notices that it is not in Yakov Lukich that the matter is, but in Davydov, that he himself is to blame. Shaly says that Davydov is a good guy - he works himself, climbs under the mowers himself, and that he "does not know a damn about the board." Ostrovnov wraps up the entire household for him. "You dropped your power from your hands, and Ostrovnov raised." According to Shaloi, Davydov is only chairman at meetings, and Ostrovnov in everyday work. Shaly recalls the attempt to exclude Atamanchukov from the collective farm - the decision to expel the board was overwhelmed by Ostrovnov and his entourage. All this makes a deep and unpleasant impression on Davydov. Shaly also recalls the murder of Khoprov and his wife, suggests that he was killed by the enemies of the Soviet regime so that Khoprov and his wife would not extradite them. Davydov says that it is unlikely that it will be possible to find out who killed the Khoprovs, to which Shaly objects - only time is needed. Shaly informs Davydov confidentially that Ostrovnov was involved in the murder of Khoprov, and tells how Khoprov once came to the smithy and, among other trash, saw two horseshoes on his shoes and asked Shaly for them. He allowed to take. After the murder of Khoprov, he saw footprints with just these horseshoes near the victim's house. For some time Shaly waited for Yakov Lukich to change his boots for boots, and only then he was convinced that Ostrovnov was the one who wears the horseshoes. But by that time there were no traces on the porch, and there was nothing to declare to Shalom in the police. Shaly tells how vindictive Ostrovnov is (once Yakov Lukich argued with a fellow villager and he beat Ostrovnov, and after a while the house of the offender Yakov Lukich burned down). Finally, Shaly advises Davydov to throw Lushka, otherwise she will squeeze all the juices out of him. It hints that Lushka not only "knits knots" with him. He says that a few days ago at night he saw Lushka with Timoshka Rvany, who, apparently, escaped from prison. Warns that Ragged can shoot at him too. Davydov thanks Shaly, then goes to the board and invites Razmetnov and Nagulnov to report everything to the GPU. But Nagulnov does not want to do this, because then Torn will surely run away from the farm. He asks to give him five days, during which he undertakes to deliver Timoshka alive or dead. Nagulnov begins to follow Lushka, trying to reach Timofey through it. At night, he sees her leaving the house, but accidentally sneezes and ruins the whole thing. The next day, they, together with Razmetnov, go to Lushka. Nagulnov informs her that she has been arrested and that she will now be taken to the district. Nagulnov puts Lushka and the hostess with whom she lived in a chaise and brings them to the village council. There Nagulnov locks the women in a closet. Two days pass. Razmetnov tells Nagulnov that the first day Lushka was furious and cursed a lot, and now she is crying. Doubts that Timofey will come to rescue her. Nagulnov, on the contrary, is sure of this. After a while Timofey really comes, and Nagulnov kills him. Nagulnov searches the dead man, takes a rifle, cartridges and a grenade-lemon from him. Then he takes the keys from Razmetnov and, despite the objections of his friend, enters the closet and tells Lushka that he killed Timofey. He advises her to pack up and leave the farm for good, otherwise she will be judged. A few days later, Nagulnov informs Davydov that Lushka had left Gremyachiy Log somewhere (he personally gave her a passport, which the collective farmers kept in the board). Nagulnov says that he does not regret at all about "this damn woman", that she dear there, and advises Davydov to also throw Lushka out of his head.

One of the coming Sundays, Davydov goes to the field and sees that the workers are messing around. The women have gone to church, and the men are sitting and playing cards. When Davydov asked why they were idling, they answered that they had a day off. A skirmish breaks out. The collective farmers are indignant at why they have to work on Sundays; Ustin Rykalin is most indignant of all. He tells Davydov to get out of the farm and go to the city, reminds him that no one invited him here. Davydov enters into a conversation, defeats Ustin in a verbal battle and ultimately turns everything into a joke. Then he seriously explains that in winter all the peasants had 20 days off a month, and now the hottest time and there is no time to rest, begins to shame Ustin for to, that he has the least workdays, and so on. Ustin tries to justify himself, then shows Davydov his right hand, on which there is only one finger - the rest Ustin lost when he fought for the Reds with Wrangel. Davydov regrets his intemperance, realizes that he involuntarily began to adopt Nagulnov's rude demeanor. Davydov asks how many of Ustin's children go to school (he has six). It turns out that none. After that, they decide to go to return the women to work. Ustin is traveling with Davydov. They catch up with the women, before that Davydov takes the whip from Ustin and hides his Browning far away, because he is afraid that, in the heat of the moment, he may let them into business. Davydov persuades the women, not sparing kind words, they hesitate, but then begin to sit in the droshky. The attendants, who carried the crowd to mass, Davydov put in other droshky so that Ustin would take them to the church. Women return to work.

