A summary of the scaffolding man on the clock. Online reading of the book Man on the clock Nikolai Leskov. The man on the clock. (1839). Artistic Features of "The Man on the Clock"

Year of publication of the book: 1887.

Leskov's story "The Man on the Clock" was written and published for the first time in 1887. The original title of the work was "The Salvation of the Perishing", but later the author changed the title. The story is based on real event that happened in St. Petersburg. Today, Leskov's book "The Man on the Clock" is included in the school curriculum.

Leskov's story "The Man on the Clock", a summary

The events of N. S. Leskov's story "The Man on the Clock" take place in St. Petersburg in the winter of 1839. Unlike the weather, it was so warm that polynyas began to appear on the Neva. The territory near the Winter Palace at that time was guarded by a regiment under the command of officer Miller. If you read Leskov's story "The Man on the Clock" in full, then we will find out that in a few years he will be a general and director of the lyceum. Miller was a responsible person and followed the main rule of the guard - the uninterrupted presence of soldiers at their posts. But one day an unpleasant incident happened to one sentry.

A non-commissioned officer burst into Miller, who said that some kind of "trouble" had occurred at the post. The fact is that the soldier Postnikov, who was on guard that evening, heard that a man was drowning because of a hole in the Neva. The soldier resisted for a long time the desire to leave the post, because he knew that he would be punished for this. But the screams of the drowning man did not stop, and Postnikov decided to save the man. He handed the butt of his gun to the drowning man and pulled him ashore.

Suddenly, a sled appeared near the scene. In them sat an officer of the disabled team. With a cry, he began to understand the situation, but while the drowning man was being interrogated, Postnikov grabbed a gun and instantly returned to his booth. The officer took the victim and took him to the guardhouse, where he said that it was he who pulled the man out of the river and now he is asking for a medal for this.

The drowning man at that time remembered little because of the fear he experienced. He didn't care who saved him. And, while the doctor on duty was examining the victim, the police could not understand how exactly the officer managed to pull the person out of the water and at the same time not get wet at all.

Meanwhile, Miller realizes that due to the incident with Postnikov, he may have big problems. He turns to Lieutenant Colonel Svinin with a request to come and sort out the situation.

Svin'in was a man of discipline and would not allow any excuse for the soldier's leaving his post. As soon as the lieutenant colonel arrived at the palace, he immediately took up the interrogation of Postnikov. After that, he sent the soldier to the punishment cell. Further, in Leskov's story "The Man on the Clock", the characters began to think about how to get out of this situation. To make matters worse, both Miller and Svinyin were afraid that the disabled team officer would hand them over to the police. Then the matter may reach the chief police officer Kokoshkin, who also had a difficult character.

Further in Leskov's story "The Man on the Watch" we can read how the lieutenant colonel decides to go to Kokoshkin himself and scout everything. After listening to Svinin's confession, the chief police officer decided to call the injured and disabled officer to him. When the two arrived, Kokoshkin listened to the story again and decided that the best solution to the problem would be to leave the version of the disabled officer. He told the “savior” that he would report to the sovereign about his act and ask for a medal for saving a life.

When the officer and the victim left the office, Kokoshkin told Svinin that the case could be closed with that. But the lieutenant colonel was tormented inside by a feeling of incompleteness. Therefore, when he returned to the palace, he ordered, as in, to carve Postnikov with two hundred rods. Miller was surprised by this decision, but could not disobey the order.

Further, in Leskov's story "The Man on the Clock", a summary describes how the soldier was punished and taken to the infirmary. Svinin also visited there, who wants to make sure that they carried out his order. Seeing Postnikov, the lieutenant colonel took pity on him and ordered to bring the patient "a pound of sugar and a quarter of a pound of tea" to make it easier for him. The soldier thanked Svinin from the bottom of his heart. Postnikov understood that punishment with rods was the best outcome of the event.

After this situation, a lot of gossip spread throughout St. Petersburg. Once, at an audience with Vladyka, Svinin was reminded of the events of that night. He told the whole truth, but the lieutenant colonel placed the responsibility for changing the facts in official documents on Kokoshkin. Svinyin said that he regrets that he punished the soldier and that Postnikov, who committed a heroic deed, did not receive a reward for this. Then Vladyka replied that such actions are the duty of a person, and not heroism, and the punishment of the body is much easier to endure than the suffering of the spirit.

Leskov concludes his work “The Man on the Clock” with the fact that together they agreed that this incident should continue to be kept secret.

The story "The Man on the Clock" at Top Books

Leskov's story "The Man on the Clock" is popular to read largely due to its presence in the school curriculum. Nevertheless, this allowed him to take a high place among. And given the trends, we will see it more than once among the pages of our site.

Leskov's story "The Man on the Clock" you can read in full on the Top Books website.

Chapter first

The event, the story of which is brought to the attention of readers below, is touching and terrible in its significance for the main heroic face of the play, and the denouement of the case is so original that something like it is hardly even possible anywhere except in Russia.

This is partly a courtly, partly a historical anecdote, not badly characterizing the manners and trend of a very curious, but extremely poorly marked era of the thirties of the nineteenth century.

There is no fiction in the upcoming story at all.

Chapter Two

In the winter, around Epiphany, in 1839, there was a strong thaw in St. Petersburg. The weather was so wet that it was as if it were spring: the snow was melting, drops fell from the roofs during the day, and the ice on the rivers turned blue and took on water. On the Neva, in front of the Winter Palace, there were deep polynyas. The wind was blowing warm, westerly, but very strong: water was rushing in from the seaside, and cannons were firing.

The guard in the palace was occupied by a company of the Izmailovsky regiment, commanded by a brilliantly educated and very well-placed young officer, Nikolai Ivanovich Miller (later a full general and director of the lyceum). He was a man with a so-called "humane" direction, which had long been noticed behind him and slightly harmed him in the service in the attention of higher authorities.

In fact, Miller was a serviceable and reliable officer, and the palace guard at that time did not represent anything dangerous. The time was the quietest and most serene. Nothing was required of the palace guard, except for the exact standing at their posts, and meanwhile, just here, on the guard line of Captain Miller at the palace, a very extraordinary and disturbing incident occurred, which few of the then contemporaries living out their lives now barely remember.

Chapter Three

At first, everything went well in the guard: posts were distributed, people were placed, and everything was in perfect order. Sovereign Nikolai Pavlovich was healthy, went for a drive in the evening, returned home and went to bed. The palace also fell asleep. The calmest night has come. Silence in the guardhouse. Captain Miller pinned his white handkerchief to the high and always traditionally greasy morocco back of the officer's chair and sat down to pass the time with a book.

N. I. Miller was always a passionate reader, and therefore he did not get bored, but read and did not notice how the night was drifting away; but suddenly, at the end of the second hour of the night, he was alarmed by a terrible anxiety: in front of him was a non-commissioned officer for divorce, and, all pale, seized with fear, murmured quickly:

“Trouble, your honor, trouble!”

- What's happened?!

- A terrible misfortune has befallen!

N. I. Miller jumped up in indescribable anxiety and could hardly figure out what exactly the “trouble” and “terrible misfortune” consisted of.

Chapter Four

The case was as follows: a sentry, a soldier of the Izmailovsky regiment, by the name of Postnikov, standing on the clock outside the current Jordanian entrance, heard that in the wormwood that covered the Neva in front of this place, a man was pouring and desperately praying for help.

Soldier Postnikov, from the yard of the master's people, was a very nervous and very sensitive person. For a long time he listened to the distant cries and groans of a drowning man and came to a stupor from them. In horror, he looked back and forth at all the expanse of the embankment he could see, and neither here nor on the Neva, as luck would have it, did he see a single living soul.

No one can give help to a drowning man, and he will certainly flood ...

