Prepare a story on the topic of parsley puppet theater. People's Theater "Petrushki" as a form of urban entertainment

Russian folklore

Particularly popular at fairs and folk festivals Parsley performances were used and were a form of urban spectacular folklore.

Parsley is one of the Russian folk characters puppet shows. Depicted in a red shirt, canvas pants and a pointed cap with a tassel; Traditionally, Parsley is a glove doll. PETRUSHKA, “the nickname of a farce doll, a Russian jester, a jokester, a wit in a red caftan and a red cap; the entire jester, puppet den is also called Petrushka” (V. Dahl).

The origin of this doll, which appeared in Russia in the second half of the 19th century, has not been reliably clarified. Although in Russia (Encyclopedia Around the World) Parsley has been known since the 17th century. Russian puppeteers used marionettes (string puppet theater) and parsleys ( glove puppets). Until the 19th century, preference was given to Parsley, by the end of the century - to marionettes, as parsley makers united with organ grinders. The parsley screen consisted of three frames, fastened with staples and covered with chintz. It was placed directly on the ground and hid the puppeteer. The barrel organ gathered spectators, and behind the screen the actor began to communicate with the audience through a peep (whistle). Later, with laughter and reprise, he ran out himself, in a red cap and with a long nose. The organ grinder sometimes became Petrushka's partner: because of the squeak, speech was not always intelligible, and he repeated Petrushka's phrases and conducted a dialogue. The comedy with Petrushka was played out at fairs and booths. From some memoirs and diaries of the 1840s it follows that Petrushka had full name- they called him Pyotr Ivanovich Uksusov. The famous Russian puppeteer Sergei Obraztsov called Petrushka Pyotr Petrovich Uksusov (the story “The Four Brothers”) or Vanka Ratatouille. There were main plots: Parsley's treatment, soldier training, the scene with the bride, buying a horse and testing it. The stories were passed from actor to actor, by word of mouth. Not a single character in the Russian theater had the popularity equal to Petrushka.

The first puppet shows with the main actor- Parsley appeared in the first half XIX century. On the pages of everyday life essays and popular print books, his name has been mentioned since the 1840s.

In Russia of the last century, the comedy about Petrushka had no equal among other types of puppet theater in terms of popularity among the common population and breadth of distribution (from St. Petersburg to Sakhalin and from Arkhangelsk to northern Caucasus), in terms of topicality, wit and the deadly power of laughter. Petrushka was considered the main and perhaps the only hero of the Russian puppet theater.

Petrushka's comedy was constantly in the process of development, replenished with new characters, and became more and more relevant and socially rich.

The Petrushki Theater was created not only under the influence of Russian, Slavic, and Western European puppet traditions. It was a type of folk theater culture, part of the extremely developed entertainment folklore in Russia. Therefore, a lot of things unite it with folk drama, with speeches by farce barkers, with the verdicts of the groomsmen at the wedding, with amusing popular prints, with the jokes of the raeshniks, etc.

The special atmosphere of the city's festive square explains, for example, Petrushka's familiarity, his unbridled gaiety and indiscriminateness in the object of ridicule and shame. After all, Parsley not only beats class enemies, but he often beats everyone in a row - from his own fiancée to the policeman for no reason at all (a blackamoor, an old beggar woman, a German clown, etc.), and in the end he gets hit too: the dog mercilessly pulls his nose. The puppeteer, like other participants in the fair, square fun, is attracted by the very opportunity to ridicule, parody, beat, and the more, louder, more unexpected, sharper, the better. Elements social protest, satires were very successfully and naturally superimposed on this ancient basis of laughter.

Like all folklore entertainments, “Petrushka” is filled with obscenities and curses. Original meaning These elements have been studied quite fully, and how deeply they penetrated into the folk culture of laughter and what place swearing, verbal obscenity and demeaning, cynical gestures occupied in it, is fully shown by M.M. Bakhtin.

