In the folk calendar, the date of January 18 is called Epiphany Christmas Eve, Hungry Evening or Hungry Kutia. On January 19, the Orthodox celebrate. It is believed that Epiphany frosts begin from this day.

Epiphany Christmas Eve- This is an evening-preparation on the eve of a big church holiday. At this time, ceremonies associated with the blessing of water are performed.

The people on January 18 were also called Hungry Kutya or Hungry Evening. During this period, plentiful feasts and fun ceased. People prepared for the fast, cooked unleavened juice without butter and cottage cheese.

Epiphany evening: divination

Baptism is the last night for Christmas divination. Sometimes the girls went out of the gate to guess at the first comer:

• meet a young guy - to marriage;
• old man - to trouble.

It was customary to guess at the harvest. According to popular belief, on this night frost falls on the bread, which is destined to be born in the summer. Bread left dry will not bear fruit. For this purpose, various breads in cups were put out on the street at night, and in the morning they looked at which frost had fallen.

Fortune-telling about the betrothed was also common. To find out in which direction the future spouse lives, the girl took off her boot or shoe and threw the shoes over a fence or barrier. She looked in which direction the sock would show, from there the groom and wait.

To find out who is destined to get married this year, the girls gathered in the house. The unmarried sat in a circle in the middle of the room. A married woman took off her wedding ring from her finger, tied a woolen thread to it, and began to slowly walk around those present. Approaching each girl, calling her name. If the ring after that began to spin strongly, then this year the girl will marry.

Before going to bed, the girls combed their hair with a clean comb tied with a ribbon. Then they put him under the pillow with the words: “ Who will come to comb me?" In a dream, the betrothed was supposed to appear.

Epiphany evening: customs and traditions

"Epiphany evening" was considered a time of rampant evil spirits. It was believed that the devils are especially dangerous at certain times from 12 to 3 am (the devil's hour), as well as on and the day before. During these periods, there is a possibility of communication with another world and an evil spirit that strives to get into the house as a werewolf. She can take any form: cats, pigs, dogs, snakes. There are frequent cases when werewolves enter a dwelling in the guise of a baby, a wanderer, a miller, a blacksmith. Sometimes they can take on the appearance of a friend - a husband, a neighbor.

Epiphany evening is a day of strict fasting and repentance, preparing believers for the great feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which is distinguished by pomp and solemnity. Two rites of consecration of water are performed:

• on the eve of Epiphany - inside the church;
• on the day of Epiphany - on the nearest lake or river.

Epiphany water sanctifies, gives blessing, cleansing, health. At midnight on Epiphany they went to the river for water. According to legend, the water at this time in the rivers sways. In the evening, water was poured into the bowl. If at midnight she herself sways - this is a good sign, the person saw the appearance of the Lord.

According to legend, the snow collected on the evening before Epiphany helps to heal diseases. People washed themselves with snow, and the melt water was stored for a long time, using it for household needs and for washing. Girls, so that their skin was white and smooth, took snow and wiped their faces with it.

Pure snow was added to the food of livestock so that it would not freeze and be healthy, they were collected for a bath: “The bath will fix everything, the snow bath will add beauty.” They believed that if the snow collected on Epiphany Christmas Eve was thrown into a well, the water in it would not deteriorate and would not dry out throughout the year. They also collected snow in jars for whitening canvases.

On the eve of Epiphany, a strict fast was observed. Kutia, oatmeal jelly and pancakes were obligatory dishes. On Epiphany, pancakes were placed in a barn to appease the brownie and ensure well-being for livestock. At the evening meal, they ate sochivo.

Until the beginning of the 20th century in Russia, sochivo was made from rye grains, and later from rice and wheat grains. The tradition of making sochivo from wheat or rye grains was preserved only in rural areas, where people had the opportunity to purchase this grain. For this reason, city dwellers are more familiar with a dish made from rice.

Epiphany Christmas Eve: what not to do?

On this day, you can not clean the house, wash clothes in the river, swear and be offended by someone. Try to forgive offenders and think positively.

The water collected for Baptism has a strong energy. Mixing baptismal water with ordinary water is not recommended, otherwise it will lose its healing properties. During the collection of water, it is forbidden to swear and think about something bad.

