Life and customs of the city of Kalinov in the play “The Thunderstorm” by A. N. Ostrovsky. “Cruel morals, sir, in our city, cruel! A. N. Ostrovsky The play “The Thunderstorm” by A. N. Ostrovsky was created in 1859. In his work, the author clearly showed many customs and morals that existed at that time in Russia. Using the example of the fictional city of Kalinov, we see the oppression of the weak, self-interest, envy and many other vices that no one had described in such detail before Ostrovsky. At the very beginning of the play we see three residents of the city of Kalinov: Kuligin, Shapkin and Kudryash. From their conversation we learn that in the city lives the tyrant Dikoy, a rich merchant and significant person in a city that doesn’t take anyone into account and does whatever it wants, not only in relation to itself, but also to others: “He belongs everywhere. He’s afraid of something or someone.” “We should look for another scolder like ours, Savel Prokofich. There’s no way he’ll cut someone off.” From the same conversation we learn about the rich merchant Kabanikha, who is no better than Dikiy, but differs only in that she is tyrannical at home and does not show it in public: “Kabanikha is good too.” “Well, at least she, at least, is all under the guise of piety...” Later we learn the story of Boris, Dikiy’s nephew. Dikoy robbed him, saying that he would pay part of the inheritance if Boris was respectful to him. And Boris understands that he will never see an inheritance: “He will first break with us, abuse us in every possible way, as his heart desires, but he will still end up not giving anything or just some little thing. And he will even say that he gave it out of mercy, and that this should not have happened.” In the third scene of the first act, Kuligin describes the morals of the city of Kalinov: “Cruel morals, sir, in our city, cruel! In the philistinism, sir, you will see nothing but rudeness and naked poverty...” Kuligin understands that it is impossible to earn money through honest work. In the third scene of the third act, Kuligin talks about the customs of Kalinov: “This is the kind of town we have, sir!” From this dialogue we can understand the situation in the city and in the families of the townspeople: “The boulevards were made, but people don’t walk. They only go out on holidays and they only pretend to be out and about, and if they go there they show off their outfits.” Kuligin talks about how poor people have no time to go for walks, because they work day and night in order to somehow survive; and the rich tyrannize at home: “Rob relatives, nephews, beat up family members so that they don’t dare make a squeak about anything he does there.” “...you don’t care about my family; for this, he says, I have locks, and bolts, and angry dogs. The family, they say, is a secret, secret matter...” Another custom of Kalinov is described in the first scene of the third act. Rich merchants considered it their duty to receive strangers at home and ask them what was going on in the world. So knowledge of the world of merchants is just stories newcomers. "Thunderstorm" became one of famous works Ostrovsky. Many famous writers admired this play. One of them was N.A. Dobrolyubov, who gave the exact name to the society of the city of Kalinov - “dark kingdom”. I liked the play "The Thunderstorm". The many vices that personified cruel morals and stupid customs at that time are striking.

The name of Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky is one of the most famous in the history of Russian literature and Russian theater.

The themes of Ostrovsky's plays are very unique. Ostrovsky came to our literature in the 60s of the 20th century, during the years of intensification of the liberation struggle, and the years when progressive people fought for the independence of man, for his human dignity, for the right of man to control his own destiny.

During these years, Ostrovsky wrote plays about the Russian intelligentsia, about the new bourgeois class emerging in Russia, and wrote a lot of plays about the merchants. Ostrovsky was often called the singer of the merchants, the singer of Zamoskvorechye.

The action of A. N. Ostrovsky’s drama “The Thunderstorm” takes place in the provincial town of Kalinov, located on the banks of the Volga. “The view is extraordinary! Beauty! The soul rejoices!” - exclaims Kuligin, one of the local residents. But against the backdrop of this beautiful landscape, a bleak picture of life is painted.

IN merchant houses, behind high fences, behind heavy locks, invisible tears are flowing, dark deeds are happening. The tyranny of tyrants reigns in the stuffy merchant mansions. It is immediately explained that the cause of poverty is the unscrupulous exploitation of the poor by the rich.

The play features two groups of inhabitants of the city of Kalinov. One of them personifies the oppressive power of the “dark kingdom”. These are Dikoy and Kabanikha, oppressors and enemies of everything living and new. Another group includes Katerina, Kuligin, Tikhon, Boris, Kudryash and Varvara. These are victims of the “dark kingdom”, but they express their protest against this force in different ways.