Performances were shown several times a day in different conditions(at fairs, in front of booths, on city streets, in the suburbs). "Walking" Parsley was the most common use of the doll.

For the mobile folk theater, a light screen, dolls, miniature backstage and a curtain were specially made. Petrushka ran around the stage, his gestures and movements creating the appearance of a living person.

The comic effect of the episodes was achieved using techniques characteristic of the folk culture of laughter: fights, beatings, obscenities, the imaginary deafness of a partner, funny movements and gestures, mimicking, funny funerals, etc.

There are conflicting opinions about the reasons for the extraordinary popularity of the theater: topicality, satirical and social orientation, comic character, simple acting that is understandable to all segments of the population, the charm of the main character, acting improvisation, freedom of choice of material, the sharp tongue of the puppet.

The Petrushki Theater is a type of folk theater that was not only watched, but also listened to, so most scenes included both movement and conversation in varying proportions. In the episodes of bargaining (the scene of buying a horse), treatment, ridicule of soldier drill, word and gesture are, as a rule, equivalent; they complement each other, combining visual and auditory perception.

Songs and dances were an integral part of most of the performances of the Petrushki Theater. The heroes of the comedy performed lyrical songs, dance songs, ditty couplets, cruel romances, and songs of literary origin. They danced Russian, Komarinskaya, trepaka, “lady”, polka, waltz, etc. Musical exhibitions played a large role in comedy. Dances and songs, hurdy-gurdy melodies were not just the musical setting of the performance, they were designed to set the audience up for a cheerful, festive mood, create an additional comic effect by contrasting the ratio of melody and action, serve as a characteristic of the characters, diversify them, in other words, together with other poetic and stage techniques, make the performance a lively and vibrant spectacle.

The structure of a theatrical performance is also determined by the relationship between spectators and actors. Public orientation existed and exists in all forms theatrical arts, in varying degrees, of course, and in varying quality.

For the Russian "Petrushka", as well as for the folk theater in general, communication with the audience was an indispensable condition and extremely important point performance.

Parsley is a folk holiday joy.

Parsley is a manifestation of popular optimism, a mockery of the poor against the powerful and rich.

The Parsley Theater remained a part of holiday entertainment for a long time. As a mass phenomenon of folk fair culture, it ceased to exist at the beginning of the 20th century.

Municipal state-financed organization City Palace of Culture of the village of Belye Berega

People's puppet show Parsley".

(Methodological material)

Compiled by:

Choirmaster Borisova A.N.

2. Plays for the folk puppet theater “Petrushka”;

National Puppet Theater of Parsley.

PARSLEY,“the nickname of a farce doll, a Russian jester, a jokester, a wit in a red caftan and a red cap; The whole clownish, puppet den is also called Petrushka” (V. Dahl). Parsley has been known since the 17th century. Russian puppeteers used marionettes (string puppet theater) and parsleys (glove puppets). Until the 19th century preference was given to Petrushka, by the end of the century - to puppets, because parsley makers teamed up with organ grinders. The parsley screen consisted of three frames, fastened with staples and covered with chintz. It was placed directly on the ground and hid the puppeteer. The barrel organ gathered spectators, and behind the screen the actor began to communicate with the audience through a peep (whistle). Later, with laughter and reprise, he ran out himself, in a red cap and with a long nose. The organ grinder sometimes became Petrushka's partner: because of the squeak, speech was not always intelligible, and he repeated Petrushka's phrases and conducted a dialogue. The comedy with Petrushka was played out at fairs and booths. From some memoirs and diaries of the 1840s it follows that Petrushka had a full name - he was called Pyotr Ivanovich Uksusov or Vanka Ratatouille. There were main plots: Parsley's treatment, soldier training, the scene with the bride, buying a horse and testing it. The stories were passed from actor to actor, by word of mouth. Not a single character in the Russian theater had the popularity equal to Petrushka.

