Briefly cherry orchard summary. "The Cherry Orchard

Comedy in four acts

Characters:

Ranevskaya Lyubov Andreevna - landowner.

Anya is her daughter, 17 years old.

Varya is her adopted daughter, 24 years old.

Gaev Leonid Andreevich - brother of Ranevskaya. Lopakhin Ermolai Alekseevich - merchant. Trofimov Petr Sergeevich - student. Simeonov-Pishchik Boris Borisovich - landowner. Charlotte Ivanovna is a governess.

Epikhodov Semyon Panteleevich - office worker

Dunyasha is a maid.

Firs is a lackey, an old man of 87 years old.

Yasha is a young footman.

Act one

The room that is still called the nursery. Dawn, soon the sun will rise. May, the cherry trees are in bloom, but it's cold in the garden. The windows in the room are closed.

Lopakhin and Dunyasha are waiting for the arrival of Ranevskaya. Lopakhin talks about what an easy, simple person Lyubov Andreevna is. He recalls how she comforted him as a child when he was hit by his drunken father. My father was a simple peasant, but now Lopakhin walks in a white waistcoat and yellow shoes. “With a pig’s snout in a row… that’s rich, there’s a lot of money, but if you think about it… then a peasant is a peasant,” he says about himself. Lopakhin makes a remark to Dunyasha that she is too tender for the servants: “It’s impossible. You have to remember yourself."

Epikhodov enters and drops the bouquet. He complains about the cold on the street, expresses dissatisfaction with the boots he bought, which creak. Some kind of trouble happens to Epikhodov every day. As he leaves, he overturns the chair. Dunyasha brings kvass to Lopakhin, which he asked for, and tells that Epikhodov proposed to her. This person attracts misfortune. Everyone calls him that: twenty-two misfortunes. Lopakhin hears that carriages have arrived at the house. From excitement, Dunyasha is ready to faint. Firs in an old livery passes through the stage, having gone to meet Lyubov Andreevna.

Enter Lyubov Andreevna, Anya, Charlotte Ivanovna, Varya in a coat and headscarf, Gaev, Simeonov-Pishchik. The servant brings things. Lyubov Andreevna looks at the former nursery with tears in her eyes. She recognizes and kisses Dunyasha. Gaev complains that the train was two hours late. Everyone leaves except Anya and Dunyasha. Dunyasha happily kisses Anya and tells her about Epikhodov's matchmaking. Anya looks around tenderly, recognizes the room, the windows. She is glad to be at home. Dunyasha says that Petya arrived three days ago. He lives in a bathhouse so as not to embarrass anyone. Varya enters and asks Dunyasha for coffee. Anya tells Varya about her trip to Paris. Her mother, who lived somewhere on the fifth floor, aroused pity in her. Lyubov Andreevna was forced to sell her dacha near Menton and was completely penniless. But on the road, she still littered with money, not understanding her position. Interest has not been paid, and the local estate will be sold in August.

Lopakhin looks into the room. Anya knows that he loves Varya and asks her if he has proposed to her. Varya believes that they will not succeed, despite the fact that everyone is talking about their wedding. She dreams of successfully marrying Anya, and she herself wants to go to holy places. Yasha enters. He flirts with Dunyasha. Anya thought. She recalls how her father died six years ago, and a month later her brother drowned in the river. No wonder my mother left here so recklessly. They are afraid that Petya's presence will be difficult for Lyubov Andreevna, because he was Grisha's teacher. Firs is bustling around the coffee pot and remembers how the old gentleman used to come from Paris on horseback. For joy that his lady came, he cries.

Enter LYUBOV ANDREYEVNA, GAYEV, Simeonov-Pishchik. Gaev pretends to play billiards. He recalls that he and his sister slept in this room as children. Anya goes to bed. Gaev says that she is very similar to his sister in her youth. Varya reminds Lopakhin and Simeonov-Pishchik that it is already late and it is time for bed. Lyubov Andreevna laughs and kisses Varya, saying that she is still the same. Taking coffee from Firs, she kisses him too. Ranevskaya is glad that she came home, that Firs is alive. Firs is completely deaf and answers her inappropriately.

Lopakhin must go to Kharkov at five o'clock, and he would so much like to talk to Lyubov Andreevna, to look into her amazing, touching eyes. He says that he loves her like his own, it was she who did so much for him, the son of a peasant. Lyubov Andreevna cannot sit still. She talks to her favorite things: a closet, a table. Lopakhin has little time, so he, despite his desire to say something funny, begins to outline his plan to save the estate. He proposes to cut down the cherry orchard and distribute it to summer residents for plots. This would bring in at least twenty-five thousand a year. Gaev calls all this nonsense, and Lyubov Andreevna cannot agree with the cutting down of the garden, which was even listed in the encyclopedia. Lopakhin recalls that if nothing is figured out before August 22, then both the estate and the cherry orchard will be sold under the hammer.

Varya brings Lyubov Andreevna two telegrams. She replies that Paris is over, and tears them up. Gaev and Pishchik find out that the closet is already a hundred years old. Gaev delivers a speech addressed to the closet, in which he glorifies its existence, directed towards the bright ideals of goodness and justice. Lopakhin, before leaving, once again reminds of his plan and promises to get fifty thousand loans if they agree. When he leaves, Gaev calls him a boor, but immediately apologizes to Varya, since Lopakhin is her fiancé. “Don’t say too much, uncle,” Varya replies. Pishchik asks for a loan of two hundred and forty rubles. Lyubov Andreevna says she has nothing. Pishchik reassures her that there will be money. Here they suddenly laid a railway on his land and paid. There, you see, Dashenka will win a lottery ticket.

Varya notices that Anya is sleeping. She quietly opens the window so that she can see the trees better and breathe in fresh air, hear the starlings. Gaev admires the blooming garden. Lyubov Andreevna looks out the window and says: “Oh my childhood, my purity! I slept in this nursery, looked from here at the garden, happiness woke up with me every morning, and then it was exactly like that, nothing has changed. All, all white! O my garden! After

dark, rainy autumn and cold winter, you are young again, full of happiness, the angels of heaven have not abandoned you ... If only I could remove a heavy stone from my chest and shoulders, if I could forget my past! It seems to her that her dead mother is walking through the garden. She laughs with joy. But no one is there, it's just a leaning tree.

Enter Petya Trofimov, who could not wait for the morning. Upon recognizing him, Lyubov Andreevna cries, lamenting

about his son; She asks Petya why he has grown old, grown ugly. He replies that even in the carriage one woman called him a shabby gentleman. It seems that he will remain an eternal student. Pishchik again begins to ask for a loan of money. Lyubov Andreevna asks her brother to lend him a loan. Leave Lyubov Andreevna, Trofimov, Pishchik and Firs. Varya and Gaev notice that Lyubov Andreevna will never get used to overspending. Varya reminds Yasha that his mother has been waiting in the staff room since yesterday. He is not going to go to her.

Gaev ponders how to save the estate. When too many medicines are offered for a certain disease, it means that the disease is incurable. The same is true with the estate. He has a lot of plans, which means that, in fact, none. You can successfully marry Anya, you can try your luck with your aunt in Yaroslavl. He begins to talk about the unsuccessful marriage of Lyubov Andreevna, calls her vicious. Varya whispers that Anya is standing at the door, and Gaev pretends that something has hit him in the eye. Anya enters the room. Gaev kisses her, calls her a baby, an angel. Anya advises him to be more silent. Gaev agrees that his words were terrible, recalls his speech addressed to the closet. He calls it all stupid. Gaev promises to talk at the bank in order to arrange a loan against bills. On Tuesday, he is going to talk about it again. He offers Anya to go to her grandmother in Yaroslavl, and Lyubov Andreevna will talk with Lopakhin: “This is how we will act from three ends.” He swears to Anya and Varya that he will not allow the auction. His speech calmed Anya, she is almost happy. Gaev talks about how well he knows the men. Varya again advises him to keep quiet. Guy leaves.

Varya tells Anya that the servants are spreading a rumor that she feeds them only peas to save money. During her story, Anya falls asleep. Varya takes Anya to sleep. Trofimov, passing by, looks at them with tenderness: “My sun! Spring is mine!

Action two

“An old, crooked, long-abandoned chapel, next to it is a well, large stones that were once, apparently, gravestones, and an old bench. The road to Gaev's estate is visible. To the side, towering, poplar trees darken: there begins a cherry orchard. In the distance there is a row of telegraph poles, and far, far away on the horizon, a large city is indistinctly marked, which is visible only in very good, clear weather. The sun will set soon. Charlotte, Yasha and Dunyasha are sitting on a bench; Epikhodov stands near and plays the guitar; everyone sits and thinks. Charlotte in an old cap, she took off her gun from her shoulders and straightens the buckle on her belt.

