Table of contents:
- On the sale of the soul
- Missing character
- Treasure
- Woland's story
- Who is Sharikov?
- Behemoth prototype
Video: 6 little-known facts about the works of Mikhail Bulgakov
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
The literary works of Mikhail Bulgakov, as well as the personality of the writer himself, are covered with secrets and hoaxes. In our review, an attempt is made to dispel myths and reveal the secrets of the famous master of satire.
On the sale of the soul
It is known that Bulgakov often went to the Bolshoi to listen to Faust. This opera has always lifted his spirits. The image of Faust himself was especially close to him. But one day Bulgakov returned from the theater gloomy, in a state of severe depression. This was due to the work on which the writer recently began to work - the play "Batum". Having agreed to write a play about Stalin, Bulgakov recognized himself in the image of Faust, who sold his soul to the devil.
Missing character
In 1937, on the anniversary of the death of A. S. Pushkin, several authors presented plays dedicated to the poet. Among them was Mikhail Bulgakov's play "Alexander Pushkin", which was distinguished from the works of other authors by the absence of one character. Bulgakov believed that the appearance of this character on the stage would be vulgar and tasteless. The absent character was Alexander Sergeevich himself.
Treasure
In the novel "The White Guard" Bulgakov quite accurately described the house in which he lived in Kiev. And the owners of this house, for one detail of the description, very strongly disliked the writer, since she brought direct damage to the structure. The fact is that the owners broke down all the walls, trying to find the treasure described in the novel, and, of course, did not find anything.
Woland's story
Woland Bulgakov got his name from Goethe's Mephistopheles. In the poem "Faust" it sounds only once, when Mephistopheles asks the evil spirits to make way and give him a way: "The nobleman Woland is coming!" In ancient German literature, the devil was called by another name - Faland. It also arises in The Master and Margarita, when the employees of the variety show cannot remember the name of the magician: "… maybe Faland?"
The first edition of the work contained a detailed description (15 handwritten pages) Woland would take when he first appeared disguised as a "stranger." This description is now almost completely lost. In addition, in the early version of Woland, the name was Astaroth (one of the highest-ranking demons of hell, according to Western demonology). Later Bulgakov replaced him, apparently because this image could not be identical to Satan.
Who is Sharikov?
Traditionally, the story "Heart of a Dog" is interpreted only in one political vein: Sharikov is an allegory of the lumpen proletariat, which unexpectedly received many rights and freedoms, but quickly revealed selfishness and a desire to destroy their own kind. However, there is another interpretation, as if this story was a political satire on the leadership of the state in the mid-1920s. In particular, that Sharikov-Chugunkin is Stalin (both have an "iron" second surname), prof. Preobrazhensky is Lenin (who transformed the country), his assistant Dr. Bormental, who is constantly in conflict with Sharikov, is Trotsky (Bronstein), Shvonder is Kamenev, assistant Zina is Zinoviev, Daria is Dzerzhinsky, etc.
Behemoth prototype
The famous assistant Woland had a real prototype, only in life he was not a cat at all, but a dog - a black dog named Mikhail Afanasyevich named Begemot. This dog was very smart. Once, when Bulgakov was celebrating the New Year with his wife, after the chiming clock, his dog barked 12 times, although no one taught her this.
Recommended:
Why the great Titian considered the "little dyer" his rival and other facts about Tintoretto
The Italian painter Tintoretto succeeded in creating grandiose, emotional and often deeply moving paintings and portraits of the Venetian aristocracy. His biography is full of legends and mysteries. Why did Tintoretto lead a modest lifestyle despite his immense wealth? Is it true that Titian - the greatest painter of Venice in the 16th century - saw him as a competitor? And also the story of how Tintoretto outsmarted his rivals in a competition for painting a church
10 facts from the life of a comedian who praised the "little man"
On December 25, 1977, Charlie Chaplin died - a truly legendary personality. Silent cinema has become history today, but even children will recognize the images created by this brilliant actor. Neither world fame, nor two "Oscars" could protect this great director and comedian actor from the disgrace of the authorities, who off-screen was an active political personality and sought to achieve the notorious "world peace"
"Little Manhattan" weighing 2.5 tons. Little Manhattan Sculpture in Pure Marble
The miniature version of Manhattan, which is called "the heart of New York", weighs as much as 2.5 tons and looks like a giant block of marble. The sculpture Little Manhattan was carved from pure marble by Japanese sculptor Yutaka Sone, inspired by the city's stunning panoramas. The project took two years
10 curious facts that led to the creation of famous works of art
When it comes to art, most people remember the heyday of a genius of a certain period, often forgetting that it was the environment that shaped the artist's style and vision of the world. Indeed, the appearance of works of art can be influenced by a lot of various factors, sometimes not having anything to do with it
10 great tips from the works of the intelligent satirist Mikhail Bulgakov
Philosophical, funny, brilliant "Notes on Cuffs", striking in depth "Notes of a Young Doctor", imbued with irony "Fatal Eggs" and the phantasmagoria "The Master and Margarita" … All of Mikhail Bulgakov's works are surprisingly different, and all are marked with the seal of genius. May 15 is the birthday of one of the most mysterious Russian writers of the twentieth century