Nikolai Leskov. Lefty

When Emperor Alexander Pavlovich graduated from the Vienna Council, he wanted to travel around Europe and see wonders in different states. He traveled to all countries and everywhere, through his affectionateness, he always had the most internecine conversations with all sorts of people, and everyone surprised him with something and wanted to bend him to their side, but with him was the Don Cossack Platov, who did not like this inclination and, missing his the household kept beckoning the sovereign home. And if Platov notices that the sovereign is very interested in something foreign, then all the escorts are silent, and Platov will now say: so and so, and we have our own at home just as well, and he will take him away with something.

The English knew this and, before the arrival of the sovereign, they came up with various tricks in order to captivate him with his foreignness and distract him from the Russians, and in many cases they achieved this, especially in large meetings, where Platov could not speak French completely: but he was not interested in this, because he was a married man and considered all French conversations to be trifles that were not worth the imagination. And when the British began to invite the sovereign to all their prisons, weapons factories and soap-saw factories, in order to show their advantage over us in all things and to be famous for it, Platov said to himself:

- Well, it’s a sabbath here. Until now I have endured, but I can’t go on. Whether I can speak or not, I won’t betray my people.

And as soon as he said this word to himself, the sovereign said to him:

- So and so, tomorrow you and I are going to look at their weapons cabinet. There,” he says, “there are such natures of perfection that once you look at them, you will no longer argue that we Russians are no good with our meaning.”

Platov did not answer the sovereign, he only lowered his hornbeam nose into a shaggy cloak, but came to his apartment, ordered the orderly to bring a flask of Caucasian vodka-kislarka from the cellar, shook a good glass, prayed to God on the road fold, covered himself with the cloak and snored so that In the entire English house, no one was allowed to sleep.

I thought: morning is wiser than night.

Chapter two

The next day the sovereign and Platov went to the Kunstkamera. The Emperor did not take any more Russians with him, because they were given a two-seater carriage.

They arrive at a very large building - the entrance is indescribable, the corridors are endless, and the rooms are one after the other, and, finally, in the main hall there are various huge busts, and in the middle under the canopy stands Abolon of Polveder.

The Emperor looks back at Platov: is he very surprised and what is he looking at? and he walks with his eyes downcast, as if he sees nothing - he just makes rings out of his mustache.

The British immediately began to show various surprises and explain what they had adapted for military circumstances: sea storm gauges, merblue mantons of foot regiments, and tar waterproof cables for the cavalry. The Emperor rejoices at all this, everything seems very good to him, but Platov maintains his expectation that everything means nothing to him.

The Emperor says:

- How is this possible - why are you so insensitive? Isn't there anything surprising to you here?

And Platov answers:

“The only thing that surprises me here is that my fellow Don people fought without all this and drove away twelve people.”

The Emperor says:

- This is recklessness.

Platov answers:

“I don’t know what to attribute it to, but I don’t dare argue and must remain silent.”

And the British, seeing such an exchange between the sovereign, now brought him to Abolon Polvedersky himself and took Mortimer’s gun from one hand and a pistol from the other.

“Here,” they say, “what our productivity is,” and they hand over the gun.

The Emperor looked calmly at Mortimer’s gun, because he had some like that in Tsarskoe Selo, and then they gave him a pistol and said:

“This is a pistol of unknown, inimitable craftsmanship - our admiral pulled it from the belt of the robber chieftain in Candelabria.”

The Emperor looked at the pistol and couldn’t see enough of it.

He got terribly excited.

“Ah, ah, ah,” he says, “how is this possible... how can this even be done so subtly!” “And he turns to Platov in Russian and says: “If I only had one such master in Russia, I would be very happy and proud of it, and I would immediately make that master noble.”

And Platov, at these words, at that very moment lowered his right hand into his large trousers and pulled out a gun screwdriver from there. The English say: “It doesn’t open,” but he, not paying attention, just picks the lock. I turned it once, turned it twice - the lock and got out. Platov shows the sovereign the dog, and there on the very bend there is a Russian inscription: “Ivan Moskvin in the city of Tula.”