Meanwhile, the drowning man struggles terribly long and stubbornly.

It seems that he would have one thing - without wasting his strength, go down to the bottom, but no! His exhausted groans and invocative cries either break off and fall silent, then again begin to be heard, and, moreover, closer and closer to the palace embankment. It can be seen that the man is not yet lost and is on the right path, straight into the light of the lanterns, but only he, of course, will still not be saved, because it is here on this path that he will fall into the Jordanian hole. There he dived under the ice and the end ... Here again it subsided, and after a minute it rinsed again and groaned: “Save, save!” And now it’s so close that you can even hear splashes of water, how it rinses ...

Soldier Postnikov began to realize that it was extremely easy to save this man. If now you run away to the ice, then the sinking one will certainly be right there. Throw him a rope, or give him a six, or give him a gun, and he is saved. He is so close that he can grab his hand and jump out. But Postnikov remembers both the service and the oath; he knows that he is a sentry, and the sentry does not dare to leave his booth for anything and under any pretext.

On the other hand, Postnikov’s heart is very recalcitrant: it whines, it beats, it freezes ... Even if you tear it out and throw it under your own feet, it becomes so restless with him from these groans and cries ... It’s scary to hear how another person is dying, and one cannot help this dying person when, in fact, there is a full opportunity for this, because the booth will not run away from the place and nothing else harmful will happen. “Or run away, huh? .. They won’t see? Again moaning ... "

For one half hour, while this lasted, the soldier Postnikov was completely tormented by his heart and began to feel "doubts of reason." And he was a smart and serviceable soldier, with a clear mind, and he perfectly understood that leaving his post was such a fault on the part of the sentry, which would immediately be followed by a military court, and then a race through the ranks with gauntlets and hard labor, and maybe even "shooting"; but from the side of the swollen river the groans again float nearer and nearer, and murmuring and desperate floundering can already be heard.

- T-o-o-well! .. Save me, I'm drowning!

Here, right now, there is the Jordanian ice-hole ... The end!

Postnikov looked around once or twice in all directions. There is not a soul anywhere, only the lanterns are shaking from the wind and flickering, and along the wind, interrupted, this cry flies ... perhaps the last cry ...

Here is another splash, another monotonous cry, and the water gurgled.

The sentry could not stand it and left his post.

Chapter Five

Postnikov rushed to the gangway, fled with a beating heart onto the ice, then into the flooding water of the polynya and, soon examining where the flooded drowned man was struggling, handed him the stock of his gun.

The drowning man grabbed the butt, and Postnikov pulled him by the bayonet and pulled him ashore.

The rescued and the savior were completely wet, and as the rescued one was very tired and trembled and fell, then his savior, soldier Postnikov, did not dare to leave him on the ice, but took him to the embankment and began to look around to whom he could hand him over, but meanwhile, while all this was being done, a sleigh appeared on the embankment, in which sat an officer of the then existing court invalid team (later abolished).

This gentleman, who arrived in time for Postnikov so untimely, was, presumably, a man of a very frivolous nature, and, moreover, a little stupid, and a fair amount of insolence. He jumped off the sleigh and began to ask:

“What kind of person… what kind of people?”

“He drowned, flooded,” Postnikov began.

- How did you drown? Who, you drowned? Why in such a place?

And he only spit out, and Postnikov is no longer there: he took the gun on his shoulder and again stood in the booth.

Whether or not the officer realized what was the matter, but he no longer began to investigate, but immediately picked up the rescued man in his sleigh and drove with him to Morskaya to the moving house of the Admiralty unit.

Here the officer made a statement to the bailiff that the wet man he had brought was drowning in a hole opposite the palace and was saved by him, the officer, at the risk of his own life.

The one who was rescued was now all wet, cold and exhausted. From fear and from terrible efforts, he fell into unconsciousness, and it was indifferent to him who saved him.

A sleepy police paramedic bustled around him, and in the office they wrote a protocol on the verbal statement of a disabled officer and, with the suspiciousness characteristic of police people, were perplexed, how did he get out of the water all dry? And the officer, who had a desire to receive the established medal “for saving the dead”, explained this by a happy coincidence, but he explained it clumsily and unbelievably. Went to wake the bailiff, sent to make inquiries.

Meanwhile, in the palace, on this matter, other, fast currents were already formed.

Chapter six

In the palace guard, all the turns now mentioned after the officer took the rescued drowned man into his sleigh were unknown. There, the Izmaylovsky officer and soldiers only knew that their soldier, Postnikov, having left the booth, rushed to save a man, and as this is a great violation of military duties, then Private Postnikov will now certainly go to trial and be beaten, and all commanding officials, starting from company to the commander of the regiment, terrible troubles will go to which nothing can be objected to or justified.

The wet and trembling soldier Postnikov, of course, was immediately relieved of his post and, being brought to the guards, frankly told N.I. drowned man and ordered his coachman to gallop to the Admiralty part.

The danger became more and more inevitable. Of course, the disabled officer will tell the bailiff everything, and the bailiff will immediately bring this to the attention of the chief police chief Kokoshkin, who will report to the sovereign in the morning, and the “fever” will go.

There was no time to argue for a long time, it was necessary to call the elders to the cause.

Nikolai Ivanovich Miller immediately sent an alarming note to his battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Svinin, in which he asked him to come to the palace guardhouse as soon as possible and by all means help the terrible misfortune that had occurred.

It was already about three o'clock, and Kokoshkin appeared with a report to the sovereign quite early in the morning, so that there was very little time left for all thoughts and all actions.

Chapter Seven

Lieutenant Colonel Svinin did not have that pity and that soft-heartedness that always distinguished Nikolai Ivanovich Miller: Svinin was not a heartless person, but first of all and most of all a “serviceman” (a type that is now again remembered with regret). Svinin was strict and even liked to flaunt his exacting discipline. He had no taste for evil and did not seek to inflict unnecessary suffering on anyone; but if a person violated any duty of service, then Svinin was inexorable. He considered it inappropriate to enter into a discussion of the motives that guided the movement of the guilty in this case, but kept to the rule that in the service all guilt is to blame. And therefore, in the guard company, everyone knew that ordinary Postnikov would have to endure for leaving his post, then he would endure, and Svinin would not grieve about this.

That is how this staff officer was known to his superiors and comrades, among whom there were people who did not sympathize with Svinin, because at that time “humanism” and other similar delusions had not yet been fully deduced. Svinin was indifferent to whether the "humanists" condemned or praised him. Asking and begging Svinin or even trying to pity him was completely useless. From all this, he was tempered by the strong temper of the career people of that time, but he, like Achilles, had a weak spot.

Svinin also had a well-begun service career, which he, of course, carefully guarded and cherished so that not a single speck of dust sat on it, as on a ceremonial uniform; meanwhile, the unfortunate trick of a man from the battalion entrusted to him was bound to cast a bad shadow on the discipline of his entire unit. Whether the battalion commander is guilty or not guilty of what one of his soldiers did under the influence of passion for the noblest compassion - this will not be analyzed by those on whom Svinin's well-begun and carefully maintained service career depends, and many will even willingly roll a log under his feet, to give way to your neighbor or to move a young man who is being patronized by people in case. The sovereign, of course, will be angry and will certainly tell the regimental commander that he has “weak officers”, that their “people are loose”. And who did it? - Pig. This is how it will go on repeating that “Svinyin is weak,” and so, perhaps, submissive to weakness and remain an indelible stain on his, Svinyin’s, reputation. Then he would not be anything remarkable among his contemporaries and not leave his portrait in the gallery of historical figures of the Russian state.

At that time, although they did little to study history, they nevertheless believed in it, and especially willingly strove to participate in its composition.

