Summary Scandalist, or Evenings on Vasilievsky Island
VA Kaverin
Scandalist, or Evenings on the Vasilievsky Island
Professor Stepan Stepanovich Lozhkin, who had been doing his literary works of heresy and sects of the XV-XVI centuries all his life, suddenly began to visit “dangerous thought”. His existence: lecturing, working on manuscripts, relations with his wife – seems to him monotonous and “automatic.” Malvina Eduardovna, being frightened of the manifestations of her husband’s “second youth”, in order to slightly change the way of life, invites guests. Gathered representatives of the “old”, academic science condemn the incomprehensible and insecure “formalists.” It’s about Drahomanov too: he’s not talked about here, but that’s why his strange behavior, his dark past and his addiction to drugs are of general interest.
Thirty-three-year-old Boris Pavlovich Dragomanov lives in a university dormitory, where everyone does not like
In one of the major Leningrad publishers working “mysterious and detached from the real world” the custodian of manuscripts. This little old man with a red beard was nicknamed Khaldei Khaldeevich. Khaldei Khaldeevich does not like writers, restless and unreliable. He also does not like the “prologue” Kiryushka Kekcheev, who unexpectedly turned from a courier to a superior.
Student of the Institute of Oriental Languages Nogin after talking with Dragomanov comes to his ruined, neglected apartment. Nogin works a lot and is intensively engaged in learning Arabic.
In Leningrad, “writer, brawler, philologist” Victor Nekrilov returns from Moscow. Nekrilov is angry with his “friends” – iters,
Nogin arrives in Lesnoye, where the “economists” live, his friends and fellow countrymen. Nogin is in despair: he is in love with Verochka Barabanov. Returning home, Nogin took a drink. Behind the student, his neighbor, Khaldei Khaldeevich, cares pathetically, and it turns out that he is Professor Lozhkin’s brother, but has been at odds with him for many years. Meanwhile, Professor Lozhkin “rebels.” He shaves his beard, and then hurries away while his wife sleeps.
Nekrylov somehow meaninglessly “changes” his friend with his wife. On the occasion of Nekrilov’s arrival, a meeting of friends is arranged. Nekrylov continues to “scandal”. No one understands it, the thought of “the pressure of time” remains without a response. Nekrilov is about to leave. When he comes to say goodbye to Vera, it turns out that she is getting married to Kirill Kekcheeva. Nekrylov tries to dissuade Vera, he is ready to “take her away from the crown.”
Nogin was impressed by Nekrilov, whom he met with Drahomanov. Nekrylov talks about the choice of Vera Alexandrovna Barabanova and threatens to kill Kekcheeva. After this news with Nogin “something is going wrong.” He nevertheless goes to Verochka to warn of the danger, but finds her with that “friend”.
Nekrilov is at the publishing house to “arrange” Dragomanov’s book and deal with Kekcheev, but suddenly learns that Kekcheev is going to return his own manuscript to him. Nekrilov arranges a real scandal… A crowd of employees of one of the largest Leningrad publishers watches helplessly as Nekrylov rages, how he beats Kekcheyev, how he ruins his office. Kekcheev completely lost his human form and fearfully abandoned the bride. Chaldea Chaldeevich this encounter is a real pleasure.
“Uryvat” from his wife, Lozhkin went to his old gymnasium friend, Dr. Neuhaus. In a small, remote town, he enjoys freedom. So the “revolt” of the professor “went away” to an ordinary “picnic”, to noisy drinking. Lozhkin returns to Leningrad. There he accidentally meets Dragomanov, who apologizes for not very courteous behavior during their last conversation. But their present conversation ends with the insulted Lozhkin running away in a rage. The professor is wandering the Vasilievsky Island. Wet and wretched Lozhkina extracts from the next Vasileostrovsky flood Khaldei Khaldeevich. They finally met, twenty-six years later. Khaldei Khaldeevich first reproaches the drooping Stepan, because once he took his bride away from him, but then both of them weep, embracing.
Repentant Lozhkin hurries home, but no longer finds Malvina Eduardovna alive, depressed and ill without her husband. Lozhkin returns to his manuscripts in the Public Library. There was no “second youth”. Now we need to transfer old age with dignity.
Drahomanov is waiting in the big hall of the institute. Instead, a student Lehman appears, who reads out the report of Professor “On the rationalization of speech space.” The report proposes “to break up human speech into groups on professional and social grounds” and “between groups to draw strict boundaries, violations of which should be imposed with a corresponding fine.” Only after listening to the humiliating conclusion – a request to return the missing typewriter “Adler” – the congregation finally understand what’s wrong. Scandal.
Vera Barabanova does not know whom to choose: she already gave the floor to Kekcheeva, with whom she can calmly paint. But Verochka likes Nekrilov, although he is married. Verochka tries to solve this problem with the help of fortune telling. Unfortunately, the choice falls on Kekcheeva. But Nekrilov suddenly appears.
Nogin is gradually recovering. Everything that was before the illness, now it does not take. One night, under the influence of Lobachevsky’s theory, he writes a story, in the ending of which two parallel story lines are connected. He understood what he was heading towards, what he was striving for. This is prose.
Railway station. Here Drahomanov escorts Nekrilov and Vera to Moscow. Friends, as always, argue, almost quarrel. Already on the road, Nekrilov, under the impression of Drahomanov’s words, starts a “vague conversation with his honesty”, reflects on his mistakes, about time. That night Nekrylov falls asleep, Lozhkin sleeps, the entire Vasilievsky Island sleeps. And only Dragomanov does not sleep, he teaches the Russian language of the Chinese.
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