The British are surprised and nudge each other:

- Oh, we made a mistake!

And Emperor Platov sadly says:

“Why did you make them so embarrassed, I feel very sorry for them now.” Let's go.

They got into the same two-seater carriage again and drove off, and the sovereign was at the ball that day, and Platov choked down an even larger glass of sour water and slept in a sound Cossack sleep.

He was happy that he had embarrassed the English and put the Tula master on the spot, but he was also annoyed: why did the sovereign feel sorry for the English on such an occasion!

“Why is the Emperor upset? - Platov thought, “I don’t understand that at all,” and in this reasoning he got up twice, crossed himself and drank vodka, until he forced himself into a deep sleep.

And the British were not sleeping at that very time either, because they too were dizzy. While the sovereign was having fun at the ball, they staged such a new surprise for him that Platov was robbed of all his imagination.

Chapter Three

The next day, when Platov appeared to the sovereign with good morning, he said to him:

“Let them lay down the two-seater carriage now, and we’ll go to the new cabinets of curiosities to look.”

Platov even dared to report that it wasn’t enough to look at foreign products and wouldn’t it be better to get ready for Russia, but the sovereign said:

- No, I still want to see other news: they praised me how they make the first grade of sugar.

The British show everything to the sovereign: what different first grades they have, and Platov looked and looked and suddenly said:

- Show us your sugar factories word of mouth?

And the British don't even know what it is word of mouth. They whisper, wink, repeat to each other: “Molvo, molvo,” but they cannot understand that we make this kind of sugar, and they must admit that they have all the sugar, but “rumor” does not.

Platov says:

- Well, there’s nothing to brag about. Come to us, we will give you tea with real molvo from the Bobrinsky plant.

And the sovereign tugged at his sleeve and said quietly:

– Please don’t spoil politics for me.

Then the British called the sovereign to the very last chamber of curiosities, where they collected mineral stones and nymphosoria from all over the world, from the largest Egyptian ceramide to the subcutaneous flea, which is impossible for the eyes to see, and its sting is between the skin and the body.

The Emperor went.

They examined the ceramides and all sorts of stuffed animals and went out, and Platov thought to himself:

“Now, thank God, everything is fine: the sovereign is not surprised at anything.”

But they just arrived in the very last room, and here their workers were standing in tunic vests and aprons and holding a tray with nothing on it.

The Emperor was suddenly surprised that he was being served an empty tray.

-What does this mean? – asks; and the English masters answer:

“This is our humble offering to your Majesty.”

- What is this?

“But,” they say, “would you like to see a speck?”

The Emperor looked and saw: indeed, the tiniest speck was lying on the silver tray.

Workers say:

“If you please, wet your finger and take it in your palm.”

- What do I need this speck for?

“This,” they answer, “is not a speck, but a nymphosoria.”

- Is she alive?

“No,” they answer, “it’s not alive, but we forged it from pure English steel in the image of a flea, and in the middle there is a factory and a spring.” If you please turn the key: she will now start dancing.

The Emperor became curious and asked:

- Where is the key?

And the English say:

- Here is the key in front of your eyes.

“Why,” says the sovereign, “do I not see him?”

“Because,” they answer, “it needs to be done through a small scope.”

A small scope was brought in, and the sovereign saw that there was indeed a key lying on a tray near the flea.

“If you please,” they say, “take her in your palm—she has a winding hole in her little belly, and the key has seven turns, and then she will go dancing…”

The sovereign grabbed this key with force and with force he could hold it in a pinch, and in another pinch he took a flea and just inserted the key, when he felt that she was starting to move her antennae, then she began to move her legs, and finally she suddenly jumped and in one flight straight dance and two beliefs to one side, then to the other, and so in three variations the whole kavril danced.

The Emperor immediately ordered the British to give a million, whatever money they wanted - they wanted it in silver coins, they wanted it in small banknotes.

