The purpose of the lesson: attract the attention of students to discuss issues related to the concept of humanity; draw attention to the actions of historical figures. Continue to get acquainted with the life of the wonderful writer and person A.I. Kuprin; work on the content of the story “The Wonderful Doctor”.

Lesson objectives:

• nurturing: to cultivate a culture of ethical and moral feelings that influence all student behavior;
• educational: direct communication with a work of art. Form a holistic impression of it, affecting personal experiences; teach how to work with text;
• developing: develop a culture of artistic perception, the ability to listen and read. Develop artistic vigilance.

“Talents (like people) can be good and evil, funny and sad, bright and dark. When I think about Kuprin, I immediately want to say: a good talent. All the writer’s works are imbued with this infinite kindness or, in his own words, love “for all living things - a tree, a dog, water, earth, man, sky.”
Oleg Mikhailov.

Methods: reproductive, search.

Techniques: expressive reading, retelling, conversation.

During the classes

1. Organizational moment.

2. Introductory speech by the teacher.

Guys, we are already familiar with the works of A.I. Kuprin. Now, in today's lesson, we will meet again with a wonderful writer. I think this is not the last meeting with this wonderful man. I took the words of Oleg Mikhailov as the epigraph for our lesson. Listen to them please.

A.I. Kuprin, guys, lived in a different time from us, knew a completely different world, much of which is irretrievably gone. But the feelings that worried his heroes - young officers, circus performers, cheerful tramps, sea-salted pilots - worry us to the same extent today. And this is the key to Kuprin’s popularity among readers. He openly defended the weak, sang holy love, selfless friendship, he taught to be better, more beautiful, more noble even in the most difficult everyday circumstances. And it doesn’t matter that today there are no cadets, no traveling artists, no policemen, no scribes in the treasury chamber. After all, honesty and lies, courage and cowardice, nobility and baseness, good and evil still wage an irreconcilable struggle among themselves.

And the “river of life” (that’s the name of one of Kuprin’s stories) still flows non-stop on its banks, requiring us to make daily decisions and choices: “for” or “against”. And here, guys, A.I. Kuprin remains our mentor and senior friend.

Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin was born in the Penza province into the family of a minor official. The mother was of noble origin, belonged to an old princely Tatar family. His father died when the boy was not even a year old. The mother was forced to settle in a Moscow widow's house. When the boy was 6 years old, his mother sent him to the Razumovsky orphanage, where he lived for 4 years. In 1880, he entered the second Moscow military gymnasium, which 2 years later was transformed into a cadet corps. The difficult life of the “official boy” was later depicted by him in the story “At the Turning Point”. Later, Kuprin collaborates in newspapers and becomes a professional writer. In 1919, Kuprin went abroad and constantly missed Russia. In 1937 he returned to his native Moscow. “Even the flowers at home smell different,” he said.

A.I. Kuprin was a man with enormous vitality. This power made him vigilant, curious, inquisitive. He once said that for a few minutes he would like to become every person he met, every animal, fly or plant, so that he could know what they were thinking, what they were feeling.

Guys, this is what his daughter Ksenia said about Kuprin. When the writer wrote a story about a horse (“Emerald”), he spent all his time in the stable and even once, to the horror of Kuprin’s wife, brought the horse into the bedroom for several days to watch how she slept and find out if she could see dreams. When Kuprin's daughter was a little girl, they got cockroaches. Alexander Ivanovich decided to watch them. They marked several of them with different paints and gave them names. And then, squatting, we patiently watched these insects.

All animals: dogs, horses, cats, goats, monkeys, bears were members of A.I.’s family. Kuprina.

Kuprin wrote: “Animals are distinguished by their memory, reason, and ability to distinguish time, space, colors and sounds. They have attachments and aversion, love and hatred, gratitude, appreciation, loyalty, joy and grief, anger, humility, cunning, honesty and downtroddenness.”

Very often, Kuprin's friends laughed and said that he attributes feelings and intelligence to animals, but they only have conditioned reflexes. But Kuprin firmly believed that this was not so. It is not for nothing that next to the title of the story “Zaviraika” he put “The Soul of a Dog” in parentheses. The writer loved animals very much.

He always took part in children's performances, which were organized by his daughter Ksenia. He got excited and argued like a child.

Kuprin loved the circus, cheerful, brave, dexterous, hardworking people and circus animals. He was a brave man, he always wanted to experience for himself what he wrote about. He climbed to a height of 1200 meters at hot-air balloon, flew the first wooden airplanes in the early 20th century, when flying was a novelty; sank to the seabed in a spacesuit. Once he even entered a cage with tigers. Then the writer admitted that it was the most terrible thing he had ever experienced, that he did not remember anything from his feelings except the red fog before his eyes.

Everything was interesting to the kind, inquisitive eye of the writer. Kuprin found it easily mutual language with man’s “younger brothers” – animals. He understood how much the animal needs human help and protection.

What stories by Kuprin about animals and birds have you read?