It is believed that Epiphany water can stand for many years and not deteriorate. But if quarrels and scandals constantly occur in the house, then it will become unusable in a month.

On the eve of the holiday and at Epiphany, you cannot borrow or lend. Otherwise, a person will be in poverty all year.

January 18: signs and beliefs

1. If there is a snowstorm on Epiphany Christmas Eve, then in three months there will also be a snowstorm.
2. Snowfall on January 18 is a good sign. The bees will swarm well.
3. Snow that fell early in the morning promises a good harvest of early buckwheat, at noon - middle, in the evening - late.
4. Clear skies on Epiphany night - to a rich harvest of peas.
5. Shining stars in the sky - to good bread.
6. Dogs often bark - there will be a lot of game.

People born on January 18 have a calm and quiet disposition. They are meek and inconspicuous. As a talisman, they should wear an opal or an emerald.

Video: Epiphany Christmas Eve

5 293

Every year on Epiphany night from January 18 to 19, the greatest miracle happens all over the earth - the Spirit of God descends on the waters, and they become healing.

The beginning of the world is water, and the beginning of the Gospel is the Jordan. A sensual light shone from the water, for the Spirit of God hovered over the water and commanded light to shine out of the darkness. The light of the holy Gospel shone from the Jordan, for, as the holy evangelist writes, “from that time,” that is, from the time of Baptism, Jesus began to preach and say: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17).

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem

The blessing of water is the invocation of the grace of the Holy Spirit upon it. A believer drinks holy water not just to quench his thirst, but for the sake of assimilating its beneficial properties, to cure illnesses or spiritual despondency, to cleanse the home of all kinds of filth.

Water is sanctified in order to return the water element to its primitive purity and holiness, lost after the fall of man, and to descend upon it with the power of prayer of blessing and the grace of the Holy Spirit. Through this sacred action, according to the teachings of the Church, water acquires a number of beneficial properties: it cleanses people from spiritual and bodily filth, sanctifies objects and strengthens them in spiritual labors.

What do they pray for during the great blessing of water? That this water be sanctified by the power and action, and the influx of the Holy Spirit. That it be a gift of sanctification, deliverance from sins, healing of the soul and body. That she should receive the blessing of Jordan. To drive away all sorts of slanders of visible and invisible enemies. May this water bring forth eternal life. So that we, through the tasting of this water and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, may be made worthy of sanctification.

The baptism of Jesus Christ in the waters of the Jordan sanctified the nature of the water. And the baptismal water consecrated on this day in the Church contains a pledge of grace.

• It is an erroneous belief to believe that Baptism and Theophany are not the same thing, and the water that is blessed on January 18 and January 19 is different. And on the feast of Epiphany itself, and on Christmas Eve (on the eve), the water is consecrated with the same rite, in memory of the descent of our Lord Jesus Christ into the waters of the Jordan River.
• It is strictly forbidden, while collecting holy water or taking it, to quarrel, swear, and allow impious deeds or thoughts. From this, holy water loses its holiness, and often simply spills. Consecrated water is a church shrine with which the grace of God has come into contact and which requires a reverent attitude towards itself.
• It is necessary to keep holy water, like any shrine, with reverence, in the Red Corner. Do not store water in the refrigerator next to food. In the case of “blooming” of holy water due to a disrespectful attitude towards it, it can be used to sprinkle the dwelling or must be poured into an undefeated place.
• A special property of holy water is that, added even in a small amount to ordinary water, it imparts beneficial properties to it, therefore, in case of shortage, baptismal water can be poured into containers and ordinary water added - "a drop of holy water sanctifies the sea."
• What to do for those who could not come to the temple on January 18 and 19 for holy water? Firstly, you can come for it later - there is always holy water in the church. If it is not in one temple, you just need to go to another. Secondly, it is not necessary to store a whole cistern of it - you can ask friends for a small amount of baptismal water.

How to drink holy water?

They drink Epiphany water on an empty stomach, along with a piece of prosphora. Every day of a Christian should begin with this and morning prayers. Even if a person is prescribed medication on an empty stomach, they first take holy water, and then the drugs.

She can also wash the sick and sprinkle his bed. Holy water is also sprinkled on the dwelling.

Since Epiphany water is sacred, women on critical days cannot touch it, as well as other shrines during this period. But that's only if she's otherwise healthy. If a woman has some health problems, then the consumption of holy water on these days can also be blessed.

