Yu.Bondarev, "Coast": summary, plot, main characters and idea of the book

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

The novel "The Shore" by Bondarev is one of the most famous works of this Russian author, a participant in the Great Patriotic War. The book was written in 1975. The writer received the USSR State Prize for it. In 1984, the film of the same name by Alexander Alov and Vladimir Naumov was released. The main roles in it were played by Boris Shcherbakov and Natalya Belokhvostikova. Bondarev wrote the script for the film, for which he was awarded a prize at the All-Union Film Festival. In this article we will tell the plot of the novel, about its main idea.

Summary

Bondarev's novel "The Shore" begins with the famous Soviet writer Vadim Nikitin flying to Germany at the invitation of Frau Herbert, an admirer of his talent. He is accompanied by his colleague Platon Samsonov. A German woman invited a Soviet prose writer to a meeting of a literary circle to exchangeopinions about contemporary culture.

Nikitin took Samsonov with him as an interpreter, since the protagonist of Yuri Bondarev's novel "The Shore" does not speak German well. On the plane, friends are discussing Frau Herbert's letter, in which she admires Nikitin's works, comparing him with other Russian classics.

They are met at the airport by Herbert herself, who turns out to be completely different from what they imagined. In the novel "Coast" Bondarev describes an elegant, slender and we althy woman. She brings them to the hotel and invites them to breakfast. Herbert asks Nikitin if he has ever been to Germany. The writer says that in 1945 he besieged a small town. This is an important moment in the narrative, which should be noted in the summary of Bondarev's "Shore".

Hamburg walk

After breakfast, the friends set off to explore Hamburg. They visit the monument to the heroes of World War II. Once on the Reeperbahn, they accidentally go into an eatery where they show French porn. After they barely manage to fight off local prostitutes.

Nikitin recalls how he received his first large fee, which he played in taverns with the poet Vikhrov. Then everything ended sadly: for the fight he was taken to the police, and the remaining money was not even enough to pay the rent.

Meeting Herbert again, they meet journalist Ditzman, publisher Weber and his wife, singer Lota Tittel. Themthe conversation revolves around politics and relations between the two countries. They also discuss the past war: how it influenced the development of Germany, how Russian soldiers raped German women. As a result, they come to the conclusion that Nazism is inherent not only in one nation. Tittel scolds Hitler, claiming that he has become a disgrace to his nation.

At the end of the evening, Samsonov leaves for the hotel, and Herbert asks Nikitin to stay. She shows him an old album, in which there is a photograph of a young girl near a country house. In it, Nikitin recognizes his beloved from 1945, which Herbert has now become.

Madness

This is the name of the second part of Bondarev's book "Coast". In it, the reader learns about the events of May 1945, when Berlin was already half occupied by Soviet troops. Nikitin at the head of a platoon occupies Koenigsdorf.

His squad is resting. Everyone is in a carefree mood in anticipation of the coming victory. Sergeant Mezhenin comes to Nikitin, who nearby found a broken car with a watch and money. Some he managed to carry away, and the rest he hid. Mezhenin shows him the finds, wondering if it could be worth anything. The protagonist claims that the watch is cheap, advises giving it to the soldiers and throwing away the money. But the sergeant refuses.

Galya and Knyazhko

When Nikitin comes down to breakfast, it turns out that Mezhenin has already told the others about the find. Now the heroes of the novel "The Shore" by Yuri Bondarev decide what to do next. Nikitin orders to distributewatch the soldiers, and hand over the money to him. Mezhenin obeys.

After that, he goes for a walk with Lieutenant Knyazhko. When they return, they find the battalion commander Granautov and the officer from the medical unit Galya playing cards. It turns out that Galya is in love with Knyazhko, but he cannot answer her because of his intelligence. The battalion commander strives to look after Galya, doing everything so that Knyazhko notices this.

When the girl decides to leave, Nikitin sees her off. She complains to him about Knyazhko ignoring her, confessing that she continues to love him anyway.

German Emma

Returning to his room, Nikitin finds Mezhenin, who is about to rape a red-haired German woman. The protagonist of Bondarev's novel "The Shore" orders the girl to be left alone. When Mezhenin refuses, he threatens him with a tribunal and execution. Only then does the sergeant retreat.

Nikitin takes Emma, that's the name of the red-haired girl, to the first floor. In the living room is already a frail 15-year-old teenager in glasses, who was brought by the sentry. Knyazhko, on the orders of Granautov, is preparing to interrogate him. Crying Emma asks Kurt, as she calls the boy, to tell everything.

It turns out that they are brother and sister. They came to this house to pick up their things and go to Hamburg, where their grandfather lives. Kurt fought in a German partisan detachment, but escaped from there. Almost all the members of this detachment were the same young boys as he was.

German partisan

Granoutov prepares to torture Kurt to tell him more, butKnyazhko orders him to let both of them go. Tom has to obey like a junior in rank.

In the morning the girl wakes up Nikitin, bringing him coffee. She starts to approach him. The Soviet officer tries to refuse, but Emma insists on her. The protagonist of the novel "Shore" Y. Bondareva recalls his first time with the medical instructor Zhenya. Soon after, the village is attacked by the Germans, he and Zhenya try to escape, but the girl is wounded. She dies two more days later.