In the story “Starlings,” he addresses the children directly: “Try throwing worms or crumbs of bread to the bird, first from afar, then decreasing the distance. You will achieve the fact that after a while the starling will take food from your hands and sit on your shoulder. Just don't betray his trust. The only difference between you both is that he is small and you are big.” A. Exupery in his fairy tale “The Little Prince”, through the lips of the prince, said the following phrase: “We are responsible for those we have tamed.”

3. Analysis of the story.

Guys, in his stories Kuprin addressed not only the theme of animals; the themes of his works are diverse. The writer was also concerned about the person. Very often in the stories of A.I. there is magic, good always triumphs over evil, children and adults in need of help are always helped by other honest, decent, wonderful people. Kuprin taught to see a person in a person.

Guys, we’ll talk about another story in which miracles happen in today’s lesson. The story is called “The Wonderful Doctor.”

Choose words with the same root for the word “wonderful” (miracle, eccentric, eccentricity, wonderful, eccentric, wonderful, wonderful, monster).

How do you understand the meaning of the word “wonderful”? (dictionary definition of the word miraculous: 1) being a miracle, magical, supernatural;

2) imbued with fantasy, full of miracles, amazing, unusual;

3)wonderful, wonderful.)

Guys, what time of year does the story take place?

What did the boys see in the store window?

How can you explain the impression that the “magnificent exhibition” of the window made on the boys?

How do you feel about the holidays?

How do you feel when they approach?

Guys, could the Mertsalov family hope for surprises and gifts during the holidays?

Where did the Mertsalovs live?

Tell us what happened in the family?

Why did they end up in the basement and live in such terrible conditions?

What was the situation and atmosphere like in the Mertsalovs’ house? (Read, give examples).

Was Mertsalov trying to get money?

Why did everyone whom Mertsalov turned to for help refuse him?

What did he do?

Why does Mertsalov leave the dungeon?

What state was Mertsalov in before meeting the stranger? (He was overcome by despair because he had nowhere to wait for help, he could not count on the compassion of others)

How do you understand the statement of the modern scientist Ilya Shevelev: “The harder life is, the more callous some people become, and others more merciful”? Which character in the story could you apply these words to?

Why did the stranger sit down on the bench next to Mertsalov?

Why didn’t he leave after Mertsalov’s “angry screams”? (Because he saw that the person was in a desperate situation, and the stranger belonged to that number of people who become more merciful from life’s failures). What help does the stranger provide to the Mertsalov family? Who he is by profession?

Why did the stranger, leaving the Mertsalovs, not say his name? (He was a humble man)

Why didn't you give the money openly? (Because I was afraid to embarrass myself, I didn’t want to offend or somehow offend the owners)

Please determine how the shades of meaning of the word “wonderful” are manifested in the text?

What was “miraculous” about the stranger’s actions?

Do you know anything about Nikolai Ivanovich Pirogov?

(1810-1881. Surgeon, anatomist, teacher, founder of military field surgery, contributed to the training of sisters of mercy in Russia during the military operations in Crimea in 1853-1856. Later this social movement received the name of the Red Cross.)

Please tell me, did this meeting with a wonderful stranger change the life of the Mertsalovs?

Guys, what is the main idea of ​​the story? (Don’t be discouraged, don’t lose heart, remain human in any situation)

What does he teach us?

4. Summary. Conclusion.

So, I want to conclude our lesson by reading an aphorism by John Rusken. And I would like the stories of the wonderful writer A.I. Kuprin to help your good endeavors. Believe in miracles, and a miracle will definitely happen. Try to be honest, kind, decent, wonderful people in any situation.

5. Homework.

Have you or any of your family members ever had to help someone in a difficult situation? Prepare a story about this for the class.

Write your own memo “How to become a kind person?”

A. I. Kuprin's story "The Wonderful Doctor" is about how poor people live. How they are driven to the brink by misfortune and poverty. And there is no light at the end. And also about the fact that there is always room for a miracle. About how one meeting can change the lives of several people.

The story teaches kindness and mercy. Teaches you not to get angry. In "The Wonderful Doctor" a miracle is performed by one man, with the warmth of his heart and the richness of his soul. If there were more doctors like this, maybe the world would become a kinder place.

Read briefly Kuprin Wonderful Doctor

Life is often not as beautiful as they say in fairy tales. This is precisely why many people become incredibly embittered.

Volodya and Grishka are two boys who are not very neatly dressed at the moment. They are brothers who stood and looked at the store window. And the display window was simply gorgeous. No wonder they stood near her as if enchanted. There were so many goodies on display. There were also sausages, the most different types, and overseas fruits - tangerines and oranges, which seemed and probably were so juicy, and fish - pickled and smoked, and also, there was even a baked pig with greens in the mouth.

All these extraordinary things simply amazed the children, who were stuck for some time near the store with a beautiful and magical display. The poor children wanted to eat, but then they had to go to the master, from whom they wanted to ask for help, because their family had no money at all, and even their sister was sick. But the doorman did not take the letter from them, and simply kicked them out. When the poor children came and told their mother about this, she was not surprised in principle, although the ray of hope in her eyes went out immediately.

