“Silent Don” by Sholokhov in brief summary
At the end of the penultimate Turkish campaign, the Cossack Prokofiy Melekhov led a captive Turkish woman home to the village of Veshenskaya. From their marriage a son was born, named Pantelei, as dark and black-eyed as his mother. Subsequently, Pantelei Prokofievich occupied himself with the arrangement of the economy and considerably expanded his estates. He married a Cossack named Vasilisa Ilinichna, and since then the Turkish blood has become interbreed with the Cossack. Thus, the eldest son of Pantelei Prokofievich, Petro, went to his mother: he was short, snub-nosed and light-headed; and the younger, Grigory, more like his father: the same swarthy, snub-nosed, wild-beautiful, the same rabid temper. In addition to them, the Melekh family consisted of the father’s favorite Dunyashka and Petrova’s wife Darya.
Early in the morning, Pantelei Prokofievich calls Grigory to go fishing, during which he demands that his son leave Aksinya Astakhov alone, the wife of Melekhov’s
When Aksinya was sixteen years old, she was raped by her own father, who was killed by the mother and brother of the girl. A year later she was married to Stepan Astakhov, who, not having forgiven the “insult”, began beating Aksinya and walking around the tinsel. Therefore, when Grishka Melekhov began to show interest in her, Aksinya, who did not know the love, to her horror, had a reciprocal feeling. Soon she converges with Grigory. Lovers do not hide their connection, and everything becomes known as Pantelei Prokofievich, and Stepan. The latter, returning, is taken to be brutally beaten by Aksinya, and the father decides to quickly marry Grigory to Natalya, Mitya Korshunov’s sister. Stepan Astakhov, after defeating the Melekhov brothers, becomes their sworn enemy. Aksinya tries, but can not suppress her feelings for Gregory. Matchmaking
Mitka Korshunov takes Elizaveta Mokhov out for fishing and rapes her. Dirty rumors begin to crawl around the village, and Mitka goes to Elizabeth to get married. But the girl refuses to him, and Sergei Platonovich Mokhov descends on Korshunov dogs. Grigory realizes that his feelings for Aksinya did not die. She externally reconciles with her husband, but continues to love Gregory.
Fedot Bodovskov gets acquainted with Shtokman. Tom managed to stop the fight at the mill, during which Mitya Korshunov beat the merchant Mokhov. During an interrogation with the investigator, Shtokman says that in 1907 he was in prison for “unrest” and was serving a reference. Grigory admits to Natalia that she does not like her. During the trip for brushwood, the Melekhov brothers meet Aksinya. Aksinya’s connection with Grigory is renewed. To Shtokman, Valet, Khristonya, Ivan Alekseevich Kotlyarov and Mishka Koshevo come to read about the history of the Don Cossacks. Grigory and Mitka Korshunov take the oath. Natalia decides to return to live with her parents. There is a quarrel between Grigory and Pantelei Prokofievich, after which Grigory leaves the house. At the merchant Mokhov he meets the centurion Eugene Listnitsky and accepts the offer to work at his estate Berry by coachman. Aksinya is taken as a cook for domestic workers and seasonal workers. Aksinya and Gregory leave the farm, and Natalya returns to her parents. From the very first days, Listnitsky began to show interest in Aksinya.
Valet and Ivan Alekseevich continue to go to Shtokman, who tells them about the struggle of capitalist states for markets and colonies as the main reason for the impending world war. On Easter, Natalia, exhausted by the humiliation of her position, makes an attempt at suicide. Aksinya confesses to Grigory that he expects a child from him. Petro comes to visit his brother. Aksinya begs Grigory to take her with him to the mowing and on the way home gives birth to a girl. Gregory is summoned for military training; Pantelei came to him unexpectedly and brought him the “right”. Gregory leaves for a four-year service; on the way the father informs him that Natalia survived, although she remained a cripple, and asks if Grigory will live with her when he returns. On the medical commission, Gregory wants to be registered in the Guards, but in view of non-standard external data, enlisted in the army’s Twelfth Cossack regiment. On the first day, Grigory began to have friction with his superiors.
Natalya again comes to live with Melekhov. She still hopes for Grigory’s return to the family. Dunyasha begins to go to the games and tells Natalia about her relationship with Mishka Koshev. An investigator comes to the village and arrests Shtokman; during a search he finds illegal literature. During the interrogation, it turns out that Shtokman is a member of the RSDLP. He is taken away from Veshenskaya.
