In this article, we will tell you about a novel written by Mikhail Sholokhov in 1969. Your attention is presented with its summary. "They fought for their homeland" - a famous work. Sergey Bondarchuk made a film of the same name. The novel itself, its brief content, formed the basis of the picture. "They Fought for their Homeland" - a film that was released in 1975. He was a great success. "They fought for their homeland," the reviews gathered mostly positive. He even became the best film according to a survey conducted in 1976 by the magazine "Soviet Screen".
Roman Sholokhov begins as follows. Of the entire regiment, only 117 soldiers and commanders survived in the battle for one of the farms, Old Ilmen. The soldiers, exhausted by the endless retreat and three tank attacks, wandered across the waterless, sultry steppe. Only one was lucky with the regiment: they managed to maintain the regimental banner. The soldiers finally reached the farmstead lost in the Don steppe and were delighted to see that the camp kitchen had survived.
Conversation of Zvyagintsev with Streltsov
The conversation between Zvyagintsev and Streltsov, described in the work âThey Fought for the Homeland,â is an excerpt that is worth at least briefly retelling to the reader, describing the novel. She consisted of the following. Ivan Zvyagintsev, drunk from a well of brackish water, started a conversation with Nikolai Streltsov, his friend, about his family and home. Unexpectedly, Streltsov, a prominent, tall man who worked as an agronomist before the war, told his friend that his wife had left him, leaving two small children. Zvyagintsev, a former tractor driver and combine operator, also had family problems. His wife, who worked as a trailer for a tractor, "spoiled" through fiction. The woman was carried away by ladies' novels and began to demand "high feelings" from her husband. Thus, she led him into great irritation. Zvyagintsevâs wife read books at night, and sleepy during the day. As a result, the economy became desolate, and the children ran about like street children. She wrote such letters to her husband that it was a shame to read them to friends. The wife called the brave tractor driver either a cat or a chicken, and wrote about love in "book words." From these words, Zvyagintsev began "whirling in the eyes" and "fog in the head."
Petr Lopakhin
We continue to describe the summary. âThey fought for their homelandâ further introduces us to such a hero as Peter Lopakhin.
While Ivan complained to Nikolai about all of the above, he fell asleep soundly. After awakening, Nikolai smelled the burnt porridge. He also heard Petr Lopakhin, an armor-piercer, quarreling with a cook. Because of the fresh porridge, which was pretty boring, he was in constant confrontation with the cook. Nikolai met Lopakhin in the battle for the Bright Way collective farm. The hereditary miner Peter was a cheerful person, he loved to make fun of his friends and wholeheartedly believed in his own male irresistibility.
The retreat of the Russian troops
The ongoing retreat of the Russian troops depressed Nicholas. Chaos reigned at the front, and the Soviet army was unable to organize a rebuff to the Germans. It was especially difficult to look into the eyes of people who remained behind enemy lines. Local residents treated the retreating fighters as traitors. Streltsov did not believe that the Russians would succeed in winning the war with the Germans. Lopakhin believed that they had not yet learned how to beat the enemy, did not accumulate anger sufficient to win. When this happens, they will drive away the enemy. Meanwhile, Lopakhin did not lose heart, looked after the young nurses, joked.
Another heavy battle, Streltsovâs wound
Friends, having bathed in the Don, caught crayfish. However, they failed to try them. The rumble of artillery fire came from the west. The regiment was soon raised by alarm and ordered the soldiers to hold on to the last, taking up defense at the intersection of roads, at an altitude above the farm.
The fight was heavy, as Sholokhov notes. "They Fought for the Homeland" is a novel that describes its details. The remnants of the regiment had to restrain enemy tanks, trying to break out to the Don, where in the meantime the crossing of the main forces took place. The height after two attacks with tanks began to bomb from the air. A shell that exploded nearby greatly shocked Nikolai. Sagittarius, waking up, saw that an attack had begun on his regiment. He tried to get out of the trench deep in human growth, but could not do this. Streltsova was covered with a long unconsciousness.