The children came to the basement of some old house - this was their place of residence. The basement smelled unpleasant smell dampness and mustiness. It was very cold, and in the corner, lying on some rags, was a girl who had been sick for some time. After the children, the father came in almost immediately - who, as the mother also understood, brought nothing to feed the children and save the sick girl, who could even die. The father of the family was in despair, so he went outside and, after walking a little, sat down on a bench.

Soon the thought of suicide crept into his head. He didn’t want to see the despair on his wife’s face and his sick daughter Masha. But then someone sat down next to him, it was old man, who, out of the simplicity of his soul, decided to start a conversation and talked about how he bought gifts for his children, and very successful ones. The poor father simply yelled at him, and then told him how hard it was for him. That person turned out to be a doctor who wanted to examine the girl. It was he who helped them with money. And it was he who brought happiness to their family.

Read the summary of the story The Wonderful Doctor

The story begins with two boys looking at the window of a large store. They are poor and hungry, but still children, they have fun looking at the pig behind the glass. The store window is filled with various foods. Behind the glass is a gastronomic paradise. The poor children would never dream of such an abundance of food. The boys look at the food display for a long time, and then rush home.

The vibrant cityscape gives way to dull slums. The boys run through the entire city, to the very outskirts. The place where the boys' family has been forced to live for more than a year can only be called a slum. Dirty courtyard, semi-basements with dark corridors and rotten doors. A place that decently dressed people try to avoid.

Behind one of these doors lives a family of boys. A mother, a sick sister, a baby and a father, exhausted by hunger and lack of money. In a dark, cold room, a sick little girl lies on a bed. Her ragged breathing and baby's cries only depress her. Nearby, a baby rocks and cries from hunger in a cradle. An exhausted mother kneels by the sick bed and at the same time rocks the cradle. The mother no longer even has the strength to despair. She mechanically wipes the girl's forehead and rocks the cradle. She understands the gravity of the family's situation, but is powerless to change anything.

There was hope for the boys, but this hope was very weak. This is the picture that appears before the eyes of the boys who come running. They were sent to take a letter to the master for whom the father of the family, Mertsalov, had previously worked. But the boys were not allowed to see the master and the letters were not taken. For a year now, my father couldn’t find a job. The boys told their mother how the doorman kicked them out and didn’t even listen to their requests. A woman offers the boys cold borscht; the family doesn’t even have anything to warm up their food. At this time, the elder Mertsalov returns.

He never found a job. Mertsalov is dressed in summer clothes, he doesn’t even have galoshes. Memories of a difficult year for the whole family depress him. Typhoid fever left him jobless. The family barely made ends meet by doing odd jobs. Then the children started getting sick. One girl died, and now Mashutka was in a fever. Mertsalov leaves the house in search of any kind of income, he is even ready to ask for alms. Mashutka needs medicine and he must find money. In search of income, Mertsalov turns into the garden, where he sits down on a bench and thinks about his life. He even has thoughts of suicide.

At the same time, a stranger is walking through the park. Having asked permission to sit on the bench, the stranger begins a conversation. Mertsalov's nerves are on edge, his despair is so enormous that he cannot restrain himself. The stranger listens to the unfortunate man without interrupting, and then asks to take him to the sick girl. He gives money to buy food and asks the boys to run to their neighbors for firewood. While Mertsalov is buying provisions, a stranger, introducing himself as a doctor, examines the girl. Having completed the examination, the wonderful doctor writes out a prescription for medicine and explains how and where to buy it, and then how to give it to the girl.

Mertsalov returning with hot food finds the wonderful doctor leaving. He tries to find out the name of the benefactor, but the doctor only politely says goodbye. Returning to the room, under the saucer along with the recipe, Mertsalov discovers money left by the guest. Having gone to the pharmacy with a prescription written by the doctor, Mertsalov finds out the doctor’s name. The pharmacist clearly wrote that the medicine was prescribed according to Professor Pirogov’s prescription. The author heard this story from one of the participants in those events. From Grigory Mertsalov, one of the boys. After meeting with the wonderful doctor, things began to improve in the Mertsalov family. The father found a job, the boys were sent to school, Mashutka recovered, and the mother also got back on her feet. They never saw their wonderful doctor again. They only saw the body of Professor Pirogov, which was transported to his estate. But this was no longer a wonderful doctor, but only a shell.

Despair is no help in trouble. A lot can happen in life. Today's rich man may become poor. Absolutely healthy man- die suddenly or become seriously ill. But there is a family, there is responsibility to oneself. You need to fight for your life. After all, goodness is always rewarded. One conversation on a snowy bench can change the fate of several people. If possible, you should definitely help. After all, someday you will have to ask for help.

The following story is not the fruit of idle fiction. Everything I described actually happened in Kyiv about thirty years ago and is still sacred, down to the smallest detail, preserved in the traditions of the family in question. For my part, I only changed the names of some of the characters in this touching story and gave the oral story a written form.