A few days later Dubtsov (one of the foremen) comes to Davydov and brings applications from three people about joining the party. Davydov is very happy about this.

A day later, Ustin came running to the board, shouting that the neighboring Cossacks were stealing hay from their field, arguing that the field where the heaps stood was theirs. A fight ensued, two carts fought off, and the rest of the neighbors managed to take out during the night. Davydov is glad to himself that Ustin got into a fight for the collective farm goods. Davydov goes to a neighboring collective farm called "Red Ray" to the chairman by the name of Polyanitsa, talks about theft, he pretends to know nothing, then declares that the land belongs to them. Davydov swears, Polyanitsa refuses to return the hay, even shows a fig, slanders Davydov insolence, shouts that Davydov encourages religious sentiments by sending women to church in collective farm chariots, etc. Upon his return to Gremyachy, Davydov decides to find out who owns the disputed land , and for this, call the district land surveyor, who drew the boundaries of the possessions. For the land surveyor, Shchukar is sent, who, before leaving, for a long time spreads that dogs do not like him - they bark at him all the time, and offers to make dog skins and sell for the benefit of the state. According to Shchukar, he had already proposed this to Nagulnov, but he did not accept his ideas, but cursed him. Then Shchukar went with this proposal to the teacher. He said that “all great people suffered persecution for their thoughts, be patient too, grandfather.” Shchukar praises Davydov's idea, says that dog stockings help against rheumatism. Davydov goes to the farm school, examines it for repairs. The teacher deals with lagging students. Davydov looks at the children, flirts with them. Suddenly one of the guys takes a grenade-lemon out of his pocket and smugly shows Davydov. He is terrified, trying to make some kind of decision so as not to endanger the lives of the students. He invites the boy to exchange the grenade for his pocket knife. He agrees. Going out into the street, Davydov asks the boy where he found the grenade. He brings Davydov to one of the sheds that belonged to Timothy's father. Davydov makes an order to give food to the teacher. When he leaves, Yakov Lukich loudly expresses his dissatisfaction about this. Prior to that, Ostrovnov supplied Lushka and Timofey Torn with food, telling the storekeeper that Davydov ordered to give Lushka any food without counting, and the storekeeper was silent, while weighing the foremen. Together with Shalym, Davydov goes to the barn, where the boy found a grenade, and digs out a Maxim machine gun, rifles, a box of cartridges and eight hand grenades. Shalsh offers to go to Ostrovnov and search his house, assuring him that at least a rifle will be found on him. Davydov dissuades him, convincing him that it is impossible to carry out unauthorized searches.

Shchukar, meanwhile, goes to the area, falls asleep on the way under a bush, bites him already, Shchukar turns into a team to Dubtsov, tells funny stories about stud stallions, about the dictionary that Nagulnov gave him to read (Shchukar reads the dictionary "by guessing" that he does not have glasses, and if Shchukar still understands the word itself, then his interpretation, which is typed in smaller print, is not. Therefore, Shchukar interprets all the words as he pleases - his "monopoly" is a tavern, "adapter" is trifling man, "generally a bastard", "watercolor" - a good girl, etc.). After supper, Shchukar, due to a misunderstanding, crawls into bed with the women. Waking up in the middle of the night, he realizes his mistake, runs out of the hut in horror, harnesses his horses and leaves. In the confusion, he puts a woman's tweet on one leg and, deciding that misadventures will not end there, returns to Gremyachy. On the way, he throws the tweets into the ravine and comes home. Here a terrible shock awaits him - his old woman sits on a bench surrounded by women and shakes a child who was thrown into Shchukar's house with a note that the child's father is none other than Shchukar. The old man tries to justify himself, but at the most crucial moment a neighbor's boy comes and brings his grandfather the tweets that he threw into the ravine, believing that his grandfather had accidentally lost them. After that, Shchukar walked for a week with a bandaged cheek and a swollen eye.

Two stalwart fellows come to the village, who enter the village council and introduce themselves as cattle purveyors. However, Razmetnov reveals forgery by a number of signs, although the documents presented by the procurers are genuine ^ Backed to the wall, they are forced to admit that they are in fact employees of the regional OGPU and are looking for a very dangerous person - Polovtsev, and show Razmetnov and Nagulnov who approached the village council , photograph. Employees report that Timofey Rvany, who was killed by Nagulnov, was in Polovtsev's organization, and, therefore, there were still enemies in the farm. The OGPU employees have a task - to capture Polovtsev alive. In passing, they inform Nagulnov that his ex-wife is in the city of Shakhty, where they helped her find a job, that she works well and does not make dubious acquaintances. Nagulnov is angry that they are trying to get into his soul, and leaves. OGPU workers leave. Razmetnov was waiting for several days what Nagulnov would do, and when he said a couple of days later that he decided to go to a neighboring village to see how one of the first MTS organized on Don was working, Razmetnov realized that he was going to Lushka.