Chapter Eight

As soon as Svinin received an alarming note from Captain Miller at about three in the morning, he immediately jumped out of bed, dressed in uniform and, under the influence of fear and anger, arrived at the guardhouse of the Winter Palace. Here he immediately interrogated Private Postnikov and became convinced that an incredible event had taken place. Private Postnikov again quite candidly confirmed to his battalion commander everything that had happened on his watch and that he, Postnikov, had already shown to his company captain Miller. The soldier said that he was “to blame to God and the sovereign without mercy”, that he stood on the clock and, hearing the groans of a man drowning in a hole, suffered for a long time, was in a struggle between duty and compassion for a long time, and, finally, temptation attacked him , and he could not stand this struggle: he left the booth, jumped onto the ice and pulled the drowning man ashore, and here, as a sin, he was caught by a passing officer of the palace disabled team.

Lieutenant Colonel Svinin was in despair; he gave himself the only possible satisfaction by taking out his anger on Postnikov, whom he immediately sent right from here under arrest to a barracks punishment cell, and then said a few barbs to Miller, reproaching him with "humanitarianism", which is not suitable for anything in military service; but all this was not enough to improve the matter. It was impossible to find, if not an excuse, then an apology for such an act as leaving his post as a sentry, and there was only one way out - to hide the whole matter from the sovereign ...

But is it possible to hide such an incident?

Apparently, this seemed impossible, since not only all the guards knew about the salvation of the deceased, but that hated invalid officer who, of course, still managed to bring all this to the knowledge of General Kokoshkin, also knew.

Where to jump now? To whom to rush? From whom to seek help and protection?

Svinin wanted to gallop to Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich and tell him everything frankly. Such maneuvers were then in use. Let the Grand Duke, in his ardent nature, get angry and scream, but his temper and custom were such that the stronger he was harsh at first and even seriously offended, the sooner he would have mercy and intercede himself. There were many such cases, and they were sometimes deliberately searched for. “There was no scolding at the gate,” and Svinin would very much like to reduce the matter to this favorable situation, but is it really possible to enter the palace at night and disturb the Grand Duke? And it will be too late to wait for the morning and report to Mikhail Pavlovich after Kokoshkin has visited the sovereign with a report. And while Svinin was agitated in the midst of such difficulties, he became limp, and his mind began to see another way out, which until now had been hidden in the fog.

Chapter Nine

Among the well-known military methods, there is one such that, at the moment of the highest danger threatening from the walls of a besieged fortress, one does not move away from it, but directly goes under its walls. Svinin made up his mind not to do anything that had occurred to him at first, but to immediately go straight to Kokoshkin.

A lot of terrifying and absurd things were said about Chief Police Master Kokoshkin in St. Petersburg at that time, but, among other things, they asserted that he possessed an amazing many-sided tact and, with the assistance of this tact, not only “knows how to make an elephant out of a fly, but just as easily knows how to make a fly out of an elephant.” ".

Kokoshkin was indeed very stern and very formidable and instilled great fear in everyone, but he sometimes pacified the rascals and good merry fellows from the military, and there were many such rascals then, and more than once they happened to find themselves in his person a powerful and zealous defender . In general, he could do a lot and knew how to do a lot, if he only wanted to. This is how Svinin and Captain Miller knew him. Miller also encouraged his battalion commander to dare to go immediately to Kokoshkin and trust his generosity and his "multilateral tact", which will probably dictate to the general how to get out of this unfortunate case so as not to infuriate the sovereign, which Kokoshkin, to his credit, always avoided with great diligence.

Svinin put on his overcoat, fixed his eyes upward, and, exclaiming several times: "Lord, Lord!" - went to Kokoshkin.

It was already early five o'clock in the morning.

Chapter Ten

The chief police chief Kokoshkin was awakened and reported to him about Svinin, who had arrived on an important and urgent matter.

The general immediately got up and went out to Svinin in an arkhaluchka, rubbing his forehead, yawning and shivering. Everything that Svinin told, Kokoshkin listened to with great attention, but calmly. During all these explanations and requests for indulgence, he said only one thing:

– The soldier abandoned the booth and saved the man?

“Exactly so,” answered Svinin.

- And the booth?

- Remained at this time empty.

- Hm ... I knew that it remained empty. I'm glad it didn't get stolen.

Svinin was even more convinced from this that he already knew everything and that he, of course, had already decided for himself in what form he would present this at the morning report to the sovereign, and would not change his decision. Otherwise, such an event as the sentries leaving their post in the palace guard, no doubt, should have alarmed the energetic Chief Police Master much more.

But Kokoshkin knew nothing. The bailiff, to whom the disabled officer appeared with the rescued drowned man, did not see any particular importance in this matter. In his eyes, it was not at all such a thing as to disturb the tired chief police chief at night, and besides, the bailiff seemed rather suspicious to the bailiff, because the invalid officer was completely dry, which could not be if he was rescuing a drowned man with danger to own life. The bailiff saw in this officer only an ambitious and a liar who wanted to have one new medal on his chest, and therefore, while his duty officer was writing the protocol, the bailiff kept the officer in his place and tried to extort the truth from him by questioning small details.

The bailiff was also not pleased that such an incident happened in his unit and that the drowning man was pulled out not by a policeman, but by a palace officer.

Kokoshkin’s calmness was explained simply, firstly, by the terrible fatigue that he experienced at that time after all-day fuss and nightly participation in extinguishing two fires, and secondly, by the fact that the work done by sentry Postnikov, his, Mr. Ober - the police chief, did not directly concern.

However, Kokoshkin immediately made a corresponding order.

He sent for the bailiff of the Admiralty unit and ordered him to immediately appear along with the disabled officer and the rescued drowned man, and asked Svinin to wait in a small waiting room in front of the office. Then Kokoshkin retired to his study and, without closing the door behind him, sat down at the table and began to sign papers; but immediately bowed his head in his hands and fell asleep at the table in an armchair.

Chapter Eleven

At that time there were no city telegraphs or telephones, and in order to hastily transmit orders from the authorities, “forty thousand couriers” galloped in all directions, which will remain a long-lasting memory in Gogol's comedy.

This, of course, did not come as quickly as the telegraph or telephone, but on the other hand it informed the city of considerable animation and testified to the vigilant vigil of the authorities.

While the out of breath bailiff and the rescue officer, as well as the rescued drowned man, appeared from the Admiralty, the nervous and energetic General Kokoshkin took a nap and refreshed himself. This was noticeable in the expression of his face and in the manifestation of his spiritual abilities.

Kokoshkin demanded everyone who came to the office and invited Svinin along with them.

- Protocol? Kokoshkin asked the bailiff in a monosyllable in a refreshed voice.

He silently handed him a folded sheet of paper and whispered softly:

- I must ask you to allow me to report to Your Excellency a few words in confidence ...

- Fine.

Kokoshkin went into the embrasure of the window, followed by the bailiff.

- What's happened?

There was an indistinct whisper of the bailiff and the clear grunts of the general ...

- Hm ... Yes! .. Well, what is it? .. It could be ... They are on it to jump out dry ... Nothing else?

- Nothing, sir.

The general came out of the embrasure, sat down at the table and began to read. He read the protocol to himself, showing neither fear nor doubt, and then addressed directly with a loud and firm question to the saved:

- How did you, brother, get into the hole opposite the palace?

“Guilty,” answered the saved.

- That's it! Was drunk?

- I'm sorry, I was not drunk, but I was drunk.

Why did you fall into the water?

- I wanted to get closer through the ice, lost my way and fell into the water.

“So it was dark in the eyes?”

“It was dark, it was dark all around, Your Excellency!”

“And you couldn’t see who pulled you out?”

- That's what it is, wandering around when you need to sleep! Look now and remember forever who your benefactor is. A noble man sacrificed his life for you!