Grish, oh Grish! Look, the little pig... He's laughing... Yes. And in his mouth!.. Look, look... there is grass in his mouth, by God, grass!.. What a thing!

And two boys, standing in front of a huge solid glass window of a grocery store, began to laugh uncontrollably, pushing each other in the side with their elbows, but involuntarily dancing from the cruel cold. They had been standing for more than five minutes in front of this magnificent exhibition, which excited their minds and stomachs in equal measure. Here, illuminated by the bright light of hanging lamps, towered whole mountains of red, strong apples and oranges; there were regular pyramids of tangerines, delicately gilded through the tissue paper enveloping them; huge smoked and pickled fish stretched out on dishes, ugly mouths open and eyes bulging; below, surrounded by garlands of sausages, juicy cut hams with a thick layer of pinkish lard flaunted... Countless jars and boxes with salted, boiled and smoked snacks completed this spectacular picture, looking at which both boys for a moment forgot about the twelve-degree frost and about the important assignment assigned their mother, an assignment that ended so unexpectedly and so pitifully.

The eldest boy was the first to tear himself away from contemplating the enchanting spectacle. He tugged at his brother's sleeve and said sternly:

Well, Volodya, let's go, let's go... There's nothing here...

At the same time suppressing a heavy sigh (the eldest of them was only ten years old, and besides, both of them had eaten nothing since the morning except empty cabbage soup) and casting one last lovingly greedy glance at the gastronomic exhibition, the boys hurriedly ran down the street. Sometimes, through the foggy windows of some house, they saw a Christmas tree, which from a distance seemed like a huge cluster of bright, shining spots, sometimes they even heard the sounds of a cheerful polka... But they courageously drove away the tempting thought: to stop for a few seconds and press their eyes to the glass.

As the boys walked, the streets became less crowded and darker. Beautiful shops, shining Christmas trees, trotters racing under their blue and red nets, the squealing of runners, the festive excitement of the crowd, the cheerful roar of shouts and conversations, the laughing faces of elegant ladies flushed with frost - everything was left behind. There were vacant lots, crooked, narrow alleys, gloomy, unlit slopes... Finally they reached a rickety, dilapidated house that stood alone; its bottom - the basement itself - was stone, and the top was wooden. Having walked around the cramped, icy and dirty courtyard, which served as a natural cesspool for all residents, they went downstairs to the basement, walked in the dark along a common corridor, groped for their door and opened it.

The Mertsalovs had been living in this dungeon for more than a year. Both boys had long since gotten used to these smoky walls, crying from dampness, and to the wet rags drying on a rope stretched across the room, and to this terrible smell of kerosene fumes, children's dirty linen and rats - the real smell of poverty. But today, after everything they saw on the street, after this festive rejoicing that they felt everywhere, their little children’s hearts sank with acute, unchildish suffering. In the corner, on a dirty wide bed, lay a girl of about seven years old; her face was burning, her breathing was short and labored, her wide, shining eyes looked intently and aimlessly. Next to the bed, in a cradle suspended from the ceiling, a baby was screaming, wincing, straining and choking. A tall, thin woman, with a gaunt, tired face, as if blackened by grief, was kneeling next to the sick girl, straightening her pillow and at the same time not forgetting to push the rocking cradle with her elbow. When the boys entered and white clouds of frosty air quickly rushed into the basement behind them, the woman turned her worried face back.

Well? What? - she asked abruptly and impatiently.

The boys were silent. Only Grisha noisily wiped his nose with the sleeve of his coat, made from an old cotton robe.

Did you take the letter?.. Grisha, I’m asking you, did you give the letter?

So what? What did you say to him?

Yes, everything is as you taught. Here, I say, is a letter from Mertsalov, from your former manager. And he scolded us: “Get out of here, he says... You bastards...”

Who is this? Who was talking to you?.. Speak clearly, Grisha!

The doorman was talking... Who else? I tell him: “Uncle, take the letter, pass it on, and I’ll wait for the answer here downstairs.” And he says: “Well, he says, keep your pocket... The master also has time to read your letters...”

Well, what about you?

I told him everything, as you taught me: “There’s nothing to eat... Mashutka is sick... She’s dying...” I said: “As soon as dad finds a place, he’ll thank you, Savely Petrovich, by God, he’ll thank you.” Well, at this time the bell will ring as soon as it rings, and he tells us: “Get the hell out of here quickly! So that your spirit is not here!..” And he even hit Volodka on the back of the head.

And he hit me on the back of the head,” said Volodya, who was following his brother’s story with attention, and scratched the back of his head.

The older boy suddenly began to anxiously rummage through the deep pockets of his robe. Finally pulling out the crumpled envelope, he put it on the table and said:

Here it is, the letter...

The mother didn't ask any more questions. For a long time in the stuffy, dank room, only the frantic cry of the baby and Mashutka’s short, rapid breathing, more like continuous monotonous moans, could be heard. Suddenly the mother said, turning back:

There is borscht there, left over from lunch... Maybe we could eat it? Only cold, there’s nothing to warm it up with...

