The plot lines of the work.

Alexey Konstantinovich Tolstoy
Vasily Shibanov

Prince Kurbsky fled from the royal wrath,
With him is Vaska Shibanov, the stirrup.
The prince was portly. The exhausted horse fell.
How to be in the middle of a foggy night?
But Shibanov maintains slavish loyalty,
He gives his horse to the governor:
“Ride, prince, until I reach the enemy,
Maybe I won’t be left behind on foot.”

And the prince galloped off. Under the Lithuanian tent
The disgraced governor sits,
The Lithuanians stand around in amazement,
Without hats they crowd at the entrance,
Every Russian knight gives honor;
No wonder the Lithuanian people are amazed,
And their heads are spinning:
“Prince Kurbsky has become our friend.”

But the prince is not pleased with the new honor,
He is filled with bile and malice;
Kurbsky is preparing to read the Tsar
Souls of offended sweetheart:
“What for a long time I melt and carry within myself,
Then I will write everything at length to the king,
I'll tell you straight, without bending,
Thank you for all his caresses.”

And the boyar writes all night long,
His pen breathes vengeance,
He reads it, smiles, and reads it again,
And again he writes without rest,
And he sarcastic the king with evil words,
And so, when the dawn broke,
It's time for his joy
A message full of poison.

But who are the daring prince's words?
Will he take it to Ioanna?
Who doesn't like a head on their shoulders,
Whose heart won't clench in its chest?
Involuntarily, doubts were cast upon the prince...
Suddenly Shibanov enters, sweating and covered in dust:
“Prince, is my service needed?
See, our guys didn’t catch up with me!”

And in joy the prince sends a slave,
Urging him impatiently:
“Your body is healthy and your soul is not weak,
And here are the rubles for the reward!”
Shibanov in response to the gentleman: “Good!
You need your silver here,
And I’ll give it for the torment
Your letter is in the royal hands."

The copper ringing rushes and buzzes over Moscow;
The king in humble clothes rings the bell;
Does it call back the former peace
Or does conscience bury you forever?
But often and regularly he rings the bell,
And the Moscow people listen to the ringing,
And he prays, full of fear,
May the day pass without execution.

In response to the ruler the tower hums,
Fierce Vyazemsky also calls with him,
Pitch darkness rings to the entire oprichnina,
And Vaska Gryaznoy and Malyuta,
And then, proud of his beauty,
With a girlish smile, with a snake soul,
The favorite calls Ioannov,
Basmanov, rejected by God.

The king finished; leaning on the staff, he walks,
And with him all the devious ones gather.
Suddenly a messenger rides, pushes the people apart,
He holds a message above his hat.
And he quickly pulled away from his horse,
A man approaches King John on foot
And he says to him, without turning pale:
“From Kurbsky Prince Andrey!”

And the king’s eyes suddenly lit up:
"To me? From a dashing villain?
Read, clerks, read aloud to me
Message from word to word!
Bring me the letter here, you impudent messenger!”
And a sharp end in Shibanov’s leg
He thrusts his rod,
He leaned on the crutch and listened:

“To the King, glorified of old from all,
But I’m drowning in abundant filth!
Answer, madman, for what sin?
Have you beaten the good and the strong?
Answer, isn’t it them, in the midst of a difficult war,
Are the strongholds of the enemy destroyed without counting?
Aren't you famous for their courage?
And who is their equal in loyalty?

Insane! Or think you are more immortal than us,
Seduced into an unprecedented heresy?
Pay attention! The hour of retribution will come,
Foretold to us by Scripture,
And I, like the blood in constant battles
For thee, like water, lines and lines,
I will appear before the judge with you!”
This is how Kurbsky wrote to John.

Shibanov was silent. From a pierced leg
The scarlet blood flowed like a current,
And the king on the calm eye of the servant
He looked with a searching eye.
A row of guardsmen stood motionless;
The lord's mysterious gaze was gloomy,
As if filled with sadness;
And everyone was silent in anticipation.