The British asked to be given silver, because they didn’t know much about paper; and then now they showed another trick of theirs: they gave the flea as a gift, but they didn’t bring a case for it: without a case, you can’t keep it or the key, because they will get lost and be thrown into the trash. And their case for it is made of a solid diamond nut - and there is a place in the middle that is pressed out for it. They didn’t submit this because they say the case is government-issued, but they are strict about government-issued items, even if they are for the sovereign – you can’t sacrifice them.

Platov was very angry because he said:

– Why such fraud! They made a gift and received a million for it, and it’s still not enough! The case, he says, always belongs with every thing.

But the sovereign says:

- Please leave it alone, it’s none of your business - don’t spoil politics for me. They have their own custom. - And asks: - How much does that nut cost, in which the flea is located?

The British paid another five thousand for this.

Sovereign Alexander Pavlovich said: “Pay,” and he himself lowered the flea into this nut, and with it the key, and in order not to lose the nut itself, he lowered it into his golden snuff-box, and ordered the snuff-box to be put in his traveling box, which was all lined with mother of pearl and fish bone. The sovereign released the Aglitsky masters with honor and told them: “You are the first masters in the whole world, and my people cannot do anything against you.”

They were very pleased with this, but Platov could not say anything against the sovereign’s words. He just took the small scope and, without saying anything, put it in his pocket, because “it belongs here,” he says, “and you already took a lot of money from us.”

It is unlikely that there will be anyone who is not familiar with the story of Lefty, who shod the flea. The story of the brilliant N.S. Leskova, published in 1881 (a separate edition - 1882), is included in the compulsory school curriculum.

This work is the basis for the wonderful animated film "Lefty". The very expression “shoe a flea” entered the lexicon and began to mean the high skill of Russian craftsmen.

A brilliant invention

“The Tale of the Tula Oblique Lefty and the Steel Flea” is written in beautiful, witty language, is easy to read, and the heartbreaking story about a brilliant craftsman leaves absolutely no one indifferent. The story has become so embedded in real life that most people do not question whether the legendary Lefty existed in real life and whether a savvy flea remained after him.

And it is very disappointing that the people’s jack of all trades and the result of his work are the fruit of the brilliant imagination of Nikolai Semenovich Leskov. There was no left-handed person; there are also no documents confirming the fact of forging the steel English miniature and its further transfer to England.

Highly developed Western engineering

However, the savvy flea, which has become a symbol of the unsurpassed skill of Russian craftsmen, is available (and more than one), but all specimens were created much later than the events described in the story.

Actually, the tale is a continuation of the statement made by M.V. Lomonosov: “and the Russian land can give birth to its own Newtons.” The miniature metal flea, a miracle of mechanics, was bought from the British by the Russian Tsar, the conqueror of Napoleon. Of course, in the demonstration of the unique product to Alexander I there was both a hint and a reproach: “but we are still smarter and better than you.”

Wonderful return gift

Reply to the “arrogant neighbor”. The tiny dancing insect was savvy. True, the flea stopped dancing due to the weight of its paws - Russian craftsmen “didn’t graduate from universities.” To understand the worthiness of a return gift, one must imagine

Actually, out of this whole unattractive picture, only one fact is interesting - she has six legs. All six Lefty and his two comrades were shod. The corresponding size cloves were driven into the microscopic horseshoes. According to the story, Russian craftsmen performed all operations with metal insects without a “small scope”, since their eye was, in the words of Lefty himself, “shot.”

Ingenious prototype

The shocked engineers of Foggy Albion invited the craftsmen to study with them. And this fact took place in reality. Russian gunsmith from Tula A. M. Surnin was invited to England for training, where he quickly achieved recognition and became an assistant to the owner at one of the best factories, Henry Nock. Surnin, who went to study in England a hundred years before the writing of the brilliant tale, is considered by almost all experts to be the prototype of Lefty, although his fate was much happier than that of the hero of the work. A. M. Surnin, who died in 1811, returned to his native Tula and took a good post at a local arms factory. This master did an incredible amount to introduce advanced English developments into Russian weapons production, which played a big role in the victory of Russian weapons in the Patriotic War of 1812. There were legends about his skill, which gave Leskov the idea to describe the most interesting life of Tula gunsmiths, who were capable of surprising foreigners with their skill and really creating something that would fit the definition of a Russian miracle.