- I will remember forever.

What is your name, officer? The officer called himself by name.

- Do you hear?

- Listen, Your Excellency.

- Are you Orthodox?

- Orthodox, Your Excellency.

- In remembrance for health, write down this name.

“I will, Your Excellency.

“Pray to God for him and get out: you are no longer needed.

He bowed at his feet and rolled out, overjoyed at being let go.

Svinin stood and wondered how everything was taking such a turn by the grace of God!

Chapter Twelve

Kokoshkin turned to the disabled officer:

“You saved this man at the risk of your own life?”

“Exactly so, Your Excellency.

- There were no witnesses to this incident, and there could not have been at a later time?

“Yes, Your Excellency, it was dark, and there was no one on the embankment except sentries.

- There is no need to mention the sentries: the sentry guards his post and should not be distracted by anything extraneous. I believe what is written in the protocol. After all, this is from your words?

Kokoshkin uttered these words with particular emphasis, as though he were threatening or shouting.

But the officer did not become shy, but, bulging his eyes and puffing out his chest, answered:

- From my words and quite right, Your Excellency.

Your deed deserves a reward.

He began to bow in gratitude.

"There's nothing to be thankful for," continued Kokoshkin. “I will report your selfless deed to the sovereign emperor, and your chest, perhaps, will be decorated with a medal today.” Now you can go home, have a warm drink and don't go anywhere, because you may be needed.

The disabled officer completely beamed, bowed and left.

Kokoshkin looked after him and said:

- A possible thing is that the sovereign wishes to see him himself.

“I’m listening, sir,” the bailiff answered comprehensibly.

“I don't need you anymore.

The bailiff went out and, shutting the door behind him, at once, out of pious custom, crossed himself.

The disabled officer was waiting for the bailiff downstairs, and they set off together on much warmer terms than when they entered here.

Only Svinin remained in the office of the chief police chief, at whom Kokoshkin first looked at him with a long, intent look and then asked:

- Have you been to the Grand Duke?

At the time when the Grand Duke was mentioned, everyone knew that this refers to Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich.

“I came straight to you,” answered Svinin.

Who is the guard officer?

- Captain Miller.

Kokoshkin looked at Svinin again and then said:

You seem to have told me something differently before.

“Well, anyway, rest in peace.

The audience is over.

Chapter Thirteen

At one o'clock in the afternoon, the disabled officer was indeed demanded to Kokoshkin, who very affectionately announced to him that the sovereign was very pleased that there were such vigilant and selfless people among the officers of the disabled team of his palace, and granted him a medal "for the salvation of the perishing." At the same time, Kokoshkin personally handed the hero a medal, and he went to flaunt it. The matter, therefore, could be considered completely done, but Lieutenant Colonel Svinin felt some kind of incompleteness in it and considered himself called upon to put a point sur les i. Dot over i - French.

He was so alarmed that he fell ill for three days, and on the fourth he got up, went to Petrovsky's house, served a thanksgiving service before the icon of the Savior, and, returning home with a calm soul, sent Captain Miller to ask for him.

“Well, thank God, Nikolai Ivanovich,” he said to Miller, “now the thunderstorm that weighed on us has completely passed, and our unfortunate business with the sentry has been completely settled. Now it seems we can breathe easy. We owe all this, no doubt, first to the mercy of God, and then to General Kokoshkin. Let it be said of him that he is both unkind and heartless, but I am filled with gratitude for his generosity and respect for his resourcefulness and tact. He surprisingly skillfully took advantage of the boasting of this disabled swindler, who, in truth, should not have been awarded a medal for his impudence, but torn on both crusts in the stable, but there was nothing else to do: they had to be used to save many, and Kokoshkin turned the whole thing around. so cleverly that no one got the slightest trouble - on the contrary, everyone is very happy and satisfied. Between us, to say, it was conveyed to me through a reliable person that Kokoshkin himself is very pleased with me. He was pleased that I did not go anywhere, but came directly to him and did not argue with this rogue who received the medal. In a word, no one was hurt, and everything was done with such tact that there is nothing to fear in the future, but we have a small flaw. We, too, must tactfully follow the example of Kokoshkin and finish the matter on our part in such a way as to protect ourselves later, just in case. There is one more person whose position has not been formalized. I'm talking about Private Postnikov. He is still in the punishment cell under arrest, and he, no doubt, is tormented by the expectation of what will happen to him. It is necessary to stop his painful languor.

- Yes, it's time! – prompted delighted Miller.

- Well, of course, and it’s better for you all to do this: please go immediately to the barracks, gather your company, take Private Postnikov out of custody and punish him before the formation with two hundred rods.

Chapter Fourteen

Miller was amazed and made an attempt to persuade Svinin to completely spare and forgive ordinary Postnikov, who, without that, had already suffered a lot, waiting in the punishment cell for a decision on what would happen to him; but Svinin flared up and did not even let Miller continue.

“No,” he interrupted, “leave that alone: I just told you about tact, and you are immediately beginning to be tactless!” Leave it!

Svinyin changed his tone to a more dry and formal one, and added with firmness:

- And how in this matter you yourself are also not entirely right and even very guilty, because you have a softness that does not suit a military man, and this lack of your character is reflected in the subordination in your subordinates, then I order you to personally attend the execution and insist so that the section was made seriously ... as strictly as possible. For this, if you please, order that young soldiers from among the newly arrived from the army be whipped with rods, because our old people are all infected on this score with Guards liberalism: they do not flog a comrade as they should, but only scare fleas behind his back. I'll come by myself and see for myself how the guilty one will be done.

Of course, there were no deviations from any official orders of the commanding person, and the soft-hearted N.I. Miller had to exactly fulfill the order he received from his battalion commander.

The company was lined up in the courtyard of the Izmaylovsky barracks, rods were brought from the reserve in sufficient quantities, and Private Postnikov, taken out of the punishment cell, was “made” with the diligent assistance of young comrades who had just arrived from the army. These people, unspoiled by the liberalism of the guards, perfectly set out on him all the points sur les i, fully determined for him by his battalion commander. Then the punished Postnikov was raised and directly from here on the same greatcoat on which he was flogged, transferred to the regimental infirmary.

Chapter fifteen

The battalion commander Svinin, upon receiving a report on the execution of the execution, immediately himself paternally visited Postnikov in the infirmary and, to his pleasure, was most clearly convinced that his order had been executed to perfection. Compassionate and nervous Postnikov was "done properly." Svinin was satisfied and ordered to give the punished Postnikov a pound of sugar and a quarter of a pound of tea from himself, so that he could enjoy himself while he was on the mend. Postnikov, lying on his bunk, heard this order about tea and answered:

- I am very pleased, your highness, I thank you for your father's mercy.

And he really was "pleased" because, sitting for three days in a punishment cell, he expected much worse. Two hundred rods, according to the then strong time, meant very little in comparison with the punishments that people endured according to the sentences of a military court; and this is precisely the punishment that Postnikov would have received if, fortunately for him, all those bold and tactical evolutions, which are described above, did not take place.

But the number of all those who were satisfied with the reported incident was not limited to this.

Chapter Sixteen

Under the mute feat of ordinary Postnikov spread through various circles of the capital, which at that time lived in an atmosphere of endless gossip. In oral transmissions, the name of the real hero, the soldier Postnikov, was lost, but the epic itself swelled up and took on a very interesting, romantic character.

It was said that some unusual swimmer was sailing towards the palace from the side of the Peter and Paul Fortress, at whom one of the sentries standing at the palace shot and wounded the swimmer, and a passing invalid officer rushed into the water and saved him, for which they received: one - a proper reward, and the other is a well-deserved punishment. This absurd rumor also reached the courtyard, where at that time the Vladyka, cautious and not indifferent to "secular events", favorably favored the pious Moscow family of the Svinins.