Usually the performance began with the following plot: Petrushka decided to buy a horse, the musician calls the gypsy horse dealer. Petrushka examined the horse for a long time and bargained with the gypsy for a long time. Then Petrushka got tired of the bargaining, and instead of money, he beat the gypsy on the back for a long time, after which he ran away. Petrushka tried to mount the horse, but it threw him off to the laughter of the spectators. This could go on until people laughed it off. Finally the horse ran away, leaving Petrushka lying dead. The doctor came and asked Petrushka about his illnesses. It turned out that everything hurt him. There was a fight between the Doctor and Petrushka, at the end of which Petrushka hit the enemy hard on the head with a club. “What kind of doctor are you,” shouted Petrushka, “if you ask where it hurts? Why did you study? You yourself should know where it hurts!” The policeman appeared. - “Why did you kill the doctor?” He answered: “Because he doesn’t know his science well.” After the interrogation, Petrushka hits the policeman on the head with a club and kills him. A growling dog came running. Petrushka unsuccessfully asked the audience and the musician for help, after which he flirted with the dog, promising to feed it cat meat. The dog grabbed him by the nose and dragged him away, and Petrushka shouted: “Oh, my little head with its cap and brush is gone!” The music stopped, which meant the end of the performance. If the audience liked it, then they did not let the actors go, applauded, threw money, demanding a continuation. Then they played a little scene Petrushka's wedding. A bride was brought to Parsley, he examined her the way a horse is examined. He liked the bride, he did not want to wait for the wedding and began to beg her to “sacrifice herself.” From the scene where the bride “sacrifices herself,” the women left and took their children with them. According to some information, she used great success another scene in which a clergyman was present. It was not included in any of the recorded texts; most likely, it was removed by censorship. There were scenes in which Petrushka did not participate. It was dancing and juggling with balls and sticks.

Destroy Comedy about Petrushka starts at the beginning of the 20th century. Parsley growers began to appear at children's parties and Christmas trees, the text of the scenes changed, losing its sharpness. Parsley stopped killing. He swung his club and scattered his enemies. He spoke politely, and the “wedding” changed, turning into a dance with the bride. The rude, common speech disappeared, and with it the individuality of the hooligan-joker, to whom both old and young flocked.

To this day, the puppet theater uses glove puppets, and behind the screen of the theater, Petrushka has given way to other heroes. “To our yard today, in the spring, the organ grinder / Dragged the actors of the troupe on his back: / He unrolled the screen in the middle of the yard; / Janitors, footmen, laundresses, coachmen / Crowded around the screens to watch / How Petrushka would represent the comedy.”

It seems that the search for the “first plot” of the first parsley is futile. And not only because they repeat the methodological costs of the “borrowing theory” (and broader than the comparative method in theater studies and folklore studies), but also because in all folk cultures ah, on all continents they will give paradoxically positive results. Archaeological excavations, textual studies, myths, and ethnographic evidence today make it possible to simultaneously consider culture as the source of this comedy Ancient Rome, and the culture of the countries of the East. A similar doll was found by archaeologists even on Easter Island.

There is probably no point in searching for “first parsley”, because this phenomenon belongs to universal human culture. But folk puppet comedy at the same time remains a purely national achievement. It is more reasonable to explain the identity of such comedies in many countries of the world by the similarity of dialectically developing in line with a single historical process folk cultures that are based on identical folk calendar games and socio-historical conditions.

According to travelers, the puppet comedian was always with the leader of the bear, who demonstrated “bear fun.” The content of the comedy was obscene. Here it is necessary to pay attention to the statements of witnesses that the puppeteer, as a rule, also played the role of a goat, a clown, or a jester. It is quite natural that these roles were projected onto puppet character. The puppet comedy in the complex of the buffoon performance seen was the last, “shock” number, which indicates its success among the audience, who were not embarrassed by the bland content of the comedy. In the 17th century the comedy was accompanied by a guslar or a whistle-player. He was a kind of connecting link between the doll and the audience: he called, collected payment, conducted a dialogue with the hero, and acted as a raeshnik. The accompaniment of puppet comedy has changed over time. In the first half of the 18th century. “Petrushka” performed his songs and dances to the sounds of a whistle and a violin. Later, when the barrel organ appeared in Russia in the second half of the 18th century, this mechanical wind instrument did not require the performer to musical abilities, supplanted folk instruments. The appearance of the barrel organ in the folk system puppet show evidently indicated the beginning of the decline of this type of theater, its transition to a system of commercial farce performance.