"There is no prophet in his own country"

It is not for nothing that the word craftsman has such synonyms as adept, jack of all trades and creator. There are many products of Russian craftsmen in all crafts, but few names are known. This is because among representatives of the upper strata of society, domestic products and local craftsmen were never held in high esteem, and everything foreign was extolled to the skies. Isn’t the first domestic steam locomotive of the Cherepanov brothers a Russian miracle?

A real genius craftsman who shoed a flea

But let's get back to the savvy flea. This product has become a measure of craftsmanship. And it goes without saying that the Russian craftsman was destined to achieve this standard and shoe a flea. This was first accomplished by the wonderful artist Nikolai Sergeevich Aldunin, who died in 2009.

This virtuoso master of horseshoeing stuffed a real tranquilized flea. Talking about this masterpiece, which Aldunin himself did not consider such a thing (he considered his best achievement to be a microcopy of a real T-34 tank mounted on an apple seed), it is again necessary to remember what fleas look like. Their paws are hairy, and are not designed for horseshoes by nature. An amazing master cut the hairs, removed the claws and made the lightest horseshoes from 999 gold. How small they are can be imagined by looking at the following data: 22 million such horseshoes can be made from one gram of gold. Isn't this brilliant?

A fairy tale come true

The craftsman who shoed the flea lived with us at the same time. He has amazing masterpieces that have not been talked about much or often in the media. All of his works are distinguished not only by their mind-boggling sizes, but also by the fact that they are exact copies of real samples, and also, of course, by their beauty and grace. This was a real creator and Russian genius craftsman, who actually carried out Leskov’s invention.

Museum of Microminiatures

The pioneer, as a rule, has followers. And now a shod flea, like a caravan of camels in the eye of a needle, are mandatory indicators of the skill of a microminiaturist.

Now the Russian Lefty Museum has been opened in St. Petersburg, the permanent collection of which contains 60 exhibits, among them, of course, there are the above-mentioned brilliant examples of the perfection of microminiaturist craftsmanship. A rose in a hair and books on a cut of a poppy seed are represented. The savvy flea occupies a central place in the museum, because it is a legend-symbol glorified by Leskov.

Modern creators

The most famous living Russian microminiaturists include A. Rykovanov (St. Petersburg), A. Konenko (Kazan), Vl. Aniskin (Omsk). Their brilliant works have won awards at many international competitions. The wonderful master Anatoly Konenko gave his first savvy flea to Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.

Legal place of storage

What about Lefty's homeland? Here, in the weapons museum, the famous Aldunin shod flea was kept. Tula is very proud of this exhibit, because it is the first wingless insect with horseshoes in Russia. More recently, this legend moved from the weapons museum to the “Old Tula Pharmacy”, located on Lenin Avenue - the main artery of the city.

Leskov’s story “Lefty” reveals a very fascinating and rather complex issue. It is interesting that the author’s desire to write as simply, accessiblely and a little ironically as possible about serious things that cause a lot of controversy was not adequately appreciated by Leskov’s contemporaries. Critics categorically did not recognize the literary value of the work and hinted at the dubiousness of the writer’s creative abilities. The thing is that the initial publications of "Lefty", dated 1881 (in the magazine) and 1882 (separate publication), were published with the author's annotation. Leskov himself pointed out that the named story is a workshop legend he recorded, retold by an old gunsmith. This information was taken literally by many, so in subsequent reprints the preface was excluded from the text. In fact, the entire development of events, behavior and characters of the characters are the implementation of exclusively the author’s vision of the theme of confrontation between Russian and foreign masters. Nikolai Leskov based the plot on just a short proverb about an English steel flea savvy from Tula, popular among gunsmiths of that time.