When the youngest soldier in Ushatikov's platoon brings water for Nikitin to shave, Emma has already managed to leave. Soon Mezhenin visits him, who declares that he knows about his affair with a German woman. He begins to threaten that he will tell the authorities about everything. In response, Nikitin recalls how in Zhytomyr he refused to follow his order when he had sex with two nurses from the medical unit. Mezhenin retreats.

Clash with the Germans

In the morning, part of them is attacked by German self-propelled guns. Decided to take the fight. Nikitin and Knyazhko urge the soldiers to go forward, but they refuse. Mezhenin accuses the officers that the privates may die because of their desire to get a new award. The protagonist of the novel "Coast" Bondarev orders him to be silent and go into battle. Meanwhile, the Germans are blowing up the bridge. As a result, it is impossible to pursue self-propelled guns. The Russians retreat.

When everyone already thought that the situation had calmed down, Lieutenant Perlin arrived and demanded that the Germans be driven out of the forestry. Knyazhkosent to carry out the order. On the way, they come across the corpse of a young German.

On the approach to the forestry, they enter into battle. Mezhenin throws two bombs into the house. An explosion is heard, followed by a loud cry. Knyazhko understands that there are not soldiers in the building, but young partisans, whom Kurt was talking about. Teenagers are scared and don't know what to do. Knyazhko, unarmed, approaches the house, offering them to surrender. They raise a white flag, because of which Knyazhko is killed with a machine gun. As a result, the Soviet troops manage to occupy the forestry, and take the teenagers prisoner.

It turns out that Knyazhko was killed by a German corporal. Mezhenin tries to shoot him in a fit of anger, but he is dissuaded. Galya cries inconsolably over the body of her beloved. In the evening there were memorials. Nikitin, after drinking vodka, declares that they are all to blame for the death of the lieutenant, who committed a noble and courageous deed. After that, he takes Knyazhko's things, a letter addressed to Galya, and goes to his room. In the message, the deceased lieutenant writes that there can be no relationship between him and the girl, since there is a war around. This is not the time to build castles in the air.

The development of the novel

The next morning, Nikitin wakes up again in the same bed with Emma. Their romance develops. They teach each other unfamiliar words, follow the butterfly. The idyll is broken by Ushatikov, who transmits an order from the battalion commander to appear urgently.

Granautov demands to give him a letter to Knyazhko Galya, who is sitting next to him. Nikitin claims to be unaware of its existence. Then the battalion commander begins to threaten that he will tell everyone about his affair with Emma. Nikitinsilent in response.

Angry Galya orders them to stop arguing, and Granautov says that she never liked him, and she only met him to annoy Knyazhko.

Nikitin comes to Mezhenin, demanding that he send him to the tribunal. An angry officer throws a chair at the protagonist, who shoots. Nikitin is arrested, and Mezhenin is sent to the medical unit. While in custody, he asks Ushatikov, who is guarding him, to arrange another meeting with Emma. Private organizes everything. They confess their love to each other, spend one more night together.

When the German leaves in the morning, Granautov releases Nikitin from the guardhouse, announcing that it is time to go to the last battle against the Nazis. For the crime committed, the main character was threatened with ten days of arrest.

Shortly after the end of the battle, Mezhenin dies in the car, being under fire.

Nostalgia

In the content of Bondarev's "Shore", this is the name of the final part of the novel. Events are again transferred to our time. Nikitin returns to the room late at night. He can’t fall asleep in any way, so he calls Samsonov. He talks about everything that happened. Samsonov cannot understand why he is so worried.

The next day, the main character participates in a discussion about art, politics, attitudes towards the Germans in Russia. After the end of the official part, they go to the Merry Owl tavern. Nikitin and Herbert talk a lot with each other and dance. Soon the woman becomes ill, they decide to continue the evening in a morecalm place. In the new restaurant, they talk about their destinies and life after the war.

Decoupling

It turns out that Nikitin was married, and recently his son died. Herbert is a widow, her daughter has gone to Canada. She confesses that she still loves the former Soviet officer.

At the airport, a German woman throws herself on Nikitin's neck, shouting his name, he only calms her down.

On the plane, the writer feels his heart aches, but he writes it off as cognac. He is in the grip of memories. Represents a dead son, a wife who almost went mad, her childhood. At this point, he becomes very ill. Samsonov comes to the rescue, but it's too late.

Analysis

The main problem that the author poses in this work is ethical. The question that concerns him is especially relevant at the moment of the struggle for detente and peaceful coexistence between the Western and Soviet systems.

When analyzing "The Shore" by Bondarev, it should be noted that the main dispute revolves around the question of what defines humanity, what genuine humanism is, whether it differs from abstract.

The name is dictated by philosophical intent. Yuri Bondarev in the novel "The Shore" imagines two shores and two time planes, which either repel or converge. They personify the Soviet coast with the western one and the time, modern for the heroes, with the events of the war.