Drawing images of representatives of the “dark kingdom”, the tyrants Dikiy and Kabanikha, Ostrovsky clearly shows that their despotism and cruelty rest on money. This money gives Kaba-nikha the opportunity to control her own house, to command the wanderers who constantly spread her absurd thoughts to the whole world, and in general to dictate moral laws to the entire city.

The main meaning of the Wild's life is enrichment. The thirst for money disfigured him and turned him into a reckless miser. The moral foundations in his soul are fundamentally shaken.

Kabanikha is the defender of the old foundations of life, rituals and customs of the “dark kingdom”. It still seems to her that children have begun to leave the influence of their parents. Kabanikha hates everything new, believes all Feklusha’s absurd inventions. She, like Dikoy, is extremely ignorant. She is a one-sided zealot for the worst sides of the old morality. Kabanikha is not engaged in any activity, like Dikoy, and therefore the arena of her activity is the family. She does not take into account the interests and inclinations of her children, and insults them at every step with her suspicions and reproaches. In her opinion, the basis family relations there should be fear, not mutual love and respect. Freedom, according to Kabanikha, leads a person to moral decline. Kabanikha's despotism is sanctimonious, hypocritical in nature. All her actions are hidden behind the mask of submission to God's will. Kabanikha is a cruel and heartless person.

There is a lot in common between Kabanikha and Dikiy. They are united by despotism, superstition, ignorance, and heartlessness. But Dikoy and Kabanikha do not repeat each other, but complement each other. The boar is more cunning than the wild one. Dikoy does not cover up his tyranny, while Kabanikha hides behind the god whom she supposedly serves. No matter how disgusting Dikoy is, Kabanikha is more terrible and more harmful than him. Her authority is recognized by everyone, even Dikoy tells her: “You are the only one in the whole city who can make me talk.” After all, Dikoy is self-willed with the secret knowledge of the lawlessness of his actions. And therefore he gives in to the power of a person who relies on the moral law, or to a strong personality who boldly crushes his authority. It is not possible to “enlighten” this, but it can be “stopped”. Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova succeeds in this easily.

Young vultures of life rebel against the “fathers” of the city. These are Tikhon and Varvara, Kudryash and Katerina.

In “The Thunderstorm,” according to Goncharov, “the picture of national life and morals has settled down with unprecedented artistic completeness and fidelity.”

The action of the play does not go beyond the boundaries of family and everyday conflict, but this conflict has great socio-political significance. The play was a passionate indictment of despotism and ignorance that reigned in pre-reform Russia with an ardent call for freedom and light. Today “The Thunderstorm” is, without exaggeration, a philosophical play. The conditions of the “dark kingdom” change, but the conflict between the naturalness, psychology and rituality of feelings remains.

Play by A.N. Ostrovsky's "The Thunderstorm" is known to many. It is on many school lists of literary works.

The play takes place near the Volga River in the city of Kalinov. In this city everyone knows each other, but everyone protects themselves from each other - they build fences to fence themselves off. They live a closed life and do not know what is happening in other cities. Merchants learn about life outside their city thanks to wanderers, who tell them about the world.

Its inhabitants are financially dependent. Money is at play in this city huge role. The one with the most money has the power. The goal of most residents is to get rich. They quarrel over money. They are trying to improve the city of Kalinov. They are making walking paths, but there is no one there. The poor are happy about this, but they have no time to go out because they need to work to feed themselves and their families. The townspeople are not interested in the problems of others. Not only do they refuse to help people, they are not even ready to listen to their difficult situations. When residents show sincere feelings, society considers it a sin. The city does not know about the relationship between marriage and love. Rich people believe that you need to get married for your own benefit, for convenience.

The characters in the play are not responsible for their words and actions. Kuligin criticizes city residents who are ready to fight for money at the cost of their lives. He tried to change the morals of the inhabitants, but to no avail. He worries that the residents of the city of Kalinov are uneducated. Kuligin is very worried and upset because the townspeople are not ready to earn money by honest work. Dikoy is the richest man in the city. He acquired his wealth through dishonest labor, ruining workers. Because of big money has no morals. He does not consider the poor and destitute residents of the city to be people. He is rude and always argues with society. He doesn't consult anyone and does whatever he wants. Another rich heroine of the play is Kabanikha. She has no special differences from the Wild. She mocks and tyranns her family, but behaves differently in public. Katerina suffers most from her actions and words. She cannot listen to constant reproaches and wants to leave home. Kabanikha wants everything to be as she orders.

