In Russian literature there are many books on native nature, places dear to the heart. Below we will consider one of these works, which was written by K. G. Paustovsky, the novel "The Meshcherskaya Side".
Ordinary land
At the beginning of the book, the narrator introduces readers to this land and gives a brief description. At the same time, he notes that this region is unremarkable. There is clean air, pine forests, meadows, lakes. All this is beautiful, but nothing special. Konstantin Paustovsky also mentions the location of the area : the Meshchersky side is located near Moscow, between Vladimir and Ryazan.
First meeting
The narrator got to Meshchera from Vladimir when he was traveling by train along a narrow gauge railway. At one station, a shaggy grandfather climbed into the car, who was sent to the museum with a notice. The letter says that two very large birds, striped, of unknown species, live in the swamp. They need to be caught and delivered to the museum. Grandfather also said that there was found a “stick” - huge antlers of an ancient deer.
Vintage map
The author took out a map of this region, a very old one. Surveys of the area were made before 1870. There were many inaccuracies in the diagram, the riverbeds managed to change, the lakes swamped, new pine forests appeared. However, despite all the difficulties, the narrator preferred to use the map rather than the tips of the locals. The fact is that the natives explained too much and confused where to go, but many signs turned out to be inaccurate, and some were not at all.
A few words about signs
The author claims that creating and finding signs is a very exciting experience. Then he shares some observations. Some signs remain for a long time, others do not. However, they are considered to be related to time and weather. Among them there are simple ones, for example, the height of the smoke. There are complex ones, for example, when a fish suddenly stops pecking, and the rivers seem to die. This happens before bad weather. All the beauties can not display a summary. Paustovsky ("Meshcherskaya side") admires the nature of Russia.
Return to map
The author, using the map, briefly describes on what lands the Meshchersky region is located. At the bottom of the diagram is an Oka. The river shares 2 completely dissimilar spaces. To the south - the inhabited fertile Ryazan lands, to the north - a marshy plain. In the western part is the Borovaya side: a pine thicket, in which many lakes are hidden.
Msharas
So called swamps of the Meshchera region. Overgrown lakes cover an area of hundreds of thousands of hectares. Among the marshes there are sometimes wooded “islands”.
It is worth adding the following case to the summary. Paustovsky ("Meshcherskaya side") talks about one of the walks.
Once, the author and his friends decided to go to the Filthy Lake. It was located among the swamps and was famous for large cranberries and huge grebes. Walking through the forest, in which a fire last year, was difficult. Travelers quickly got tired. They decided to relax on one of the "islands". The company also included the writer Gaidar. He decided that he would look for a path to the lake while the rest were resting. However, the writer did not return for a long time, and his friends were alarmed: it was already dark and the wolves began to howl. One of the company went in search of. Soon he returned with Gaidar. The latter said that he climbed a pine tree and saw this lake: the water there is black, rare weak pine trees stand around, some have already fallen. A very terrible lake, as Gaidar said, and friends decided not to go there, but to get out on hard ground.
The narrator reached the scene a year later. The shores near Lake Pogany were floating and consisted of tightly interwoven roots and mosses. The water was indeed black, and bubbles rose from the bottom. It was impossible to stand still for a long time: the legs began to fall through. However, fishing was good, the author and his friends caught perches, which earned them the glory of “inveterate people” in the village of women.
Many other entertaining incidents contain a story written by Paustovsky. “Meshcherskaya side” reviews received different, but more positive.
Forest rivers and canals
Forests with white spots in the depths, as well as two rivers, Solotcha and Pra, are marked on the map of the Meshchersky Krai. The first water is red, on the shore there is a lonely inn, almost no one settles on the banks of the second.
Also on the map are many channels. They were laid during the time of Alexander II. Then they wanted to drain the swamps and populate them, but the land was poor. Now the canals are overgrown, and only birds, fish and water rats live in them .
As you can see, in the story written by Paustovsky (The Meshcherskaya Side), the main characters are forests, meadows, lakes. The author tells us about them.