“Lefty” is considered to be a short story. Although a fairly substantial volume, division into 20 chapters, sequence of presentation, a clearly distinguished storyline covering a large time period are more characteristic of the story. But the choice of genre definition is easy to explain. The story is much closer to folklore, and Leskov chose precisely this type of artistic narration, emphasizing in the original title that the created story is a fairy tale. In addition, the author considered all events in which the main character did not take part as only a preparatory stage, focusing readers' attention on the fate of Lefty. It was the choice of this form of presentation that allowed the writer to most vividly recreate the picture of the life of a brilliant master from the people. The author used the image of a narrator clearly close to the depicted social environment, who freely uses colloquial expressions and replaces foreign concepts with fictitious or distorted words. In this unique way, the writer introduces an element of satire into the story “Lefty” and openly expresses his attitude towards the events and characters described. This is a rather bold act, because the narrative concerns not only fictional characters, but also real historical figures (both emperors, Platov). Leskov does not hesitate to give a negative assessment of the actions of the ruling elite, who give preference to foreign inventions and neglect the talents of Russian craftsmen. In addition, the author raises the issue of moral qualities - the callous attitude of government officials towards ordinary people. And in contrast to this is the patriotism of Lefty, who, even dying, thinks about the good of the Motherland.

To see for yourself the relevance of the issue and the artistic quality of the text, you should read the story “Lefty” in its entirety online on our website. It can also be downloaded for free.

Retelling plan

1. Emperor Alexander and the Don Cossack General Platov inspect the English Cabinet of Curiosities (a collection of rarities and outlandish things).
2. Alexander buys a metal flea and takes it to Russia.
3. After the death of Alexander, another tsar, Nikolai Pavlovich, orders this flea to be shown to Russian craftsmen.
4. Platov leaves the flea with the craftsmen.
5. Platov, not understanding what kind of work the Tula craftsmen did, takes the left-handed man with him.
6. The Tsar, his daughter, Platov see a savvy flea.
7. Lefty goes to London, inspects factories.
8. Returning to his homeland, Lefty falls ill.
9. Different attitudes towards the English half-skipper and Lefty in Russia.
10. Lefty’s dying words and the attitude of Count Chernyshev and the narrator towards them.

Retelling

Chapter 1

When the Vienna Council ended, Emperor Alexander wanted to “travel around Europe and see wonders in different states.” Alexander was a sociable person, talked to everyone, was interested in everything. With him was the Don Cossack Platov, “who did not like this declination and, missing his household, kept beckoning the sovereign home.” And when the tsar notices something outlandish, he says that there are no worse things in Rus'. And the British came up with various tricks for the arrival of the sovereign, “in order to captivate him with his foreignness,” and agreed with Alexander the next day to go to the armory of the Kunstkamera. Platov did not like this, so “he ordered the orderly to bring a flask of Caucasian vodka-sour from the cellar,” but he did not argue with the tsar, he thought: “The morning is wiser than the night.”

Chapter 2

The next day they arrived at the Kunstkamera - “a large building - an indescribable entrance, endless corridors.” The emperor looked at Platov, but he didn’t bat an eyelid. The British showed off all their goods, and the king was happy for them and asked Platov why he was so insensitive. The Cossack replied that “my fellow Don people fought without all this and drove away twelve people.” And the foreigners said:

- This is a pistol of unknown, inimitable craftsmanship...

Alexander marveled at the thing, and then gave it to Platov so that he could admire it too. He picked the lock and read the Russian inscription on the fold: “Ivan Moskvin in the city of Tula.” The British gasped that they had missed. And the king felt sorry for them for such an “embarrassment.”

Chapter 3

The next day they went again to look at the Kunstkamera. Platov kept calling the Tsar home and making fun of foreigners, and Alexander said to him: “Please don’t spoil politics for me.” They were brought to the last cabinet of curiosities, where there was everything, “from the largest Egyptian ceramide to the skin flea.” It seems that the sovereign is not surprised by anything, and Platov feels calm and joyful about this.

Suddenly the king is presented with a gift on an empty tray. Alexander is perplexed, and the British ask him to take the smallest speck on the tray into his palm. This, it turns out, is a metal flea, for which there is even a key to wind it up, and then it will “go dancing.” The Emperor immediately gave away a million for such a miracle. Platov was very annoyed, because the British “gave a gift”, and he had to pay for it. And Alexander only repeated that he should not spoil politics for him. He put the flea in a diamond nut, and then in his golden snuffbox. And he praised the British: “You are the first masters in the whole world...” And Platov secretly took a small scope and put it in his pocket. They were driving to Russia, looking in different directions along the way and not talking.