They drink Epiphany water a little bit: 1-2-3 sips. You can add it to ordinary, unsanctified water, then it will be all sanctified. Holy water helps to cure mental and bodily ailments, especially when taken with faith.

For example, Seraphim of Sarov advised patients who came to him to take a tablespoon of consecrated water every hour.

At the same time, a prayer is read.

Prayer for the adoption of prosphora and holy water

Lord my God, may Your holy gift and Your holy water be for the remission of my sins, for the enlightenment of my mind, for the strengthening of my spiritual and bodily strength, for the health of my soul and body, for the subjugation of my passions and infirmities, through Your boundless mercy, with the prayers of the Most Pure Your Mother and all Your saints. Amen.

Is it necessary to bathe at Epiphany?

In any church holiday, it is necessary to distinguish between its meaning and the folk traditions that have developed around it. In the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the main thing is the Epiphany, this is the Baptism of Christ by John the Baptist, the voice of God the Father from Heaven “This is my beloved Son” and the Holy Spirit descending on Christ in the form of a dove. The main thing for a Christian on this day is the presence at the church service, Confession and Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, the adoption of baptismal water.

The established traditions of bathing in cold ice holes are not directly related to the very church holiday of the Epiphany, are not mandatory and, most importantly, do not cleanse a person from sins, which, unfortunately, is much talked about in the media, and even more so they do not make a person " baptized."

What do atheists say?

For the first time, St. John Chrysostom mentions the healing properties of baptismal water in the 4th century. And for more than 17 centuries, opponents of Christianity have been trying to prove that the phenomenon of baptismal water does not exist. But it exists!

Priests bless water in silver bowls and lower silver crosses there, and silver ions, as you know, have a detrimental effect on microorganisms - therefore, baptismal water does not deteriorate for a long time.

All silver was stolen from churches in Soviet times, and now all church items in most churches are made of brass at best. And brass, as you know, does not disinfect anything. And even before the revolution, silver church utensils were far from being in all churches. In addition, this argument looks especially ridiculous when it comes to the "Jordans" - the blessing of water in the Epiphany hole. No amount of silver is enough to "disinfect" a river, a lake, or, even more so, the sea.

Water for water blessing is collected from the hole or is blessed in it in winter, when the number of microorganisms in the reservoirs is minimal. This is facilitated by the "Epiphany frosts". Therefore, such water is stored for a long time.

This explanation of the atheists also does not stand up to scrutiny. In most temples, especially urban ones, they don’t go to the “Jordan” for a long time, but they bless ordinary tap water. Moreover, one can talk about “Epiphany frosts” in Siberia. In the central regions of Russia, and even more so in the southern republics, there are no frosts at this time. As for Orthodox countries, for example, the Middle East and Africa, it is almost always summer there.

Orthodox newspaper, No. 3

Bunin's poem "Epiphany Night" refers to the early period of the poet's work. The poem was finally completed in 1901. Its name is associated with the Orthodox feast of the Epiphany, which is celebrated on January 19 according to the new style. But many folk legends and signs were associated with this holiday. For example, it was believed that if there were severe frosts on Epiphany night, then the year would be fertile. These signs were undoubtedly familiar to the poet, who spent his childhood on his estate. But Bunin begins the description of Epiphany night without connecting it with a religious holiday. It seems to be just a night in a winter forest, full of poetry and charm:

Dark spruce forest with snow, like fur,

Gray frosts have sprung,

In spangles of frost, as if in diamonds,

Dozed off, bowed, birches.

Before us is a quiet and solemn picture, the cosmos of frozen space:

Their branches froze motionless,

And between them on a snowy bosom,

Right through the silver lacy

A full moon looks from the sky.

In the way the poet describes the snowdrifts (“snow bosom”), one can feel the echoes of Epiphany beliefs, in which so much space is given to snow. So, in some villages on Epiphany night they collected snow from stacks, believing that only he could whiten the canvas properly. Some believed that if on Epiphany evening snow was collected on the field and poured into a well, then the well would have water all year round. This snow was believed to have healing properties.

The thickets of the forest were covered with a blizzard, -

Only traces and paths wind,

Running away between pines and fir trees,

Between the birches to the dilapidated gatehouse.