During the period under study, the technique of showing puppet comedy performances also underwent partial changes. At the beginning of the 17th century, a screen served as an ingenious design that looked like this: “... in front is a man in a woman’s skirt with a hoop at the hem, he raised it up and, having closed in this way, can calmly move his hands, lift dolls up and present entire comedies...” ( 18). This extremely movable screen allowed the puppeteer to instantly start the performance and also finish it with lightning speed, if circumstances required it. This design of the screen was convenient for the actor and, if necessary, allowed him to quickly disappear into the market crowd when the guards of order appeared.

It is known that in the 19th century the design of the screen was already different. “A dyed sheet was hung on two sticks, and from behind this sheet the puppeteer performed his performance.” There were also more complex designs, when the puppeteer performed a performance from behind a screen that formed a tetrahedral pillar. Inside the screen there was a box with dolls (19). To install such screens, of course, more time is needed, and therefore a more tolerant attitude of the authorities towards the fact of showing the performance. However, given that in the 17th century. puppet comedy existed as a persecuted folk theater, it is realistic to assume that at one time the screen-skirt was more practical for performers than the design of screens late XVIII- XIX centuries She, perhaps, relieved the puppeteer from paying tax - the inevitable “every fifth money” in favor of the treasury.

During the performance, dolls that did not participate in this scene were most likely hung on the artist’s chest. When the puppeteer lowered his skirt raised above his head and turned into a clown, a buffoon, the dolls hanging on his clothes served as additional jester decorations and attributes.

Until now, it was not entirely clear in the texts of the Masquerade “Minerva Triumphant” by F. Volkov next place: “Momus or mockingbird. There are dolls and bells on it.” Considering that this part of the masquerade was “theaters with puppeteers,” a natural analogy is with the folk puppeteer, who lowered his screen-skirt and appeared before the audience as the god of tomfoolery, hung with puppets.

It is possible that a new screen design appeared among Russian puppeteers along with the advent of the barrel organ.

The performance “Petrushki” was given by two actors - a puppeteer and a musician-raeshnik. This principle apparently remained unchanged throughout the entire period of the comedy's life. Until the beginning of the 19th century, the tradition of performing this comedy with the help of “glove” puppets probably remained unchanged.

Performances using these puppets require a minimum of skill from the performers. The scenography of such a theater is much simpler, more conventional than scenography professional theater puppets. This is easy to verify by comparing Olearius’s drawing with engravings depicting puppet performances Western Europe that time.

The Petrushka Theater had no scenery. He also did not know the numerous props inherent in the performances of professional puppeteers. The only prop detail of the comedy was the baton, which put an end to the endings of the comic scenes, lowering the heads of Parsley’s enemies. During the course of the action, the same club was played by the main character as a violin, a broom, and a gun.

Time has changed not only the design of the screen and the accompanying musical instruments, but also the plot of the performances, character, appearance, even the name of the main character.

This hypothesis is the most likely, but not the only one. The hero of the comedy (by consonance) could have adopted his name from the name of one of his predecessors - the ancient Hindu jester Vidushak, who had a hump, a “funny head”, who aroused the amusement of the audience with his behavior (21). Both Vidushaka and Petrushka are both arguers, both are stupid with some special, feigned carnival stupidity. The language of both heroes is the language of the crowd, their weapons of reprisal are the club and laughter.