Charlotte reveals that she does not have a real passport. As a child, her parents took her to fairs, where she did various tricks. When her parents died, she was taken in by a German lady. Then she became a governess. She never found out who she was, where she came from, how old she was. Epikhodov plays the guitar and sings. Charlotte does not like Epikhodov's singing. Dunyasha is flirting with Yasha. Epikhodov considers himself a developed person. He reads different books, but he cannot understand what he wants - to live or to shoot himself. He shows everyone the revolver he carries with him. Charlotte tells Epikhodov that he is a very smart man and very scary. Women must love him. She has no one to talk to. She is all alone. Charlotte leaves slowly. Epikhodov says that fate treats him like a storm treats a small ship, without regret. For example, this morning he saw a huge spider on his chest, another time he takes a mug of kvass to get drunk, and there is a cockroach. He wants to talk alone with Dunyasha, whom he calls Avdotya Fyodorovna. Dunyasha asks him first to bring her her talma, because it is very cold. Epikhodov says that now he knows what to do with the revolver, and leaves. Yasha, yawning, calls him stupid. Dunyasha coquettishly says that she has been living with the masters since childhood. Therefore, she is so delicate, noble, afraid of everything. She does not know what will happen to her nerves if Yasha deceives her. Yasha replies that he likes well-behaved girls. Hearing that the gentlemen were coming to see them, he escorted Dunyasha out so that they would not think that he was on a date with her.

Dunyasha leaves, Lyubov Andreevna, Gaev and Lopakhin enter.

Lopakhin insists on resolving the issue of leasing plots. Gaev recalls a dinner in the city and laments that he did not immediately go to the house to play a game of billiards. Lyubov Andreevna is surprised how much money they spent in the city. She is ashamed that Varya saves on everything, and she squanders money. Lyubov Andreevna literally scatters gold, accidentally dropping her purse. Yasha collects money. Ranevskaya blames her brother for drinking too much and talking with the sexual about the decadents. Gaev agrees that he is incorrigible. Yasha laughs and says that he cannot hear Gaev's voices without laughter. Lopakhin asks Gaev and Ranevskaya to finally decide something. Gaev says that the Yaroslavl aunt promised to send money, but it is not known when and how much. Lopakhin can no longer talk. He is ready to scream, or sob, or faint. He calls Gaev a woman. He replies inappropriately. Lopakhin is about to leave, but Ranevskaya asks him to stay. Gaev, thinking: "Doublet in the corner ... Krause in the middle ..."

Ranevskaya talks about her husband, who only knew how to drink and make debts. After the death of her husband, she got together with another man, and, as if in punishment for this, her son drowned. She closed her eyes and ran out of the house. The lover followed her. Abroad, her lover was sick for three years, she looked after him. When the dacha was sold for debts, he robbed it and abandoned it. She asks God not to punish her anymore. Ranevskaya pulls out a telegram from her pocket, in which her lover asks to forgive him and begs to return, and tears it. Lopakhin laughs, remembering the play he saw in the theatre. Ranevskaya advises him to take a closer look at his own gray life. Lopakhin agrees that his life is stupid. Ranevskaya advises him to marry. She asks Varya for him. Lopakhin says that he is not averse, the girl is good. Gaev says that he is being offered a job at a bank. Ranevskaya: “Where are you! Sit down…” Firs brings Gaev's coat. Ranevskaya notices that Firs is very old. He says that he has been living for a very long time, that when they were going to marry him, Ranevskaya was not yet in the world. Lopakhin believes that before it was good, at least they fought. Firs did not hear, confirms that there used to be order: peasants with gentlemen, gentlemen with peasants. Gaev is going to meet with the general the next day, who can lend against a promissory note. Lopakhin believes that nothing will work. Lyubov Andreevna throws: “He is delirious. There are no generals."

Enter Trofimov, Anya, Varya. Lopakhin chuckles at Trofimov: "He is fifty years old soon, but he is still a student." Trofimov compares the rich Lopakhin to a wolf that eats everything that comes his way, and says that he is needed for proper metabolism. Everyone laughs. Ranevskaya offers to continue yesterday's conversation about a proud man. For Trofimov, in a proud man, as Ranevskaya understands him, there is something mystical. He suggests that you stop admiring yourself and start working. Gaev: "You'll die anyway." Trofimov: “Perhaps a person has a hundred feelings and with death only five known to us die, while the remaining ninety-five remain alive.” Ranevskaya admires Petya's mind, and Lopakhin is ironic. Trofimov talks about the inaction of the intelligentsia, which only speaks but does nothing. All this to take your eyes off the surrounding vulgar reality. He suggests that smart conversations be stopped. Lopakhin says that as soon as you start doing something, you immediately realize how few honest people there are. In such a rich country, people should really be giants by now. Ranevskaya notes that giants are good only in fairy tales, but in reality they scare. Epikhodov walks in the back of the stage. Gaev pompously talks about nature. Trofimov offers him: “Better than yellow in the middle” (a billiard phrase that Gaev often repeats).

Everyone sits thinking. Suddenly, a distant, sad sound of a broken string is heard. No one can understand what that sound is. Ranevskaya shudders. For some reason this makes her uncomfortable. Firs says that this was also the case before the disaster. It turns out that he calls the will given to the peasants a misfortune. Ranevskaya offers to leave. Anna has tears in her eyes. A slightly drunk passer-by appears. He asks for directions to the station. Turning to Varya, he asks thirty kopecks for a hungry Russian. Varya jumps up in fright. Lopakhin is angry. Ranevskaya, dumbfounded, gives gold. Varya reproaches her mother that people have nothing to eat at home, and she gives the passerby gold. Ranevskaya promises to give Varya money at home and asks for a loan from Lopakhin. She says to Varya that she was betrothed here. Varya asks not to joke about this. Lopakhin laughs it off.

Everyone, except Anya and Trofimov, leaves. Trofimov jokes that Varya is afraid of their love, not realizing that they are above it. Anya, under the influence of Trofimov, no longer loves the cherry orchard so dearly. He considers all of Russia a garden. In his opinion, Ani's soul could not help but be affected by the fact that their family owned living souls for many generations. They seem to be used to living in debt, at the expense of other people. To live truly, you must first redeem the past, do away with it. This redemption is possible only through suffering, only through extraordinary, uninterrupted labor. Despite the fact that fate did not indulge him, Trofimov anticipates happiness: “Here it is happiness, here it comes, it comes closer and closer, I can already hear its steps. And if we don't see it, don't recognize it, then what's the trouble? Others will see it!" Varya calls Anya. Trofimov and Varya decide to go to the river. The voice of Varya is heard, calling Anya.

Act Three

Living room. A Jewish orchestra is playing in the hall. Evening. Dancing in the hall. Simeonov-Pishchik names dance figures in French. The dancers enter the living room: in the first pair Pishchik and Charlotte Ivanovna, in the second - Trofimov and Lyubov Andreevna, in the third - Anya with the postal official, in the fourth - Varya with the head of the station. Varya is crying softly, wiping away her tears. In the last pair of Dunyasha. Firs in evening dress brings seltzer water on a tray.

Pishchik says that he has already had a blow with him twice, it is difficult to dance, but, “... as they say, he got into a flock, don’t bark, but wag your tail.” He has horse health. The father said that their family comes from the horse that Caligula planted in the Senate. He sits down. His main problem is that he has no money. Pishchik falls asleep and immediately wakes up. Just as a hungry dog ​​believes only in meat, so Pishchik only talks about money. Trofimov agrees that there is something equine in Pishchik's figure. Pishchik replies that the horse is a good beast, it can be sold. Varya enters, whom Trofimov calls Madame Lopakhina, to which she calls him a shabby master. Varia worries that there is nothing to pay the musicians. She leaves. Trofimov tells Pishchik that if he directed the energy spent on finding money to something else, he could turn the earth over. Piszczyk says that Nietzsche wrote in his writings that it is possible to make counterfeit papers. he himself

Nietzsche did not read. This is what Dashenka told him. The day after tomorrow he needs to pay three hundred and ten rubles, and he only has one hundred and thirty. He seems to have lost money. Finding them behind the lining, he breathes a sigh of relief.