Chapter 4

In Russia, after Alexander’s death, none of the courtiers understood what to do with this flea; they even wanted to throw it away. But the king forbade it. Here, by the way, Platov said: “It’s true, Your Majesty, that the work is very subtle and interesting, but we shouldn’t be surprised at this with mere delight of feelings, but we should subject it to Russian revisions in Tula or Sesterbek - then Sestroretsk They called it Sisterbek, “can’t our masters surpass this, so that the British do not exalt themselves over the Russians?” Nikolai Pavlovich agreed, hoping that the Russian masters would be no worse.

Chapter 5

Platov took the steel flea and went to the Tula gunsmiths. The men agreed that the thing was cunningly made, and promised Platov that they would come up with something for his arrival from the Don: “We ourselves don’t know what we will do, but we will only hope in God, and maybe the king’s word will not be put to shame for our sake.” will". Platov was not satisfied with this answer, but there was nothing to do. He only warned that the craftsmen should not spoil the fine work.

Chapter 6

Platov left, and the three best masters, one of them a slanting left-hander, who “has a birthmark on his cheek, and the hair on his temples was torn out during training,” said goodbye to their comrades and went into the forest towards Kiev. Many even thought that they wanted to hide with all this good (the king’s golden snuffbox, a diamond), but “however, such an assumption was also completely unfounded and unworthy of skilled people, on whom the hope of the nation now rested.”

Chapter 7

Tula people are described. Tula is smart, knowledgeable in metal work, and very religious. The Tula people's faith and skill help them build magnificently beautiful cathedrals.

The masters did not go to Kyiv, but “to Mtsensk, to the district city of the Oryol province,” where the icon of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of trade and military affairs, is located. “They served a prayer service at the icon itself, then at the stone cross, and finally they returned home at night, and, without telling anyone, they set to work in terrible secrecy.” They all sat in the left-handed man's house, the shutters were closed, the doors were locked. For three days they sat without leaving, “not seeing or talking to anyone.”

Chapter 8

Platov arrived in Tula and sent people to work. Yes, I’m curious myself and can’t wait to see it.

Chapter 9

The Tula craftsmen have almost completed their work, the last screw remains to be screwed in, and they are already banging on their doors and screaming. The masters promise to bring it soon. And indeed, they came out - two of them had nothing in their hands, and the left-handed one was carrying the royal casket.

Chapter 10

They gave the box to Platov. I got into the carriage and was curious myself, so I decided to take a look, and when I opened it, the flea was still there. He asked the tired craftsmen what the problem was. And they say: “See for yourself.” Platov did not see anything, got angry and shouted at them, saying that they had ruined such a thing. They were offended by him and said that they would not reveal the secret of what their work was because he did not trust them. And Platov took the left-handed man into his carriage and took him away without a “tugament”.

Chapter 11

Platov was afraid that the king would remember the flea. Indeed, as soon as he arrived, the king ordered it to be served immediately. And Platov says: “Nymphosoria is still in the same space.” To which the king replied: “I know that my people cannot deceive me. Something has been done here beyond the pale.”

Chapter 12

They pulled out the flea, the tsar called his daughter Alexandra Nikolaevna so that she could wind the flea with her thin fingers. But the flea doesn't dance. Then Platov grabbed the left-handed man and began to pull him by the hair, and the workman said that they had not spoiled anything and asked him to bring “the most powerful small scope.”

Chapter 13

The Emperor is confident that the Russian people will not let him down. They bring a microscope. The king looked and ordered the left-handed man to be brought to him. Lefty, all in torn clothes, “without tugament,” came to the king. Nikolai says he looked, but didn’t see anything. And the left-hander replies: “You just need to bring one of her legs under the entire microscope in detail and look separately at each heel she steps on.” Everyone did just that. The king looked and beamed, hugged the dirty left-hander and said that he was sure that he would not be let down. After all, they shoed the English flea!