At this time, someone’s hesitant steps and the rustling of a hand were heard in the corridor, searching for the door in the darkness. The mother and both boys - all three even turning pale from tense anticipation - turned in this direction.

Mertsalov entered. He was wearing a summer coat, a summer felt hat and no galoshes. His hands were swollen and blue from the frost, his eyes were sunken, his cheeks were stuck around his gums, like a dead man’s. He didn’t say a single word to his wife, she didn’t ask him a single question. They understood each other by the despair they read in each other's eyes.

In this terrible, fateful year, misfortune after misfortune persistently and mercilessly rained down on Mertsalov and his family. First, he himself fell ill with typhoid fever, and all their meager savings were spent on his treatment. Then, when he recovered, he learned that his place, the modest place of managing a house for twenty-five rubles a month, was already taken by someone else... A desperate, convulsive pursuit began for odd jobs, for correspondence, for an insignificant place, pledge and re-pledge of things, sale all kinds of household rags. And then the children started getting sick. Three months ago one girl died, now another lies in the heat and unconscious. Elizaveta Ivanovna had to simultaneously care for a sick girl, breastfeed a little one and go almost to the other end of the city to the house where she washed clothes every day.

All day today I was busy trying to squeeze out from somewhere at least a few kopecks for Mashutka’s medicine through superhuman efforts. For this purpose, Mertsalov ran around almost half the city, begging and humiliating himself everywhere; Elizaveta Ivanovna went to see her mistress, the children were sent with a letter to the master whose house Mertsalov used to manage... But everyone made excuses either with holiday worries or lack of money... Others, like, for example, the doorman of the former patron, simply drove the petitioners off the porch .

For ten minutes no one could utter a word. Suddenly Mertsalov quickly rose from the chest on which he had been sitting until now, and with a decisive movement pulled his tattered hat deeper onto his forehead.

Where are you going? - Elizaveta Ivanovna asked anxiously.

Mertsalov, who had already grabbed the door handle, turned around.

“Anyway, sitting won’t help anything,” he answered hoarsely. - I’ll go again... At least I’ll try to beg.

Going out into the street, he walked forward aimlessly. He didn't look for anything, didn't hope for anything. He had long ago experienced that burning time of poverty when you dream of finding a wallet with money on the street or suddenly receiving an inheritance from an unknown second cousin. Now he was overcome by an uncontrollable desire to run anywhere, to run without looking back, so as not to see the silent despair of a hungry family.

Beg for alms? He has already tried this remedy twice today. But the first time, some gentleman in a raccoon fur coat read him an instruction that he should work and not beg, and the second time, they promised to send him to the police.

Unnoticed by himself, Mertsalov found himself in the center of the city, near the fence of a dense public garden. Since he had to walk uphill all the time, he became out of breath and felt tired. Mechanically he turned through the gate and, passing a long alley of linden trees covered with snow, sat down on a low garden bench.

It was quiet and solemn here. The trees, wrapped in their white robes, slumbered in motionless majesty. Sometimes a piece of snow fell from the top branch, and you could hear it rustling, falling and clinging to other branches. The deep silence and great calm that guarded the garden suddenly awakened in Mertsalov’s tormented soul an unbearable thirst for the same calm, the same silence.

“I wish I could lie down and go to sleep,” he thought, “and forget about my wife, about the hungry children, about the sick Mashutka.” Putting his hand under his vest, Mertsalov felt for a rather thick rope that served as his belt. The thought of suicide became quite clear in his head. But he was not horrified by this thought, did not shudder for a moment before the darkness of the unknown.

“Rather than perish slowly, isn’t it better to choose more shortcut? He was about to get up to fulfill his terrible intention, but at that time, at the end of the alley, the creaking of steps was heard, clearly heard in the frosty air. Mertsalov turned in this direction with anger. Someone was walking along the alley. At first, the light of a cigar flaring up and then going out was visible. Then Mertsalov little by little could see an old man of short stature, wearing a warm hat, a fur coat and high galoshes. Having reached the bench, the stranger suddenly turned sharply in the direction of Mertsalov and, lightly touching his hat, asked:

Will you allow me to sit here?

Mertsalov deliberately turned sharply away from the stranger and moved to the edge of the bench. Five minutes passed in mutual silence, during which the stranger smoked a cigar and (Mertsalov felt it) looked sideways at his neighbor.

“What a nice night,” the stranger suddenly spoke. - Frosty... quiet. What a delight - Russian winter!

“But I bought gifts for the children of my friends,” the stranger continued (he had several packages in his hands). - Yes, I couldn’t resist on the way, I made a circle to go through the garden: it’s very nice here.

Mertsalov was generally a meek and shy person, but at the last words of the stranger he was suddenly overcome by a surge of desperate anger. He turned with a sharp movement towards the old man and shouted, absurdly waving his arms and gasping:

Presents! ate... Gifts!..