Enter Lyubov Andreyevna and Charlotte Ivanovna. Lyubov Andreevna is surprised that Gaev has been gone for so long. Trofimov suggests that the auction did not take place. Ranevskaya laments that the musicians came at the wrong time, the ball was started at the wrong time. Charlotte Ivanovna shows card tricks and ventriloquism to Pishchik. He is delighted. Charlotte Ivanovna shows tricks with a plaid. Anya and Varya appear in turn behind the blanket. At the end, Charlotte Ivanovna throws a blanket over Pishchik and runs away. He runs after her.

Lyubov Andreevna says that the auction has already ended. The property was either sold or the auction did not take place. Varya tries to console her, assuming that the uncle has already bought the estate. Grandmother sent him a power of attorney to buy the estate with the transfer of the debt in her name. She did this for Anna. Ranevskaya says that the Yaroslavl grandmother sent money to buy the estate in the name of Anya, because she no longer believes in them. Ranevskaya covers her face with her hands and says that today her fate is being decided.

Trofimov teases Varya, calling her Madame Lopakhina, who calls Trofimov an eternal student, reminding him that he has already been fired from the university twice. Lyubov Andreevna persuades Varya not to be angry with Trofimov. If she likes Lopakhin, then you can marry him, and if you don’t like it, then no one will captivate her. Varya takes Lopakhin seriously. She likes him. But she cannot propose to him herself, and he keeps joking. Lopakhin is a very busy man, he has no time for Varya. She would go to a convent if she had any money. On the other hand, she can't be idle. Yasha enters and laughingly announces that Epikhodov has broken his cue. Varya, with annoyance, wonders who gave him the cue. She leaves.

Ranevskaya asks Petya not to tease Varya. He considers her too zealous. She had been chasing them with Anya all summer. She was afraid that they would have an affair, not realizing that they were above love. Ranevskaya says to herself that she must be below love. She is now only interested in one thing: whether the estate has been sold or not. Lyubov Andreevna asks Petya to tell her at least something in order to save her - she is in such tension. Petya invites her to face the truth: the estate has long been finished. Ranevskaya says that Petya talks so boldly about the estate because he is young. She asks him to understand that she was born and raised in this estate, her parents and grandfather lived here. If the cherry orchard, without which she cannot live, is to be sold, then she must be sold along with it. She is crying. Peter sympathizes with her. Ranevskaya takes a handkerchief out of her pocket, and a telegram falls to the floor. Her heart is especially heavy today, and she asks not to condemn her. Ranevskaya is ready to give Anya for Petya. But he needs to graduate from university and grow a beard somehow. She is laughing. Trofimov replies that he does not want to be handsome. He picks up the telegram. Ranevskaya says that this man in Paris fell ill and needs her help. She needs to go to him there. She confesses that she loves him, even though it is a stone around her neck. Ranevskaya asks Petya not to think ill of her. Trofimov, through tears, reminds Ranevskaya that this man robbed her. Lyubov Andreevna does not want to hear anything. Trofimov calls him a petty scoundrel, a nonentity. Ranevskaya is angry, but restrained. She urges Trofimov to be a man, to love himself, and not to be above love. She calls him a funny eccentric, clean. At his age, you should already have a mistress. Trofimov is horrified by the words of Ranevskaya. With the words that everything is over between them, he goes into the hall. Ranevskaya asks him to stay, says she was joking.

You can hear someone walking quickly up the stairs and falling down with a crash. There is laughter. Anya, laughing, says that Petya fell down the stairs. She runs away. Everyone is dancing. Trofimov, Anya, Varya and Lyubov Andreevna pass from the hall. Watching the dancers, Fiers recalls how they used to have generals, barons and admirals at their balls, and now even the postal official and the stationmaster are reluctant to come. Lyubov Andreevna is dancing with Petya. Anya excitedly reports that she heard gossip in the kitchen about the sale of the cherry orchard. Nobody knows who bought it. Lyubov Andreevna asks to go and find out to whom the estate was sold. She is assured that the man has already left. Yasha asks Lyubov Andreevna to take him with her to Paris if she goes there, Lyubov Andreevna dances with Pishchik, who again asks her for a loan. Dunyasha tells Firs that she is dizzy from dancing. She tells how the postal official called her a flower, and it made her dizzy. Epikhodov tells Dunyasha that she treats him like an insect. He reproaches her that she gave him her word, but she herself does not want to know him. Dunyasha offers to talk about it after. Now she has no time, she dreams. Varya reproaches Epikhodov for acting like a guest instead of doing business. They are arguing. Varya swings her stick at the departing Epikhodov and accidentally hits Lopakhin, who has entered. Varia apologizes. Lyubov Andreevna asks Lopakhin where Gaev is. Lopakhin replies that they arrived together and, afraid to reveal his joy, reports that they missed the train and therefore were delayed.

Enter Gaev with purchases, wiping tears with his left hand. Without answering questions about the estate, he says that today he suffered a lot. Together with Firs, he leaves to change clothes. Lopakhin tells everyone that he bought the cherry orchard. Pause. Lyubov Andreevna is oppressed. Varya throws the keys on the floor. Lopakhin himself cannot believe that he, a semi-literate upstart, has become the owner of an estate that is not more beautiful in the world. He orders the musicians to play: “Come all of you to watch how Yermolai Lopakhin will hit the cherry orchard with an ax, how the trees will fall to the ground! We will set up dachas, and our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will see a new life ... Music, play!” Music is playing. Lyubov Andreevna is crying. Lopakhin reproachfully blames her for not listening to him. Pishchik leads Lopakhin into the hall.

Lyubov Andreevna is crying alone in the living room. Anya and Trofimov arrive. Anya kneels before her mother. She tells her mother that, despite the fact that the cherry orchard has been sold, she has her whole life ahead of her: “We will plant a new garden, more luxurious than this, you will see it, understand it, and joy, quiet, deep joy will descend on your soul, like the sun in evening hour, and you will smile, mom! Let's go, honey! Let's go to!.."

act four

“Settings for the first act. There are no curtains on the windows, no pictures, there is a little furniture left, which is folded into one corner, as if for sale. Feels empty. Suitcases, road knots, etc. are stacked near the exit door and in the back of the stage. To the left, the door is open, and the voices of Varya and Anya can be heard from there. Lopakhin is standing, waiting. Yasha holds a tray with glasses filled with champagne. In the hall, Epikhodov is tying up a box. Behind the scenes in the depths of the rumble. The men came to say goodbye. Gaev's voice: "Thank you, brothers, thank you" ... The rumble subsides.

Enter LYUBOV ANDREYEVNA and GAYEV. Ranevskaya is pale and cannot speak. Gaev reproaches his sister for handing over the purse. Lyubov Andreevna replies that she could not have done otherwise. Both leave. Lopakhin offers to drink champagne after them. Hearing a refusal, he offers Yasha a drink. He drinks, says that the champagne is not real, and laughs. Lopakhin hurries, because time is short.

Enter Trofimov. He is also going to leave and is looking for his galoshes. Lopakhin, together with everyone, will go to Kharkov: “I kept hanging out with you, I was exhausted with nothing to do. I can’t live without work, I don’t know what to do with my hands; dangle in a strange way, as if they were strangers. Trofimov, in parting, gives Lopakhin advice to unlearn the habit of waving his arms: “And also to build dachas, to expect that individual owners will come out of the dacha owners over time, to count in this way also means waving ... After all, I love you all the same. You have ... a delicate, tender soul ... ”Lopakhin hugs him, offers money for the journey. Petya refuses, says that he received for the transfer: “Give me at least two hundred thousand, I won’t take it. Im free person. And everything that you all, rich and poor, value so highly and dearly, has not the slightest power over me, just like the fluff that rushes through the air. I can do without you, I can pass you, I am strong and proud. Humanity is moving towards the highest truth, the highest happiness possible on earth, and I am in the forefront!” Lopakhin ironically asks if he will make it. Petya is sure that he will come.

You can hear the knocking of an ax on wood. Anya conveys Ranevskaya's request not to cut down the garden while they are here. Anya, Varya and Yasha discuss whether Firs was taken to the hospital. Yasha refuses to go out to say goodbye to her mother. Everyone leaves, except for Yasha and Dunyasha. Dunyasha asks Yasha to write to her from Paris and, crying, throws herself on his neck. Yasha drinks champagne and advises Dunyasha to behave decently - then you won't have to cry.

