The novel "Coast" by Bondarev is one of the most famous works of this domestic author, a participant in the Great Patriotic War. The book was written in 1975. The writer received the USSR State Prize for her. 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 Beach" begins with the fact that the famous Soviet writer Vadim Nikitin flies to Germany at the invitation of a fan of his talent, Frau Herbert. He is accompanied by colleague Plato Samsonov. The German invited the Soviet prose writer to a meeting of the literary circle to exchange views on modern culture.
Nikitin took Samsonov with him as a translator, since the main character of the novel “The Coast”, Yuri Bondarev, does not speak German well. On the plane, friends discuss a letter to Frau Herbert, in which she admires Nikitin's works, comparing it with other Russian classics.
Herbert herself meets them at the airport, who is not at all what they imagined she was. In the novel "Beach" Bondarev describes an elegant, slim and wealthy woman. She brings them to the hotel and invites them for 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 point in the story, which should be noted in the summary of Bondarev's "Coast".
Hamburg walk
After breakfast, friends set off to explore Hamburg. They visit the monument to the heroes of World War II. Once on Reeperbahn Street, they accidentally go into an eatery where they show French porn. After they hardly manage to fight off local prostitutes.
Nikitin recalls how he received his first major fee, which he walked in taverns with the poet Vikhrov. Then everything ended sadly: for a fight he was taken to the police, and the remaining money was not enough even to pay for the apartment.
Meeting Herbert again, they meet journalist Dietzman, publisher Weber and his wife singer Lota Tittel. Their 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 conclude that Nazism is not unique to one nation. Tittel scolds Hitler, claiming that he has become a shame for 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 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 second part of the book "The Coast" by Bondarev. 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 the platoon is Koenigsdorf.
His squad is resting. Everyone has a carefree mood in anticipation of the coming victory. Sergeant Mezhenin comes to Nikitin, who nearby found a wrecked car with hours and money. He managed to carry something away, and hid the rest. Mezhenin shows him the finds, wondering if this might be worth anything. The protagonist claims that the watch is cheap, advises to distribute it to the soldiers, and throw the money away. But the sergeant refuses.
Galya and Knyazhko
When Nikitin goes down to breakfast, it turns out that Mezhenin had 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 give the soldiers a watch, and hand over the money to him. Mezhenin obeys.
After that, he goes for a walk with Lieutenant Knyazhko. Having returned, 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. Galey also seeks to care for the battalion commander, doing everything so that Knyazhko noticed this.
When the girl decides to leave, she is escorted by Nikitin. She complains to him of Knyazhko, who ignores her, admitting that she continues to love him anyway.
German Emma
Returning to his room, Nikitin finds Mezhenin, who is going to rape a red-haired German. The main character of the novel "Coast" Bondareva orders to leave the girl 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, on the first floor. In the living room there is already a feeble 15-year-old teenager with glasses, whom the sentry led. The prince, by order of Granautov, is preparing to interrogate him. Weeping 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 fled from there. Almost all members of this detachment were just as young boys as he was.
German partisan
Granautov is preparing to torture Kurt to tell more, but Knyazhko orders him to release both. Tom has to submit as a junior in rank.
In the morning, the girl wakes up Nikitin, bringing him coffee. She begins to pester him. The Soviet officer is trying to refuse, but Emma insists on her own. The main character of the novel "Beach" Yu. Bondareva recalls about his first time with a medical officer Eugene. Shortly afterwards, the Germans attack the village, they are trying to escape with Zhenya, but the girl is injured. Two days later, she dies.
When the youngest soldier in the platoon Ushatikov brings Nikitin shaving water, Emma has time to leave. Soon, he was visited by Mezhenin, who claims to know about his affair with a German woman. He begins to threaten that he will tell about everything to the authorities. In response, Nikitin recalls how in Zhitomir he refused to obey his order when he had sex with two nurses from the medical unit. Mezhenin retreats.