The regiment of Gregory stands on the estate of Radziwill. Watching the officers, Grigory feels an invisible wall between them and them; this feeling intensifies because of the incident with Prokhor Zykov, beaten by the sergeant-major during the exercises. Before the beginning of spring, the Cossacks, brutalized with boredom, are raped by a whole platoon of Frania, a young chambermaid; running to her aid Grigory is tied up and thrown in the stables, promising to kill if she lets out.
War begins, and the Cossacks are transported to the Russian-Austrian border. In his first battle, Gregory kills a man, and the image of a stunned Austrian disturbs his conscience. The Grigory regiment withdrawn from the line of battles accepts replenishment from the Don. Grigory meets his brother, Mishka Koshevoy, Anikushka and Stepan Astakhov. In a conversation with Peter, he admits that he yearns for the house and suffers from forced murder. Petro advises to beware of Stepan, who promised to kill Grigory in the first battle. Gregory finds a diary from the dead Cossack, which describes the novel of the latter with the descended Elizabeth Mokhova. A Cossack, nicknamed Chubaty, gets into Grigory’s platoon; mocking the experiences of St. Gregory, he says that in battle to kill the enemy – a holy cause. Grigory gets a serious wound to the head. Covered with a patriotic impulse, Evgeny Listnitsky leaves for the army to command a platoon. Podesaul Kalmykov advises him to reduce his acquaintance with the volunteer Ilya Bunchuk. The Melekhovs receive news of the death of Gregory, and in twelve days it appears from the letter of Peter that Grigory is alive, besides being awarded the St. George Cross for saving the wounded officer and promoted to junior officers. Receiving a letter from Grigory, where he sends her “a bow and low respect”, Natalia decides to go to Berry, ask Aksin to return her husband. On the eve of the next offensive into the house where Prokhor Zykov, Chubaty and Grigory stopped, a shell hits. Wounded in the eye, Gregory is sent to a hospital in Moscow. Tanya, daughter of Gregory and Aksinya, falls ill with scarlet fever and soon dies. Aksinya converges with Leastnitsky, who came on leave. Garabagh, neighbor of Gregory in the hospital ward, speaks offhandly of the autocratic system in conversations with the Cossack and reveals the true causes of the war. Grigory feels with horror that all his previous ideas about the tsar, his native land and his Cossack military duty are collapsing. Gregory is transferred to the hospital on Tverskaya, to cure the wound that has been opened; there his person is visited by a person of the imperial family. For disrespectful behavior in the presence of the highest guest Grigory for three days deprived of food, and then sent home. Gregory goes to Berry. From the groom of Sasha’s grandfather, he learns about Aksinya’s connection with Listnitsky. Grigory beats the centurion whip and, leaving Aksinya, returns to the family, to Natalia. Grigory feels with horror that all his previous ideas about the tsar, his native land and his Cossack military duty are collapsing. Gregory is transferred to the hospital on Tverskaya, to cure the wound that has been opened; there his person is visited by a person of the imperial family. For disrespectful behavior in the presence of the highest guest Grigory for three days deprived of food, and then sent home. Gregory goes to Berry. From the groom of Sasha’s grandfather, he learns about Aksinya’s connection with Listnitsky. Grigory beats the centurion whip and, leaving Aksinya, returns to the family, to Natalia. Grigory feels with horror that all his previous ideas about the tsar, his native land and his Cossack military duty are collapsing. Gregory is transferred to the hospital on Tverskaya, to cure the wound that has been opened; there his person is visited by a person of the imperial family. For disrespectful behavior in the presence of the highest guest Grigory for three days deprived of food, and then sent home. Gregory goes to Berry. From the groom of Sasha’s grandfather, he learns about Aksinya’s connection with Listnitsky. Grigory beats the centurion whip and, leaving Aksinya, returns to the family, to Natalia. For disrespectful behavior in the presence of the highest guest Grigory for three days deprived of food, and then sent home. Gregory goes to Berry. From the groom of Sasha’s grandfather, he learns about Aksinya’s connection with Listnitsky. Grigory beats the centurion whip and, leaving Aksinya, returns to the family, to Natalia. For disrespectful behavior in the presence of the highest guest Grigory for three days deprived of food, and then sent home. Gregory goes to Berry. From the groom of Sasha’s grandfather, he learns about Aksinya’s connection with Listnitsky. Grigory beats the centurion whip and, leaving Aksinya, returns to the family, to Natalia.