Enter Ranevskaya, Gaev, Anya and Charlotte Ivanovna. Gaev got a job in a bank. Lopakhin is sure that he will not last long there because of laziness. Lyubov Andreevna says goodbye to the old house, calls him grandfather. Anya is happy that a new life begins. Ranevskaya goes to Paris with the money of the Yaroslavl grandmother, which she sent to buy the estate. She knows that this money will not last long. Anya is sure that Lyubov Andreevna will return soon. By this time she is going to pass the exam at the gymnasium and get a job. Anya dreams of how she and her mother will read books together and a new world will open before them. Lopakhin enters. Charlotte asks him to find her a place in the city. He promises. Pishchik, out of breath, enters. Gaev leaves, thinking that he has come to ask for money. Pishchik repays his debt to Lopakhin. He cannot believe it. It turns out that the British found white clay on the land of Pishchik. He leased the land to them. Now Pishchik travels around all his friends and distributes debts. He returns the debt to Ranevskaya. Ranevskaya speaks to Lopakhin about Var. She believes that he should marry Vara. He does not mind and offers to make an offer right now. Lyubov Andreevna calls Varya. Varya enters and anxiously inspects things, looking for something. She says that she was hired by the Ragulins to run the household. Lopakhin talks about his departure, about what he leaves Epikhodov in this house. When he hears his name, he leaves. Varya is crying. Enter Ranevskaya. Varya calms down and prepares to leave. Gaev tries to make a speech, but Anya interrupts him, and he dejectedly says the usual: “A doublet of yellow in the middle ...”

Trofimov and Lopakhin enter. Varya finds her umbrella and Petit's galoshes. Everyone is ready to leave. Lopakhin locks the door to the house. Anya says goodbye to the house, to the old life. Trofimov welcomes new life. Everyone leaves, except Ranevskaya and Gaev. Lyubov Andreevna says goodbye to the garden: “My life, my youth, my happiness, goodbye!” They come out. The stage is empty. You can hear the doors closing. The mournful clatter of an ax sounds. The sick Firs appears. He sees that everyone has left, but they forgot about him. He is worried that Gaev probably did not put on a fur coat. He mutters something, says to himself: "Life has passed, as if it had not lived." Firs lies down. “You don’t have Silushka,” he says to himself, “there’s nothing left, nothing ... Oh, you, you fool!” Firs lies motionless. The sound of a broken string is heard, fading, sad. An ax is banging in the garden.

Characters: Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya, landowner; Anya, her daughter, aged 17; Varya, her adopted daughter, aged 24; Leonid Andreevich Gaev, brother of Ranevskaya; Ermolai Alekseevich Lopakhin, merchant; Petr Sergeevich Trofimov, student; Boris Borisovich Simeonov-Pishchik, landowner; Charlotte Ivanovna, governess; Semyon Panteleevich Epikhodov, clerk; Dunyasha, maid; Firs, footman, old man 87 years old; Yasha, a young footman. The action takes place on the estate of Ranevskaya.

Retelling plan

1. Ranevskaya and her daughter return from Paris to their estate.
2. Lopakhin offers a plan to save the estate, put up for auction.
3. Gaev and Ranevskaya hope to save him in another way, but they have no money.
4. Ranevskaya talks about her life.
5. During the auction, Ranevskaya arranges a holiday.
6. The news of Lopakhin's purchase of a cherry orchard stuns everyone.
7. Farewell to the cherry orchard.

retelling

Action 1

May, cherry trees are in bloom. In the room, which is still called the nursery, the maid Dunyasha, Lopakhin and Epikhodov. They talk about the fact that the hostess Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya and her daughter Anna should soon arrive from Paris. Lopakhin: “Lyubov Andreevna lived abroad for five years, I don’t know what she has become now ... She is a good person. Easy, simple person. I remember when I was a boy of about fifteen, my father, the deceased - he then traded here in the village in a shop - hit me in the face with his fist, blood came out of my nose ... Lyubov Andreevna, still young, led me to the washstand, in this the room itself. “Don’t cry, he says, little man, he will heal before the wedding ...” My father, however, was a peasant, but here I am in a white vest and yellow shoes. With a pig's snout in a kalashny row ... Only now he is rich, there is a lot of money, but if you think and figure it out, then a peasant is a peasant ... "

Lopakhin does not like that Dunyasha behaves like a young lady. Epikhodov constantly drops something, bumps into chairs: “Every day some kind of misfortune happens to me. And I don’t grumble, I’m used to it and even smile.” Soon the voices of the arrivals are heard, and everyone goes to meet the hostess.

Lyubov Andreevna, Gaev, Anya, Charlotte, Varya, Lopakhin, Epikhodov and Dunyasha appear. Lyubov Andreevna rejoices at her return home: "Children's, my dear, beautiful room ..."

Everyone leaves except Anya and Dunyasha. The maid begins to tell that Epikhodov proposed to her, but Anya does not listen to her. Varya comes: “My darling has arrived! Beauty has arrived! Anya: “We're coming to Paris, it's cold there, it's snowing. I speak French terribly. Mom lives on the fifth floor, I come to her, she has some French, ladies, an old priest with a book, and it's smoky, uncomfortable. I suddenly felt sorry for my mother, so sorry, I hugged her head, squeezed her hands and could not let go. Mama then kept caressing, crying... She had already sold her dacha near Menton, she had nothing left, nothing. I didn't even have a penny left, we barely got there. And my mom doesn't understand! We sit at the station for dinner, and she demands the most expensive thing and gives the lackeys a ruble for tea ... ”Varya says that the estate and the cherry orchard will be sold for debts, because they have no money left at all. Anya asks if Lopakhin has yet proposed to Varya. Varya: “I think so, nothing will work out for us. He has a lot to do, he is not up to me ... and does not pay attention. Everyone talks about our wedding, everyone congratulates, but in reality there is nothing, everything is like a dream ... "

They remember how their father died six years ago and little brother Grisha drowned in the river. It turns out that his former teacher Petya Trofimov came to the estate. The sisters are afraid that he might remind Lyubov Andreevna about the boy's death.

Enter Firs, Lyubov Andreevna, Gayev, Lopakhin and Simeonov-Pishchik. Lopakhin tries to start a conversation about the cherry orchard, but Lyubov Andreevna does not listen to him, she is too excited about her return home. Lopakhin says that the auction has already been scheduled, but the estate can still be saved. To do this, you just need to break it into sections for summer cottages. Since the place is beautiful, these plots are quickly rented, and the owners will be able to pay the debts for the estate. True, for summer cottages it will be necessary to cut down a cherry orchard. Neither Raevskaya nor Gaev want to hear anything about cutting down the garden: “What nonsense!” Varya gives her mother two telegrams from Paris, but she tears them up without reading them. Gaev delivers a pathetic speech to the bookcase: “Dear, respected bookcase! I salute your existence, which for more than a hundred years has been directed towards the bright ideals of goodness and justice; your silent call to fruitful work has not weakened for a hundred years, supporting (through tears) in the generations of our kind vigor, faith in a better future and educating in us the ideals of goodness and social self-consciousness. Everyone is embarrassed for him.

Petya Trofimov enters. Ranevskaya does not recognize him at first, but remembering that he is her son's former teacher, she begins to cry. Ranevskaya: “What, Petya? Why are you so mad? Why are you old?" Trofimov: “One woman in the carriage called me like this: shabby gentleman.” Ranevskaya: “You were then just a boy, a sweet student, and now your hair is thin, glasses. Are you still a student? Trofimov: "I must be an eternal student."

Varya tells Yasha that his mother came to him from the village, wants to see him, but he replies: “It is very necessary. I could come back tomorrow." Everyone leaves, only Gaev and Varya remain. Gaev says about his sister: “I married a non-nobleman and behaved, one cannot say, very virtuous. She is good, kind, nice, I love her very much, but no matter how you think of mitigating circumstances, nevertheless, I must admit, she is vicious. It is felt in her slightest movement. Gaev is going to take a loan from the bank, he suggests that the Yaroslavl grandmother and Lopakhin can lend money, then the estate will not be sold at auction. Anya believes him.

Action 2

Evening. Yard near the estate. Charlotte, Dunyasha, Yasha and Epikhodov are sitting on the bench. Charlotte says: “I don’t have a real passport, I don’t know how old I am. When I was a little girl, my father and mother went to fairs and gave performances. And I jumped salto mortale and various things. And when my father and mother died, a German lady took me to her and began to teach me. I grew up, then went to the governess. And where I am from and who I am - I don’t know ... ”Charlotte leaves.