Mertsalov expected that after these chaotic, angry screams the old man would get up and leave, but he was mistaken. The old man brought his smart, serious face with gray sideburns closer to him and said in a friendly but serious tone:

Wait... don't worry! Tell me everything in order and as briefly as possible. Maybe together we can come up with something for you.

There was something so calm and trust-inspiring in the stranger’s extraordinary face that Mertsalov immediately, without the slightest concealment, but terribly worried and in a hurry, conveyed his story. He spoke about his illness, about the loss of his place, about the death of his child, about all his misfortunes, right up to this day. The stranger listened without interrupting him with a word, and only looked more and more inquisitively into his eyes, as if wanting to penetrate into the very depths of this painful, indignant soul. Suddenly, with a quick, completely youthful movement, he jumped up from his seat and grabbed Mertsalov by the hand. Mertsalov involuntarily also stood up.

Let's go! - said the stranger, dragging Mertsalov by the hand. - Let's go quickly!.. You are lucky that you met with a doctor. Of course, I can’t vouch for anything, but... let’s go!

Ten minutes later Mertsalov and the doctor were already entering the basement. Elizaveta Ivanovna lay on the bed next to her sick daughter, burying her face in dirty, oily pillows. The boys slurped borscht, sitting in the same places. Frightened by the long absence of their father and the immobility of their mother, they cried, smearing tears over their faces with dirty fists and pouring them abundantly into the smoky cast iron. Entering the room, the doctor took off his coat and, remaining in an old-fashioned, rather shabby frock coat, approached Elizaveta Ivanovna. She didn't even raise her head when he approached.

Well, that’s enough, that’s enough, my dear,” the doctor spoke, affectionately stroking the woman on the back. - Get up! Show me your patient.

And just like recently in the garden, something affectionate and convincing sounding in his voice forced Elizaveta Ivanovna to instantly get out of bed and unquestioningly do everything the doctor said. Two minutes later, Grishka was already heating the stove with firewood, for which the wonderful doctor had sent to the neighbors, Volodya was inflating the samovar with all his might, Elizaveta Ivanovna was wrapping Mashutka in a warming compress... A little later Mertsalov also appeared. With three rubles received from the doctor, during this time he managed to buy tea, sugar, rolls and get hot food at the nearest tavern. The doctor was sitting at the table and writing something on a piece of paper that he had torn out of his notebook. Having finished this lesson and depicting some kind of hook below instead of a signature, he stood up, covered what he had written with a tea saucer and said:

With this piece of paper you will go to the pharmacy... give me a teaspoon in two hours. This will cause the baby to cough up... Continue the warming compress... Besides, even if your daughter feels better, in any case, invite Doctor Afrosimov tomorrow. This is a good doctor and good man. I'll warn him right now. Then farewell, gentlemen! May God grant that the coming year treats you a little more leniently than this one, and most importantly, never lose heart.

Having shaken the hands of Mertsalov and Elizaveta Ivanovna, who were still reeling from amazement, and casually patting Volodya, who was open-mouthed, on the cheek, the doctor quickly put his feet into deep galoshes and put on his coat. Mertsalov came to his senses only when the doctor was already in the corridor, and rushed after him.

Since it was impossible to make out anything in the darkness, Mertsalov shouted at random:

Doctor! Doctor, wait!.. Tell me your name, doctor! Let at least my children pray for you!

And he moved his hands in the air to catch the invisible doctor. But at this time, at the other end of the corridor, a calm, senile voice said:

Eh! Here's some more nonsense you've come up with!.. Come home quickly!

When he returned, a surprise awaited him: under the tea saucer, along with the wonderful doctor’s prescription, lay several large credit notes...

That same evening Mertsalov learned the name of his unexpected benefactor. On the pharmacy label attached to the bottle of medicine, in the clear hand of the pharmacist it was written: “According to the prescription of Professor Pirogov.”

I heard this story, more than once, from the lips of Grigory Emelyanovich Mertsalov himself - the same Grishka who, on the Christmas Eve I described, shed tears into a smoky cast iron pot with empty borscht. Now he occupies a fairly large, responsible position in one of the banks, reputed to be a model of honesty and responsiveness to the needs of poverty. And every time, finishing his story about the wonderful doctor, he adds in a voice trembling from hidden tears:

From then on, it was as if a beneficent angel descended into our family. Everything has changed. At the beginning of January, my father found a place, Mashutka got back on her feet, and my brother and I managed to get a place in the gymnasium at public expense. This holy man performed a miracle. And we have only seen our wonderful doctor once since then - this was when he was transported dead to his own estate Vishnyu. And even then they didn’t see him, because something great, powerful and holy that lived and burned in the wonderful doctor during his lifetime died out irrevocably.

“This story really happened,” the author states from the first lines of his story. Let's bring it summary. “The Wonderful Doctor” is distinguished by its capacious meaning and vivid language. The documentary basis gives the story a special intriguing flavor. The ending reveals the mystery.