The life of the city of Kalinov consists of complete degradation of humanity and mental stagnation. Behind an ordinary and measured life lie cruel morals. In the city, the main feelings are self-interest and cruelty, and sincere feelings and reason are beyond the control of the residents. Lies and deception spoil people and their souls, but in Kalinov this is a common occurrence.

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Essay on literature.

Cruel morals in our city, cruel...
A.N. Ostrovsky, "The Thunderstorm".

The city of Kalinov, in which the action of “The Thunderstorm” takes place, is outlined by the author very vaguely. Such a place could be any town in any corner of vast Russia. This immediately increases and generalizes the scale of the events described.

Full is underway preparation of reform to abolish serfdom, which affects the life of all of Russia. Outdated orders give way to new ones, previously unknown phenomena and concepts arise. Therefore, even in remote towns like Kalinov, ordinary people are worried when they hear the steps of a new life.

What is this “city on the banks of the Volga”? What kind of people live there? The stage nature of the work does not allow the writer to directly answer these questions with his thoughts, but it is still possible to get a general idea about them.

Externally, the city of Kalinov is a “blessed place.” It stands on the banks of the Volga, from the steepness of the river an “extraordinary view” opens. But most local residents “have either taken a closer look or don’t understand” this beauty and speak disdainfully about it. Kalinov seems to be separated by a wall from the rest of the world. They don’t know anything here about what’s going on in the world. Residents of Kalinov are forced to draw all information about the world around them from the stories of “wanderers” who “they themselves have not walked far, but have heard a lot.” This satisfaction of curiosity leads to ignorance of the majority of citizens. They talk quite seriously about the lands “where people have dog heads” and that “Lithuania fell from the sky.” Among the residents of Kalinov there are people who “don’t give an account to anyone” for their actions; ordinary people, accustomed to such lack of accountability, lose the ability to see logic in anything.

Kabanova and Dikoy, living according to the old order, are forced to give up their positions. This embitters them and makes them even more furious. Dikoy attacks everyone he meets with abuse and “doesn’t want to know anyone.” Aware internally that there is nothing to respect him for, he, however, reserves the right to deal with the “little people” like this:

If I want, I will have mercy, if I want, I will crush.

Kabanova relentlessly pesters her family with ridiculous demands that contradict common sense. She is terrible because she reads instructions “under the guise of piety,” but she herself cannot be called pious. This can be seen from Kuligin’s conversation with Kabanov:

Kuligin: We need to forgive our enemies, sir!
Kabanov: Go talk to your mother, what will she say to you about this.

Dikoy and Kabanova still seem strong, but they begin to realize that their strength is coming to an end. They have “nowhere to rush,” but life moves forward without asking their permission. That is why Kabanova is so gloomy, she cannot imagine “how the light will stand” when her order is forgotten. But those around, not yet feeling the powerlessness of these tyrants, are forced to adapt to them,

Tikhon, deep down a kind person, came to terms with his situation. He lives and acts as “mama ordered,” having finally lost the ability to “live with his own mind.”

His sister Varvara is not like that. Tyrant oppression did not break her will, she is bolder and much more independent than Tikhon, but her conviction “if only everything was sewn and covered” suggests that Varvara was unable to fight her oppressors, but only adapted to them.

Vanya Kudryash, daring and strong nature, got used to tyrants and is not afraid of them. The Wild One needs him and knows this, he will not “slave in front of him.” But the use of rudeness as a weapon of struggle means that Kudryash can only “take an example” from the Wild One, defending himself from him with his own techniques. His reckless daring reaches the point of self-will, and this already borders on tyranny.

Katerina is, as the critic Dobrolyubov put it, “a ray of light in a dark kingdom.” Original and lively, she is not like any of the characters in the play. Inner strength gives it to her folk character. But this strength is not enough to withstand Kabanova’s relentless attacks. Katerina is looking for support - and does not find it. Exhausted, unable to further resist oppression, Katerina still did not give up, but left the fight, committing suicide.

Kalinov can be located in any corner of the country, and this allows us to consider the action of the play on a scale throughout Russia. Tyrants are living out their days everywhere; weak people still suffer from their antics. But life moves forward tirelessly, no one can stop its rapid flow. A fresh and strong stream will sweep away the dam of tyranny... Characters freed from oppression will spill out in all their breadth - and the sun will break out in the “dark kingdom”!


Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky was a master of precise descriptions. The playwright managed to show all the dark sides in his works human soul. Perhaps unsightly and negative, but without which it is impossible to create a complete picture. Criticizing Ostrovsky, Dobrolyubov pointed to his “folk” worldview, seeing main merit The writer is that Ostrovsky was able to notice those qualities in Russian people and society that can hinder natural progress. Subject " dark kingdom"raises in many of Ostrovsky's dramas. In the play “The Thunderstorm” the city of Kalinov and its inhabitants are shown as limited, “dark” people.