Epikhodov plays the guitar. He says he has a revolver, but he doesn't know yet if he wants to shoot himself or wants to live. He wants to talk to Dunyasha alone. But she sends him away, stays with Yasha and says: “I was taken to the masters as a girl, now I have lost the habit of a simple life, and now my hands are white, white, like a young lady’s. She became tender, so delicate, noble, I'm afraid of everything ... It's so scary. And if you, Yasha, deceive me, then I don’t know what will happen to my nerves ... I fell in love with you passionately, you are educated, you can talk about everything. Yasha (yawns): "Yes, sir ... In my opinion, this is how: if a girl loves someone, then she, therefore, is immoral." Dunyasha leaves.

Lyubov Andreevna, Gaev and Lopakhin arrive. Lopakhin again offers Raevskaya to give the estate for summer cottages. But she still doesn't listen to him. This morning they went to a restaurant for breakfast and spent almost all the money. But it seems to her that the estate can be saved, Gaev promises her the same. Lopakhin calls him a woman and wants to leave. Lopakhin: “Forgive me, I have never met such frivolous people like you, gentlemen, such unbusinesslike, strange people. They speak Russian to you, your estate is being sold, but you definitely don’t understand.” Ranevskaya asks him to stay and help think of something. Lopakhin understands that you will not get any sense from them.

Lyubov Andreevna recalls her life: “I always littered my money without restraint, like crazy, and married a man who only made debts. My husband died from champagne - he drank terribly - and, unfortunately, I fell in love with another, got together, and just at that time - it was the first punishment, a blow right in the head - right here on the river ... drowned my boy, and I went abroad so as not to see this river ... I closed my eyes, ran, not remembering myself, and he followed me ... ruthlessly, rudely. I bought a cottage near Menton, because he fell ill there, and for three years I did not know rest, day or night; the patient has tormented me, my soul has dried up. And last year, when the dacha was sold for debts, I went to Paris, and there he robbed me, left me, got together with another, I tried to poison myself ... So stupid, so ashamed ... And suddenly I was drawn to Russia, to my homeland , to my girl ... (Wipes away tears.) Lord, be merciful, forgive me my sins! (Takes a telegram out of his pocket.) Received today from Paris... Asks for forgiveness, begs to return... (Tears the telegram.)

Enter Trofimov, Varya and Anya. Lopakhin teases Trofimov: "He is fifty years old soon, but he is still a student." Trofimov is angry: “I, Ermolai Alekseich, understand that you are a rich man, you will soon be a millionaire. This is how, in terms of metabolism, you need a predatory beast that eats everything that comes in its way, so you are needed. Everyone laughs. Trofimov starts talking about lofty matters: “Humanity is moving forward, improving its strength. Everything that is inaccessible to him now will someday become close, understandable, but now you have to work, help with all your might to those who are looking for the truth. We, in Russia, still have very few people working. The vast majority of the intelligentsia that I know are looking for nothing, doing nothing, and are not yet capable of work ... Everyone is serious, everyone has stern faces, everyone talks only about important things, philosophizes, and meanwhile, before everyone’s eyes, the workers eat disgusting, they sleep without pillows, thirty, forty in one room, bedbugs everywhere, stench, dampness, moral impurity ... "Lopakhin:" You know, I get up at five o'clock in the morning, I work from morning to evening, well, I constantly my money and others' money, and I see what kind of people are around. You just have to start doing something to understand how few honest, decent people there are. Sometimes, when I can’t sleep, I think: “Lord, you gave us huge forests, vast fields, the deepest horizons, and living here, we ourselves should really be giants ...” Gaev tries to say something, but he is stopped. Silence. Suddenly, the sound of a broken string is heard, fading, sad. Firs: “Before the misfortune, it was the same: the owl screamed, and the samovar hummed endlessly.” Gaev: "Before what misfortune?" Firs: "Before the will."

A tipsy passer-by comes up to them and asks for some money. Ranevskaya gives him a gold medal. Varya cannot believe her own eyes. She reproaches her mother for excessive extravagance, because people in the house have nothing to eat, and she distributes alms. Everyone leaves except Trofimov and Anya. Trofimov: “Varya is afraid, what if we fall in love with each other, and does not leave us for whole days. She, with her narrow head, cannot understand that we are above love. To get around that petty and illusory thing that prevents us from being free and happy, this is the goal and meaning of our life. Forward! We march irresistibly towards the bright star that burns far away!

Forward! Keep up, friends!" Anya (clasping her hands): “How well you speak!” Anya: "What have you done to me, Petya, why I no longer love the cherry orchard, as before." Trofimov: “All Russia is our garden. The earth is great and beautiful ... Think, Anya: your grandfather, great-grandfather and all your ancestors were feudal lords who owned living souls, and are human beings looking at you from every cherry in the garden, from every leaf, from every trunk, are you really do not hear the voices... To own living souls - after all, it has reborn all of you who lived before and now live, so that your mother, you, uncle, no longer notice that you live in debt, at someone else's expense... It's so clear In order to begin to live in the present, we must first redeem our past, put an end to it, and it can only be redeemed by suffering, only by extraordinary, uninterrupted labor. Understand this, Anya. Anya is delighted with Petya's words. In the distance, the voice of Varya is heard, calling for her sister. Petya and Anya run away from her to the river.

Action 3

Living room on the estate. You can hear the orchestra playing in the hall. Evening. Dancing in the hall. Varya bitterly says: “Here, they hired musicians, but how to pay?” Lyubov Andreevna also understands: “And the musicians came at the wrong time, and we started the ball inappropriately ...” Gaev is in the city, at the auction, and she is worried that he will be gone for a long time. The fate of the estate is unknown.

Ranevskaya speaks to Varya about Lopakhin. She can't understand why they can't talk to each other. Varya replies that she herself cannot propose to Lopakhin. Varya leaves. Ranevskaya asks Petya to calm her down. She is very anxious, because at this moment her fate is being decided. Trofimov replies that the estate “has been finished for a long time, the path has grown overgrown ... Don’t deceive yourself, you need to look the truth straight in the eye at least once in your life.” Lyubov Andreevna: “What truth? You can see where the truth is and where the lie is, but I definitely lost my sight, I don’t see anything. You boldly resolve all important issues, but tell me, my dear, is it not because you are young, that you have not had time to suffer through a single one of your questions? You boldly look ahead, and is it not because you do not see and do not expect anything terrible, since life is still hidden from your young eyes? You are bolder, more honest, deeper than us, but think about it, be generous ... spare me. After all, I was born here, my father and mother lived here, my grandfather, I love this house, I don’t understand my life without a cherry orchard, and if you really need to sell it, then sell me along with the garden ... (Hugging Trofimova, kisses him on the forehead.) After all, my son drowned here ... (Crying.) Have pity on me, good, kind person. Petya hands her a telegram instead. This time, Lyubov Andreevna does not tear her up, she thinks about whether to go to Paris, because “this wild man” fell ill again ... Ranevskaya admits: “This is a stone on my neck, I go to the bottom with it, but I love this stone and I can't live without it." Petya is trying to convince Ranevskaya that this man robbed her, that he is a scoundrel, a nonentity. Petya does not understand that he is speaking tactlessly. Ranevskaya retorts: “You have to be a man, at your age you need to understand those who love. And you need to love yourself ... you need to fall in love! (Angry.) Yes, yes! And you have no cleanliness, and you are just a clean, funny eccentric, a freak ... You are not above love, but you are simply a klutz. At your age, do not have a mistress! Petya, horrified by these words, runs away: “It’s all over between us!” Lyubov Andreevna shouts after him: “Petya, wait a minute! Funny man, I was joking!”

Yasha and Firs look at the dancers. Old Firs looks ill, it's hard for him to stand. His fate is also being decided: if the estate is sold, he has nowhere to go. “Wherever you order, I’ll go there,” he says to Ranevskaya. Yasha is indifferent to the experiences of the owners. He is concerned about one thing: that the hostess takes him to Paris again: “You yourself see, the country is uneducated, the people are immoral, moreover, boredom, the food is ugly in the kitchen ... Take me with you, be so kind!”

The fun continues in the hall: Charlotte shows tricks, Dunyasha flirts. Varya, irritated by the inappropriate holiday, finds fault with Epikhodov, drives him away from the house, brandishes a stick and accidentally hits Lopakhin, who has just arrived, on the head. People around can not wait to know the results of the auction. Lyubov Andreevna hurries Lopakhin and Gaev: “Speak!” Lopakhin is confused, Gaev looks upset. Lyubov Andreevna: "Is the cherry orchard sold?" Lopakhin: "Sold." Lyubov Andreevna: “Who bought it?” Lopakhin: "I bought it." Lyubov Andreevna is oppressed. Varya takes the keys from her belt, throws them on the floor and leaves.