Summary of the story “The Wonderful Doctor.” Hungry children

Two boys stopped in front of a display case with gastronomic abundance and, swallowing their saliva, animatedly discussed what they saw. They are amused by the sight of a ruddy one with a sprig of greenery in his mouth. The author gives a narrative about the “still life” behind glass in highest degree aesthetically pleasing and appetizing. There are “garlands of sausages” and “pyramids of delicate golden tangerines.” And the hungry children cast “lovingly greedy” glances at them. Kyiv, preparing for the Christmas holidays, looks too contrasting in comparison with the pathetic, thin figures of beggar children.

Fatal year

Grisha and Volodya went on behalf of their mother with a letter for help. Yes, only the doorman of the influential addressee drove away the little ragamuffins with abuse. And so they returned to their home - a basement with “walls crying from dampness.” The description of the Mertsalov family evokes acute compassion. A seven-year-old sister is lying in a fever, and a hungry baby is screaming in a cradle nearby. An emaciated woman “with a face blackened with grief” gives the boys the remains of a cold stew, which there is nothing to warm up. The father appears with his hands swollen from the frost. We learn that in this fateful year, having fallen ill with typhus, he lost his position as a manager, which brought a modest income. Misfortunes rained down one after another: the children began to get sick, all their savings were gone, a daughter died, and now another was seriously ill. No one gave alms, and there was no one left to ask. Here is a description of the misfortunes, their summary.

Wonderful doctor

Despair covers Mertsalov, he leaves home, wanders around the city, hoping for nothing. Tired, he sits down on a bench in the city garden and feels the urge to commit suicide. At this moment a stranger appears in the alley. He sits down next to you and starts a friendly conversation. When the old man mentions gifts bought for children he knows, Mertsalov cannot stand it and begins to shout hotly and angrily that his children are “dying of hunger.” The old man listens carefully to the confused story and offers help: it turns out that he is a doctor. Mertsalov takes him to his place. The doctor examines the sick girl, writes a prescription, gives money to buy firewood, medicine and food. That same evening, Mertsalov recognizes the name of his benefactor from the label on the bottle of medicine - this is Professor Pirogov, an outstanding Russian physician. From then on, it was as if an “angel descended” on the family, and its affairs went uphill. So says Kuprin. The wonderful doctor (we will conclude the summary with this conclusion) acted very humanely, and this changed not only the circumstances, but also the worldview of the characters in the story. The boys grew up, one of them took a large position in a bank and was always especially sensitive to the needs of poor people.

Vinnitsa, Ukraine. Here, in the Cherry estate, the famous Russian surgeon Nikolai Ivanovich Pirogov lived and worked for 20 years: a man who performed many miracles during his life, the prototype of the “wonderful doctor” about whom Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin narrates.

On December 25, 1897, the newspaper “Kievskoye Slovo” published a work by A.I. Kuprin’s “The Wonderful Doctor (true incident),” which begins with the lines: “The following story is not the fruit of idle fiction. Everything I described actually happened in Kyiv about thirty years ago...”, which immediately puts the reader in a serious mood: after all real stories we take it closer to our hearts and feel more strongly about the heroes.

So, this story was told to Alexander Ivanovich by a banker he knew, who, by the way, is also one of the heroes of the book. The real basis of the story is no different from what the author depicted.

“The Wonderful Doctor” is a work about the amazing philanthropy, the mercy of one famous doctor who did not strive for fame, did not expect honors, but only selflessly provided help to those who needed it here and now.

Meaning of the name

Secondly, no one except Pirogov wanted to lend a helping hand to people in need; passers-by replaced the bright and pure message of Christmas with the pursuit of discounts, profitable goods and festive dishes. In this atmosphere, the manifestation of virtue is a miracle that can only be hoped for.

Genre and direction

“The Wonderful Doctor” is a story, or to be more precise, a Yuletide, or Christmas, story. According to all the laws of the genre, the heroes of the work find themselves in a difficult life situation: troubles fall one after another, there is not enough money, which is why the characters even think about taking their own lives. Only a miracle can help them. This miracle results from a chance meeting with a doctor who, in one evening, helps them overcome life’s difficulties. The work “The Wonderful Doctor” has a bright ending: good defeats evil, the state of spiritual decline is replaced by hopes for better life. However, this does not prevent us from attributing this work to the realistic direction, because everything that happened in it is the pure truth.

The story takes place during the holidays. Decorated Christmas trees peek out from shop windows, there’s an abundance of them everywhere. tasty food, laughter is heard in the streets, and the ear catches the cheerful conversations of people. But somewhere, very close by, poverty, grief and despair reign. And all these human troubles in Holy holiday The Nativity of Christ is illuminated with a miracle.

Composition

The entire work is built on contrasts. At the very beginning, two boys stand in front of a bright shop window, a festive spirit is in the air. But when they go home, everything around them becomes darker: old, crumbling houses are everywhere, and their own home is completely in the basement. While people in the city are preparing for the holiday, the Mertsalovs do not know how to make ends meet in order to simply survive. There is no talk of a holiday in their family. This stark contrast allows the reader to feel the desperate situation in which the family finds itself.