Bunchuk, who rose to the rank of officer, leads Bolshevik propaganda in the troops. Listnitsky reports on him, Bunchuk desertes. At the front, Ivan Alekseevich meets Valet; it turns out that Shtokman is in Siberia. Grigory remembers how he saved Stepan Astakhov’s life in battle, which, incidentally, did not reconcile them. Gradually, Gregory begins to establish friendly relations with the Chubais, who are inclined to deny the war. Together with him and Mishka Koshev, Grigory participates in the “arrest” of worm-eaters and assigns them to his hundredth commander. In the autumn Natalia gives birth to twins. During the next offensive, Grigory gets wounded in the arm. Before Peter comes rumors about the infidelity of Daria, cohabiting with Stepan Astakhov. Wounded on the battlefield, Stepan is missing, and Petro decides to beat Daria’s eye out so that no one else pays for it. In its turn, Pantelei Prokofievich is taking measures to restrain his daughter-in-law, but this does not lead to anything good. The February revolution causes a restrained alarm among the Cossacks. Listnitsky tells merchant Mokhov that, as a result of Bolshevik propaganda, the soldiers turned into gangs of criminals, unbridled and wild, and the Bolsheviks themselves are “worse than cholera bacilli”. The commander of the brigade, where Petro Melekhov serves, calls on the Cossacks to stay out of the onset of the Troubles. Hoping for an early end to the war, the Cossacks swear allegiance to the Provisional Government. They are greeted with an open murmur of the order to return to the front. At the front, Daria comes to see Peter. Listnitsky receives an appointment in a pro-monarchist-minded regiment; soon in connection with the July events he was sent to Petrograd. Kornilov becomes the supreme commander-in-chief; the officers are pinning their hopes on saving Russia, the Cossacks are “bent”. Ivan Alekseevich commits a coup in his regiment and is appointed a centurion; he refuses to go to Petrograd. Bunchuk comes to the front, agitate for the Bolsheviks and encounters Kalmykov. A deserter arrests Kalmykov, then to be shot. In Petrograd Listnitsky becomes a witness of the Bolshevik coup. Having received news of the change of power, the Cossacks return home.
Ivan Alekseevich, Mitka Korshunov, Prokhor Zykov, and after them Petro Melekhov, who fled from the long-circuited regiment, returned to the village. It becomes known that Gregory took the side of the Bolsheviks, already in the rank of platoon officer. After the coup he is appointed to the post of commander of the hundred. Grigory falls under the influence of his colleague Yefim Izvarin, who stands for the full autonomy of the Don Military Region. Izvarin explains to Gregory what the Bolsheviks and the Cossacks have in common is only that the Bolsheviks are for peace, and the Cossacks have long been tired of fighting. But their ways will disperse as soon as the war ends and the Bolsheviks stretch out their arms to the Cossack possessions. In November seventeenth Gregory met with Podtyolkov. Bunchuk leaves for Rostov, where he gets the task to organize a machine-gun team. In machine-gunners, Anna Pogudko is sent to him. Ivan Alekseevich and Khristonya go to the congress of the front-line soldiers and meet Gregory there. Podtelkova is elected chairman, and Krivoshlykova is secretary of the Cossack Military Revolutionary Committee, who declared himself a government on the Don. Another contender for power over the Cossacks is the ataman of the Military Circle Kaledin. Detachment Chernetsova breaks the strength of the Red Guards. Grigory at the head of two hundred, supported by the machine gunners Bunchuk, goes into battle and receives another injury. Chernetsov, along with four dozen young officers, was taken prisoner. All were brutally murdered on the orders of Podtyolkov, despite the opposition of Gregory and Golubov. Pantelei Prokofievich brings the wounded Gregory home. The father and brother disapprove of his Bolshevik views; Grigory himself after the massacre of Chernetsov is experiencing a spiritual crisis.