Lopakhin finally broke through, he talks about the auction, rejoices, laughs: “The Cherry Orchard is mine now! My! Tell me that I'm drunk, out of my mind, that all this seems to me ... (Stomping his feet.) Don't laugh at me! .. I bought an estate where my grandfather and father were slaves, where they were not even allowed into the kitchen . I sleep
it only seems to me ... (Raises the keys.) She threw the keys, she wants to show that she is no longer the mistress here ... Hey, musicians, play! Come all to watch Yermolai Lopakhin hit the cherry orchard with an ax! We will set up dachas, and our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will see a new life here ... Music, play!”

Lyubov Andreyevna sank into a chair and wept bitterly. Lopakhin consoles her: “Why didn’t you listen to me? My poor, good, you will not return now. (With tears.) Oh, it would be better if our awkward, unhappy life would somehow change ... "

Ranevskaya is left alone, "shrinking all over and crying bitterly." Anya and Petya enter. Anya rushes to hug and reassure her mother: “Don’t cry, mom, you have a life ahead of you, your good, pure soul remains ... We will plant a new garden, more luxurious than this ... and you will smile, mother! Let's go, honey! Let's go to!.."

Action 4

October. Scenery of the first act. There are no curtains on the windows, no pictures, there is a little furniture left, which is folded into one corner, as if for sale. Feels empty. Enter Ranevskaya and Gaev; she is pale, her face trembles, she cannot speak. Lopakhin offers champagne at parting, but no one responds. Then Yasha gets champagne, he does not refuse to drink, and even criticizes: "champagne is not real." Yasha laughs with pleasure: they take him to Paris. Twenty minutes left before departure.

Trofimov enters, looking for his galoshes. Lopakhin tells him that he is also leaving: “I kept hanging out with you, I was exhausted with nothing to do. I can't live without work..” Trofimov is going to Moscow. Lopakhin teases: “Well, professors don’t give lectures, I suppose everyone is waiting for you to arrive! .. How long have you been studying at the university?” Trofimov waved him off languidly. He says: “You know, we probably won’t see each other again ... After all, I still love you. You have thin, tender fingers, like an artist, you have a thin, tender soul...” Lopakhin is touched, offers him money for the journey, but Petya refuses: “I am a free man. And everything that you all, rich and poor, value so highly and dearly, has not the slightest power over me, just like fluff that rushes through the air. I can do without you, I am strong and proud. Humanity is moving towards the highest truth, the highest happiness possible on earth, and I am in the forefront!” Lopakhin: "Will you get there?" Trofimov: "I will reach ... I will reach or I will show others the way how to reach."

You can hear the sound of an ax banging on wood in the distance. Lopakhin says goodbye to Petya: “When I work for a long time, without getting tired, then my thoughts are easier, and it seems as if I also know why I exist. And how many, brother, there are people in Russia who exist for no one knows why ... Leonid Andreevich, they say, accepted a job, will be in a bank, six thousand a year ... But he won’t sit still, he’s very lazy ... "

Anya enters, conveys her mother's request that the garden not be cut down before her departure. Lopakhin goes to give orders. First Anya, then Varya, they ask if Firs was sent to the hospital. Yasha replies that “he said in the morning ...”, that is, he shifted this matter to others. Yasha's mother comes to say goodbye. Yasha is dissatisfied: "They only take it out of patience." Dunyasha cries: “You are leaving, you are leaving me ...” Yasha drinks champagne: “It’s not for me here, I can’t live ... there’s nothing to be done. Seen enough of ignorance - will be with me. Behave yourself, then you won't cry."

Gaev and Ranevskaya enter. Lyubov Andreevna: “Goodbye, sweet home, old grandfather. Winter will pass, spring will come, and you will no longer be there, they will break you ... ”Anna does not share her mother’s sadness, she is happy:“ A new life begins! .. I will prepare, pass the exam at the gymnasium and then I will work ... " Pishchik, out of breath, appears. He says that white clay was found in his estate. Now the English have leased the estate from him and paid a lot of money.

Ranevskaya says that she has two worries - the sick Firs and Varya. She hears that the old man has been sent to the hospital and calms down. Lyubov Andreevna speaks to Lopakhin about Var: “I dreamed of marrying her to you ...” Lopakhin is ready to make an offer. Ranevskaya calls Varya and leaves them alone. Varya pretends to be looking for something. Lopakhin is still unable to start a conversation. Suddenly, someone calls him, and he quickly leaves, as if he was waiting for this call. Varya, sitting on the floor, quietly sobs.

Final preparations before departure. Ranevskaya and Gaev say goodbye to the house. Anya: "Goodbye, old life!" Petya picks up: “Hello, new life!” Everyone except Gaev and Ranevskaya exits. “They were definitely waiting for this, throwing themselves on each other’s necks and sobbing restrainedly, quietly, afraid that they would not be heard.” Lyubov Andreevna: “Oh my dear, my gentle beautiful garden! .. My life, my youth, my happiness, goodbye! ..”

The stage is empty. You can hear how all the doors are locked with a key, how the carriages drive off. Amidst the silence, there is a dull knock on wood, sounding lonely and sad. Footsteps are heard, Firs appears: “Locked. They left... They forgot about me... Nothing... I'll sit here... Life has passed, as if it hadn't lived. I'll lie down... You don't have any Silushka, there's nothing left, nothing... Oh, you... you idiot!..» He lies motionless.

A distant sound is heard, as if from the sky, the sound of a broken string, fading, sad. There is silence, and only one can hear how far in the garden they knock with an ax on a tree.

The Cherry Orchard is the last play by A.P. Chekhov. He wrote it a year before his death. Behind the story of a noble family that lost its garden, the writer hid the history of his homeland, which, according to the author, would have the same miserable existence in the future as the nobility without a manor. We wrote more about his idea in, and now you can find out the plot and main events of the book by reading a brief retelling of the actions from Literaguru.

Lived in France for five years. The youngest daughter Anya spent several months with her. In May, both of them had to return to their homeland. The footman Firs, Ranevskaya's brother Gaev and the eldest daughter Varya are sent to the station (here are them). And at home they are expected by the merchant Lopakhin and the maid Dunyasha. They are sitting in a room that is still called the "nursery" out of old habit. talks about how life can turn around, that he, the son of a serf, is now a free and prosperous merchant.

Crews arrive from the station. Ranevskaya and Anya are happy to return. The estate has not changed since their departure. Soon it becomes obvious to the reader that Lyubov Andreevna was in a difficult financial situation. She had to sell all her foreign property and return to Russia. Lopakhin reminds her that the estate with the garden will have to be sold by auction in August if he and his brother do not urgently come up with a solution. The merchant immediately offers them an option that seems to him very successful. Cut down the garden, divide the land into plots and rent to summer residents. But Lyubov Andreevna and Gaev only brush aside, saying that the garden is the most valuable thing on the territory of the entire province. They hope for the help of a rich aunt from Yaroslavl, although relations with her are strained.

Action 2

Several weeks have passed since Ranevskaya's arrival. But neither she nor Gaev are in a hurry to solve their problems. Moreover, they continue to overspend. Returning from the city, where they went to have breakfast in the company of Lopakhin, they stop at the old church. Shortly before their appearance, on this bench, the clerk Epikhodov declared his love to Dunyasha. But the frivolous girl preferred the footman Yasha to him.

Lopakhin again recalls the auction. He once again offers them to cut down the garden. But the brother and sister only brush aside his words, saying that the aunt will definitely send money. And yes, there is still plenty of time. The merchant does not understand them, calls them strange and frivolous.

The daughters of Ranevskaya and Petya Trofimov approach the shop (here are them). Ranevskaya starts talking about a proud person. But the conversation does not come out, and soon everyone leaves the bench by the church one by one. Anya and Petya are left alone. Trofimov, in love, tries to charm the girl with his speeches. He says that it is necessary, rejecting everything material, strives for the ideal. Anya, who, like her mother, easily succumbs to beautiful words, is fond of Petya, not noticing his worthlessness.

Action 3

August is coming. Ranevskaya, it seems, does not think at all about the fate of the estate. On the day of the auction, she throws a lavish party. Lyubov Andreevna even invites the orchestra. Everyone dances, communicates and rejoices. However, there is a sense of fun. The thoughts of everyone in the room are turned to Gaev and Lopakhin, who went to the auction.

