The city of Kalinov on the Volga is a fictional place with all the features inherent in the provincial cities of Russia. Ostrovsky borrowed part of the plot while on vacation in the Kostroma province. The author, represented by Kuligin, shows that people do not see the natural beauty of this city at all, noticing only its blackness. Ostrovsky in his work shows Kalinov in a position of deep discord among its inhabitants. The split in the city reveals the diversity of characters and demeanors of the characters in the play.

There are also old townspeople who do not want to break the traditions of their ancestors. Among them: Kabanikha, Wild, Feklusha. Many townspeople are not happy with the current state of affairs in the city. Most other provincial cities are developing and becoming more in demand. And in the city of Kalinov, the old interferes with the new, life here looks dull and monotonous. And therefore, people of the new generation (such as Varvara, Kudryash, Tikhon, Boris) resist the old generation, dreaming of escape from this "Dark Kingdom". The depressing situation is shown by Katerina Kabanova, who feels like in a cage in the city. As a child, she lived for her own pleasure, and upon arrival in Kalinov, she realized that her free life would soon end. The city worsens the mood of the heroine, and she jumps off the cliff.

Ostrovsky in his work "The Thunderstorm" wanted to show all the isolation of the fictional city, and that Kalinov will not change until the people who live in it change.

Together with the article "The composition" The city of Kalinov and its inhabitants in the play "The Thunderstorm" read:

Share this:

Published his drama: "The Thunderstorm" (see its summary and analysis). Here he again depicted the "dark kingdom", but already in that period of its existence, when the light begins to flicker in this mud.

The play takes place in the city of Kalinov, on the banks of the Volga River; the inhabitants of this city have not yet touched the spirit of the "new time". That is why it is difficult to breathe here for people who make their way to the light.

A. N. Ostrovsky. Storm. Spectacle

The city of Kalinov is, as it were, the entire remote Russian province in miniature. He lives a dark, rough and inert life, the beginnings of that dark merchant world, which is presented in Ostrovsky's previous plays, rule in him. Despotism, brute force, ignorance, the power of wild superstitions, tyranny of the elders and oppression of the younger, drunkenness, tears, beatings - this is what reigns behind the quiet walls of merchant houses. “And what tears flowing behind these constipations, invisible and inaudible! And what, sir, behind these castles, the debauchery of dark and drunkenness! " - says in his monologue the quiet dreamer Kuligin, one of the bright figures in this dark kingdom, and adds: "Cruel manners, sir, in our city, cruel."

In the dark and ignorant life of the inhabitants of the town, no higher interests are influenced; religiosity and piety are external here: in the first place everything that is done “for people”, for show. Observing fasts, diligently visiting churches and monasteries, Kalinovites do not bind better life with the precepts of religion and continue all the same rough and wild life, tyrannizing home, getting drunk, and on weekdays cheating buyers. Everything fresh, young, talented perishes in this atmosphere, withers away from violence, anger, from the dead emptiness of this life. The weak drink too much, vicious and petty natures defeat despotism with cunning and resourcefulness; for direct, bright natures, endowed with an indefatigable desire for a different life, a tragic end is inevitable when faced with the rough forces of this world.

“They made the boulevard, they don’t walk ...” says Kuligin in another monologue. - Well, what would it seem that they should not walk, not breathe fresh air? So no. All the gates have long been locked, sir, and the dogs are lowered ... Do you think they are doing business or are they praying to God? No, sir. And they do not shut themselves up from thieves, but so that people do not see how they eat their household and tyrannize their family. And what tears are pouring behind these constipations, invisible and inaudible! .. And what, sir, behind these locks, the debauchery of dark and drunkenness! And everything is sewn and covered ... You, he says, look, in people I am on the street, but you don't care about my family; for this, he says, I have locks, and locks, and the dogs are angry. The family, he says, is a secret, secret! We know these secrets! From these secrets, sir, he only has fun, and the others howl like a wolf. What's the secret? Who doesn't know him! To rob orphans, relatives, nephews, to beat up home so that they would not dare to squeak about anything that he was doing there. That's the whole secret. "

This vivid characterization of the life of the inhabitants of the city reveals the reverse side of the Domostroev system of life, with its patriarchal despotism, fear of public "court", with outward decency, often covering up heartlessness and cruelty ... he is not only tolerant, but even captivates with his heartfelt simplicity of life (grandmother Tatyana Markovna in “ Cliff", Old man Bagrov in" Family Chronicle»,

Nothing sacred, nothing pure, nothing right in this dark world.