Here, for the first time in the poem, we feel the presence of a person - a lonely person who spends the pre-holiday night in a dense forest and watches from afar the lights of someone else's home. It is through his eyes that we see a snow-covered forest:

Sleep mysteriously dark thickets,

They sleep, dressed in deep snow,

And glades, and meadows, and ravines,

Where once the streams roared.

Behind the elation of the poetic intonation, it is as if a person's long-standing fear of the secrets of the wild nature is hidden. The endless loneliness of a person fills his soul with a completely earthly fear of forest animals:

Silence - even the branch does not crackle!

Or maybe behind this ravine

The wolf makes his way through the snowdrifts

Cautious and insinuating step.

Silence - and perhaps he is close ...

And I stand, filled with anxiety,

And I look tensely at the thickets,

On footprints and bushes along the road.

In this expectation of a person there is not only fear of the forest animal, but also some kind of ancient relationship with it. Both of them are forced to hide in the forest from someone else's eyes. However, man is distinguished from the beast not only by fear of nature, of the secrets of the forest, but also by the timid expectation of some miracle on Epiphany night:

Light from the forest guardhouse

Cautiously and timidly flickers,

As if he hid under the forest

And waiting for something in silence.

This light is like a lost human soul that yearns for salvation and hopes for the mercy of God. The striving for God resounds in the lofty and solemn description of the star:

A diamond radiant and bright,

Now green, then blue playing,

In the east, at the throne of the Lord,

A star shines quietly, as if alive.

Although it takes place on Epiphany night, we involuntarily recall the Christmas star that lit up when the Savior was born. Another sign is connected with Epiphany: if the stars shine and burn especially brightly on Epiphany night, then many lambs will be born (the lamb is a symbol of Jesus Christ). The Star of the Lord, shining over the world, equalizes the living and the inanimate, the sinful and the righteous, sending peace and consolation to the world:

And above the forest, higher and higher

The moon rises, and in wondrous peace

Freezing midnight freezes

And the crystal kingdom of the forest!

Here Bunin speaks of the famous Epiphany frost, when everything seems ringing and fragile from the cold, when midnight seems to be some mysterious turning point - to warmth, summer, streams murmuring in ravines. The poem "Epiphany Night" was written almost simultaneously with the stories "Meliton" and "Pines". Therefore, there is a lot in common between them. Both in the poem and in the stories, the harsh and beautiful forest space seems to absorb a person. In "Meliton" and in "Epiphany Night" a "dilapidated gatehouse" lost in a mighty forest is described - a symbol of a lonely human life. And in "Pines" and in the poem, the image of a star is a through image. In the story, "the star in the northeast appears to be the star at God's throne." These expressive visual images serve the common goal of revealing the unearthly grandeur of the sky over the perishable world of people. Therefore, the poem describes that below, under the star, "the light from the forest guardhouse flickers cautiously and timidly." Moreover, unlike the story "Meliton", in "Epiphany Night" it is an impersonal light, a hint of human smallness and loneliness in the face of nature and God.

Ivan Bunin - poetry

Epiphany night

Gray frosts have sprung,

Dozed off, bowed, birches.
Their branches froze motionless,
And between them on a snowy bosom,
Just through the lace silver,
A full moon looks from the sky.
He rose high above the forest,
In its bright light, numb,
And strangely shadows creep,
Blackening in the snow under the branches.
The thickets of the forest were covered with a blizzard, -
Only traces and paths are pouring.
Running away between pines and fir trees,
Between the birches to the dilapidated gatehouse.
Gray-haired blizzard lulled
With a wild song, the forest is empty,
And he fell asleep, covered with a blizzard,
All through, motionless and white.
Mysteriously slender thickets sleep,
They sleep, dressed in deep snow,
And glades, and meadows, and ravines,
Where once the streams roared.

And, perhaps, behind this ravine
The wolf makes his way through the snowdrifts

Silence - and, perhaps, he is close ...
And I stand, filled with anxiety,
And I look tensely at the thickets,
On the tracks and bushes along the road,
In distant thickets, where branches and shadows
Patterns weave in the moonlight
Everything seems to me something alive,
Everything looks like animals are running.
Light from the forest guardhouse
Cautiously and timidly flickers,
As if he hid under the forest
And waiting for something in silence.
A diamond radiant and bright,
Now green, then blue playing,
In the east, at the throne of the Lord,
A star shines quietly, as if alive.
And above the forest, higher and higher

Freezing midnight freezes
I am the crystal kingdom of the forest!