Regiment retreat
Once again, the regiment retreated along the road, which was surrounded by burning bread. At the sight of the people's wealth dying in the fire, Ivan had a sore soul. In order not to fall asleep on the go, he began to vilify the Germans in an undertone. Lopakhin heard this murmur and began to ridicule. Now there are only two friends left: Nikolai Streltsov was found wounded and sent for treatment to the hospital.
Another defense, Lopakhin shot down an enemy plane
The regiment soon returned to defense. She passed on the approaches to the crossing. Her line went near the village. Lopakhin ("They Fought for the Homeland" is a novel by Mikhail Sholokhov, and the main role in the film of the same name was played by another Russian writer - Vasily Shukshin), tearing cover for himself, saw a tiled roof nearby, and also heard the voices of women. As it turned out, they came from a dairy farm. Its inhabitants were prepared for evacuation. At a dairy farm, Lopatin took milk. However, he did not have time to go for butter: an air raid began. This time the regiment was not left without support: the anti-aircraft complex was covering the soldiers. From an armor-piercing rifle Lopakhin shot down one enemy plane, having received a glass of vodka from Lieutenant Goloshchekov for this. He warned him that he would have to stand to death: the battle was going to be difficult.
Lopakhin, returning from Goloshchekov, barely managed to run to the trench dug by him - an air raid began. Germans crawled into the trenches, taking advantage of the presence of air cover. A battery of anti-tank defense and regimental artillery immediately covered them with fire. The soldiers managed to repel six heavy attacks before noon. Their fighting spirit was supported by the fact that they fought for their homeland. The author notes that a brief lull seemed strange and unexpected to Zvyagintsev. He missed his friend, Streltsov Nikolay, believing that it was impossible to talk seriously with Lopakhin, this inveterate gummer.
Wounding Ivan Zvyagintsev
Further, the author of the work talks about how Ivan Zvyagintsev was wounded. This is one of the main characters, which was created in the novel by Mikhail Sholokhov. "They fought for their homeland" - a phrase that applies to all soldiers of the Great Patriotic War. Ivan Zvyagintsev is shown in the work as one of the brave fighters who fought together with others for the liberation of their country from invaders.
After some time, the Germans set about artillery training. A flurry of fire fell on the cutting edge. Zvyagintsev has not been under such heavy shelling for a long time. About half an hour he went on. After that, the German infantry, covered by tanks, moved to the trenches. Ivan was almost delighted with this visible danger. Ashamed of his own recent fear, he burst into battle. The regiment soon launched an offensive. Loudly thundering behind, and Ivan fell mad with pain.
Retreat to the other side of the Don
The Germans, exhausted by unsuccessful attempts to capture the crossing, stopped their attacks in the evening. An order was received to retreat from the Russian regiment, moving to the other side of the Don. He seriously injured Lieutenant Goloshchekin, so the foreman Poprishchenko became the command. During the transition to a dilapidated dam, the regiment fell under the shelling of the Germans twice more. Lopakhin is now left completely without friends. Next to him was only Kopytovsky Alexander, the 2nd number of his calculation.
The death of Lieutenant Goloshchekin, the return of Nikolai Streltsov
Lieutenant Goloshchekin died, having failed to cross the Don. The lieutenant was buried on the river bank. It was hard on Lopakhinâs soul. He was afraid that the regiment would be sent to the rear for reformation, and he would have to forget about the front for a long time. It seemed unfair to the fighter, especially now, when every soldier was counted. Lopakhin, on reflection, went to the foreman in order to say his request: he wanted to remain in the army. He saw Nikolai Streltsov along the road. Peter, delighted, called out to his friend, but he did not even look back. As it soon became clear, he was deaf from shell shock. Nikolai, having recovered a bit in the hospital, decided to escape to the front.
Injury and treatment in the hospital of Ivan Zvyagintsev
We continue to acquaint readers with the work "They Fought for the Homeland", the author of which is Mikhail Sholokhov (pictured below).
Zvyagintsev, waking up, saw that the battle was going on around him. He felt severe pain and realized that the fragments of a bomb exploding from behind had cut his entire back. A soldier in a raincoat was dragged along the ground. Then he felt himself falling somewhere, and again lost consciousness, hitting his shoulder. Waking up for the second time, Ivan saw the nurse's face above him. The girl tried to drag Zvyagintsev to the medical battalion. It was difficult for a fragile, small nurse to drag Ivan, but she did not abandon him. Zvyagintsev in the hospital quarreled with the orderly, who plundered his bootlegs. He also continued to curse as a tired surgeon pulled fragments from his legs and back.