Razmetnov lives alone, yearning. For this reason, he keeps two pigeons, they breed pigeons. Razmetnov, protecting his charges, shoots the neighboring cats. Davydov tries to reason with Razmetnov, but then he himself shows interest in pigeons. In the meantime, a rumor spreads around the farm that Razmetnov is preparing cats for raw materials, and the children even bring him a dead cat, and some boy asks to shoot their cat, because he ruins pigeons.

The wives of those who are going to be admitted to the party come to Nagulnov and offer to put things in order for free at the school, where a celebration is to take place next weekend. According to Maidannikov's wife, her husband is very worried, does not know which shirt to wear, and so on. On Sunday, six are admitted to the party, including Maidannikov. All speak out approvingly about him, only Shchukar speaks out against, "gives full of loops" to Kondrat. Shchukar explains this by the fact that Kondrat is essentially a small owner. Shchukar recalls how Maidannikov, handing over the bulls to the collective farm, regretted them, even cried. The grandfather speaks for a long time and confusedly, and ends up with the fact that the party should not take serious and gloomy people, but funny ones like him. After Shchukar, Kharlamova Varya (Varyukha-bitter) speaks, disagrees with grandfather Shchukar, tells how she and Maidannikov worked on plowing, but Shchukar still pulls his own way, says that “I’m all the same as hell and non-partisan to communism, but I’ll get - and not like this Kondrat, wet with tears, but with a dance, with merrymaking, because I am a pure proletarian, not a small proprietor. "

Shchukar adds that he read that the proletariat has nothing to lose but its chains - and, although he has no chains, he does have an old woman, and if she crosses his path to communism, she will not be in good luck. At the end, Shchukar deftly twisted himself away and said that if everyone was in favor, then he was not opposed to Kondrat being accepted into the party. Someone from those present advises Shchukar to go to the artists - he will row the money with a shovel. Grandfather Shchukar is seriously interested in this proposal, begins to discuss this topic, but seeing that Shchukar is beginning to disperse again, the interlocutor adds that the artists are beaten if they play badly. Grandfather Shchukar is immediately saddened, says that it is risky to be an artist, and abandons his intention to go to Rostov to enter an artist. Here the old woman Shchukarya comes and forcibly takes him home. After Shchukar leaves, a serious conversation begins, all candidacies are comprehensively considered, and in the end Shaly suddenly takes the floor, who asks Yakov Lukich a question why he also does not join the party, although he is a caretaker, and is one of the first persons in his position on the collective farm. Ostrovnov tries to dissuade him, but Shaly pushes him against the wall. Ostrovnov asks Shaloi why he does not join the party himself. Shaly replies that if Ostrovnov is not in the party, he will definitely join - and immediately submits an application for membership. The meeting ends, everyone is joking, the voice of Shchukar is heard from behind again, who ran away from his old woman, and this only adds fuel to the fire - everyone laughs. Finally, Davydov puts to a vote the question of organizing a kindergarten on the collective farm. After the meeting, Davydov meets Varya, who is waiting for him, and goes to see her off. She is upset and says that she is being wooed for a neighbor's boyfriend, her mother nags every day and so on. Davydov is amazed, because it is at this moment that he realizes that he may love this girl. Davydov says that if you help their family, then she will not have to marry an unloved person. Varya cries, admits to Davydov that she loves him. Davydov promises to go to Varya's mother tomorrow night and talk to her. Davydov cannot fall asleep at night, reflects on his life and by eight o'clock in the morning decides to marry Varyukha. The next day he goes to Varya's mother, makes an offer, promises to send Varya to study as an agronomist in the district. Then he tells Varya to get ready to go to school tomorrow. Davydov goes to the district committee, talks to Nesterenko about arranging for Vary Kharlamova to study, reports that in the fall, when he finishes cleaning and Varya gets a job in a technical school, they will get married. He invites Nesterenko to the wedding, but he replies that he is leaving for treatment in a sanatorium, since he also contracted tuberculosis for his malaria. Davydov decides for a while, while Varya is studying, to move to their house and help her family in the household. Davydov takes Varya to the district, dear Shchukar amuses him with stories that love does not lead to good, gives examples from life.