During the conversation, Petya begins to criticize Ranevskaya and her affair with a swindler from France who robbed her. He laughs at her reluctance to admit the obvious truth. But she immediately accuses him of duplicity. After all, he is an “eternal student”, who cannot even finish the course, preaches hard work and striving for the ideal to everyone. Petya runs out of the room in hysterics.

Gaev and Lopakhin are returning from the auction. The merchant triumphs, although he tries to hide it in the first minutes. And Gaev next to him did not even try to hide his tears and disappointment. They say that both the estate and the garden have been sold. Now the merchant is the owner of the very estate where his father was a serf. The orchestra subsides, Ranevskaya, sitting heavily on a chair, sobs. Anya, whose brain is befuddled by Petya's words, reassures her mother that now they are starting a new life, not burdened by anything material.

Action 4

The last action takes place in October. Lopakhin, without waiting for the departure of the former owners, begins to cut down the garden. The aunt from Yaroslavl nevertheless gave money to Gaev and Ranevskaya. But Lyubov Andreevna took them from her brother and returned to France to her lover. Varya, her daughter, had to go to work as a housekeeper in a neighboring estate, because the new owner of the garden did not propose to her, still feeling inferior to the masters. Anya is preparing to take the gymnasium exam and is looking for a part-time job. Petya leaves for Moscow to continue his studies. His only concern is a pair of lost galoshes. Gaev is offered a job at a bank. However, the whole family is sure that because of his laziness, he will not stay there for a long time. Lopakhin, unable to confess his feelings to Varya, leaves for work in Kharkov. Everyone says goodbye, the estate is locked with a key.

Firs appears on the stage, which even the owners have forgotten about. He walks around the estate, muttering under his breath about a bygone life. When he reaches the sofa, the old man sits down on it and finally calms down. The silence is broken only by the sound of axes.

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The central line of the play by A.P. Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" consists in a conflict between the nobility and the bourgeoisie, and the first must give way to the second. In parallel, another conflict develops - a socio-romantic one. The author is trying to say that Russia is a beautiful garden that should be preserved for posterity.

The landowner Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya, who owns an estate and a cherry orchard, has long been bankrupt, but she is used to leading an idle, wasteful lifestyle and therefore cannot change her habits. She is not able to understand that in modern times it is necessary to make efforts in order to survive and not die of hunger, this is how our summary describes her. "The Cherry Orchard" by Chekhov, only in full reading is able to reveal all the experiences of Ranevskaya.

Ranevskaya constantly thinks about the past, her confusion and resignation to fate are combined with expressiveness. A woman prefers not to think about the present, because she is mortally afraid of it. However, she can be understood, since she was seriously spoiled by the habit of going through life without thinking about anything. Its complete opposite is Gaev, his own brother, who has been overshadowed by his eyes, and he is not capable of committing any meaningful actions. To understand that Gaev is a typical freeloader, it is enough to read the summary of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard.

The conflict between the old owners and the new ones is resolved in favor of Lopakhin, who in the work is the complete opposite of the old owners, is purposeful and knows perfectly well what he wants from life. He is a descendant of several generations who worked for the Ranevsky landowners. A detailed description of the Lopakhin family, for objective reasons, cannot be included in Chekhov in full, reveals the conflict that arose between the characters.

The author, using the example of Lopakhin, demonstrates the true nature of capital. The ability to acquire anything can cripple any person and become his second "I". Despite the fact that Lopakhin has a subtle and sensitive soul, it will become coarser over time, as the merchant in him will win. It is impossible to combine finances and emotions into a single whole, and The Cherry Orchard repeatedly emphasizes this.

Despite the fact that Ranevskaya's tears hurt Lopakhin, and he knows perfectly well that not everything is bought and sold, practicality prevails. However, is it possible to build a completely new life on the remains of a cherry orchard? The land allocated for the construction of dachas has been destroyed. That beauty and life that once burned in a cherry orchard with a bright flame has disappeared, to understand this, it is enough to read it, it is a vivid exponent of the spirit of a bygone era, and this is what the play is interesting for.

The author managed to show the total degeneration of the nobility in all its layers, and then its destruction as a social class. At the same time, Chekhov shows that capitalism is not eternal either, since it inevitably leads to destruction. Petya believes that Lopakhin should not hope too much that summer residents can become excellent hosts.

The heroes of the work look into the future in completely different ways. According to Ranevskaya, her life has come to an end, and Anya and Trofimov, on the contrary, are to some extent glad that the garden will be sold, since now they can start living in a new way. The cherry orchard in the work acts as a symbol of the past era, and he must leave along with Ranevskaya and Firs. "The Cherry Orchard" shows Russia at the crossroads of time, which cannot decide where to move on, this can be understood by reading its summary. "The Cherry Orchard" by Chekhov allows the reader not only to get acquainted with the reality of the past years, but also to find a reflection of those principles of life in the modern world.

Speaking about the work of A.P. Chekhov, his small humorous stories immediately pop up in my memory, filled with deep meaning and often tragedy, and for theatergoers, he is, first of all, one of the most prominent playwrights of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chekhov's play "The Cherry Orchard" was the last in his work. Written in 1903, it was staged on the stage of his beloved Moscow Art Theater in 1904 and became the result of reflections on the fate of Russia. For those who do not have time to read A.P. Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" a summary of the actions will help you get acquainted with this work.

Critics called the play "The Cherry Orchard" by Chekhov Anton Pavlovich a drama, and the writer himself believed that there was nothing dramatic in it, and, first of all, it was a comedy.

main characters

Ranevskaya Lyubov Andreevna- a landowner who left her estate after the tragic death of her son. A lonely middle-aged woman, prone to rash and frivolous actions, living in an ideal world, unwilling to accept reality that could hurt her.

Anya- the seventeen-year-old daughter of Ranevskaya. A young, sane girl who understands that reality has changed, and one must adapt to a new life that cannot be started without breaking with the past.

Gaev Leonid Andreevich- brother of Ranevskaya. Likes to talk about everything in the world. Very often he speaks out of place, which is why he is perceived as a jester and asked to be silent. The outlook on life is the same as that of my sister.

Lopakhin Ermolai Alekseevich- a merchant, a very wealthy person, a typical representative of bourgeois Russia. The son of a village shopkeeper with the business acumen and flair with which he made his fortune. At the same time, he cannot boast of education.

Varya- the adopted daughter of Ranevskaya, who dreams of making a pilgrimage to holy places. During her mother's absence, she acted as the mistress of the house.

Trofimov Petr Sergeevich- a student, a former teacher of Grisha (Ranevskaya's son), who died in childhood. An eternal student who loves to think about the fate of Russia, about what is right and wrong. Very progressive ideas, but no action is taken to implement them.

Other characters

Simeonov-Pishchik Boris Borisovich- the landowner, a neighbor of Ranevskaya, like her, is all in debt.

Charlotte Ivanovna- a governess, she spent her childhood in the circus, where her parents worked. He knows many tricks and tricks, loves to demonstrate them, does not understand why he lives and constantly complains about the lack of a soul mate.

Epikhodov Semyon Panteleevich- a clerk, very clumsy, "22 misfortunes", as those around him call him, in love with Dunyasha.

Dunyasha- housemaid. A young girl, longing for love, tries to behave like a young lady, "a gentle creature, accustomed to a gallant attitude."

Firs- lackey, an old man of 87 years old, who served the family of Ranevskaya and Gaev all his life, refused to create his own hearth and acquire freedom.

Yasha- a young lackey who imagines himself a very important person after a trip abroad. An impudent, dissolute young man.

The play consists of 4 acts that take place in the estate of L.A. Ranevskaya.

Action 1

The first action of The Cherry Orchard takes place in "the room that is still called the nursery."

Early May dawn. It is still cold, but the cherry orchard has already blossomed, filling everything around with aroma. Lopakhin (who overslept the exit to the railway station) and Dunyasha are waiting for the arrival of Ranevskaya, who has spent the last 5 years abroad with her daughter Anya, a governess, and footman Yasha. Lopakhin recalls Lyubov Andreevna as a light and simple person. He immediately tells about his fate, saying that his father was a simple peasant, and he was already "in a white vest, yellow shoes." Without embarrassment, he mentions that, despite his wealth, he did not receive an education. But at the same time, she reproaches Dunyasha with the fact that she dresses like a young lady and behaves inappropriately as a maid. Dunyasha is very excited about the arrival of the hosts. Epikhodov suddenly enters with a bouquet. Dunyasha tells Lopakhin that earlier Epikhodov proposed to her.