Bunin's poem "Epiphany Night" refers to the early period of the poet's work. The poem was finally completed in 1901.

Its name is associated with the Orthodox feast of the Epiphany, which is celebrated on January 19 according to the new style. But many folk legends and signs were associated with this holiday. For example, it was believed that if there were severe frosts on Epiphany night, then the year would be fertile. These signs were undoubtedly familiar to the poet, who spent his childhood on his estate. But Bunin begins the description of Epiphany night without connecting it with a religious holiday. It seems to be just a night in a winter forest, full of poetry and charm:

Dark spruce forest with snow, like fur,
Gray frosts have sprung,
In spangles of frost, as if in diamonds,
Dozed off, bowed, birches.

Before us is a quiet and solemn picture, the cosmos of frozen space:

Their branches froze motionless,
And between them on a snowy bosom,
Right through the silver lacy
A full moon looks from the sky.

In the way the poet describes the snowdrifts (“snow bosom”), one can feel the echoes of Epiphany beliefs, in which so much space is given to snow. So, in some villages on Epiphany night they collected snow from stacks, believing that only he could whiten the canvas properly. Some believed that if on Epiphany evening snow was collected on the field and poured into a well, then the well would have water all year round. This snow was believed to have healing properties.

The thickets of the forest were covered with a blizzard, -
Only traces and paths wind,
Running away between pines and fir trees,
Between the birches to the dilapidated gatehouse.

Here, for the first time in the poem, we feel the presence of a person - a lonely person who spends the pre-holiday night in a dense forest and watches from afar the lights of someone else's home. It is through his eyes that we see a snow-covered forest:

Sleep mysteriously dark thickets,
They sleep, dressed in deep snow,
And glades, and meadows, and ravines,
Where once the streams roared.

Behind the elation of the poetic intonation, it is as if a person's long-standing fear of the secrets of the wild nature is hidden. The endless loneliness of a person fills his soul with a completely earthly fear of forest animals:

Silence - even the branch does not crackle!
Or maybe behind this ravine
The wolf makes his way through the snowdrifts
Cautious and insinuating step.
Silence - and perhaps he is close ...
And I stand, filled with anxiety,
And I look tensely at the thickets,
On footprints and bushes along the road.

In this expectation of a person there is not only fear of the forest animal, but also some kind of ancient relationship with it. Both of them are forced to hide in the forest from someone else's eyes. However, man is distinguished from the beast not only by fear of nature, of the secrets of the forest, but also by the timid expectation of some miracle on Epiphany night:

Light from the forest guardhouse
Cautiously and timidly flickers,
As if he hid under the forest
And waiting for something in silence.

This light is like a lost human soul that yearns for salvation and hopes for the mercy of God. The striving for God resounds in the lofty and solemn description of the star:

A diamond radiant and bright,
Now green, then blue playing,
In the east, at the throne of the Lord,
A star shines quietly, as if alive.

Although it takes place on Epiphany night, we involuntarily recall the Christmas star that lit up when the Savior was born. Another sign is connected with Epiphany: if the stars shine and burn especially brightly on Epiphany night, then many lambs will be born (the lamb is a symbol of Jesus Christ). The Star of the Lord, shining over the world, equalizes the living and the inanimate, the sinful and the righteous, sending peace and consolation to the world:

And above the forest, higher and higher
The moon rises, and in wondrous peace
Freezing midnight freezes
And the crystal kingdom of the forest!

Here Bunin speaks of the famous Epiphany frost, when everything seems ringing and fragile from the cold, when midnight seems to be some mysterious turning point - to warmth, summer, streams murmuring in ravines. The poem "Epiphany Night" was written almost simultaneously with the stories "Meliton" and "Pines". Therefore, there is a lot in common between them. Both in the poem and in the stories, the harsh and beautiful forest space seems to absorb a person. In "Meliton" and in "Epiphany Night" a "dilapidated gatehouse" lost in a mighty forest is described - a symbol of a lonely human life. And in "Pines" and in the poem, the image of a star is a through image. In the story, "the star in the northeast appears to be the star at God's throne." These expressive visual images serve the common goal of revealing the unearthly grandeur of the sky above the perishable world of people. Therefore, the poem describes that below, under the star, "the light from the forest guardhouse flickers cautiously and timidly." Moreover, unlike the story "Meliton", in "Epiphany Night" it is an impersonal light, a hint of human smallness and loneliness in the face of nature and God.