Chapter 14

Everyone looked into the microscope and also began to hug the left-hander. And Platov apologized to him, gave him a hundred rubles and ordered him to wash him in the bathhouse and get his hair done at the hairdresser. They made him into a decent man with a decent appearance and took him to London.

Chapter 15

The courier brought a left-handed man, put him in a hotel room, and took the box with the flea where it needed to be. The left-hander wanted to eat. They took him to the “food reception room.” But he refused to eat their food and “is waiting for the courier in the cool behind the eggplant.” Meanwhile, the British looked at the flea and immediately wanted to see the master. The courier takes them to the left-handed man’s room, “the English clap, clap him on the shoulder...” and praise him.

They drank wine together for four days, then, moving away, they began to ask the Tula master where he studied. The left-hander replies: “Our science is simple: according to the Psalter and the Half-Dream Book, but we don’t know arithmetic at all.” Foreigners are surprised and invite him to stay with them, “learn education,” marry and accept their faith. Lefty refuses: “... our Russian faith is the most correct, and just as our right-wingers believed, our descendants should believe just as surely.” They only persuaded him to stay for a short time, and then they themselves would take him on their ship to St. Petersburg.

Chapter 16

Lefty “looked at all their production: metal factories, soap and saw factories, and all their economic procedures he really liked, especially regarding the maintenance of workers. Every worker they have is constantly well-fed, dressed not in rags, but everyone is wearing a capable vest... “He liked everything, and he sincerely praised everyone. But he somehow wanted to go home - he had no strength, and the British had to take him to Russia. They dressed him properly, gave him money and sent him on a ship. And all the time he looked into the distance and asked: “Where is our Russia?” And then the half-skipper and I started drinking all the way to the Riga Dynaminde.

Chapter 17

They got so drunk that they started getting rowdy. The captain even wanted to throw the left-handed man overboard, but the sailors saw him, reported to the captain, and then locked him up separately. They were taken like this to St. Petersburg, and then “the Englishman was taken to the messenger house on Aglitskaya Embankment, and the left-hander was taken to the quarter. From here their fates began to differ greatly.”

Chapter 18

As soon as the Englishman was brought to the embassy, ​​a doctor came to him, a warm bath, and a “gutta-percha pill.” And the left-hander in the neighborhood was knocked down and began to demand documents, but he weakened and could not answer anything. He lay in the sleigh for a long time in the cold while they were looking for which hospital to place him in. No hospital accepts anyone without documents, so they took him until the morning. “Then one doctor told the policeman to take him to the common people’s hospital in Obukhvinsk, where everyone from an unknown class is admitted to die.”

But the Englishman had already recovered and ran to look for the left-hander.

Chapter 19

The skipper quickly found his Russian comrade when he was almost dying. Lefty told him: “I definitely need to say two words to the sovereign.” The Englishman turned to many people, but everyone refused to help, even Platov said: “... I don’t know how to help him in such an unfortunate time; because I’ve already completely served my service and received full publicity - now they don’t respect me anymore...” And only Commandant Skobelev called doctor Martyn-Solsky to see the left-hander. And he, poor thing, with his last breath said to him: “Tell the sovereign that the British don’t clean their guns with bricks: let them not clean ours either, otherwise, God bless war, they’re not good for shooting.” He crossed himself and died. Martyn-Solsky went to Count Chernyshev with this news, and he: “Know your emetics and laxatives, and don’t interfere with your own business: in Russia there are generals for that.

And if they had brought the Leftist’s words to the sovereign in due time, the war with the enemy in Crimea would have taken a completely different turn.”

Chapter 20

All these were things of the past. The name of the left-hander is lost, like the names of “many of the greatest geniuses,” but the era is reflected aptly and correctly. There are no such masters left in Tula anymore. Workers, of course, know how to appreciate the benefits of mechanical science, but they remember the old days with pride and love.

Who doesn’t know the story about a Russian craftsman who proved to the whole world that our craftsmen are the best specialists in their field. The story “Lefty” was written by Nikolai Leskov in 1881 and included in his collection of works “The Righteous”.