The perceptive lord seemed obscure to the story of the shot. What is a night swimmer? If he was a runaway prisoner, then why was the sentry punished, who fulfilled his duty by shooting at him when he sailed across the Neva from the fortress? If this is not a prisoner, but another mysterious person who had to be rescued from the waves of the Neva, then why could the sentry know about him? And then again it cannot be that it is so, as the world talks about it. In the world, many people take things extremely lightly and “talk about”, but those who live in monasteries and in farmsteads take everything much more seriously and know the real thing about secular affairs.

Chapter Seventeen

Once, when Svinin happened to be at the lord's to receive a blessing from him, the highly esteemed host spoke to him "by the way, about the shot." Svinin told the whole truth, in which, as we know, there was nothing like what was told about "by the way, about the shot."

Vladyko listened to the real story in silence, slightly moving his little white rosary and not taking his eyes off the narrator. When Svinin had finished, Vladyka said in a soft, murmuring speech:

– Why is it necessary to conclude that in this case, not everything and not everywhere was stated in accordance with the full truth?

Svinin hesitated and then answered with a bias that it was not he who reported, but General Kokoshkin.

In silence, Vladyko passed the rosary several times through his wax fingers and then said:

– It is necessary to distinguish between what is a lie and what is an incomplete truth.

Again the rosary, again silence, and finally low-pitched speech:

- Incomplete truth is not a lie. But about this least.

“It really is,” said the encouraged Svinin. - Of course, what bothers me most of all is that I had to punish this soldier, who, although he violated his duty ...

Rosary and low-pitched interruption:

- Duty of service must never be violated.

- Yes, but he did it out of generosity, out of compassion, and, moreover, with such a struggle and danger: he understood that, saving the life of another person, he was destroying himself ... This is a lofty, holy feeling!

- The holy is known to God, but punishment on the body of a commoner is not fatal and does not contradict either the custom of the peoples or the spirit of Scripture. The vine is much easier to bear on the gross body than subtle suffering in the spirit. In this, justice has not suffered from you in the least.

– But he is also deprived of the reward for saving the perished.

– The salvation of the perishing is not a merit, but rather a duty. Whoever could save and did not save is subject to the punishment of the laws, and whoever saved, he fulfilled his duty.

Pause, rosary and quiet jet:

– It can be much more useful for a warrior to endure humiliation and wounds for his feat than to be exalted by a sign. But what is most important in all this is to be careful about this whole matter and not to mention anywhere about the person to whom, on any occasion, this was said.

Obviously, Vladyka was also pleased.

Chapter Eighteen

If I had the audacity of the happy chosen ones of heaven, who, according to their great faith, were given the opportunity to penetrate the mysteries of God's gaze, then perhaps I would dare to allow myself the assumption that, probably, God himself was pleased with the behavior of Postnikov's meek soul created by him. But my faith is small; it does not give my mind the strength to see so high: I hold on to earthly and dusty things. I'm thinking of those mortals who love goodness just for the very good and don't expect any reward for it anywhere. These direct and reliable people, too, it seems to me, should be quite satisfied with the holy impulse of love and the no less holy patience of the humble hero of my precise and artless story.

Winter in St. Petersburg in 1839 was with strong thaws. Sentry Postnikov, a soldier of the Izmailovsky regiment, stood at his post. He heard that a man had fallen into the hole and was crying for help. The soldier did not dare to leave his post for a long time, because this was a terrible violation of the Charter and almost a crime. The soldier suffered for a long time, but in the end he made up his mind and pulled out the drowning man. Just then a sleigh was passing by, in which an officer was sitting. The officer began to understand, and in the meantime Postnikov quickly returned to his post. The officer, realizing what had happened, delivered the rescued man to the guardhouse. The officer reported that he had saved a drowning man. The rescued person could not say anything, because he lost his memory from what he had experienced, and he did not really understand who saved him. The case was reported to Lieutenant Colonel Svinin, a diligent campaigner.

Svinin considered himself obliged to report to Chief Police Officer Kokoshkin. The case received wide publicity.

The officer who pretended to be a rescuer was awarded a medal "for saving the dead." Private Postnikov was ordered to be whipped before the formation with two hundred rods. The punished Postnikov was transferred to the regimental infirmary in the same overcoat on which he was flogged. Lieutenant Colonel Svinin ordered the punished man to be given a pound of sugar and a quarter of a pound of tea.

Postnikov replied: "I am very pleased, thank you for the father's mercy." In fact, he was pleased, sitting for three days in a punishment cell, he expected much worse that a military court could award him.

Summary Leskov's story "The Man on the Clock"

2

In the winter, around Epiphany, in 1839, there was a strong thaw in St. Petersburg.
The weather got so wet that it was as if it were spring: the snow was melting, from the roofs
drops fell during the day, and the ice on the rivers turned blue and took on water. On the Neva before
deep polynyas stood at the Winter Palace itself. The wind was blowing warm, western,
but very strong: water was rushing in from the seaside, and cannons were firing.
The guard in the palace was occupied by a company of the Izmailovsky regiment, which was commanded by
brilliantly educated and very well placed in society young
officer, Nikolai Ivanovich Miller (*1) (later full general and
director of the lyceum). This was a man with a so-called "humane" direction,
which had long been noticed behind him and harmed him a little in the service during
the attention of senior management.
- In fact, Miller was a serviceable and reliable officer, and the palace
the guard at that time did not represent anything dangerous. The time was the best
quiet and serene. Nothing was required of the palace guard except
exact standing at the posts, but meanwhile just here, on the guard line
Captain Miller at the palace, there was a very extraordinary and alarming
an incident that few of those who are living their lives now hardly remember
contemporary contemporaries.

3

At first, everything went well in the guard: posts were distributed, people were placed,
and everything was in perfect order. Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich was
healthy, went skating in the evening, returned home and went to bed. fell asleep and
castle. The calmest night has come. There is silence in the guardhouse (*2). Captain
Miller pinned his white handkerchief to the top and always
traditionally greasy morocco back of an officer's chair and sat down to while away
book time.
N.I. Miller was always a passionate reader, and therefore he did not get bored, but
read and did not notice how the night sailed away; but suddenly, at the end of the second hour
night, he was alarmed by a terrible anxiety: before him is a adjustable
non-commissioned officer and, all pale, seized with fear, babbles quickly:
- Trouble, your honor, trouble!
- What's happened?!
- A terrible misfortune has befallen!
N.I. Miller jumped up in indescribable anxiety and could hardly find out
what exactly were the "trouble" and "terrible misfortune".