Finally, the crews arrive. In addition to those who arrived, other heroes of the play "The Cherry Orchard" appear on the stage, who met them at the station - Gaev, Varya, Semeonov-Pishchik and Firs.

Anya and Lyubov Andreevna are happy to return. We are glad that nothing has changed around, the situation is so unchanged that there is a feeling that they did not leave. A lively bustle begins in the house. Dunyasha happily tries to tell Anya what happened in their absence, but Anya shows no interest in the maid's chatter. The only thing that interested her was the news that Petya Trofimov was visiting them.

From the conversations in the first act, it becomes clear that Ranevskaya is now in an extremely distressed situation. She has already been forced to sell foreign property, and in August her estate with a cherry orchard is to be sold for debts. Anya and Varya discuss this and understand how deplorable their situation is, while Lyubov Andreevna, not used to saving money, only sighs and listens to Firs' memories of how they used to sell cherries and what they cooked from them. Lopakhin proposes to cut down the cherry orchard, and divide the territory into plots and rent it out to the townspeople as dachas. Lopakhin promises "at least twenty-five thousand a year income." However, Lyubov Andreevna and her brother are categorically against such a decision, they value their garden: “If there is anything interesting, even wonderful, in the whole province, it is only our cherry orchard.” And yet Lopakhin invites them to think and leaves. Gaev hopes that there will be an opportunity to borrow money to pay off debts, and during this time it will be possible to establish relations with the rich aunt countess and, with her help, finally resolve financial problems.

In the same action, Petya Trofimov appears, ardently in love with Anya.

Action 2

The second action of The Cherry Orchard takes place in nature, near the old church, from where a view of the cherry orchard and the city visible on the horizon opens up. A lot of time has passed since the arrival of Ranevskaya, and only a few days remain before the auction for the sale of the garden. During this time, Dunyasha's heart was conquered by Yasha, who is in no hurry to advertise the relationship and is even shy about them.

Epikhodov, Charlotte Ivanovna, Dunyasha and Yasha are walking. Charlotte talks about her loneliness, that there is no person with whom she could talk heart to heart. Epikhodov feels that Dunyasha prefers Yasha and is very upset by this. It hints that he is ready to commit suicide. Dunyasha is passionately in love with Yasha, but his behavior shows that for him this is just a passing hobby.

Ranevskaya, Gaev, Lopakhin appear near the church. Gaev talks about the advantages of the railway, which allowed them to easily get to the city and have breakfast. Lopakhin asks Lyubov Andreevna to give an answer about the lease of the estate's lands, but she does not seem to hear him, talking about the lack of money, and scolding herself for their unreasonable spending. At the same time, a little later, after these arguments, he gives the golden ruble to a random passerby.

Ranevskaya and Gaev are waiting for a money transfer from the countess's aunt, but the amount is not enough to pay off their debts, and it is not acceptable for them to rent land to summer residents, it’s even vulgar. Lopakhin is surprised at the frivolity and short-sightedness of their behavior, it even angers him, because the estate is for sale, and if you start leasing it, then this will be the best guarantee for any bank. But the landlords do not hear and do not understand what Lopakhin is trying to convey to them. Lyubov Andreevna reproaches the merchant for his lack of education and earthly judgments. And then he tries to woo Varya to him. Gaev, as always at the wrong time, reports that he was offered a job in a bank, but his sister besieges him, saying that he has nothing to do there. Old Firs comes, recalls his youth and how well life was under serfdom, everything was clear and understandable: who was the master and who was the servant.

Then Varya, Anya and Petya join the walkers. And yesterday's conversation continues about pride, about intellectuals, who, despite external education, are in fact small and uninteresting creatures. It becomes clear how different people come together.

When everyone went home, Anya and Petya were left alone, and then Anya admitted that the cherry orchard was not so important to her, and that she was ready for a new life.

Action 3

The third act of The Cherry Orchard takes place in the living room in the evening.

An orchestra is playing in the house, couples are dancing around. All the actors are here, except for Lopakhin and Gaev. August 22 - the day on which the auction for the sale of the estate was scheduled.

Pishchik and Trofimov are talking, they are interrupted by Lyubov Andreevna, she is extremely excited, waiting for her brother to return from the auction, he is delayed. Ranevskaya wonders if the auction took place, and what is their result.

Was there enough money sent by her aunt to buy the estate, although she understands that 15 thousand is not enough, which is not even enough to pay off interest on debts. Charlotte Ivanovna entertains those present with her tricks. Yasha asks her hostess to go to Paris, as he is burdened by the surrounding rudeness and lack of education. The atmosphere in the room is tense. Ranevskaya, anticipating her imminent departure to France and meeting with her lover, is trying to sort out the lives of her daughters. She also prophesies Lopakhin to Varya, and she would not mind marrying Anya to Petya, but she fears his incomprehensible position of an “eternal student”.

At this moment, a dispute arises that for the sake of love you can lose your head. Lyubov Andreevna reproaches Petya for being “above love,” and Petya reminds her that she is striving for an unworthy person who has already robbed and abandoned her once. Although there is still no exact news about the sale of the house and garden, it seems that everyone present has decided what they will do if the garden is sold.

Epikhodov tries to talk to Dunyasha, who has completely lost interest in him; Varya, who is just as much agitated as her adoptive mother, drives him away, reproaching him for acting too freely for a servant. Firs bustles around serving treats to the guests, everyone notices that he is not feeling well.

Enter Lopakhin, barely hiding his joy. He arrived with Gaev, who was supposed to bring news from the auction. Leonid Andreevich is crying. The news about the sale is reported by Ermolai Alekseevich. He is the new owner! And after that, he gives vent to his feelings. He is delighted that the most beautiful estate, in which his grandfather and father were slaves, now belongs to him, and he can allow himself to do whatever he wants in it, the owner of not only the estate, but also life: “I can pay for everything !" He can't wait to start cutting down the garden in order to build dachas in its place, and this is the new life he sees.

Varya throws the keys and leaves, Lyubov Andreevna sobs, Anya tries to console her, saying that there is still a lot of good ahead, and life goes on.

Action 4

Act four begins in the nursery, but it is empty, only in the corner there is luggage and things prepared for removal. From the street comes the sound of trees being cut down. Lopakhin and Yasha are waiting for the former owners to appear, with whom their former peasants have come to say goodbye. Lopakhin escorts the Ranevskaya family with champagne, but no one wants to drink it. Every character's mood is different. Lyubov Andreevna and Gaev are sad, Anya and Petya are in anticipation of the beginning of a new stage in their lives, Yasha is glad that he is leaving his homeland and mother that bothered him, Lopakhin can not wait to close the house as soon as possible and start the project that he conceived. The former owner holds back her tears, but when Anya says that after the sale of the estate, it only became easier for everyone, since they all were able to understand where to move on, everyone agrees with her. Now everyone is going to Kharkov together, and there the paths of the heroes will diverge. Raevskaya and Yasha leave for Paris, Anya to study, Petya to Moscow, Gaev agreed to serve in a bank, Varya found a job as a housekeeper in a nearby town. Only Charlotte Ivanovna is not attached, but Lopakhin promises to help her settle down. He also took Epikhodov to him to help in resolving issues with the estate. Of the former inhabitants of this house, only the ill Firs does not fuss, who was supposed to be taken to the hospital in the morning, but because of the turmoil they cannot figure out whether he was taken there or not.

Pishchik runs in for a minute, to the surprise of everyone, he repays the debt to Lopakhin and Ranevskaya, and says that he leased his land to the British for the extraction of rare white clay. And he admits that handing over the land of the estate for him was like jumping from the roof, but after handing over, nothing terrible happened.

Lyubov Andreevna makes one last attempt to arrange the marriage of Lopakhin and Varya, but left alone, Lopakhin does not propose, and Varya is very upset. The carriages arrived and the loading began. Everyone leaves, only the brother and sister are left to say goodbye to the house in which childhood and youth passed, they sob, hugging, saying goodbye to the past, dreams and memories, with each other, realizing that their life has changed irrevocably.

The house is closed. And then Firs appears, who was simply forgotten in this turmoil. He sees that the house is closed and forgotten, but he has no anger at the owners. He just lays down on the couch and soon dies.
The sound of a broken string and the blows of an ax on wood. The curtain.

Conclusion

Such is the retelling of the content of the play "The Cherry Orchard". Having read The Cherry Orchard in abbreviated form, you will, of course, save time, but for a better acquaintance with the characters, to understand the idea and problems of this work, it is desirable to read it in full.

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