The city of Kalinov in “The Thunderstorm” is a fictional space. The author wanted to emphasize that the vices that exist in this city are characteristic of all cities in Russia late XIX century. And all the problems that are raised in the work existed everywhere at that time. Dobrolyubov calls Kalinov " dark kingdom" The definition of a critic fully characterizes the atmosphere described in Kalinov.
Residents of Kalinov should be considered inextricably linked with the city. All the inhabitants of the city of Kalinov deceive each other, steal, and terrorize other family members. Power in the city belongs to those who have money, and the mayor’s power is only nominal. This becomes clear from Kuligin’s conversation. The mayor comes to Dikiy with a complaint: the men complained about Savl Prokofievich, because he cheated them. Dikoy does not try to justify himself at all; on the contrary, he confirms the words of the mayor, saying that if merchants steal from each other, then there is nothing wrong with the merchant stealing from ordinary residents. Dikoy himself is greedy and rude. He constantly swears and grumbles. We can say that due to greed, Savl Prokofievich’s character deteriorated. There was nothing human left in him. The reader even sympathizes with Gobsek from the story of the same name by O. Balzac more than with Dikiy. There are no feelings towards this character other than disgust. But in the city of Kalinov, its inhabitants themselves indulge the Dikiy: they ask him for money, they are humiliated, they know that they will be insulted and, most likely, they will not give the required amount, but they ask anyway. Most of all, the merchant is annoyed by his nephew Boris, because he also needs money. Dikoy is openly rude to him, curses him and demands that he leave. Culture is alien to Savl Prokofievich. He doesn't know either Derzhavin or Lomonosov. He is only interested in the accumulation and increase of material wealth.

Kabanikha is different from Wild. “Under the guise of piety,” she tries to subordinate everything to her will. She raised an ungrateful and deceitful daughter and a spineless, weak son. Through the prism of the blind mother's love Kabanikha does not seem to notice Varvara’s hypocrisy, but Marfa Ignatievna understands perfectly well what she has made her son. Kabanikha treats her daughter-in-law worse than the others.
In her relationship with Katerina, Kabanikha’s desire to control everyone and instill fear in people is manifested. After all, the ruler is either loved or feared, but there is nothing to love Kabanikha for.

It is necessary to note the telling surname of Dikiy and the nickname Kabanikha, which refer readers and viewers to wild, animal life.

Glasha and Feklusha are the lowest link in the hierarchy. They are ordinary residents who are happy to serve such gentlemen. There is an opinion that every nation deserves its own ruler. In the city of Kalinov this is confirmed many times. Glasha and Feklusha are having dialogues about how there is “sodom” in Moscow now, because people there are starting to live differently. Culture and education are alien to the residents of Kalinov. They praise Kabanikha for advocating for the preservation of the patriarchal system. Glasha agrees with Feklusha that only the Kabanov family has preserved the old order. Kabanikha’s house is heaven on earth, because in other places everything is mired in depravity and bad manners.

The reaction to a thunderstorm in Kalinov is more similar to the reaction to a large-scale disaster. People are running to save themselves, trying to hide. All because the thunderstorm is getting difficult natural phenomenon, but a symbol of God's punishment. This is how Savl Prokofievich and Katerina perceive her. However, Kuligin is not at all afraid of thunderstorms. He urges people not to panic, tells Dikiy about the benefits of the lightning rod, but he is deaf to the requests of the inventor. Kuligin cannot actively resist the established order; he has adapted to life in such an environment. Boris understands that in Kalinov, Kuligin’s dreams will remain dreams. At the same time, Kuligin differs from other residents of the city. He is honest, modest, plans to earn money by his own labor, without asking the rich for help. The inventor studied in detail all the ways in which the city lives; knows what is happening behind closed doors, knows about the Wild One’s deceptions, but cannot do anything about it.

Ostrovsky in “The Thunderstorm” depicts the city of Kalinov and its inhabitants from a negative point of view. The playwright wanted to show how deplorable the situation is in provincial cities Russia, emphasized that social problems require immediate solutions.


The given description of the city of Kalinov and its inhabitants will be useful to 10th grade students when preparing an essay on the topic “The city of Kalinov and its inhabitants in the play “The Thunderstorm”.”

“Thunderstorm” the city of Kalinov and its inhabitants in Piecha - an essay on the topic |