ON. Dobrolyubov.

The drama "The Thunderstorm" by A. Ostrovsky is one of the outstanding works of Russian drama. In it, the author showed the life and customs of a typical provincial town, whose inhabitants stubbornly cling to a long-established way of life with its patriarchal traditions and foundations. Describing the conflict in a merchant family, the writer denounces the spiritual and moral issues Russia in the middle of the 19th century.

The play takes place on the banks of the Volga, in the small town of Kalinov.

In this city, the basis of human relationships is material dependence. Here money decides everything, and power belongs to those who have more capital. Profit and enrichment become the goal and meaning of life for the majority of Kalinovites. For money, they quarrel among themselves and harm each other: "I'll spend it, and he will be a pretty penny." Even a self-taught mechanic, a self-taught mechanic, Kuligin, realizing the power of money, dreams of a million in order to talk on equal terms with the rich.

So, money in Kalinov gives power. Everyone is shy in front of the rich, so there is no limit to their cruelty and tyranny. Dikoy and Kabanikha, the richest people in the city, oppress not only their workers, but also their relatives. Unquestioning obedience to elders, in their opinion, is the basis of family life, and everything that happens inside the house, except for the family, should not concern anyone.

The tyranny of the "masters of life" manifests itself in different ways. Dikoy is openly rude and unceremonious, cannot live without abuse and abuse. A man for him is a worm: "If I want - I will have mercy, if I want - I will crush." He enriches himself by ruining the hired workers, and he himself does not consider this a crime. “I won’t pay them a penny per person, but I have thousands of this,” he boastfully says to the mayor, who is himself dependent on him. The boar hides her true essence under the guise of righteousness, while plaguing her children and her daughter-in-law with nagging and reproaches. Kuligin gives her a well-aimed characterization: “Prude, sir! She clothe the beggars, but she ate the household completely. "

Hypocrisy and hypocrisy determine the behavior of those in power. The virtue and piety of Kabanikha are false, religiosity is on display. She wants to force the younger generation to live according to the laws of hypocrisy, arguing that the most important thing is not the true manifestation of feelings, but the outward observance of decency. Kabanikha is outraged that Tikhon, leaving home, does not order Katerina how to behave, and the wife does not throw herself at her husband's feet and does not howl to show her love. And Dikoy doesn't mind covering up her greed with a mask of remorse. First, he "scolded" the peasant who came for money, and "after asking for forgiveness, he bowed at his feet, ... bowed in front of everyone."

We see that Kalinov has lived for centuries according to long-established laws and traditions. The townspeople are not interested in new ideas and thoughts, they are superstitious, ignorant and uneducated. The residents of Kalinov are afraid of various innovations, they know little about science and art. Dikoy is not going to install lightning rods in the city, believing that a thunderstorm is God's punishment, Kabanikha looks like a "fiery serpent" that cannot be ridden, and the townspeople themselves think that "Lithuania has fallen from the sky." But they willingly believe the stories of the pilgrims, who “because of their weakness” did not go far, but “when they heard, they heard a lot”.

The city of Kalinov is located in a very picturesque place, but its inhabitants are indifferent to the beauty that surrounds them. The boulevard built for them remains empty, "they only walk there on holidays, and even then ... they go there to show their outfits."

Kalinovites are also indifferent to the people around them. Therefore, all requests and efforts of Kuligin remain unanswered. While the self-taught mechanic has no money, all his projects do not find support.

