Shmelev’s “Summer of the Lord” in brief
Pure Monday. Vanya wakes up in his native Zamoskvoretsky house. The Great Lent begins, and everything is ready for him.
The boy hears how his father scolds the elder steward, Vasil Vasilich: yesterday his people escorted Shrove Tuesday, drunk, drove the people off the slides and “almost disfigured the audience.” Vanya’s father, Sergei Ivanych, is well known in Moscow: he is a contractor, the owner is kind and energetic. After dinner, Father forgives Vasil Vasilich. In the evening, Vanya and Gorkin go to church: special lenten services began. Gorkin is a former carpenter. He is already old, that’s why he does not work, but simply lives “at home”, takes care of Vanya.
Spring morning. Vanya looks out the window, how to fill the ice cellar, goes with Gorkin to the Lenten market for supplies. The Annunciation comes – on this day “everyone should please someone.” The father forgives Denis, who drank his master’s proceeds.
Easter. The father arranges illumination in his parish church and, most importantly, in the Kremlin. A festive dinner is in the courtyard, the owners are dining with their employees. After the holidays new workers come to hire. The Iberian icon of the Mother of God is solemnly entered into the house – to pray to her before starting work.
At the Trinity Vanya with Gorkin goes to the Sparrow Hills for birches, then with his father – for flowers. On the day of the holiday, the church, decorated with flowers and greenery, turns into a “sacred garden”.
Approaching the Transfiguration – the apple Savior. In the garden they shake the apple tree, and then Vanya and Gorkin go to the Swamp to the apple merchant Krapivkin. Apples need a lot: for themselves, for workers, for clergy, for parishioners.
Frosty, snowy winter. Christmas.
The Christmas-days have come. Parents left for the theater, and Vanya goes to the kitchen, to the people. Gorkin proposes to betray “in the circle of King Solomon.” He reads to everyone the dictum – to whom it will fall. True, these sayings he chooses himself, taking advantage of the fact that the rest are illiterate. Only Vanya notices the guile of Gorkin. And the fact is that Gorkin wants to read the most suitable and instructive for everyone.
At the baptism in Moscow River, they consecrate water, and many, including Gorkin, bathe in the ice-hole. Vasil Vasilich competes with the German “Iceman”, who will stay longer in the water. They contrive: the German rubs himself with lard, Vasil Vasilich – goose. With them the soldier competes, and without any tricks. Vasil Vasilich wins. A father takes a soldier as a watchman.
Maslenitsa. Workers bake pancakes. The bishop arrives, for the preparation of a festive treat, the cook is invited to Garinka. On Saturday, they ride dashingly from the mountains. And on Sunday, everyone begs each other for forgiveness before the Great Lent.
Gorkin and Vanya go to the icebreaker “clean up”: Vasil Vasilich drinks everything, but you need to get the ice to the customer. However, it turns out that the day-to-day workers do everything quickly and well: Vasil Vasilich “has penetrated into them” and drinks every day with beer.
Summer Petrovsky post. The maid Masha, the seamstress Glasha, Gorkin and Vanya are going to rinse their clothes on the Moskva River. Denis lives there on the port. He wants to marry Masha, asks Gorkin to talk to her.
Feast of the Don icon, solemn procession. They carry banners from all Moscow churches. Soon the Pokrov will come. At home salt cucumbers, cut cabbage, water antonovku. Denis and Masha are thrown around with causticism. On the very holiday Vanina’s sister Katyusha is born. And Denis and Masha finally got married.
Workers rush to give Sergei Ivanovich for a birthday party of unprecedented size pretzel with the inscription: “The Boss is good.” Vasil Vasilich, in violation of the rules, arranges church ringing, while they are carrying the pretzel. Namedays are a success. More than a hundred congratulations, pies from all over Moscow. The bishop himself arrives. When he blesses Vasil Vasilich, he cries with a thin voice…
Mikhailov’s Day is coming, Gorkin’s name-day. He is also loved by everyone. Vanin’s father grants him rich gifts.
Everyone lights up before the Christmas fast. Her aunt’s father, Pelageya Ivanovna, arrives. She is “like a fool”, and her jokes conceal predictions.
Christmas is coming. My father undertook to build an “ice house” in the Zoological Garden. Denis and Andryushka the carpenter suggest how to do this. It turns out – just a miracle. Father – glory to the whole of Moscow.
Vanya goes to congratulate on the day of the angel of the godfather Kashin, “the proud rich man”.
At the crossfire week, Vanya and Gorkin are gossiping, and Vanya for the first time. This year, the house is full of bad omens: father and Gorkin see ominous dreams, the terrible flower “snake-colored” blooms.
Soon Palm Sunday. The old coals bring a willow from the forest. Easter. Yardman Grishka, who had not been in the service, was poured cold water. In the Holy Week, Vanya and Gorkin go to the Kremlin, walk around the cathedrals.
Egoriev’s day. Vanya listens to pastoral songs. Again the bad omens: the dog is wailing Bushuy, the starlings have not arrived, the furrier instead of the holy picture slipped a sacrilegious.
Radunitsa is the Easter commemoration of the dead. Gorkin and Vanya travel to the cemeteries. On the way back, having stopped by the tavern, they hear a terrible news: Vanina’s father “killed a horse”.
My father was still alive, but he’s been sick ever since he broke his head, falling from a rugged horse. He is getting better, he goes to the baths – to turn out to be cold water. After that, he feels completely healthy, goes to Vorobyevka – to admire Moscow. He starts to go to construction sites… but then the disease returns.
The icon of the healer Panteleimon is invited to the house, they serve as a prayer. The patient becomes better for a while. Doctors say that there is no hope. Sergey Ivanovich blesses children at parting; Vanya – an icon of the Trinity. It is already clear to everyone that he is dying. He is being consecrated.
Come on father’s birthday. Again congratulations and pies are sent from everywhere. But to the dying family, all this seems like a bitter mockery.
The priest comes to read the waste. Vanya falls asleep, he dreams a joyful dream, and next morning he finds out that his father passed away. At the coffin, Vanya becomes sick. He gets sick, can not go to a funeral and only sees a coffin out of the window.
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