The poem "Epiphany Night" combines the Christian vision of the world and the peasant, folk perception of nature. Bunin shows us the beauty and grandeur of nature, inspired by man and God's plan.

Ivan Bunin
"Dog"
Dream dream. Everything is narrower and dim
You look with golden eyes
To the blizzard yard, to the snow stuck to the frame,
On brooms of echoing, smoky poplars.

Sighing, you curled up warmer
At my feet - and you think ... We ourselves
We torment ourselves - with the longing of other fields,
Other deserts ... beyond the Permian mountains.

You remember what is alien to me:
Gray sky, tundra, ice and plagues
In your cold wild side
But I always share my thoughts with you:
I am a man: like a god, I am doomed
To know the longing of all countries and all times.

The philosophical beginning is present in many worksIvan Bunin, however, this trend is most clearly seen in the poems that the poet read in the most convenient way to express his own thoughts and feelings. Bunin often draws a parallel between people and animals, trying to prove to himself and others that any creation of God is endowed with a soul that knows how to love, suffer, worry and be grateful. An example of such reasoning is the poem written in August 1909. At this time, Bunin is in Yelets, where he rents a dacha for the summer, hoping to work fruitfully. However, the cold and rainy summer brings melancholy to the poet. One evening he writes a poem"Dog", which is dedicated to the Siberian Laika . However, Bunin presents his rhyming narrative in such a way as if he is in dialogue with his own dog. Moreover, he makes serious adjustments during the year, pointing "to the blizzard yard, to the snow stuck to the frame." There is nothing surprising in this, since Bunin, who is forced to sit in a country house without getting out, experiences real melancholy. He endows the nameless dog with the same feelings, addressing her with the words: “Dream, dream.” The poet knows for sure that even a yard dog can experience the whole gamut of feelings. As for the likes of Maxim Gorky, in her yellow eyes, Bunin repeatedly saw the longing that he attributed to memories of the past. “The gray sky, tundra, ice and plagues” - this is what, according to the author, disturbs the dog's soul. And he immediately draws an analogy with himself, making an amazing discovery: he himself is no better than this dog, since his thoughts are far from the Russian hinterland and also languish in "the longing of other fields, other deserts."

Finding common features between man and animal, Bunin still puts people a little higher than dogs. He explains this by saying that the dog, curled up at his feet, suffers from the fact that he cannot return to the north, and is forced to live out his last days in a foreign land. However, the dog is not able to understand what is happening in the human soul at this moment, it cannot show sympathy. At the same time, the author admits: "I always share my thoughts with you." Bunin notes that man is the highest being on earth, therefore he is "doomed to know the longing of all countries and all times," regardless of his own desires.

Loneliness

And the wind, and the rain, and the haze
Above the cold desert water.
Here life died until spring,
Until spring, the gardens are empty.
I am alone at the cottage. I'm dark
Behind the easel, and blowing through the window.

Yesterday you were with me
But you're already sad with me.
In the evening of a rainy day
You seem like a wife to me...
Well, goodbye! Sometime before spring
I will live alone - without a wife ...

Today they go on without end
The same clouds - ridge after ridge.
Your footprint in the rain at the porch
Fluffed up, filled with water.
And it hurts me to look alone
In the late afternoon gray darkness.

I wanted to shout out:
"Come back, I'm related to you!"
But for a woman there is no past:
She fell out of love - and became a stranger to her.
Well! I'll light the fireplace, I'll drink...
It would be nice to buy a dog.

The theme of loneliness is one of the key in the work of the Russian poet and writer Ivan Bunin. This feeling is experienced by many characters in his works, which is explained by the state of mind of the author himself, who for many years remained an unrecognized genius both at home and abroad, where he spent the rest of his life. However, the poem "Loneliness", created in the summer of 1903, is only partly autobiographical. Ivan Bunin dedicated it to his friend, the Odessa artist Pyotr Nilus, whom he called only "the poet of painting."