4

The case was as follows: a sentry, a soldier of the Izmailovsky regiment,
surnames Postnikov, standing on the clock outside at the present Jordanian entrance,
heard that in the polynya, which covered the Neva opposite this place,
a man is flooded and desperately begs for help.
Soldier Postnikov, from the yard of the master's people, was a very
nervous and very sensitive. He listened for a long time to distant cries and moans
drowning and came from them into a stupor. Terrified, he looked back and
here to all the space of the embankment visible to him, and neither here nor on the Neva,
Unfortunately, I did not see a single living soul.
No one can give help to a drowning man, and he will certainly flood ...
Meanwhile, the drowning man struggles terribly long and stubbornly.
It seems to him one thing - without wasting strength, go down to the bottom, right?
No! His exhausted groans and invocative cries will then break off and fall silent,
then again they begin to be heard, and, moreover, closer and closer to the palace
embankment. It can be seen that the person is not yet lost and keeps the path right, straight
into the light of the lanterns, but only he, of course, still will not be saved, because
that it is here, on this path, that he will fall into the Jordanian hole. There him
dive under the ice, and the end ... Here again it is quiet, and after a minute it rinses again
and groans: "Save, save!" And now it's so close that you can even hear
splashes of water as it rinses...
Soldier Postnikov began to realize that it was extremely difficult to save this man.
easily. If now you run away to the ice, then the sinking one will certainly be right there.
Throw him a rope, or give him a six, or give him a gun, and he is saved.
He is so close that he can grab his hand and jump out. But Postnikov remembers
and service and oath; he knows that he is sentry, and sentry for nothing and no
what pretext does not dare to leave his booth.
On the other hand, Postnikov's heart is very recalcitrant: it whines,
it knocks and freezes ... At least tear it out and throw it under your own feet,
- it becomes so restless with him from these groans and cries ... It's scary, after all
hear how another person is dying, and do not give this perishing
help, when, in fact, there is a full opportunity for it, because
that the booth will not run away from the place and nothing else harmful will happen. "Ile
run away, huh? It's groaning again..."
For one half hour, while this lasted, the soldier Postnikov was completely tormented
heart and began to feel "doubts of the mind." And he was a smart soldier
serviceable, with a clear mind, and perfectly understood that to leave his post
there is such a fault on the part of the sentry, which will immediately follow
military court, and then a race through the ranks with gauntlets and hard labor, and
maybe even "execution"; but from the side of the swollen river again
groans come closer and closer, and you can already hear grumbling and desperate
floundering.
- T-o-o-well! .. Save me, I'm drowning!
Here, right now, there is the Jordanian hole... The end!
Postnikov looked around once or twice in all directions. Not a soul anywhere
only the lanterns shake from the wind and flicker, but in the wind, interrupted,
this cry comes... maybe the last cry...
Here is another splash, another monotonous cry, and the water gurgled.
The sentry could not stand it and left his post.

5

Postnikov rushed to the gangplank, fled with a strongly beating heart to the ice,
then into the swollen water of the polynya and, soon examining where it beats
the flooded drowned man handed him the stock of his gun.
The drowning man grabbed the butt, and Postnikov pulled him by the bayonet and
pulled ashore.
The saved and the savior were completely wet, and both of them the saved was
in severe fatigue and trembled and fell, then his savior, soldier Postnikov,
did not dare to leave him on the ice, but took him to the embankment and began
look around to whom to give it. Meanwhile, while all this was being done,
sleigh appeared on the embankment, in which sat an officer of the then existing
court disabled team (later abolished).
This gentleman, who appeared in time for Postnikov so untimely, was, it is necessary
to believe that a man of a very frivolous nature, and, moreover, a little
clueless, and a fair amount of insolence. He jumped off the sleigh and began to ask:
- What kind of person ... what kind of people?
- He drowned, flooded, - Postnikov began.
- How did you drown? Who, you drowned? Why in such a place?
And he just sprouts, and Postnikov is no longer there: he took a gun to
shoulder and again stood in the booth.
Whether or not the officer realized what was the matter, but he no longer began to investigate, but
immediately picked up the rescued man in his sleigh and rolled with him to
Marine, in the moving house of the Admiralty part.
Here the officer made a statement to the bailiff that the wet man he had brought
drowned in a hole in front of the palace and was saved by him, Mr. Officer, with
danger to his own life.
The one who was rescued was now all wet, cold and exhausted.
From fright and from terrible efforts, he fell into unconsciousness, and for him it was
no matter who saved him.
A sleepy police paramedic bustled around him, and in the office
wrote a protocol on the verbal statement of a disabled officer and, with
suspiciousness characteristic of police people, they wondered how he himself
all dry out of the water came out? And the officer who had the desire to get himself
the established medal "for the salvation of the perishing", explained this to the happy
by coincidence, but he explained awkwardly and unbelievably. Let's go wake up
bailiff, sent to make inquiries.
Meanwhile, in the palace, on this matter, other, quick
currents.

6

In the palace guard, all the now mentioned turns after the adoption
officers of the rescued drowned man in their sleigh were unknown. There
The Izmailovsky officer and soldiers only knew that their soldier Postnikov,
leaving the booth, rushed to save the man, and how that is a big violation
military duties, then Private Postnikov will now certainly go under
court and under sticks, and to all commanding persons, from the company to
regiment commander, terrible troubles will get against which nothing
can neither object nor justify.
The wet and trembling soldier Postnikov, of course, was immediately replaced with
fasting, and, being brought to the guardhouse, frankly told
N.I. Miller everything that we know, and with all the details that reached
before the disabled officer took the rescued drowned man to his side and
ordered his coachman to gallop to the Admiralty section.
The danger became more and more inevitable. Of course, disabled
the officer will tell the bailiff everything, and the bailiff will immediately bring this to
information of the chief police chief Kokoshkin, and he will report to the sovereign in the morning, and
there will be fever.
There was no time to argue for a long time, it was necessary to call the elders to the cause.
Nikolai Ivanovich Miller immediately sent an alarming note to his
battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Svinin, in which he asked him how
as soon as possible to come to the palace guard and help by all means
a terrible misfortune.
It was already about three o'clock, and Kokoshkin appeared with a report to the sovereign
quite early in the morning, so that all thoughts and all actions remained
very little time.

7

Lieutenant Colonel Svinin did not have that pity and that kindness,
which always distinguished Nikolai Ivanovich Miller: Svinin was a man of no
heartless, but above all and most of all a "serviceman" (the type about which
now remembered with regret again). Svinin was distinguished by strictness and even
liked to flaunt his exacting discipline. He had no taste for evil and
did not seek to inflict unnecessary suffering on anyone; but if a person violated
whatever duty of service, Svinin was inexorable. He thought
it is inappropriate to enter into a discussion of the motives that guided this
case by the movement of the guilty, but kept to the rule that in the service of any
guilt is to blame. That is why in the guard company everyone knew that they would have to
suffer ordinary Postnikov for leaving his post, then he
endure, and Svinin will not grieve about it.
So this staff officer was known to his superiors and comrades, between
who were people who did not sympathize with Svinin, because then
“humanism” and other similar delusions have completely emerged. Svin'in was
indifferent to whether the "humanists" condemn or praise him. Ask and beg
Pig or even trying to pity him - it was completely
useless. From all this, he was tempered by the strong temper of career people.
of that time, but he, like Achilles, had a weak spot.
Svinyin also had a well-started service career, which he,
of course, he carefully guarded and cherished the fact that she was like a front door
uniform, not a single speck of dust settled: and meanwhile the unfortunate trick of a man
from the battalion entrusted to him was bound to cast a bad shadow on
the discipline of his whole part. Is the battalion commander guilty or not guilty of
that one of his soldiers did under the influence of passion for the noblest
compassion, - this will not be analyzed by those on whom it depends well
started and carefully maintained service career Svinin, and many
even willingly roll a log under his feet to make way for their neighbor
or to move the fellow, patronized by people in the event. Emperor, of course
get angry and will certainly tell the regimental commander that he has "weak
officers" that their "people are disbanded." And who did this? - Svinin. Here
so it will go on repeating that "Svinin is weak", and so, maybe, submissive
weakness and will remain an indelible stain on his, Svinin's, reputation. Not
then be nothing remarkable for him among his contemporaries and not
leave your portrait in the gallery of historical persons of the state
Russian.
At that time, although they did little to study history, they nevertheless believed in it.
and especially willingly sought to participate in its composition.