Other versions are equally possible. In traveling actors-puppeteers early XVIII V. we meet the name of Petrushka Ivanov, and in the first half of the same century, puppeteer Pyotr Yakubovskoy gave performances in Moscow. It is likely that the puppet hero could have borrowed his name from one of the puppeteers, whose performances were the most popular.

The following assumption, although it may seem unlikely, also apparently has a right to exist. Jesters and folk comic heroes often received nicknames based on the names of various foods and seasonings. Gunstwurst - Ivan Sausage (in Russia this name was translated as “hare fat”), Jean Farina - Ivan Muchnik, a French variety of Polichinelle, Pickelgering - Pickled herring, Jack Snack - a light snack. Why shouldn't Petrushka get her name in a similar way? Later (probably in the first third of the 18th century) his surname Samovarov appeared in memory of the technical innovation that had taken root in Russia, introduced by Peter I.

In addition, there is every reason to assume that this hero - a loud-mouthed bully in a red cap, with a rooster's profile, often depicted riding a rooster, himself - the spitting image of a rooster, could have borrowed his name along with his character. Moreover, in Russia every rooster is “Petya”.

One way or another, we should not forget that Petrushka acquired his name in the “Age of Peter”, when the transformer of Russia, who knew no sentimentality, in the apt expression of V.N. Vsevolodsky-Gerngross, “signed his rescripts not with a pen, but with a baton” (22) , and during his leisure hours, under the name of Petrushka Mikhailov, he drank and fooled around at “the most humorous cathedrals.”

UNDER THE NAME "PARSLEY"

(People's Theater / Compiled, introductory article, prepared texts and comments by A.F. Nekrylova, N.I. Savushkina. - M.: Sov. Russia, 1991. - (B-ka of Russian folklore; T. 10), pp. 251-254, comments pp. 506-507).

Exit Parsley.

We wish you good health, gentlemen. Be healthy, happy day and holiday that is today. (Addresses To the musician .) Musician! Do you know what, brother?
Musician. And what?
Parsley. I, brother, want to get married.
Musician. Not a bad thing, but on whom exactly?
Parsley. Oooh! On Praskovya Stepanovna, the merchant's daughter.
Musician. And Vanya, do you take a lot of dowry?
Parsley. Forty-four thousand and half a quart of vodka, two herrings, caviar and three pound bottles.
Musician. The dowry is not bad, but the bride is good?
Parsley. E-ee, very good!
Musician. Come on, show me.
Parsley. I'll call you now. (Calls.) Paraskovia Stepanovna! My darling, my angel, my little flower, come here! (Paraskovia is walking. At this time, Vanya meets and presses and kisses tightly to her heart and asks.) How is your health, Paraskovia Stepanovna? (Addresses the Musician.) Musician! So, is my bride good?
Musician. She's pretty good, but a little blind.
Parsley. Not true! What an eye, what an eyebrow, what a mouth, what a nose, and what titties (and kisses at this time). Musician! Play Kamarinsky for us!

Vanya and the Bride dance and sing:

Well, move on
When the money came in!
Walk, hut, walk, stove,
The owner has nowhere to lie down.

Then Vanya hugs her and takes her home.

Parsley. Musician! Thank God I got married.
Musician. Now I need to buy my young wife a horse.
Parsley. That's it, brother, who should I buy from?
Musician. At the Gypsy Gavryl's.
Parsley. Where does he live?
Musician. On right side in a big tavern.
Parsley (calls Gypsy). Hey, Gavrylo, smeared snout, come here!
Gypsy (walks and sings).
Yes, the fog is fierce,
And the frost is in the valley,
Yes, between the fogs
The gypsies stood.
Howdy, sir. What do you need?
Parsley. I heard that you have a selling horse. Do you want it expensive? And is she good?
Gypsy. It's good, it's good. Not a sopata, not a hunchback, alive, not blown up, but running - the earth trembles, and if it falls - it lies for three days, and in the mud - it will burst, even if you carry it yourself.
Parsley. As much as you want?
Gypsy. Two hundred and fifty rubles.
Parsley. It is expensive.
Gypsy. How much will Pan give?
Parsley. One hundred rubles.
Gypsy. Not enough, sir, give it.
Parsley. One hundred and twenty.
Gypsy. Come on, sir, make a deposit.
Parsley. Bring your horse.
Gypsy. I won’t give up the horse without a deposit. Farewell, sir. (Parsley at this time catches Gypsy by the forelock and hits the wall.) Having bought or bought, there is no need to fight. Come on, sir, make a deposit. (At this time Vanya leaves.) Our business is to steal, sell, exchange, get money, eat, drink. (At this time Vanya is carrying a stick.)
Parsley. Well, gypsy, get your deposit! (And hits him on the head with a stick.) Here's a ruble for you!
Gypsy (shouting). A-ya-yay!
Parsley. Here's two, three, four, five.