This work was written during another foreign trip of Ivan Bunin - he spent the summer of 1903 in dusty and hot Constantinople, away from friends and relatives. Despite the fact that this period of creativity for him was one of the most fruitful, in his soul Ivan Bunin, like the hero of his poem, suffered from loneliness. So,dedicating this work to Peter Nilus, the author seems to have connected it and his own fate with an invisible thread, emphasizing that being alone is the lot of most creative people who, during their lifetime, remain misunderstood even by those whom they consider their friends and lovers.

It is worth noting that before traveling to Constantinople, Ivan Bunin experienced a deep emotional tragedy, parting with his wife, Anna Tsakni. The personal drama left a deep imprint on his work, since during this period Bunin's life seemed gloomy and colorless, and, most importantly, devoid of any meaning. Therefore, it is not surprising that the poem “Loneliness”, written in the height of summer, breathes with autumn cold and hopelessness, it is designed in gray tones, and wind, rain and haze are used as a picturesque background. The author transfers the plot of this work to a dank autumn day, when his hero remains in a deserted dacha, and “it hurts him to look alone into the late afternoon gray haze.”The bleak landscape outside the window, cold and dampness is just an entourage that only emphasizes mental confusion. , melancholy and emptiness of the character of this work. Gradually, line by line, the author tells about the personal tragedy of his hero, who breaks up with his beloved woman. The reason for the breakup of relations is very banal - he simply ceased to be interesting to the one that he actually considered his wife. However, the illusions crumbled to dust, and loneliness became the logical conclusion of the novel.

However, it does not frighten either the author or his hero, who have long come to terms with this state of affairs. Therefore, no attempt was made to keep the beloved, and not a single reproach was made against her. Only a sad statement of the fait accompli of parting, as well as a fragile hope of “somehow surviving until spring”, when the deserted summer cottage village is again filled with the voices of vacationers and wakes up from hibernation.

The character of the poem "Loneliness" does not intend to speed up the course of events, he accepts his fate with amazing humility and some indifference. "Well! I will flood the fireplace, I will drink ... ”, - such is the answer of Bunin and the hero of his work to the world and the people who treated them so cruelly. Therefore, the final stanza of the poem that it would be nice to get a dog in such a situation is a veiled hint that the animal is unlikely to betray its owner. The people,especially women, not only easily betray, but also instantly forget about those whom they once loved, since the past for them, according to Ivan Bunin, simply does not exist. And the world around us is woven from momentary desires and sensations, and there is no place for a real and deep feeling in it.

THE LAST Bumblebee

Black velvet bumblebee, golden mantle,

Mournfully buzzing with a melodious string,

Why are you flying into human housing

And as if you yearn for me?

Outside the window is light and heat, window sills are bright,

The last days are serene and hot,

Fly, hoot - and in a dried Tatar,

On a red pillow, sleep.

It is not given to you to know human thought,

That the fields have long been empty,

That soon a gloomy wind will blow into the weeds

Golden dry bumblebee!

Analysis of Bunin's poem "The Last Bumblebee"

Autumn is always associated in people with the bogging down of nature, which is preparing for a long winter hibernation. However, looking at how yellowed leaves fall, many people catch themselves thinking about their own old age. Indeed, these two phenomena are closely interconnected, and they are united by the end result - death. And it is on this topic that writers are very fond of discussing, who not only draw associative parallels, but also try to find the answer to the question of why the world is arranged in this way.

Ivan Bunin has a similar reasoning poem. The author wrote his "The Last Bumblebee" in the autumn of 1916, not suspecting that in a few months Russia would be mired in the chaos of the revolution and, in fact, would die in the form in which the poet was very dear. It is difficult to say whether Bunin foresaw something similar. However, the fact that at the time of writing this poem he was in a rather depressed and depressive state is beyond doubt.

“A black velvet bumblebee, a golden mantle, mournfully buzzing with a melodious string,” these first lines of the poem create a special atmosphere, not only tuning in a lyrical and philosophical mood, but also showing that the author perceives the world around him through the prism of his personal experiences. Developing the theme of reasoning about the frailty of existence, Bunin is looking for an ally in the bumblebee who could share with him the aching melancholy and sadness inspired by the last warm days of Indian summer. However, the author, unlike the bumblebee, is well acquainted with the laws of the universe, and perfectly understands what fate awaits this beautiful and noble insect. Therefore, he tries to be extremely affectionate and patient with him, noting: “Fly, hoot - and in a dried Tatar woman,
on a red pillow, sleep.