The woods
The Meshchersky pine forests are majestic, the trees are tall and straight, the air is transparent, the sky is clearly visible through the branches. There are also spruce forests, oak forests, groves in this region.
The author lives in the woods in a tent for several days, sleeps little, but feels cheerful. Once, he and his friends were fishing on the Black Lake in a rubber boat. They were attacked by a huge pike with a sharp and durable fin, which could easily damage a floating facility. Friends turned to the shore. There was a she-wolf with wolf cubs, as it turned out, her hole was next to the tent. They managed to drive away the predator, but the camp had to be moved.
The lakes of the Meshchersky Territory have water of different colors, but most often black. This is because of the peat bottom. However, there are purple, yellow, blue and tin ponds.
Meadows
Between the forests and Oka there are meadows similar to the sea. They hide the old riverbed, already overgrown with grass. It is called Breakthrough. The author lives in those places for a long time every fall.
A little digression
One cannot help but insert the following episode into the summary. Paustovsky ("Meshcherskaya side") talks about such a case.
Once an old man with silver teeth arrived in the village of Solotche. He caught spinning, but local anglers despised the English fishing rod. The guest was unlucky: he chopped off spinners, dragged driftwood, but could not pull out a single fish. And the local boys successfully caught on a simple rope. Once the old man was lucky: he pulled out a huge pike, began to examine it, to admire. But the fish took advantage of this procrastination: it hit an elderly man on the cheek and dived into the river. After that, the old man packed up all his belongings and left for Moscow.
More about meadows
In the Meshchersky Territory there are many lakes with strange names, often “speaking”. For example, beavers once lived in Bobrovsky, bog oak trees lie at the bottom of Hotts, there are a lot of ducks at Selyansky, Bull is very large, etc. Names also appear in the most unexpected way, for example, the author named the lake Langobard because of a bearded watchman.
Old men
We will continue to make a summary. Paustovsky ("Meshcherskaya side") describes the life of rural people.
Chatty old people, watchmen, basket men, ferrymen live in the meadows. The author often met with Stepan, nicknamed Beard on poles. That was his name because of extreme thinness. Once the storyteller began to rain, and he had to spend the night with his grandfather Stepan. The basket man began to recall that before all the forests belonged to monasteries. Then he talked about how hard it was under the king, but now it’s much better. He spoke about Manka Malavina, a singer. Previously, she would not have been able to leave for Moscow.
Homeland of talent
There are a lot of talented people in Solotcha, in almost every hut there are beautiful paintings painted by grandfather or father. Famous artists were born and raised here. In the house next door lives the daughter of the engraver Pozhalostin. Nearby is Aunt Yesenina, the author was buying milk from her. In Solotche once lived icon painters.
My house
The narrator rents a bathhouse converted into a residential building. However, he rarely sleeps in a hut. Usually sleeps in the gazebo in the garden. In the mornings, he boils tea in the bath, and then goes fishing.
Unselfishness
We mention the last part, ending with a brief retelling. The Meshchersky Side (K. Paustovsky) shows that the author loves these places not for their wealth, but for their quiet, calm beauty. He knows that in case of war he will protect not only his homeland, but this land too.
Brief analysis
In his work, the writer talks about the Meshchera region, shows its beauty. All the forces of nature come to life, and ordinary appearances cease to be such: rain or thunderstorm becomes threatening, bird chirping is compared to an orchestra, etc. The language of the story, despite its apparent simplicity, is very poetic and replete with various artistic techniques.
At the end of the work, the author speaks of selfless love for his land. This idea can be traced throughout the story. The writer casually mentions natural wealth, much more he describes the beauty of nature, the simple and kind nature of the locals. And he always claims that it is much more valuable than a lot of peat or forest. Wealth is not only in resources, but also in people, - Paustovsky shows. The Meshchersky Side, the analysis of which is being examined, is written according to the author’s actual observations.
The Ryazan region, in which the Meshchersky side is located, was not the native land of Paustovsky. But the warmth and extraordinary feelings that he felt here make the writer a real son of this land.