And the king said: “Yes, your boyar is right,
And there is no joyful life for me,
The blood of the good and strong is trampled underfoot,
I am an unworthy and stinking dog!
Messenger, you are not a slave, but a comrade and friend,
And Kurbsky has many loyal servants, you know,
Why gave you away for next to nothing!
Go with Malyuta to the dungeon!”

The executioners torture and torment the messenger,
They replace each other:
“You convict Kurbsky’s comrades,
Reveal their dog treason!
And the king asks: “Well, what about the messenger?
Did he finally call the thief his friends?”
“King, his word is all one:
He praises his master!”

The day fades, night time comes,
The gates will hide at the dungeon,
The shoulder masters enter again,
The work began again.
“Well, did the messenger name the villains?”
“Tsar, his end is near,
But his word is all one,
He praises his master:

“Oh prince, you who could betray me
For a sweet moment of reproach,
Oh prince, I pray that God forgives you
I will betray you before your fatherland!

But in the heart there is love and forgiveness,
Have mercy on my sins!

Hear me, God, in my dying hour,
Forgive my master!
My tongue goes numb, and my gaze fades away,
But my word is all one:
For the formidable, God, king, I pray,
For our holy, great Rus',
And I firmly await the desired death!”
This is how Shibanov, the striving one, died.

Prince Kurbsky fled from the royal wrath, Vaska Shibanov, the stirrup, was with him. The prince was portly, his exhausted horse fell - How to be in the middle of a foggy night? But Shibanov, keeping his slavish loyalty, gives his horse to the governor: “Ride, prince, until I reach the enemy’s camp, Perhaps I won’t be left behind on foot!”

And the prince galloped off. Under the Lithuanian tent, Disgraced, sits the governor; The Lithuanians stand around in amazement, Without hats, they crowd at the entrance, Every Russian knight gives honor, No wonder the Lithuanian people marvel, And their heads go around: “Prince Kurbsky has become our friend!”

But the prince is not pleased with the new honor, he is filled with bile and malice; Kurbsky is preparing to count the souls of the offended sweetheart to the Tsar: “What I have been concealing and carrying within myself for a long time, I will write everything at length to the Tsar, I will say it straight, without bending, Thank you for all his caresses!”

And the boyar writes all night long, His pen breathes revenge; He reads it, smiles, and reads it again, And again he writes without rest, And he sarcastic the king with evil words, And now, when the dawn has poured in, A message full of poison has arrived for his delight.

But who will undertake the daring words of the prince to take to John? Who doesn’t love a head on his shoulders, Whose heart doesn’t shrink in his chest? Involuntarily, doubts were cast upon the prince... Suddenly Shibanov enters, sweating and covered in dust: “Prince, isn’t my service needed? See, our guys didn’t catch up with me!”

And in joy the prince sends a slave, Urging him impatiently: “You are healthy in body, and your soul is not weak, And here are the rubles as a reward!” Shibanov in response to the gentleman: “Good! You need your silver here more, and I will give your letter into the royal hands for the torment!”

The copper ringing rushes and buzzes over Moscow; The king in humble clothes rings the bell; Does it call back the former peace, or does it bury conscience forever? But often and regularly he rings the bell, And the Moscow people listen to the ringing And pray, full of fear, So that the day passes without execution.

In response to the ruler, the towers hum, The fierce Vyazemsky also rings with him, The pitch darkness rings throughout the oprichnina, And Vaska Gryaznoy, and Malyuta, And right there, proud of his beauty, With a girlish smile, with a serpentine soul, Ioannov, the beloved, calls, Rejected by God Basmanov.

The king finished; leaning on the staff, he walks, and with him all the devious people gather. Suddenly a messenger rides, pushes the people apart, and holds a message above his cap. And he hastily dismounted from his horse, approached Tsar John on foot, and said to him, without turning pale: “From Kurbsky, Prince Andrey!”

