“Poor Avrosimov” Okudzhava in brief summary


Petersburg, January 1826. Ivan Evdokimovich Avrosimov works as a clerk in the highest approved commission, recording the testimony of the rebel participants on the Senate Square. In the commission, this shy provincial turned out to be thanks to the patronage of his uncle, the retired staff captain Artamon Mikhailovich Avrosimov, who provided an unforgettable service to Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich on the day he swore an oath, on December 14.

Courage did not leave the clerk until the commission began to interrogate Colonel Pestel. From this moment, mysterious things began to happen to him. Some mysterious stranger wants to meet with him. The committee member, Count Tatishchev, pursues Avrosimov in his carriage, asking extremely uncomfortable questions: is it possible to fall under the spell of a state criminal such as Pestel? The only rest is an unexpected nightly adventure with officers and their frivolous girlfriends, whom the clerk accepts for decent women and one, Delphinius,

even in the heat of night passion even proposes to marry him. Soon there is a meeting with a mysterious stranger. She is the wife of Pestel’s brother, Vladimir Ivanovich Pestel, who spoke on December 14 on the side of Nicholas – against his brother.

During his visit to his uncle, he meets a certain Arkady Ivanovich Mayboroda, a captain who served with Pestel, who betrayed his boss. Avrosimov leads the captain to the familiar officers, where he repeats the history of his relationship with Pestel, and receives at the end of the conversation an unexpected slap from Buturlin. The next morning Mayboroda again appears before the eyes of Avrosimov: he gives evidence in the committee. After that, our hero is already more specifically discussing with Amalia Petrovna the way to rescue Pestel, and then again wants to get married – this time to the girlfriend of Delphinius, the haymongress of Milorode. He wakes up and rushes to the place of service, where he receives an order to accompany the arrested lieutenant Zaikin to Little Russia, who is ready to tell the authorities the place where the “Russian

Truth” is hidden. Handing Pestel in his cell questionnaires, he again meets on the way home the crew of the military minister, and Tatishchev, as before, asks the hero extremely unpleasant questions about the secret of Pestele’s charisma. Quickly be on the road! The offender is also accompanied by captain Sleptsov, who offers to spend the night on the road in his estate, Kolupanovka. In the half-asleep Avrosimov constantly is the colonel, who conducts his dangerously intelligent conversations about the destinies of Russia – and he himself is also damned charming!

The evening at the estate – with the singing of the maiden choir, a sumptuous meal – was a success. At night Avrosimov and the convict confess each other in sympathy for Pestel. So there is nothing surprising in the fact that Zaikin can not specify the place where the manuscripts are buried – he just does not know this. But, yielding to the pressure Sleptsova, points to a person, this place knows exactly: his brother Fedya. He indicates the current place of storage of Pestel’s papers, but he too often became involved with the captain, and he also arrested his brother. On the way back, the trio returns to Kolupanovka. From some not quite clear sense of superiority, Sleptsov staged an attack of robbers, and Avrosimov wounded one of the attackers – to the horror of everyone else, confident that no one else had weapons. Zaikin, who called the captain’s joke “bordering on meanness,” asks Avrosimov to transfer the note to her sister Nastenka. He fulfills the request. Then he goes to Amalia Petrovna and offers to arrange an escape from the fortress. Appeared from somewhere out of nothingness personality offer their services – at first unselfishly, then, “for speed,” require money. Avrosimov refuses: but the escape machine seemed to be spinning in spite of his will, but Amalia Petrovna herself gives all the plans to Tatishchev. The minister sends a note to Buturlin with a demand to arrest Avrosimov, – they are just discussing the terms of the upcoming scribe of the duel with Sleptsov. At the time of arrest, Avrosimov denies everything, and he is sent to the village, where he, having married, apparently, is on Nastenka, and awaits Mjatlev with Lavinia. Then he goes to Amalia Petrovna and offers to arrange an escape from the fortress. Appeared from somewhere out of nothingness personality offer their services – at first unselfishly, then, “for speed,” require money. Avrosimov refuses: but the escape machine seemed to be spinning in spite of his will, but Amalia Petrovna herself gives all the plans to Tatishchev. The minister sends a note to Buturlin with a demand to arrest Avrosimov, – they are just discussing the terms of the upcoming scribe of the duel with Sleptsov. At the time of arrest, Avrosimov denies everything, and he is sent to the village, where he, having married, apparently, is on Nastenka, and awaits Mjatlev with Lavinia. Then he goes to Amalia Petrovna and offers to arrange an escape from the fortress. Appeared from somewhere out of nothingness personality offer their services – at first unselfishly, then, “for speed,” require money. Avrosimov refuses: but the escape machine seemed to be spinning in spite of his will, but Amalia Petrovna herself gives all the plans to Tatishchev. The minister sends a note to Buturlin with a demand to arrest Avrosimov, – they are just discussing the terms of the upcoming scribe of the duel with Sleptsov. At the time of arrest, Avrosimov denies everything, and he is sent to the village, where he, having married, apparently, is on Nastenka, and awaits Mjatlev with Lavinia. already wiggling apart from his will, but Amalia Petrovna herself gives all the plans to Tatishchev. The minister sends a note to Buturlin with a demand to arrest Avrosimov, – they are just discussing the terms of the upcoming scribe of the duel with Sleptsov. At the time of arrest, Avrosimov denies everything, and he is sent to the village, where he, having married, apparently, is on Nastenka, and awaits Mjatlev with Lavinia. already wiggling apart from his will, but Amalia Petrovna herself gives all the plans to Tatishchev. The minister sends a note to Buturlin with a demand to arrest Avrosimov, – they are just discussing the terms of the upcoming scribe of the duel with Sleptsov. At the time of arrest, Avrosimov denies everything, and he is sent to the village, where he, having married, apparently, is on Nastenka, and awaits Mjatlev with Lavinia.


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“Poor Avrosimov” Okudzhava in brief summary