Any manifestation of sincere feelings in Kalinov is regarded as a sin. When Katerina, saying goodbye to Tikhon, throws herself on his neck, Kabanikha pulls her back: “What are you hanging around your neck, shameless! You don't say goodbye to your lover! He is your husband, the head! " Love and marriage are incompatible here. Kabanikha remembers love only when she needs to justify her cruelty: "After all, from love, parents are strict with you ..."

It is in such conditions that the young generation of the city of Kalinov is forced to live. These are Varvara, Boris, Tikhon. Each of them in his own way adapted to life under conditions of despotism, when any manifestation of personality is suppressed. Tikhon completely obeys the requirements of his mother, he cannot take a step without her instructions. Material dependence on the Wild makes Boris powerless. He is unable to protect Katherine or stand up for himself. Varvara learned to lie, dodge, pretend. Her life principle: "do what you want, as long as it is sewn and covered."

Kuligin is one of the few who realizes the atmosphere in the city. He speaks directly about the ignorance and ignorance of the townspeople, about the impossibility of earning money by honest labor, criticizes the cruel customs that prevail in Kalinov. But he is also unable to protest in defense of his human dignity, believing that it is better to endure, to submit.

Thus, we see the passivity of the majority of Kalinov's residents, their unwillingness and inability to fight the established order, with the despotism and arbitrariness of the "masters of life."

The only person who was not afraid to challenge the "dark kingdom" is Katerina. She does not want to adapt to the life around her, but the only way out that she sees for herself is death. According to Dobrolyubov, death the main character - This is "a protest against Kabanov's notions of morality, a protest brought to an end."

Thus, Ostrovsky masterfully showed us a typical provincial city with its customs and manners, a city where tyranny and violence reign, where any desire for freedom is suppressed. Reading Thunderstorm, we can analyze merchant environment of that time, to see its contradictions, to understand the tragedy of that generation that can no longer and does not want to live within the framework of the old ideology. We see that the crisis of a despotic, ignorant society is inevitable and the end of the "dark kingdom" is inevitable.

(376 words) Located somewhere on the banks of the Volga's nursing river, Kalinov is an average provincial town that cannot be counted on the map. He is unremarkable, but at the same time charming and not devoid of his charms. What, in fact, is this very city on the Volga? What kind of people live in it? Not only the plot outline, but also the stage character of the work itself helps the reader to answer the above questions. Kalinov is literally separated by an invisible but sensitive wall from the rest of the outside world, most of the inhabitants here are extremely uneducated and ignorant bigots, completely devoid of ideals, who have lost all hope and refuse to accept innovations.

Savel Prokofievich Dikoy - an example of "denseness", seeking now and then to humiliate and offend others. There is an opinion that he uses swearing purely for the purpose of self-defense. Naturally, this does not justify him. Greedy and rude, Wild scolds nonstop. Apparently, it is precisely because of greed that Savl Prokofievich has such a cruel disposition. There is practically nothing human left in him. We all know that the word "tyrant" was firmly stuck to the Wild one long ago. It may be archaic, but it is relevant and accurate.

Marfa Kabanova the same field of berry - she is a traditionalist, a person who inhibits progress, whose lifestyle and way of life simply force her family members to blindly follow outdated patterns of behavior, traditions and customs. Kabanova regularly pesters her family with extremely ridiculous requests and demands that are contrary to common sense. Marfa Ignatievna is terrible in that she passes off her own instructions for piety, being not an ounce of pious.

Barbara, daughter of Kabanikha, one of the brightest and most obvious protagonists in The Thunderstorm. Sly and wise, she managed to break out of this " dark kingdom”, Having managed to adapt to its rules and requirements.

The victims of general tyranny are the spineless and weak-willed Tikhon, the drunken son of Kabanikha, and Boris, "Gray" and soft-bodied character, de facto nothing different from Tikhon.

Merchant Kuligin, through whose lips Ostrovsky characterized the life and way of life of Kalinov, is for the reader a kind of similarity to Chatsky, the bearer of "new views", whose worldview is fundamentally different from the worldview of others. Kuligin is ready to work practically free of charge for the benefit of society and change the life of the city for the better, but all his attempts and impulses are smashed against the stones of a cruel reality.