The events of this work date back to approximately 1815, and it mixes real and fictional historical episodes. I would like to advise you to read not only a summary of Leskov’s story “Lefty”, but also pay attention to this story in its entirety. The work is easy to read, it captivates with an interesting story about a simple craftsman from Tula. He is not just good at his job, he has unique abilities and love for his profession and homeland.

N. Leskov. "Lefty." Summary of the story: two sovereigns

At the end of the Vienna Council, the Russian sovereign decides to travel around Europe to see various miracles in foreign countries. The emperor has a Cossack named Platov, who is not surprised by other people’s wonders. He is sure that nothing worse can be found in Russia. But in England they come across a cabinet of curiosities in which “nymphosoria” are collected from all over the world. There the sovereign acquires a mechanical flea. Not only is she very small, she can also “danse” dance. Soon, Emperor Alexander I became melancholy from military affairs, he returned to Russia and died.

The emperor becomes his successor. A few years after ascending the throne, he finds a flea among the things of the late sovereign and cannot understand the meaning of this “nymphosoria.” And only the Don Cossack Platov was able to explain that this was an example of the skill of English mechanics. Nicholas I was always confident in the superiority of his compatriots. He instructs Platov to go on a diplomatic mission to the Don and visit local factories in Tula. The Emperor had no doubt that craftsmen could be found there who could adequately respond to this challenge.

N. Leskov. "Lefty." Summary of the story: Tula artisans

Platov takes the flea and goes to the Don through Tula. He shows this product to the Tula craftsmen and gives them two weeks to come up with and make something that can be shown to the sovereign and wipe the nose of the British. Three masters get down to business, one of whom is Lefty. They gather and go to the provincial town of Mtsensk to venerate the icon of St. Nicholas located there. Having done this, the craftsmen return home and begin work. Nobody knows what exactly they are doing. The townspeople are very curious about what is happening behind the walls of the workshop, but the work is being carried out in great secrecy.

N. Leskov. "Lefty." Summary of the story: Platov’s return and indignation

By the deadline, Platov sets off on his return journey. All the way he urges the Cossacks accompanying him, he can’t wait to see the work. Arriving in Tula, he immediately goes to the craftsmen, but they do not open the doors because they are finishing the work. Only Platov is impatient, he forces the Cossacks to knock down the door with a log. But the masters are adamant and ask to wait a little longer. After a while they come out. Two of them go empty-handed, and the third carries the same “Aglitsky” flea. There is no limit to Platov’s indignation; he does not understand what exactly was done. And the masters only answer that everything is in plain sight, and they advise taking the flea to the sovereign. Platov has no choice but to return to St. Petersburg, but he takes Lefty with him to answer for everyone.

N. Leskov. "Lefty." Summary of the story: Lefty goes to England

Seeing the Tula craftsmen, the sovereign is delighted and sends Lefty to take it as a gift to the British. In England, Lefty demonstrates the skills of Russian masters. There they show him local factories, tell him how their work is organized, and offer him to stay. Only Lefty is homesick; he refuses the offer and sets off, despite the storm.

N. Leskov. "Lefty." Summary of the story: Lefty's return to Russia

Returning home, Lefty makes a bet with the skipper about which of them will outdrink the other. They drink all the way, and it gets to the point where they see devils in the sea. In St. Petersburg, a drunken Englishman is taken to the embassy house, and Lefty is taken to the quarter. There, his gifts are taken away, his documents are demanded, and then he is sent on an open sleigh to a hospital for the common people, where all people of an unknown class are accepted to die. Before his death, Lefty thinks about his state, asks him to tell the emperor that in England they don’t clean guns with bricks and that they shouldn’t do this here, otherwise they won’t be suitable for shooting. But his order remains untransmitted.

Today, both Leskov himself and Lefty belong to the affairs of bygone days, but we must not forget the folk legends. The story about Lefty accurately conveys the spirit of that era, and the author himself laments that if the master’s words had reached the sovereign, the outcome would have been completely different.