And the king’s eyes suddenly lit up: “To me? From a dashing villain? Read, clerks, read the Message out loud to me word by word! Bring me the letter here, you impudent messenger!” And he thrusts the sharp end of his Rod into Shibanov’s leg, leaned on the crutch - and listened:

“To the king, glorified from ancient times by everyone, But I am drowning in abundant filth! Answer, madman, for what sake didst thou beat the good and strong? Answer, weren’t they the ones who, in the midst of a difficult war, destroyed the enemy’s strongholds without counting? Aren't you famous for their courage? And who is their equal in loyalty?

Insane! Or do you think that you are more immortal than us, seduced into an unprecedented heresy? Pay attention! The hour of retribution will come, predicted to us by Scripture, and I, who brought blood in constant battles for you, like water, lilies and lilies, will appear with you before the judge!” This is how Kurbsky wrote to John.

Shibanov was silent. From the pierced leg, scarlet blood flowed like a current, and the king looked at the calm eye of the servant with an inquiring eye. A row of guardsmen stood motionless; The lord's mysterious look was gloomy, As if filled with sadness, And everyone was silent in anticipation.

And the king said: “Yes, your boyar is right, And there is no joyful life for me! I trample the blood of the good and strong underfoot, I am an unworthy and stinking dog! Messenger, you are not a slave, but a comrade and a friend, And Kurbsky has many loyal servants, who gave you away for next to nothing! Go with Malyuta to the dungeon!”

The executioners torture and torment the messenger, and come to replace each other. “Convict Kurbsky’s comrades, Reveal their dog-like treason!” And the king asks: “Well, what about the messenger? Did he finally call the thief his friends?” - “Tsar, his word is all one: He glorifies his master!”

The day fades, the night time comes, The gates at the dungeon are hidden, The masters come in again, The work has begun again. “Well, did the messenger name the villains?” - “The king, his end is near, But his word is all one, He glorifies his master:

“O prince, you, who could betray me for a sweet moment of reproach, O prince, I pray that God will forgive you for your betrayal before your homeland!” Hear me, God, in my dying hour, My tongue is numb, and my gaze has faded, But in my heart there is love and forgiveness - Have mercy on my sins!

Hear me, God, in my dying hour, Forgive my master! My tongue is numb, and my gaze has faded, But my word is all one: For the terrible, God, Tsar, I pray, For our holy, great Rus' - And I firmly await the desired death!

Prince Kurbsky fled from the royal wrath,
With him is Vaska Shibanov, the stirrup.
The prince was portly, his exhausted horse fell -
How to be in the middle of a foggy night?
But Shibanov maintains slavish loyalty,
He gives his horse to the governor:
“Ride, prince, until I reach the enemy,
Maybe I won’t be left behind on foot!”

And the prince galloped off. Under the Lithuanian tent
The disgraced governor sits;
The Lithuanians stand around in amazement,
Without hats they crowd at the entrance,
Every Russian knight gives honor,
No wonder the Lithuanian people are amazed,
And their heads are spinning:
“Prince Kurbsky has become our friend!”

And the boyar writes all night long,
His pen breathes revenge;
He reads it, smiles, and reads it again,
And again he writes without rest,
And he sarcastic the king with evil words,
And so, when the dawn broke,
It's time for his joy
A message full of poison.

But who are the daring prince's words?
Will he take it to Ioanna?
Who doesn't like a head on their shoulders,
Whose heart won't clench in its chest?
Involuntarily, doubts were cast upon the prince...
Suddenly Shibanov comes in, sweaty and covered in dust:
“Prince, is my service needed?
See, our guys didn’t catch up with me!”

The copper ringing rushes and buzzes over Moscow;
The king in humble clothes rings the bell;
Does it call back the former peace
Or does conscience bury you forever?
But often and regularly he rings the bell,
And the Moscow people listen to the ringing
And he prays, full of fear,
May the day pass without execution.

