Today we will review and recall the work of Victor Astafyev “The Tsar Fish”. Consider an abridged plot that will let us understand what and how makes a person think and think differently.
So what do we have? The small riverine village of Chush, located at the Yenisei River, in which the fisherman Utrobin is found, respectfully nicknamed the villagers Ignatych. He is kind and prudent, attentive and ready to help.
Zinovy is a good mechanic, a big fan of something to fix. Working as a mechanic, he also helps other colleagues - for example, repairs the motors of the boats of his colleagues.
Ignatich didn’t get along only with his younger brother Commander, who envied the elder, feeling deprived. Therefore, they rarely intersect - either fishing, or as needed at family celebrations.
There was somehow an incident between the brothers - the younger brother almost shot the older one from a gun. This stirred up the whole village, flooding it with rumors, which made the Commander apologize to Ignatych. But the elder greatly angered the younger, teaching in response to an apology.
One cold autumn day, Ignatich sailed for fishing. First, he took off a dozen sterlets from the luggage, and sailed to the latter at night, thoroughly shivering. However, lifting the airs, he realized that he was waiting for a serious booty. But everything was far from simple - the fish resisted strongly. In addition, Ignatych also looked around, so as not to get caught in the act of fisheries, being a poacher, whom they did not complain to in the village. He was very alarmed and lowered his gear, noticing the approaching light. However, fortune smiled at the fisherman - it was a barge. The fish at this moment began to break out, dragging the airplanes sharply down. Ignatich identified sturgeon in fish.
Seeing a monster caught at the side of the boat, he was dumbfounded - the fish looked like a prehistoric pangolin. And he did not feel the fit of excitement inherent in a fisherman with a successful catch. Rather, I felt a panic, because something bad was coming from the fish. And he understood that he himself could not master the fish. It was necessary to plant a sturgeon on a larger number of hooks, after which he expected help from his brother. He would never have missed such a prey, having forgotten all the insults.
However, then it would be necessary to share what was caught. Greed began to take hold of Ignatius. Although he was ashamed of his base thoughts, although he remembered the words of his grandfather that he needed to let go of the tsar fish, after which he should look for her again and try to catch it, but Ignatich decided not to let such a sturgeon catch once in his life.
The attempt to stun the fish with an ax hit on the forehead ended in failure - the butt went through regarding. Zinovy tried to simply transfer the fish into the boat, but she, jerking and hitting the side of the boat, dragged the fisherman into the water. There he fell for his own tackle, pushing against the hooks. His beginning to sink to the bottom. He prayed for the first time in his life that the fish would simply leave.
Attempts to get into the boat were in vain. Then he recalled a terrible incident in life - he saw a drowned man in the river, and, thinking that he himself could become a drowned man, Zinovy began to beat the fish with all his might in the head. But that did not help. He was so weak from blood loss and cold that he caught on the boat with just his chin.
Suddenly he felt how disgusting this fish was - because of it, a man had forgotten in it, because of an ugly reptile. Again, memories flooded over him - he had been chasing fish all his life, which prevented him from becoming the chosen one of the council, and becoming a member of the people's squad - they did not like poachers in the village.
Again, he remembered his grandfather, who said that in the presence of sin on the soul - you do not need to hunt the king fish. Then he realized that the time had come for reckoning for the deed.
It was during the war years, in 1942. At that time, a military detachment was brought into the village for work at a sawmill. A handsome lieutenant commanded them, captivating with his charm all the women in the village. Including Ignatich’s beloved, Glasha Kuklina. Of course, the girl was seduced by the courtship of a prominent officer. Then she repented before Ignatich, regretted what was done, and told him that she was mistaken.
After the commander along with the detachment was sent to the front line, Ignatich punished the traitor by abusing her and throwing him into shallow water away from the village. They both kept silent about that. What happened was a mystery between them. In his youth and youth, Zinovy considered the act made an object for personal pride, however, over the years he began to shame himself for what he had done.
After several years, he wanted to apologize to her, he never raised his hands to a woman, he was always in the village, trying to earn forgiveness by humility.
Kara for what Zinovy did was expressed in this fish, and he understood this. Zinovy could barely whisper forgiveness before the Glasha. Soon he heard the sound of a motor passing by a boat. The fish woke up from the waves that emanated from a floating boat, and, unhooking from the self-propelled gun, swam away.
After that, Zinovy felt very easy in his soul, because nobody pulled him down anymore, and he threw a stone from his soul. Also, the man realized that he was saved.