The gypsy receives the deposit and runs away.

Parsley (rides out on a horse). And what, musician, is my horse good for a young wife?
Musician. Good, just lame.
Parsley. You're lying, she's good! Play me a gallop.

While riding, the horse throws and hits Vanya and then runs away. At this time Vanya screams.

Parsley. Oh my God! It hurts around the heart! Who will get my Paraskovya Stepanovna?
Musician. What's happened?
Parsley. Call me a doctor!
Musician. And here comes the doctor.
Doctor. I am a physician doctor, a German pharmacist. They bring me to me on their feet, but I send them away on crutches. Where does it hurt?
Parsley. Higher!
Doctor. Here "- where exactly?
Parsley. Lower!
Doctor. Here "- where exactly?
Parsley. Higher!
Doctor. The devil will tell you: now higher, now lower, now higher, now lower! Get up, be healthy!
Vania (rises). How much do you pay for your work, doctor?
Doctor. Five rubles. (Vanya went.) Give me the money quickly! Our job is to prescribe the medicine, tear the money, tear the skin, and send it to the next world.

At this time Vanya comes in and instead of five rubles brings a stick and gives the doctor blows with the stick.

Parsley. Here's a ruble for you, here's two for you! Here's three for you!

The doctor does not receive the rest of the money, but runs away.

Parsley (To the musician). So, did the doctor get paid well?
Musician. Fine.
Parsley. Oh, now I’ll sit down, sit and sing a song.
Chizhik-fawn, where have you been?
I drank vodka at the market.
I drank a glass, drank two -
My head is spinning!
Police officer (hits Vanya). What are you here, you bastard, making noise, shouting, and not letting anyone sleep? I'll send Barbos to you, he'll bite off your long nose!

At this time he runs in Barbos , Vanya stops and starts teasing him.

Parsley. Qiu-qiu!
Barbos. Bow-wow! (Grabs Vanya.)
Parsley(teases again). Qiu-qiu!
Barbos. Bow-wow! (Grabs him.)
Parsley (says goodbye to the audience and shouts). Barbos, Barbos, my long nose is gone!

End of speaker Vanya.

The ProDetki editors love to visit cultural places and discover new heroes and characters. For example, we became interested in the hero Petrushka in the puppet world.

The Petrushka Theater is a unique performance whose history goes back to the 17th century. At first it was a popular entertainment for ordinary people, and then it gained popularity among high society.

Doll Parsley

Parsley is a printed doll dressed in pants and a red shirt, distinctive feature This character had a pointed cap and a huge red nose.

History of the Petrushka Theater

The Petrushka Theater is one of the oldest entertainments in Rus', which has survived to this day and has not lost its relevance. . Many perceive it as a folk creation, but in reality its prototypes Russian folk theater Petrushka has in many countries such as France, Germany, Italy and Türkiye.

The first appearance of the Petrushka Theater in Rus' was recorded back in the 17th century, but it gained its main popularity only in the 19th century. Despite the fact that there were several types of puppet theater in Rus', Petrushka's performances were the most popular.