Bunchuk recovers after typhus; begins his affair with Anna, who took care of him during illness. Listnitsky, along with the Kornilovites, leaves Rostov. Golubov and Bunchuk arrest the leaders of the Military Circle. Bunchuk appointed commandant of the Revolutionary Tribunal, and he begins to actively shoot “counterrevolutionaries.” The Jack urges the Cossacks to go to the rescue units of the Red Guard, but only persuades Koshevoy; Grigory, Khristonya and Ivan Alekseevich refuse. In connection with the Bolsheviks’ attack on Migulinskaya stanitsa, a Cossack assembly is held on the Maidan. A visiting centurion agitating the Cossacks to form a detachment to fight the Reds and defend the Veshka. Miron Grigorievich Korshunov, father of Natalia and Mitka, elected ataman. The centurion proposes Gregory to the post of commander, but he is reminded of the Red Guard past and appointed Peter. Prokhor Zykov, Mitka, Khristonya and other Cossacks are enrolled in the regiment. However, they are convinced that there will be no war.
Together with all, Grigory opposes Podtelkov. Anna dies in battle. Podtyolkov stipulates the conditions for surrender, against which Bunchuk objects. Prisoners are sentenced to be shot, Podtelkova and Krivoshlykov are hanged. Called to the firing squad, Mitka kills Bunchuk. Before execution, Podtyolkov accuses Grigory of treason, in response Gregory recalls the massacre of Chernetsov’s detachment. Bear Cossack and Valet catch Cossacks; Jack is killed, and Mishka, in the hope of correction, sentenced to punishment by whips.
April 1918 On the Don is a civil war. Pantelei Prokofievich and Miron Korshunov are elected delegates to the Military Circle; the army ataman becomes General Krasnov. Petro Melekhov leads a hundred against the Reds. In a conversation with Gregory, he tries to find out his brother’s mood, to find out whether he is going to return to the Reds. Instead of being sent to the front, Koshevoy is appointed as an attar. Listnitsky amputated a shattered hand. Soon he marries the widow of a deceased friend and returns to Berry. From the German captivity comes Stepan Astakhov; he goes to Aksinya and persuades her to return home. For humane treatment of prisoners, Gregory is removed from the command of one hundred, he again takes a platoon. Pantelei Prokofievich comes to Grigory in the regiment and is engaged in looting there. During the retreat Gregory left the frontier on his own and returned home. After him Petro runs from the long-circuited regiment. Melekhov decide to wait for the Reds to advance, without leaving the farm. Several of the Red Army soldiers are standing by them, one of whom begins to seek quarrels with Grigory. Pantelei Prokofievich mutilates the horses of Peter and Gregory, so that they will not be taken away. Red becomes aware that Grigory is an officer; crippled trying to kill his Red Guard, Gregory flees from the farm. Ivan Alekseevich is elected chairman of the executive committee. Koshevoy – his deputy. The Cossacks give up their weapons. crippled trying to kill his Red Guard, Gregory flees from the farm. Ivan Alekseevich is elected chairman of the executive committee. Koshevoy – his deputy. The Cossacks give up their weapons. crippled trying to kill his Red Guard, Gregory flees from the farm. Ivan Alekseevich is elected chairman of the executive committee. Koshevoy – his deputy. The Cossacks give up their weapons.
According to the Don, rumors are circulating about the emergency and tribunals that are running an early and unjust trial of Cossacks serving with whites, and Petro is looking for intercession with Yakov Fomin, head of the District Revolutionary Committee. Ivan Alexeyevich quarrels with Grigory, who does not want to recognize the virtues of Soviet power; Koshevoy proposes to arrest Grigory, but he manages to leave for another village. According to the drafted Koshev list, Miron Korshunov, Avdeich Brekh and several other old people are arrested. Shtokman is announced in Veshenskaya. The news of the execution of Cossacks comes. Having succumbed to Lukinichny’s persuasions, Petro dug out from the common grave at night and brought Miron Grigorievich’s corpse to Korshunov. Shtokman is a Cossack assembly and announces that the executed were enemies of Soviet power. Pantelei and Grigory Melekhov and Fedot Bodovskov are also on the list for execution. Upon learning of Gregory’s return, the Veshenka Communists are discussing his fate; Grigory, meanwhile, once again escapes and hides from relatives. Tyantha Pantelei Prokofievich can not escape arrest.