And the king said: “Yes, your boyar is right,
And there is no joyful life for me!
The blood of the good and strong is trampled underfoot,
I am an unworthy and stinking dog!
Messenger, you are not a slave, but a comrade and friend,
And Kurbsky has many loyal servants, you know,
Why gave you away for next to nothing!
Go with Malyuta to the dungeon!”

The executioners torture and torment the messenger,
They replace each other.
“You convict Kurbsky’s comrades,
Reveal their dog treason!
And the king asks: “Well, what about the messenger?
Did he finally call the thief his friends?”
- “King, his word is all one:
He praises his master!”

The day fades, night time comes,
The gates will hide at the dungeon,
The shoulder masters enter again,
The work began again.
“Well, did the messenger name the villains?”
- “Tsar, his end is near,
But his word is all one,
He praises his master:

Hear me, God, in my dying hour,
Forgive my master!
My tongue goes numb, and my gaze fades away,
But my word is all one:
For the formidable, God, king, I pray,
For our holy, great Rus' -
And I firmly await the desired death!”
This is how Shibanov, the striving one, died.

Analysis of the ballad “Vasily Shibanov” by Tolstoy

Historical component of the work

In the 1840s, the author, who served in the archives for several years, discovers the genre of historical ballads. In his work, Tolstoy does not adhere to strict chronology: Kurbsky’s flight occurred before the oprichnina was introduced, but the author singles out the executioners - the oprichniki - among the royal retinue.

Plot lines of the work

The ballad contains 2 plot parts:

the betrayal of Kurbsky, who went over to the side of the Lithuanian principality;
transfer of a letter with accusations to Grozny and the painful death of Vasily Shibanov.

In the first part, the main character appears before us as a simple slave, a devoted supporter of the governor Kurbsky. He gives his horse to his master at the moment of disgrace. Having reached Latvia, the prince writes an angry, insulting letter to Grozny with accusations, driven only by resentment and anger. Here one can see the narrator's indifferent, negative attitude towards Kurbsky. He sends a faithful servant to his death and, as if in mockery, offers him money, but Vasily refuses it: “What’s more important to you here is your silver, but I’ll give it for the torment.” This ends the first storyline.

Next, the author shows us Moscow, where ordinary people live in constant fear of the formidable king: “And the people, full of fear, pray that the day will pass without execution.” Vasily delivers an angry letter to Ivan the Terrible, after which he painfully dies from torture.

How the protagonist's personality changes

At the beginning of the ballad, Vasily Shibanov is presented as a man of the lower class, who humbly goes on a deadly mission, driven only by “slavish fidelity,” while we see a slight hint of Kurbsky’s conviction for treason in some of the protagonist’s phrases: “Ride the prince to the enemy’s camp,” “ See, our guys didn’t catch up with me.” For Vasily, the Lithuanians remained an “enemy camp.” These words sound like a mockery of Kurbsky.

In the second part, the image of Vasily changes radically. He is presented as more than just a messenger who delivered an insulting letter to Ivan the Terrible. We see a messenger denouncing a cruel king. The letter, written out of anger and with the intention of insulting, points out to Ivan the Terrible his vices, with which he is forced to agree: “And the king said: “Yes, your boyar is right.”

In conclusion, Vasily Shibanov, dying in agony, prays for the salvation of the souls of the heroes opposed to him. He, as a messenger from above, suffers for the sins of strangers and prays for the salvation of the disgraced governor Kurbsky, Tsar Grozny and the Russian people.

And the boyar writes all night long,
His pen breathes revenge;
He reads it, smiles, and reads it again,
And again he writes without rest,
And he sarcastic the king with evil words,
And so, when the dawn broke,
It's time for his joy
A message full of poison.