Clash with the Germans
In the morning, some of them are attacked by German self-propelled guns. It was decided to accept the battle. Nikitin and Knyazhko urge the soldiers to go forward, but they refuse. Mezhenin accuses the officers that the rank and file may die because of their desire to get a new award. The main character of the novel "Coast" Bondarev orders him to remain silent and go to battle. Meanwhile, the Germans blow up the bridge. As a result, it is impossible to pursue self-propelled guns. The Russians are retreating.
When everyone already believed that the situation had calmed down, Lieutenant Perlin arrived, demanding that the Germans be knocked out of the forestry. The prince goes to fulfill the order. On the way they come across the corpse of a young German.
On the approach to the forestry, they enter the battle. Mezhenin throws two bombs into the house. An explosion is heard, and after him a strong cry is heard. The prince understands that the building is not soldiers, but young partisans, whom Kurt spoke about. Teenagers are scared and do not know what to do. The prince without weapons comes to 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 capture the adolescents.
It turns out that Knyazhko killed a German corporal. Mezhenin tries to shoot him in a fit of anger, but he is discouraged. Galya inconsolably cries over the body of her beloved. In the evening, a wake took place. Having drunk vodka, Nikitin claims that they are all to blame for the death of the lieutenant, who committed a noble and bold act. After that, he picks up the things of Knyazhko, a letter addressed to Gala, and leaves for his room. In the message, the deceased lieutenant writes that there can be no relationship between him and the girl, since there is war around. This is not the time to build castles in the air.
Novel development
The next morning, Nikitin wakes up again in the same bed with Emma. Their romance is developing. They teach each other unfamiliar words, watch the butterfly. Ushatikov violates the idyll, who passes the order from the battalion commander to urgently appear.
Granautov demands to give him a letter to Knyazhko Gale, who sits next to him. Nikitin claims not to be aware of his existence. Then the battalion commander begins to threaten that he will tell everyone about his romance with Emma. Nikitin is silent in response.
Angry Galya orders them to stop arguing, and Granautov says that she never liked him, and she met him only to annoy Knyazhko.
Nikitin comes to Mezhenin, demanding that he send him to the tribunal. An enraged 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 another night together.
When the German woman 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 protagonist was threatened with ten days of arrest.
Shortly after the end of the battle, Mezhenin dies in the car, being fired upon.
"Nostalgia"
In the content of Bondarev’s “Coast”, this is the final part of the novel. Events are being carried over again in our time. Nikitin returns to his room late at night. He can’t fall asleep, so he calls Samsonov. He talks about everything that happened. Samsonov cannot understand why he is so worried.
The next day, the protagonist participates in a discussion about art, politics, and attitude to the Germans in Russia. After the official part ends, go to the Merry Owl tavern. Nikitin and Herbert talk to each other a lot and dance. Soon the woman becomes ill, they decide to continue the evening in a more peaceful place. In the new restaurant, they talk about their fate and life after the war.
Denouement
It turns out that Nikitin was married, and recently his son died. Herbert is a widow, her daughter left for Canada. She admits that she still loves the former Soviet officer.
At the airport, a German woman rushes to Nikitin’s neck, shouts his name, he only reassures her.
On the plane, the writer feels his heart ache, but writes off everything to cognac. He is dominated by memories. Represents a deceased son, a wife who almost lost her mind, her childhood. At this moment, he becomes completely ill. Samsonov comes to the rescue, but it's too late.
Analysis
The main problem that the author poses in this work is ethical. An issue of concern to him is especially relevant at the time of the struggle for detente and the peaceful coexistence of the Western and Soviet systems.
When analyzing Bondarev's “Coast”, it should be noted that the main debate is around the question of what determines humanity, what is genuine humanism, is it different from abstract.
The name is dictated by philosophical design. Yuri Bondarev in the novel "Coast" imagines two coasts and two time plans, which either repulse or converge. They embody the Soviet coast with the west and the time, modern for the heroes, with the events of the war.