Friends' decision to stay at the front
"They Fought for their Homeland" is a book that describes different characters, motives of people and their personal qualities. Reading the next episode, we become more familiar with the inner world of the heroes of the work.
Sagittarius, like Lopakhin, decided to stay at the front. He didnât escape from the hospital in order to sit out in the rear. Soon Kopytovsky and the phlegmatic elderly soldier Nekrasov approached friends. Their conversation is an important point that the author has not in vain included in the work "They Fought for the Homeland." Nekrasov was not averse to being reorganized. This soldier planned to find an accommodating widow and rest with her from the war. Nekrasovâs plans infuriated Lopakhin. But he, not swearing, explained calmly to him that he had something like sleepwalking, "trench disease." Waking up in the morning, Nekrasov often found himself climbing into unexpected places. Once he even ended up in a furnace. The soldier decided that he was inundated in the trench with an explosion, and began to call for help. Nekrasov wanted to escape from this illness in the arms of the rear widow. Angry Lopakhin was not touched by the sad story of this hero of the work "They Fought for the Homeland." Analyzing his reaction, we can also say that Lopakhin reminded a friend of his family, who remained in Kursk. He noted that if all the defenders began to think about rest, the Nazis would probably get to it. Thinking over the words of Lopakhin, Nekrasov decided to stay. Sasha Kopytovsky did the same. Such a general decision was made by the protagonists of "They Fought for the Homeland." This book teaches fidelity, patriotism, camaraderie.
The regiment goes to the headquarters of the division
The four of them approached the dugout Poprishchenko, whom the soldiers had already angered with their requests to stay at the front. The foreman explained to Lopakhin that their division was personnel, staunch and well-worn, having retained its banner - a military shrine. Such fighters will not remain idle. The major has already ordered the foreman to leave for the Talovsky farm, in which the division headquarters was located. Here the regiment will be replenished with fresh forces, after which it will be sent to the most important sector of the front.
"They Fought for the Homeland": Description of the Regiment's Rest on the Way to Headquarters
The soldiers of the regiment went to this farm, spending the night on the way in another small farm. Poprishchenko did not want ragged and hungry fighters to come to the headquarters. He wanted to get supplies for them from the chairman of the local collective farm, but the pantries were empty. Then Lopakhin floated his masculine attractiveness. This soldier asked the chairman to provide them housing with a non-poor soldier not older than 70 years. She turned out to be a woman of incredibly tall stature, about thirty years old. Low Lopakhin delighted her to become, and he went to attack at night. Peter returned to his comrades with a lump on his forehead and a black eye - the soldier, as it turned out, was a faithful wife. Lopakhin, waking up in the morning, found that she was preparing breakfast for the entire regiment. As it turned out, the women who remained in the farm refused to feed the retreating soldiers, whom they considered traitors. The foreman told them that the regiment was retreating with battle. Then the women immediately gathered provisions and fed the soldiers.
Meeting of the regiment with the division commander, Colonel Marchenko
The regiment, who arrived at the headquarters, was met by Colonel Marchenko, the division commander. Elder Poprishchenko brought 27 fighters, of which five were slightly injured. The colonel, having made a solemn speech, adopted the regimental banner, which had already passed through the entire First World War. Lopakhin saw that when the colonel knelt before him, tears flowed down the elders' cheeks.
This concludes the summary. âThey Fought for their Homelandâ is a work worth reading in the original. The novel conveys an atmosphere of time with which many of us are familiar only from the stories of the few surviving participants in the events, as well as from history textbooks. But in the textbooks you can find only facts, a list of events, their summary. âThey fought for their homelandâ allows us to imagine wartime as if we were direct participants in the events, to experience what others felt. Only fiction can cope with such tasks. The work "They Fought for the Motherland", the essence of which we have just outlined, is one of the best novels about the Great Patriotic War.