In Kazan, the riots begin. Antip Sinilin, the son of Avdeich Brekh, participates in beating Koshevoy; he, lying off at Stepan Astakhov, disappears from the village. Upon learning of the beginning of the uprising, Gregory returns home. Petra is chosen as the commander of the horse hundred. Broken red Petro, Fedot Bodovskov and other Cossacks, deceived by the promise to save their lives, surrender, and Kosheva, with the silent support of Ivan Alekseevich, kills Peter; Of all the Cossacks who were with him, only Stepan Astakhov and Antipa Brekhovich managed to be saved. Gregory is appointed commander of the Veshensky regiment, and after this – commander of one of the rebel divisions. For revenge for the death of his brother, he stops taking prisoners. In the battles near Sviridov and for Karginskaya, his Cossacks were smashed with squadrons of red cavalry. Moving away from the black thoughts, Grigory begins to drink and walk around the zhalmerks. During the next drinking, Medvedev proposes to remove Kudinov, commander of all the forces of the insurgents, and appoint Gregory in his place in order to continue the war against the Reds and Cadets; Gregory refuses. In the battle near Klimovka he personally kills four Red Guards, after which he experiences a severe nervous attack. Having left with his news Prokhor Zykov in the Veshki, Grigory on the way releases the arrested Kudinov relatives of those who left with the Red Cossacks. Natalia learns of the numerous changes of her husband, a quarrel is taking place between them. after which he undergoes a severe nervous attack. Having left with his news Prokhor Zykov in the Veshki, Grigory on the way releases the arrested Kudinov relatives of those who left with the Red Cossacks. Natalia learns of the numerous changes of her husband, a quarrel is taking place between them. after which he undergoes a severe nervous attack. Having left with his news Prokhor Zykov in the Veshki, Grigory on the way releases the arrested Kudinov relatives of those who left with the Red Cossacks. Natalia learns of the numerous changes of her husband, a quarrel is taking place between them.
In the meantime, the Serdobsky Regiment, where they serve Koshevoy, Shtokman and Kotlyarov, goes all the way to the side of the rebels; even before the outbreak of riots Shtokman manages to send Mishka with a report to the headquarters. During the spontaneous meeting Shtokman is killed, and Ivan Alekseevich, together with other Communists, the regiment is put under arrest. Pantelei Prokofievich witnessed a chance meeting of his son with Aksinya and, reflecting on the one in whom Grigory was born such a dog, comes to a logical conclusion. In Aksinya, a long-term feeling awakens towards Gregory; the same evening, taking advantage of Stepan’s absence, she asks Daria to call her a loved one. Their connection is renewed. Upon learning of the transition to the rebels of the Serdobsky Regiment, Grigory rushes to the Veshki to save Kotlyarov and Mishka and find out who killed Peter. The prisoners beaten beyond recognition are driven to the Tatarsky farm, where they are greeted by relatives of the Cossacks who died with Pyotr Melekhov, who are eager for revenge. Daria accuses Ivan Alekseevich of the death of her husband and shoots him, Antip Brekhovich helps finish off Kotlyarova. An hour after the beating of prisoners in the farm, Grigory, who drove his horse to death, appears to death.
Agreeing to lead the breakthrough to the Don, Grigory decides to take Aksinya with him, and leave Natalya and the children with her children. Mstia for the death of Ivan Alekseevich and Shtokman, Mishka Kosheva set fire to the houses of the clergy and wealthy Cossacks. Before the Korshunovs are burnt, Kosheva kills the old grandfather Grishak. Veshki begin to be subjected to intense artillery fire. The Reds are preparing to cross the Don in the vicinity of the Hromkov hundred, where Gregory immediately leaves. Soon Prokhor leads him to Veshki Aksinya.
To the utter surprise of the hundreds of Hokkais, busy exclusively with moonshine and women, the Red Guards regiment crosses the Don. Gromkovtsy in panic flees to Veshenskaya, where Gregory manages to pull the mounted hundreds of Karginsky regiment. Soon he learns that the Tatar people threw trenches. Trying to stop the farmers, Grigory laps the whip of Khristonya walking with the unbridled camel’s gallop; gets and tireless tirelessly and quickly Pantelei Prokofievich, who does not recognize from the back Grigory calls a son of a bitch and threatens to be hacked. Quickly gathering and sensitizing the farmers, Gregory orders them to go to join the Semenovskaya hundred. The Reds are on the offensive; with machine-gun bursts the Cossacks force them to return to their original positions.