But who are the daring prince's words?
Will he take it to Ioanna?
Who doesn't like a head on their shoulders,
Whose heart won't clench in its chest?
Involuntarily, doubts were cast upon the prince...
Suddenly Shibanov comes in, sweaty and covered in dust:
“Prince, is my service needed?
See, our guys didn’t catch up with me!”

The copper ringing rushes and buzzes over Moscow;
The king in humble clothes rings the bell;
Does it call back the former peace
Or does conscience bury you forever?
But often and regularly he rings the bell,
And the Moscow people listen to the ringing
And he prays, full of fear,
May the day pass without execution.

In response to the ruler the tower hums,
The fierce Vyazemsky also calls with him,
Pitch darkness rings to the entire oprichnina,
And Vaska Gryaznoy and Malyuta,
And then, proud of his beauty,
With a girlish smile, with a snake soul,
The favorite calls Ioannov,
Basmanov, rejected by God.

1. “Vasily Shibanov” - first published in “Russian Bulletin”, 1858, September, book. 1 with the subtitle "Ballad".
The historical basis of the poem is the era of the reign of Ivan the Terrible (1530–1584; Grand Duke of Moscow and All Rus' from 1533, first Tsar of All Rus' from 1547). His main opponent, Prince Andrei Kurbsky, who fled to Lithuania, wrote an angry and sarcastic letter to the tsar. Kurbsky’s faithful servant, Vasily Shibanov, was supposed to deliver this letter to Grozny. The angry king ordered Shibanov to be tortured and then executed with a painful death. Tolstoy took the description of this episode from Karamzin’s “History of the Russian State.”
Here is what is said about this event in the “History of the Russian State” by N.M. Karamzin: Kurbsky “secretly left the house at night, climbed over the city wall, found two saddled horses made by his faithful servant, and safely reached Volmar, occupied by the Lithuanians. There, the governor Sigismundov received the exile as a friend, promising him a noble rank and wealth in the name of the king. Kurbsky’s first task was to speak with John: to open his soul, filled with grief and indignation. In a fit of strong feelings, he wrote a letter to the king; a zealous servant, his only comrade, undertook to deliver it and kept his word: he presented the sealed paper to the sovereign himself, in Moscow, on the Red Porch, saying: “From my master, your exile, Prince Andrei Mikhailovich.” The angry king struck him in the leg with his sharp staff; blood poured from the ulcer; the servant, standing motionless, was silent. John leaned on the staff and ordered Kurbsky’s letter to be read aloud... John listened to the reading of the letter and ordered the presenter to be tortured in order to find out from him all the circumstances of the escape, all the secret connections, all of Kurbsky’s like-minded people in Moscow. The virtuous servant, named Vasily Shibanov... did not announce anything; in terrible agony he praised his father-master; rejoiced at the thought that he was dying for him.” Wed. also the words of Shibanov: “O prince, you, who could betray me // For a sweet moment of reproach,” with this place: “He sacrificed a good, zealous servant for the pleasure of revenge, the pleasure of tormenting the tormentor with bold words.” The source of stanzas 11-12 is an authentic letter from Kurbsky to Ivan the Terrible. Tolstoy shifted historical events somewhat. Kurbsky's flight and his first letter to the tsar date back to the time before the emergence of the oprichnina, and the prayers of the tsar with the oprichniki took place not in the center of Moscow, in front of the entire people, but in Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda, where he moved in 1565. F. M. Dostoevsky, speaking about Kurbsky and Shibanov in the “Diary of a Writer” in 1877, he retells the facts clearly based on Tolstoy’s ballad. ()

8. Basmanov– Fyodor Alekseevich Basmanov (Basmanov-Pleshcheev; date of birth unknown – died about 1571) – guardsman, son of Alexei Danilovich Basmanov, favorite of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible.
Since 1571, the name of Fyodor Basmanov is no longer mentioned; he is listed as retired in the boyar lists. This year he was presumably executed by Ivan IV or was exiled with his family to Beloozero, where he died in one of the monastery prisons. (