Character Parsley

It is not surprising that Petrushka is the main character of the puppet theater, which is named after him. Let's take a closer look at what it is. As you can see from the history of the creation of the theater, it came to Russian lands from other countries, therefore Russian Petrushka has collected many in his appearance distinctive features different nationalities . For example, his head and arms were incredibly large, and his eyes were almond-shaped, his skin color was dark, and his nose had a large hump. Thanks to all this, he was very similar to his Italian prototype - Pulcinella.

Parsley Although he put his main character at the head of the presentation, he did not limit himself to this. For example, Petrushka’s constant partner in the plot was a bear, with whom he acted out the main scenes .

Russian theater Petrushka and its plots

The plots of theatrical performances were always based on banal and philistine themes of that time: soldier's service, treatment, acquisition of a horse and its testing, as well as Petrushka's dating and wedding.

All scenes had their own order and were shown strictly one after another:

— The first scene was always based on Petrushka’s purchase of a horse. He bargained with a gypsy salesman, who did not want to give in, then Petrushka got tired of it, for which he hit the merchant. This was the end of the first performance.

— The second scene was a demonstration of how Petrushka climbs onto a horse, but it does not want to obey him and throws off the main character, and then leaves after the gypsy.

— In the third scene, as at the beginning of the performance, Petrushka is not distinguished by a calm disposition, and, having visited the doctor, beats him because the doctor finds many ailments in the main character.

— Last scene there are also fights. When the policeman appears to find out why Petrushka killed the doctor, main character without thinking twice, he does the same with the quarterly. But justice is personified by the dog, which barks and growls at the main character, and then, not succumbing to any cajoling and begging of Petrushka, who grabbed him by the nose, drags him away from the impromptu stage.

This is where the show ends. Interestingly, the duration of the performance depends on how interesting scenes are played out, because it lasts as long as there are spectators on the street who have honored it with their attention.

Russian folk theater Petrushka is not limited to just four main scenes in its performance . When there are a lot of onlookers on the streets and the audience is ready to watch as much as they want - to watch a puppet theater, the story continues with others interesting stories. One of them is “Parsley’s Wedding”. The script for this performance was so rude and frivolous that parents did not allow their children to watch such a scene.

In all performances, Petrushka acted as a rogue, a swindler and a rude man. Nand his facewas depicteddeven not a sweet smile, as many may think, but a rude grin.

Street theater Petrushka

Traditional Petrushka - puppet theater one actor, the scene of which was always street fairs and shopping areas . The very first performances were shown without a screen, since the only actor-puppeteer simply wore a special skirt with a hoop on his belt. By lifting this ring, the puppeteer disappeared from the view of the audience, giving them the opportunity to enjoy the performance. At the same time, he could calmly move and work with both hands to control two characters at once.

Already at the beginning of the 19th century, such a costume for an actor was replaced by a screen , a prototype of the one in use today. It was installed directly on the ground, hiding the puppeteer and all his props.

Only men were puppeteers, but in order to give their voices additional squeakiness, a specialized squeak was used. It was inserted directly into the larynx. This gave the puppeteer the opportunity to speak louder.

Contemporary Petrushka Theater

Thanks to many artists who make every effort to preserve the traditions of puppet theater, we have the opportunity to enjoy interesting performances and in our days. Nowadays, of course, these are not only nomadic fair performances, but also street puppeteers.

Most often, Petrushka’s performances can be seen in children’s puppet theaters, for example, “Firebird”, “Albatross”, “Fairytale” and many others.

People's Theater Petrushka on this moment is an opportunity to introduce children and adults to history, as well as to instill younger generation love and interest in literature.

Like the learned bears, dolls were once part of the buffoon's repertoire. Folk puppeteers leading a wandering lifestyle acted out their funny performances wherever people gathered. In the 19th century, the main character of Russian folk puppet theater throughout the country became Petrushka (Petr Ivanovich Uksusov, aka Vanka Ratatouille). A dense crowd of spectators invariably gathered around this character.

