Vasisualy Lokhankin - a character in the novel by Ilya Ilf and Evgeny Petrov "The Golden Calf"

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Among the secondary characters of The Golden Calf, one of the most colorful figures is the homegrown philosopher Vasisualy Andreevich Lokhankin. This hero of the work is immediately remembered by the reader not only due to the comic incidents that happen in his life, but also due to his manner of speaking, as well as his tendency to useless reasoning about the fate of the Russian intelligentsia, to which he considered himself to be a representative.

Character Story

Vasisualy Lokhankin as a character first appears in other works by Ilf and Petrov, namely in several short stories from the cycle about the inhabitants of the city of Kolokolamsk, which were published in the magazine "Chudak", published in Moscow in the late twenties - early thirties of the twentieth century. After the release of several stories, the publication was suspended, as the acute social content was not to their liking.officials from Soviet censorship.

These works depicted people, each of whom had a whole set of vices, such as laziness and envy. Nevertheless, they all unconditionally followed existing laws and always carried out government regulations. Such plots were often found in works that were published in the press in the early years of Soviet power. However, censorship soon increased significantly.

Caricature of a Soviet intellectual

The chapters in which Vasisualy Lokhankin appears in Ilf and Petrov's novel "The Golden Calf" tell about the inhabitants of a communal apartment, which is popularly called the "crow settlement". Vasisualy Andreevich rents a room in this apartment with his wife Varvara, who is the only money earner in their family. He himself does not work anywhere, but is only engaged in talking about the fate of the Russian intelligentsia, the consequences of the October Revolution and other philosophical topics.

When Varvara is about to leave him and go to her lover, engineer Ptiburdukov, Vasisualy Andreevich goes on a hunger strike. He defiantly lies on the sofa, sprinkles verses in the size of iambic pentameter and reproaches Varvara for having ruthlessly abandoned him to the mercy of fate. The poetic works of Vasisualy Lokhankin gained immense popularity. Quotations from them are often found in modern literature. These lines became winged, along with the creations of the poet Lyapis Trubetskoy from another novel by Ilf and Petrov (“The Twelve Chairs”). These two characters, two representatives, so to speak, of creativeintelligentsia differ from each other in that Lapis writes his works, pursuing selfish goals, he fancies himself a professional poet. While Vasisualy Lokhankin expresses himself in iambic pentameter, sometimes without even noticing it.

This feature of speech is part of his nature. The image of this hero of the novel by Ilf and Petrov is distinguished by its comicality. The writers created a caricature of a typical representative of the Russian intelligentsia of those years.

Of course, the features of some representatives of this stratum of society, such as a tendency to empty reasoning, as well as the inability to sometimes take any decisive actions, are presented in the description of this character in an exaggerated form. The poems of Vasisualy Lokhankin are another artistic means for creating the image of an aesthetic lazy person.

Family drama

Varvara is moved to pity by Lokhankin's actions. She relents and decides to postpone her move to the engineer Ptiburdukov for at least two weeks. During her subsequent residence with her husband, Varvara listens every day to long tirades about the fate of the Russian intelligentsia and how inhuman and cruel she herself is. Vasisualy Lokhankin is already happily rubbing his hands in the hope that if things go on like this, engineer Ptiburdukov will not see his dearest wife.

But one morning Varvara wakes up from the sound of champing. This is Vasisuali Andreevich in the kitchen, using his bare hands, took out a large piece of meat from the borscht she had prepared and greedily gobbles uphis. She could not forgive her husband for such an act even in the happiest and most cloudless days of their life together. And at the moment, this incident led to the immediate departure of Barbara.

The unfortunate Vasisualy Andreevich, despite his deep feelings, still does not lose his sobriety of mind and even with some enterprise, which, it would seem, is atypical for his creative nature, decides to improve his financial situation. After the departure of his wife, who was the only working person in their family, he gives an advertisement in one of the city newspapers about renting a room to a lonely intelligent bachelor.

Execution

The language of the text of this announcement was somewhat idiosyncratic, as every word in it was abbreviated to reduce the number of printed characters. After Vasisualy gave this note to the newspaper, he indulged in his grief. At this moment, one of the most comical episodes of the entire novel took place. Absorbed by grief, Lokhankin constantly forgot to put out the light after visiting the restroom. Thrifty tenants warned him repeatedly.

Vasisualy Andreevich every time promised to change, but this did not happen. An insignificant light bulb was not part of his circle of interests. He could not even imagine that the dim light in the bathroom could seriously affect someone's interests. Finally, the inhabitants of Voronya Sloboda decided on an extreme measure. One fine day, the mountain prince in his former, pre-revolutionary life, and at that time - the worker of the Eastcitizen Gigienishvili called Lokhankin to the so-called friendly court, where he was punished, and the homegrown philosopher was flogged.

Bender Appears

At that very moment, Ostap Bender appeared in Voronya Slobidka, who came to Vasisualy Andreevich on the basis of an advertisement. He, as always, promised timely payment for services and moved into the apartment the next day.

After a fire broke out in Voronya Sloboda and the apartment completely burned down, Vasisualy Andreyevich Lokhankin, who found himself homeless, turned to his ex-wife and her roommate, engineer Ptiburdukov, for help, who turned out to be so compassionate that they immediately sheltered the poor sufferer.

Screenings

The plot about this character of the "Golden Calf" and his relationship with his wife was not included in the final version of the film adaptation of the novel directed by Mikhail Schweitzer. However, the excerpt has survived. These shots with Anatoly Papanov as an abandoned spouse can be viewed on the Internet if you wish. Georgy Danelia ten years earlier directed the short film Vasisualy Lokhankin, starring Yevgeny Evstigneev.