To Ilyinichny’s horror, the talkative Mishatka informs the Red Army soldier who came into the house that his father commands all the Cossacks. On the same day, the Reds are knocked out of Veshek and Pantelei Prokofievich is returning home. Leaving the banquet in honor of General Secretov, Grigory goes to see Aksinya and finds one Stepan. Returning home Aksinya willingly drinks for the health of his lover, and the seeker Gregory Prokhor with amazement sees him sitting at the same table with Stepan. At dawn Gregory comes home. Talking with Dunyasha, he orders her to leave even thoughts about Koshevoy. Gregory is experiencing an unprecedented rush of tenderness for Natalia. The next day, exhausted by vague premonitions, he leaves the farm. Gregory, together with his chief of staff, Kopylov, is summoned to the meeting with General Fitzhelaurov. During the reception between Grigory and the general there is a quarrel and the latter threatens to remove Grigory from the command of the division, to which Grigory declares that he obeys only Kudinov, and promises, in which case, to incite his Cossacks to Fitzhelaur. After this encounter, strange indifference is seized by Gregory; For the first time in his life, he decides to withdraw from direct participation in the battle.
At the farm Tatarsky comes Mitka Korshunov. His inherent cruelty since childhood has found a worthy use in the punitive detachment, and in a short time Mitka has risen to the undercroft. First of all, visiting his native ashes, he goes to Melekhov’s quarters, welcoming the guest cordially. After inquiring about the Koshevs and finding out that Mishka’s mother and children were at home, Mitya and her comrades killed them. Upon learning of this, Panteley Prokofievich drives him from the yard, and Mitka, returning to his punitive detachment, is sent to put things in order in the Ukrainian settlements of the Donetsk district.
Daria goes to the front to bring cartridges and comes back in a dejected state. The commander of the Don Army General Sidorin comes to the farm. Pantelei Prokofievich gives the general and representatives of the Allies bread and salt, and Daria, among other Cossack widows, is awarded the St. George medal and is handed her five hundred rubles. It categorically reflects all of Pantelei Prokofievich’s attempts to seize the money received for Peter, although he gives Ilyinich forty rubles for a wake for the deceased. The old people suspect that Daria is going to remarry again, but her heart is different. Daria confesses to Natalia that during her trip she contracted syphilis and, since this illness is incurable, is going to lay hands on herself. Not wanting to suffer in solitude, she tells Natalia that Grigory once again got along with Aksinya.
Soon after the retreat of the Reds, Gregory was removed from his post as commander of the division and, despite his requests to be sent to the rear for health reasons, he was appointed the centurion of the Nineteenth Regiment. The Cossack divisions are disbanded: the entire command staff is being replaced, and the rank and file are replenished with the number regiments of the Don Army. Arriving at his new duty station, Grigory receives tragic news from his house and, taking Prokhor with him, leaves, shocked by the sudden sorrow that struck him.
… After talking with Daria Natalia lives like a dream. She tries to find out something from Prokhor’s wife, but the cunning woman remembers her husband’s order “to remain silent as if dead,” and then Natalya goes to Aksinya. Having gone along with Ilinichnaya weed the melon, Natalya tells her mother-in-law about everything. A black cloud clouds the sky, a shower begins, and when thunder rolls out, the exhausted, sobbing Natalia prays God to punish Gregory. Having calmed down a bit, she tells Ilyinichna that she loves her husband and does not wish him harm, but she will not give birth again: she is pregnant for the third month and is about to go to her grandmother Kapitonovna to get rid of the fetus. On the same day, Natalya furtively leaves the house and returns only in the evening, bleeding to death. An urgently called paramedic, after examining Natalya, says that her uterus is completely torn and by the time she dies. Natalia says farewell to her children, Grieved that he did not see Grigory. Soon she dies.
Gregory comes on the third day after the funeral of Natalia. In his own way he loved his wife, and now his suffering is aggravated by a sense of guilt for this death. Grigory draws closer to the children, but after two weeks, unable to bear the melancholy, returns to the front. On the way, they and Prokhor now and again meet Cossacks, carrying carts with looted goods, and deserters: The Don army is decaying at the moment of its highest success.