8

As soon as Svinin received at about three o'clock in the morning an alarming note from
Captain Miller, he immediately jumped out of bed, dressed in uniform and, under
influenced by fear and anger, arrived at the guardhouse of the Winter Palace. Here he is
immediately interrogated Private Postnikov and made sure that
an incredible event took place. Private Postnikov again completely
frankly confirmed to his battalion commander all the same,
what happened on his watch and what he, Postnikov, had already shown to his
Company Captain Miller. The soldier said that he was "to God and the sovereign to blame
without mercy" that he stood on the clock and, hearing the groans of a man,
drowning in a hole, suffered for a long time, was in a struggle between official
duty and compassion, and finally temptation fell upon him, and he did not
withstood this struggle: he left the booth, jumped onto the ice and pulled out the drowning
on the shore, and here, as if it were a sin, he was caught by a passing officer of the palace
disabled team.
Lieutenant Colonel Svinin was in despair; he gave himself the only possible
satisfaction, having vented his anger on Postnikov, whom he immediately
from here he was sent under arrest to the barracks punishment cell, and then he said a few
barbs to Miller, reproaching him with "humanitarianism", which does not
fit for military service; but all this was not enough to
fix things. Find, if not an excuse, then at least an apology to such
act, like leaving the sentry of his post, was impossible, and
there was only one way out - to hide the whole thing from the sovereign ...
But is it possible to hide such an incident?
Apparently, this seemed impossible, since the salvation
the dying man was known not only by all the guards, but that hated
disabled officer, who still, of course, managed to bring about everything
this before the knowledge of General Kokoshkin.
Where to jump now? To whom to rush? From whom to seek help and protection?
Svinin wanted to ride to the Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich (* 3) and
tell him everything frankly. Such maneuvers were then in use. Let
the Grand Duke, according to his ardent character, will get angry and shout, but his
temper and custom were such that the more he
sharpness and even seriously offend, so he will soon have mercy and himself
intercede. There were many such cases, and they were sometimes deliberately searched for.
"Swearing at the collar did not hang," and Svinin would very much like to reduce the matter to this
favorable position, but is it possible to enter the palace at night and
disturb the Grand Duke? And wait for the morning and come to Mikhail Pavlovich
after when Kokoshkin visits the sovereign with a report, it will already be
late. And while Svinin was agitated in the midst of such difficulties, he went limp, and his mind
he began to see another way out, until now hidden in the fog.

9

Among the well-known military techniques, there is one such that in a minute
the highest danger threatening from the walls of the besieged fortress, not to be removed
from it, but go straight under its walls. Svinin decided not to do anything
what he thought at first, and immediately go straight to
Kokoshkin.
A lot was said about the chief police officer Kokoshkin in St. Petersburg then.
terrifying and absurd, but, among other things, they claimed that he possessed
amazing multilateral tact, and with the assistance of this tact, not only
"knows how to make an elephant out of a fly, but just as easily knows how to make an elephant out of
fly."
Kokoshkin was indeed very stern and very formidable, and inspired everyone
great fear of himself, but he sometimes pacified the naughty and kind merry fellows
from the military, and there were many such naughty then, and they happened more than once
find yourself in his person a powerful and zealous protector. Generally he
could do a lot and knew how to do a lot, if only he wanted to. This is how he was known
Svinin, and Captain Miller. Miller also reinforced his battalion
commander to dare to go immediately to Kokoshkin and
to trust his generosity and his "multilateral tact", which,
will probably dictate to the general how to get out of this unfortunate case,
so as not to infuriate the sovereign, which Kokoshkin, to his credit, always
avoided with great care.
Svinin put on his overcoat, fixed his eyes upward, and exclaiming several times:
"Lord, Lord!" - went to Kokoshkin.
It was already early five o'clock in the morning.

10

The chief police chief Kokoshkin was awakened and reported to him about Svinin,
arrived on an important and urgent matter.
The general immediately got up and went out to Svinin in an arkhaluchka, rubbing his forehead,
yawning and eating. Everything that Svinin told, Kokoshkin listened to with great
attentive but calm. He is all the time these explanations and requests for
indulgence said only one thing:
- The soldier abandoned the booth and saved the man?
- Exactly so, - answered Svinin.
- And the booth?
- Remained at this time empty.
- Hm... I knew that it remained empty. I am very glad that she is not
stole.
Svinin was even more convinced from this that he already knew everything and that he,
of course, he had already decided to himself in what form he would present this at the morning
report to the sovereign, and will not change the decision. Otherwise, such an event
like leaving the sentry of his post in the palace guard, no doubt
should have alarmed the energetic
chief police officer.
But Kokoshkin knew nothing. The bailiff, to whom the invalid appeared
officer with a rescued drowned man, did not see any special
importance. In his eyes, it was not even such a thing that at night
to disturb the tired chief police chief, and, moreover, the event itself
seemed rather suspicious to the bailiff, because the invalid
the officer was completely dry, which could not have been if he was saving
a drowned man at risk to his own life. The bailiff saw in this
an officer of only an ambitious and a liar who wants to have one new medal on
chest, and therefore, while his duty officer wrote the protocol, the bailiff held
himself as an officer and tried to extort the truth from him through questioning small
details.
The bailiff was also not pleased that such an incident happened in his
parts and that the drowning man was pulled out not by a policeman, but by a palace officer.
Kokoshkin's calmness was explained simply, firstly, by a terrible
fatigue, which he experienced at that time after the whole day's fuss and
nightly participation in extinguishing two fires, and secondly, by the fact that the matter,
made by sentry Postnikov, he, Mr. Ober-policemaster, is not directly
concerned.
However, Kokoshkin immediately made a corresponding order.
He sent for the bailiff of the Admiralty unit and ordered him to immediately
to appear with the disabled officer and the rescued drowned man, and
Svinyin asked me to wait in a small waiting room in front of the office. Then
Kokoshkin retired to the study and, without closing the door behind him, sat down at the table and
began to sign papers; but now he put his head in his hands and
fell asleep at the table in a chair.

11

12

13

At one o'clock in the afternoon, the disabled officer was indeed again required to
Kokoshkin, who very affectionately announced to him that the sovereign was very pleased,
that among the officers of the disabled team of his palace there are such vigilant and
selfless people, and grants him a medal "for the salvation of the perishing". At
whereupon Kokoshkin handed over the medal to the hero, and he went to flaunt it.
The matter, therefore, could be considered completely done, but Lieutenant Colonel
Svinin felt some kind of incompleteness in him and revered himself
called upon to put point sur les i [dot over i (French)].
He was so alarmed that he was ill for three days, and on the fourth he got up,
went to the Petrovsky house, served a thanksgiving service in front of the icon
Savior and, returning home with a calm soul, sent to ask for
Captain Miller.
“Well, thank God, Nikolai Ivanovich,” he said to Miller, “now
the storm that weighed on us has completely passed, and our unfortunate business with
sentries were completely satisfied. Now it seems we can breathe
calmly. All this we, no doubt, owe first to the mercy of God, and
then to General Kokoshkin. Let them say about him that he is both unkind and
heartless, but I am filled with gratitude for his generosity and reverence for
his resourcefulness and tact. He made amazing use of
boasting of this disabled rogue, who, in truth, would be worth
his impudence not to award a medal, but to tear it out on both crusts in the stable, but
there was nothing else to do: they had to be used to save
many, and Kokoshkin turned the whole thing around so cleverly that no one succeeded
the slightest trouble, - on the contrary, everyone is very happy and satisfied. Between us
say, it was conveyed to me through a reliable person that I myself Kokoshkin
_very satisfied_. He was pleased that I did not go anywhere, but came straight to
to him and did not argue with this rogue who received the medal. In a word,
no one was hurt, and everything was done with such tact that you should be wary of
nothing, but we have a small flaw. We too must with tact
follow the example of Kokoshkin and finish the job on his part in such a way that
protect yourself later, just in case. There is another person who
position has not been established. I'm talking about Private Postnikov. He is still in
in a punishment cell under arrest, and he, no doubt, is tormented by the expectation of what will happen to him.
It is necessary to stop his painful languor.
- Yes, it's time! - prompted the delighted Miller.
- Well, of course, and it’s better for you to do it all: go, please,
immediately to the barracks, gather your company, bring out Private Postnikov
from under arrest and punish him before the ranks with two hundred rods.