What happens next is not hard to guess. Bunin is devoid of illusions, and therefore he is convinced that "that the wind will soon blow away a gloomy golden dry bumblebee into the weeds!" However, this idea causes very contradictory feelings in the author. On the one hand, he is very sorry for this velvety buzzing creature, and on the other hand, the poet knows that he cannot change something. Therefore, saying goodbye to the last bumblebee, Bunin will experience a slight feeling of sadness, which directs thoughts in a completely different direction. “It is not given to you to know human thought,” the poet notes, referring to the bumblebee. He himself was not yet fully able to understand why the arrival of autumn gives rise to so much sadness and doubt. But the poet knows for sure that someday the time will come, and he himself will be in the role of this bumblebee, who, believing in miracles, will one day fall asleep in a sweet dream to turn into dust. Bunin foresees that something similar will happen very soon with Russia, therefore, in this poem, two parallels can be traced at once, the last of which is based on the author's intuition and vague forebodings. But they turn out to be so accurate and true that they leave no doubt about Bunin's ability to see the future and not have illusions that it will be cloudless.

(Illustration: Sona Adalyan)

Analysis of the poem "Epiphany Night"

Ivan Alekseevich Bunin is a famous Russian poet, prose writer, and translator. Born into a noble family, he studied at the gymnasium. He began writing his first poems at the age of 8. In 1887 he published his works for the first time. He was twice awarded the Pushkin Prize. Later he emigrated abroad. And he wrote his most famous works there. Bunin was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for the first time in Russia.

Many poets wrote about winter and winter holidays. For example, "Winter Night" by Boris Pasternak, "The Enchanting Winter" by Tyutchev, "Winter the Witch is Coming" by Pushkin... All the lyrics in the pile of snowflakes and the brilliant mirrors of the reservoirs saw something magical, unique, magical.

Epiphany is a very important holiday for a Christian. On this day, I want to believe that some extraordinary miracle will happen. The mood of the poem can be divided into two parts. In the first part, the poet describes the mysterious, mysterious winter nature. Moreover, the forest exists as if by itself. Only in the fourth stanza do we notice the presence of a man in this forest:

The thickets of the forest were covered with a blizzard, -

Only traces and paths wind,

Running away between pines and fir trees,

Between the birches to the dilapidated gatehouse.

In the first part of the poem, nature is some kind of living being. This goal was achieved thanks to the personifications: "the birches dozed off", "the branches froze", "the moon looks", "traces run away", "thickets sleep". In addition, the first part is rich in bright epithets: “dark spruce forest”, forest “through, motionless and white”, “wild song” of a blizzard. These epithets create a gloomy atmosphere and escalate the situation a little, preparing us for something dangerous. The second part of the poem is filled with anxiety and anxiety, reverent fear of a wild beast that can watch from the thicket.

Silence - not even a branch crunches!

And, perhaps, behind this ravine

The wolf makes his way through the snowdrifts

Cautious and insinuating step.

Silence - and, perhaps, he is close ...

And I stand, filled with anxiety,

And I look tensely at the thickets,

On footprints and bushes along the road.

The mood of anxiety is emphasized by alliteration - the sound “r” appears more and more often in stanzas. As if this beast growls, hiding in the bushes. The hero's fears are emphasized by the antithesis "Silence, - and, perhaps, he is close ...". He's afraid of that wolf. He is afraid, but admires the forest in which he found himself, which is emphasized in the last stanza with the help of an exclamation:

And above the forest, higher and higher

The moon rises, and in wondrous peace

Freezing midnight freezes

And the crystal kingdom of the forest!

The poem is musical in its own way. It is written in three-foot anapaest, which gives the work a smoothness, even some kind of musicality. Nature is stronger and wiser than a lonely person. And the man admits it. It is this idea that Bunin emphasizes in his poem.

I liked the product. Vivid pictures of the winter forest arose in the imagination, thanks to the means of expression, the author made him feel what his hero felt. In general, in his works, Bunin gives us an idea of ​​​​the life, life, anxieties and concerns of the people of his time. This man was a true master of his craft.