Shortly after Gregory’s departure, Daria commits suicide by drowning in the Don. Ilinichna forbids Mishatka to visit Aksinya, and a quarrel takes place between women. In August Pantelei Prokofievich was summoned to the front; he twice deserted and eventually gets a certificate of inability to walk. Because of the danger of the approach of the Reds to the Veshka, Melekhov left Tatarsky for two weeks. From the front, they bring the murdered Khristonya and Anikushka, and, after them, the typhus Grigory. Recovering, he, along with Aksinya and Prokhor leaves the farm. On the way Aksinya gets sick with typhus, and Gregory has to leave her. Arriving at the end of January in White Clay, he learns that on the eve of the typhus Pantelei Prokofievitch died. Burying his father, Grigory himself falls ill with recurrent typhoid and remains alive only thanks to Prokhor’s devotion and dedication.
Aksinya returns home; anxiety for the life of Gregory brings her closer to the Melekhovs. It becomes known that Stepan went to the Crimea, and soon returns the lost hands of Prokhor and reports that he and Grigory entered the Konarmia, where Gregory took command of the squadron. Ilyinichna eagerly awaits her son, but instead of him Melekhov is Mishka Kosheva; trying to drive him Ilinichna faced with open resistance Dunyashka. Mishka continues to walk towards them, not at all embarrassed by the fact that his hands are stained with Peter’s blood, and finally achieves his: Ilinichna gives his consent to his marriage to Dunyasha and soon dies, never waiting for Gregory’s return. Koshevoy ceases to deal with the economy, believing that the Soviet government is still in danger, mainly because of such elements as Grigory and Prokhor Zykov, about which Koshevoi informs the latter. Mishka believes that the service of Gregory in the Red Army does not wash him off for participating in the white movement and on returning home will have to be responsible for the insurrection. Soon Mishka is appointed chairman of the Veshensky Revolutionary Committee. Upon learning of the imminent demobilization and the return of Gregory, Dunyashka asks her husband that she is waiting for her brother for the service of the Cossacks, and Koshevoi answers that they can also shoot him.
Gregory goes home with the firm intention of farming and living near his kiddies, but talking with Koshev convinces him of the impossibility of such plans. Going on a visit to Prokhor, Grigory learns about the uprising that began in the Voronezh region and realizes that it can threaten him, the former officer and the rebel, with troubles. Between the case Prokhor talks about the death of Evgeny Listnitsky, who was shot because of his wife’s betrayal. Yakov Fomin, who was met in Veshki, advises Gregory to leave the house for a while, since the arrests of the officers began. Taking the children, Gregory goes to live with Aksinya. Thanks to his sister, he manages to avoid arrest and hide from the farm. By the will of circumstances, he falls into the gang of Fomin and is forced to stay in it. Fomin is going to destroy the commissars and communists and put his own, Cossack power,
Grigory decides at the first opportunity to leave the gang. Having met a familiar farmer, he asks to pass the bow to Prokhor and Dunyashka, and Aksinya to say that she was waiting for his soon return. In the meantime, the gang is defeated after the defeat and the fighters are busy looting. Soon, the red units complete the rout and only five people remain alive from the Fominsk gang, among them Gregory and Fomin himself. The fugitives are settling on a small island against the village of Rubezhny. In late April, they crossed the Don, in order to merge with the Maslak gang. Gradually, Fomin joins a man of forty from various small gangs, and he offers Gregory to take the place of chief of staff. Gregory refuses and soon escapes from Fomin. Arriving at night at the farm, he goes to Aksinya and calls her to go to the Kuban, temporarily leaving the children in the care of Dunyashka. After leaving the house and farm, Aksinya leaves with Grigory. Resting in the steppe, they are going to go further, when they find an outpost on the way. The fugitives manage to escape from the chase, but one of the bullets that he released after them mortally wounded Aksinya. Shortly before dawn, without regaining consciousness, she dies in the arms of Gregory. Burying Aksinya, Grigory raises his head and sees above himself a black sky and a dazzlingly shining black disk of the sun.
Wander aimlessly through the steppe, he decides to go to the Slaskhevskaya oak, where deserters live in dugouts. From the met Chumakova Gregory learns about the defeat of the gang and the death of Fomin. Half a year he lives, trying not to think about anything and chasing a poisonous longing from the heart, and at night he dreams of children, Aksinya and other deceased close people. In the beginning of spring, not waiting for the amnesty promised to May 1, Grigory decides to return home. Approaching his native home, he sees Mishatka, and the son is everything that still connects Grigory with the earth and with all the huge, shining in the cold sun the world.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)