14

Miller was amazed and made an attempt to persuade Svinin to
common joy to completely spare and forgive Private Postnikov, who
had already suffered a lot without that, waiting in the punishment cell for a decision about what he
will; but Svinin flared up and did not even let Miller continue.
- No, - he interrupted, - leave it: I just told you about tact,
And now you're starting to be tactless! Leave it!
Svinyin changed his tone to a more dry and formal one, and added
hardness:
- And how in this matter you yourself are also not quite right and even very guilty,
because you have a gentleness that does not suit a military man, and this
the lack of your character is reflected in the subordination in your
subordinates, I order you to personally attend the execution and
insist that the section be carried out seriously... as rigorously as possible. For
please order this to be flogged by young soldiers from
new arrivals from the army, because our old people are all infected in this regard
Guards liberalism: they do not flog a comrade as they should, but only fleas
they scare him behind his back. I'll come by myself and see for myself how the guilty one will be
made.
Evasion of any official orders of the superior
faces, of course, did not take place, and the kind-hearted N.I. Miller had to
accuracy to carry out the order he received from his battalion commander.
The company was lined up in the courtyard of the Izmailovsky barracks, the rods were brought from
stock in sufficient quantity, and Private Postnikov, taken out of the punishment cell
"was made" with the diligent assistance of new arrivals from the army of young
comrades. These people, unspoiled by Guards liberalism, are perfect
put on it all the points sur les i, fully determined to him by his
battalion commander. Then the punished Postnikov was raised and
directly from here on the same greatcoat on which he was flogged, transferred to
regimental infirmary.

15

Battalion commander Svinin, upon receipt of a report on execution
execution, he immediately paid a paternal visit to Postnikov in the infirmary and, to
his pleasure, he was most clearly convinced that his order
performed to perfection. Compassionate and nervous Postnikov was "made like
follows. " Svinin was pleased and ordered to give from himself to the punished
Postnikov a pound of sugar and a quarter of a pound of tea, so that he can enjoy it while
will be on the mend. Postnikov, lying on his bed, heard this order about tea.
and answered:
- Much pleased, your highness, thank you for your fatherly mercy.
And he was really "pleased" because, after spending three days in a punishment cell, he
expected much worse. Two hundred rods, according to the then strong time,
meant very little in comparison with the punishments that people endured
according to the verdicts of the military court; and that would be the punishment
Postnikov, if, fortunately for him, all those bold and
tactical evolutions, which are described above.
But the number of all those who are satisfied with the incident told is not
limited.

16

Under the mute, the feat of Private Postnikov spread over different circles
capital, which at that time lived in the atmosphere of printed voicelessness
endless gossip. In oral transmissions, the name of a real hero is a soldier
Postnikova - was lost, but the epic itself swelled up and took on a very
interesting, romantic character.
They said that from the side of the Peter and Paul Fortress he sailed to the palace
some extraordinary swimmer, in which one of those standing at the palace
the sentries fired and wounded the swimmer, and a passing disabled officer rushed
into the water and saved him, for which they received: one - a due reward, and the other -
deserved punishment. This absurd rumor reached the farmstead, where in that
for a time there lived a cautious and indifferent to "secular events" lord,
favorably favored by the pious Moscow family of the Svinins.
The perceptive lord seemed obscure to the story of the shot. What
is this a night swimmer? If he was a runaway prisoner, then why was he punished
the sentry who did his duty by shooting him as he swam
across the Neva from the fortress? If this is not a prisoner, but some other mysterious person,
who had to be rescued from the waves of the Neva, why could anyone know about him
hourly? And then again it cannot be that it was like that in the world
gossip. Many things in the world are taken extremely lightly and gossip, but
those who live in monasteries and courtyards take everything much more seriously and
know the real thing about secular affairs.

17

One day, when Svinin happened to be at the lord's, in order to receive from him
blessing, the highly esteemed host spoke to him "by the way about the shot."
Svinin told the whole truth, in which, as we know, there was nothing
similar to what was told about "by the way about the shot."
Vladyko listened to the real story in silence, slightly moving his
white rosary and never taking his eyes off the narrator. When is Svinin
finished, Vladyka quietly murmuring speech said:
- Therefore, it must be concluded that in this matter, not everyone and not everywhere
stated in accordance with the full truth?
Svinin hesitated, and then answered with a bias that it was not he who reported, but
General Kokoshkin.
In silence, Vladyka passed the rosary several times through his wax
fingers and then said:
- One must distinguish between what is a lie and what is an incomplete truth.
Again the rosary, again silence, and finally low-pitched speech:
- Incomplete truth is not a lie. But about this least.
“It really is,” said the encouraged Svinin. - Me,
of course, the most embarrassing thing is that I had to punish
this soldier who, although he has violated his duty...
Rosary and low-pitched interruption:
- Duty of service must never be violated.
- Yes, but it was done by him out of generosity, out of compassion, and, moreover, with
such a struggle and danger: he understood that, saving the life of another
man, he destroys himself... This is a lofty, holy feeling!
- The holy is known to God, but the punishment on the body of a commoner does not happen
destructive and contrary to neither the custom of the nations nor the spirit of Scripture. Vine
it is much easier to endure on a gross body than subtle suffering in the spirit. In this
justice has not suffered from you in the least.
- But he is also deprived of the reward for saving the perished.
- The salvation of the perishing is not a merit, but rather a duty. Who could save and
if he did not save, he is subject to the punishment of the laws, and whoever saved, he fulfilled his duty.
Pause, rosary and quiet jet:
- A warrior can endure humiliation and wounds for his feat
more useful than boasting with a sign. But what is greatest in all this is
something to be careful about the whole matter and not to mention anywhere
about who, on some occasion, was told about this.
Obviously, Vladyka was also pleased.

18

If I had the boldness of the happy chosen ones of heaven, who, according to
their great faith, it is given to penetrate the mysteries of God's seeing, then I, perhaps,
would have dared to allow himself the assumption that, probably, God himself was
pleased with the behavior of the meek soul Postnikov created by him. But my faith is small;
it does not give my mind the strength to see so high: I hold on to the earthly and
duodenal. I think of those mortals who love goodness just for the sake of it.
goodness and do not expect any rewards for it anywhere. These straight and
reliable people, too, it seems to me, should be quite pleased with the saint
impulse of love and no less holy patience of the humble hero of my exact and
artless story.

NOTES

The original title is "Salvation of the Lost".
A number of historical figures act in the story: Captain Miller,
Chief of Police Kokoshkin, Lieutenant Colonel Svinin; in "master"
contemporaries guessed Metropolitan Filaret, Nicholas I and
Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich, the details of the situation are quite accurately conveyed.
The writer's son Andrei Nikolaevich recalls that the story was written from the words
N.I. Miller.
However, this is not a retelling of the fact, but an artistic generalization. In the preface
Leskov says: "This is partly courtly, partly historical
an anecdote that not badly characterizes the manners and direction of a very curious, but
extremely poorly marked era of the thirties ... ".

1. Miller Nikolai Ivanovich (d. in 1889) - lieutenant general,
inspector, then director of the Alexander Lyceum. According to the memories
contemporaries, was a humane person.
2. Guardhouse - guardhouse.
3. Mikhail Pavlovich Romanov (1798-1848), younger brother of Nicholas I.
4. An inaccurate quote from N.V. Gogol's The Inspector General. Gogol (III d., yavl.
VI): "Thirty-five thousand one couriers!"