Polovtsev and Lyatyevsky live with Ostrovnov. From the forced idleness, they are in a depressed mood. Polovtsev copes with the situation more easily, while Lyatyevsky either becomes talkative beyond measure, then, on the contrary, is silent. Once he disappears from the house and returns only a day later with a whole armful of flowers, and suddenly Polovtsev, seeing these flowers, this "iron captain", as he was called in the regiment, burst into tears. Their retreat continues, Polovtsev, having nothing to do, assembles and disassembles a machine gun, they quarrel with Lyatyevsky. Once upon a time, the same cattle purveyors (workers of the OGPU) come to Ostrovnov. They bargain for a long time with Yakov Lukich, look into the outbuildings, try to ask for a hut to drink a bottle on the occasion of buying a heifer, but he decisively refuses them. After they leave, Polovtsev and Lyatyevsky understand that they "smell of fried" and they have to leave for about a week. As soon as Ostrovnov leaves, Lyatyevsky declares that he recognized the Chekist, since he himself slashed him with a dagger (one of the "procurers" has a scar on his face), and it was this Chekist who knocked out Lyatyevsky's eye during interrogation. Lyatyevsky says that in the Cheka he was kept in isolation for a long time, but then he betrayed four Cossacks, "cattle" who were pawns in a big game, thus softening the investigator, who allowed Lyatyevsky to take walks. During one of the walks, Lyatyevsky manages to escape. He declares that he will take revenge on the Chekist, that he will surely kill him, but not in the farm, but lie in wait somewhere outside the outskirts. Lyatyevsky and Polovtsev leave. Two days later, it turns out that on the way between the farms, two procurers were killed. The driver managed to escape, and he reported everything to the village council. The arriving policemen notice that one of the procurers had his left eye knocked out after his death. When the news of the death of the Chekists reaches Gremyachy, Nagulnov and Davydov understand that a gang is operating in the vicinity. Davydov proposes to find out where the purveyors bought livestock, and to establish surveillance over these yards.

Time passes, Lyatyevsky and Polovtsev return to Ostrovnov. Nagulnov, Davydov and Razmetnov are watching some courtyards, but so far to no avail. Razmetnov, meanwhile, decides that it is time to end his bachelorhood, and in a businesslike manner, he quickly woo the neighbor's maiden Nyurka. The next day they celebrate the wedding. Razmetnov was very serious, there were no songs or dances at the wedding, and Razmetnov set the tone for this.

Life in Gremyachy continues as usual. Meanwhile, Colonel Sedoy (the one who wrote the orders to them), now "by the will of fate, the agronomist of the regional agricultural administration" comes to Polovtsev and Lyatyevsky. The colonel brought maps with him and tells Polovtsev and Lyatyevsky the plan of the mutiny, according to which they must act. Contrary to the expectations of Polovtsev, the colonel sets them the task not to raise the Cossacks after the seizure of the collective farm, but to act where part of the Red Army is stationed. Polovtsev doubts the correctness of the order, since the regular units of the Red Army have more weapons and firepower.

Nagulnov comes to Davydov, reports that he saw how some people came to Ostrovnov, offers to go and take them all. They take Razmetnov with them and go to the yard of Yakov Lukich. They rush into the hut, but a grenade is flying at them and a machine-gun burst is heard. Nagulnov is killed immediately. Davydov remains alive the whole day and dies only the next night. The paramedic who came from the area could not do anything. The entire farm is experiencing the death of Davydov and Nagulnov, and grandfather Shchukar lay at home for four days after the funeral, then noticeably gave up, became unsociable and taciturn, his left hand refused. He was transferred from coachmen to night watchmen. One night, while on duty, he sees a woman in black, in whom he recognizes Varya, who came from the district. Varya dropped out of school. Grandfather Shchukar says that she was in vain to quit studying, that Davydov would not approve of this. Meanwhile, the tangle of a counter-revolutionary conspiracy on the Don is being unwound. On the third day after Davydov's death, the OGPU officers who arrived from the area identified Lieutenant Lyatyevsky in the man killed by Razmetnov. In Tashkent, Polovtsev was arrested and got a job as an accountant in an office. He reacted calmly to the arrest, saying that he was ready for death, since their case was lost and life became meaningless for him. More than 600 people were arrested throughout the Azov-Black Sea Territory, including Ostrovnov and his son.

The collective farm decided to take over the maintenance of Vary Kharlamova's family so that she could continue her studies. Razmetnov was in the city of Shakhty (he was buying equipment), he saw Lushka there, who became three times thicker and married a little bald mining engineer.

In the evening Razmetnov goes to the grave of his first wife, and a thunderstorm dies down over the Don.

Bibliography

For the preparation of this work were used materials from the siteilib.ru/


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