It is worth noting the contrast among the heroes of the work. The head of the family turns out to be a weak person who is no longer able to solve problems, but is ready to run away from them: he thinks about suicide. Professor Pirogov is presented to us as an incredibly strong, cheerful and positive hero who, with his kindness, saves the Mertsalov family.

The essence

In the story “The Wonderful Doctor” by A.I. Kuprin talks about how human kindness and caring for one's neighbor can change lives. The action takes place approximately in the 60s of the 19th century in Kyiv. The city has an atmosphere of magic and the approaching holiday. The work begins with two boys, Grisha and Volodya Mertsalov, joyfully gazing at the store window, joking and laughing. But it soon turns out that their family has big problems: they live in the basement, there is a catastrophic lack of money, their father was kicked out of work, their sister died six months ago, and now their second sister, Mashutka, is very ill. Everyone is desperate and seems to be prepared for the worst.

That evening the father of the family goes to beg for alms, but all attempts are in vain. He goes to the park, where he talks about the difficult life of his family, and thoughts of suicide begin to occur to him. But fate turns out to be favorable, and in this very park Mertsalov meets a man who is destined to change his life. They go home to an impoverished family, where the doctor examines Mashutka, prescribes her the necessary medications and even leaves her a large sum of money. He does not give a name, considering what he did was his duty. And only by the signature on the prescription does the family know that this doctor is the famous Professor Pirogov.

The main characters and their characteristics

The story involves a small number of characters. In this work for A.I. The wonderful doctor himself, Alexander Ivanovich Pirogov, is important to Kuprin.

1. Pirogov- famous professor, surgeon. He knows how to approach any person: he looks at the father of the family so carefully and interestedly that he almost immediately inspires confidence in him, and he talks about all his troubles. Pirogov does not need to think about whether to help or not. He heads home to the Mertsalovs, where he does everything possible to save desperate souls. One of Mertsalov’s sons, already an adult man, remembers him and calls him a saint: “... that great, powerful and holy thing that lived and burned in the wonderful doctor during his lifetime faded away irrevocably.”
2. Mertsalov- a man broken by adversity, who is consumed by his own powerlessness. Seeing the death of his daughter, the despair of his wife, the deprivation of the other children, he is ashamed of his inability to help them. The Doctor stops him on the path to a cowardly and fatal act, saving, first of all, his soul, which was ready to sin.

Themes

The main themes of the work are mercy, compassion and kindness. The Mertsalov family is doing everything possible to cope with the troubles that have befallen them. And in a moment of despair, fate sends them a gift: Doctor Pirogov turns out to be a real wizard who, with his indifference and compassion, heals their crippled souls.

He does not stay in the park when Mertsalov loses his temper: being a man of incredible kindness, he listens to him and immediately does everything possible to help. We do not know how many such acts Professor Pirogov committed during his life. But you can be sure that in his heart there lived a great love for people, indifference, which turned out to be the saving grace for the unfortunate family, which he extended at the most necessary moment.

Problems

A.I. Kuprin in this short story raises such universal problems as humanism and loss of hope.

Professor Pirogov personifies philanthropy and humanism. He is no stranger to problems strangers, and he takes helping his neighbor for granted. He does not need gratitude for what he has done, he does not need glory: the only important thing is that the people around him fight and do not lose faith in the best. This becomes his main wish to the Mertsalov family: “...and most importantly, never lose heart.” However, those around the heroes, their acquaintances and colleagues, neighbors and just passers-by - all turned out to be indifferent witnesses to someone else's grief. They did not even think that someone’s misfortune concerned them, they did not want to show humanity, thinking that they were not authorized to correct social injustice. This is the problem: no one cares about what is happening around them, except for one person.

Despair is also described in detail by the author. It poisons Mertsalov, depriving him of the will and strength to move on. Under the influence of sorrowful thoughts, he descends to a cowardly hope for death, while his family perishes from hunger. The feeling of hopelessness dulls all other feelings and enslaves the person, who is only able to feel sorry for himself.

Meaning

What is the main idea of ​​A.I. Kuprin? The answer to this question is precisely contained in the phrase that Pirogov says as he leaves the Mertsalovs: never lose heart.

Even in the darkest times, you need to hope, search, and if you have absolutely no strength left, wait for a miracle. And it does happen. With the most ordinary people on one frosty, say, winter day: the hungry become full, the cold become warm, the sick become well. And these miracles are performed by people themselves with the kindness of their hearts - this is the main idea a writer who saw salvation from social cataclysms in simple mutual assistance.

What does it teach?

This small piece makes you think about how important it is to be caring towards the people around us. In the bustle of our days, we often forget that somewhere very close by, neighbors, acquaintances, and compatriots are suffering; somewhere, poverty reigns and despair prevails. Entire families do not know how to earn their bread, and barely survive to receive pay. That’s why it’s so important not to pass by and be able to support: with a kind word or deed.

Helping one person, of course, will not change the world, but it will change one part of it, and the most important one for giving rather than accepting help. The donor is enriched much more than the petitioner, because he receives spiritual satisfaction from what he has done.

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