Katerina, who is the main heroine of the play "The Thunderstorm", accumulates all the best features of the soul of a Russian person. It is she, according to Nikolai Dobrolyubov, who is "a ray of light in the dark kingdom." Her death will become a kind of time boundary, having crossed which, the inhabitants of Kalinov will begin to fight against the reigning tyranny. Whether they will be able to challenge fate and break the shackles is unknown ...

Interesting? Keep it on your wall!

The action of the plot of the play by A.N. Ostrovsky's "Thunderstorm" takes place in the town of Kalinov off the banks of the Volga. Here the author reveals many characters with a wide variety of characters. During the course of events, new sides of their personalities are revealed to us, most often not the most pleasant ones.

The central place in the work is given to the Kabanov family - the mother of the Kabanikha family, her son Tikhon, daughter Varvara, daughter-in-law Katerina. Relationships in the family are built in the most complicated way, each member is concentrated only on himself and cannot find mutual language with no one else. More detailed description you should start with the main character of the play - Katerina Kabanova.

Girl Katerina grew up in a loving family, from childhood she was surrounded by the care and kindness of her parents. She often recalls that happy time, and often talks about it. She prays a lot, as she used to do in her parents' house, and as she sees fit. Having married Tikhon, she did not find the happiness and love that she dreamed of. Tikhon's husband does not consider her, does not protect her and does not show any kindness on his part. The boar constantly humiliates, clings to the poor girl, does not give her life. And yet, despite these sorrows, she still believes in goodness and remains as pure and naive. This must have contributed to the fact that she fell in love with the visiting nephew of the Wild.

Boris, just like Katerina, strives to be free from the shackles that society imposes. He does not accept the orders that are accepted in Kalinov, he denies them with all his might and wants to remain untouched by the hypocrisy that lives in this city. But despite this, it turned out that Boris himself had not far gone away from the local inhabitants, since, as he himself admitted, he had only come to fetch the inheritance of his uncle. He falls in love with Katerina, but was not ready for anything, for love, like she was. The legacy of the uncle-merchant still remained more significant for him. Boris leaves, and despite Katerina's requests to take her with him, he leaves alone so as not to anger Dikiy.

Tikhon Kabanov himself, as a person, is not of any interest. Rather, he is a shadow of his authoritarian mother, who suppressed all masculinity in this puny man with her pressure. He is not capable of independent decisions, does not show any emotions, is cold towards his wife and never protects her from the attacks of Kabanikha, showing cowardice, unforgivable for a man. This is not because he is emotionless, but rather simply because he is stupid and spineless. As he himself admits, he is not smart, and therefore obeys his mother in everything. Because of his stupidity, Tikhon is not able to admit any guilt after the death of his wife - the mother blames everything.

A guy with a girl Kabaniha is perhaps the main antagonist in this story - a rich merchant woman who is used to the fact that all her orders and wishes are immediately fulfilled. She terrorizes her entire family, not giving them a free breath, especially strangling Katerina with her despotism. The masculine character of Kabanikha is not capable of making anyone happy, not even himself. Her callousness has caused many tragic events in the play.

Varvara Kabanova, the daughter of Kabanikha, showed herself to be a quirky person. She learned to cope with the oppression of her mother and adapt to all the tension and bad atmosphere that did not leave their home. She, if desired, runs on dates to Kudryash, an employee of the Wild, and eventually runs away with him. Arranged meetings for Katerina and Boris, guessing about Katerina's love. Unlike honest Katerina, Varvara has long been accustomed to lying, hiding and constantly dodging, and therefore suffered the smallest loss in this story.

The rest of the characters in the play - Dikoy, Kudryash, and others fully correspond to the picture presented by Ostrovsky. The city of Kalinov is a place where light and goodness do not get along; on the contrary, they are crumpled and trampled down, as if completely unnecessary. Its inhabitants - one standing each other - demonstrate an example of a hopeless existence without purpose and values, bringing with it cold and gloom, which fully justifies the title of the play - "The Thunderstorm".