The most common was the traveling theater of Petrushka: a puppeteer with his assistant musician and the necessary equipment (a folding screen, a set of dolls, musical instruments) moved from fair to fair, earning their bread and travel. Another type of this entertainment was represented by city organ grinders, who walked mainly only along the streets of their city and its environs. In addition, a puppet show with Petrushka was often performed in booths as one of the numbers in a mixed program.

The puppeteers usually mastered their skills so well that the audience was given the illusion that Petrushka was really a living person and not a doll. In general, Petrushka managed to gain truly popular love, but the reasons for the popularity of this character are very different: from the “uncomplicatedness” of the scenes with his participation to their satirical, topical component.

The content of the performances with Petrushka varied depending on the place and time of their holding, but there were scenes and techniques common to all performances, since the comedy about Petrushka was usually passed on from performer to performer only orally. The Petrushka Theater in the mid-19th century included mandatory scenes (the main part of the comedy), and a number of minor ones, the number, content and order of which were determined by the puppeteer himself at his own discretion, depending on his capabilities, talent, local tradition, and so on. The main scenes with Petrushka were: Petrushka's exit, the scene with the bride, buying a horse, Petrushka's treatment, training him to serve as a soldier, and the finale. The appearance of Parsley usually began with his unexpected appearance from behind the screen. Petrushka's outfit consisted of a red shirt, corduroy pants tucked into boots and a red cap. Special features of his appearance were a hump and a long nose.

Jumping out in front of the audience, Petrushka introduced himself (“I am Petrushka, Petrushka, a cheerful little boy! I drink wine without measure, I am always cheerful and sing...”). Before starting the performance itself, this character would conduct lively conversations with the audience on any topic; sometimes, in order to create the appearance of a casual conversation, the puppeteers hired special “pushes” who from the crowd carried on a free conversation with parsley. Next began Petrushkin's adventures, which started with his intention to get married. His doll bride appeared, in whose face various character traits of his time, for example, city morals and manners, a village girl’s ignorance of city fashion, and a guy flaunting his metropolitan habits.

After the story of the marriage, there usually came a scene where our hero buys a horse, which turned out to be not at all as good as the gypsy seller described it. A restive horse throws off Petrushka and hits him with its hoof, he begins to moan loudly and call for a doctor, and then one of the constant heroes of Petrushka’s comedy appears - the doctor, who can say to himself: “People are led to me on their feet, and from me they are driven on road " This is followed by a funny, public-favorite episode of searching for a sore spot and an altercation between Petrushka and the doctor, as a result of which he demonstrates to the “pharmacist” exactly where the horse hit him.

Almost any performance with the participation of Petrushka included scenes of training in the “soldier’s articulation”, during which he comically carried out drill commands and gun techniques. A comical effect was also achieved when the hero supposedly did not hear the commands given to him well (for example, to the corporal’s command “Hold it straight!”, he asked again: “What is it? Matryona Petrovna?”). Well, at the very end of the performance, according to tradition, Petrushka falls into the “underworld,” that is, some character (the devil, a dog, a ram) drags him down behind the screen, but only then for our hero to “resurrect” again at the beginning of the next performance .

At the same time, the degree of social acuteness of the Petrushka Comedy varied depending on the place and time of the performance; for this purpose, a skilled puppeteer could, during the performance, sharpen some aspects of the performance and smooth out others. For example, if the comedy was staged for a single company, then Petrushkin’s jokes became more obscene and the plot concerned mainly his relationship with his bride; if the performance was performed in front of peasants or the urban poor, then the scene of Petrushka’s interrogation and reprisal of the policeman became very relevant. In this way, Petrushka could express popular protest, but the puppeteer did not always have such an opportunity, and some scenes waited in the wings in front of a narrow circle of spectators.

The Petrushka Theater could not exist without a good musician, who performed three main functions: accompanied the action by playing some musical instrument; temporarily participated in the puppet show, talking with Petrushka; acted as an intermediary between the public and the dolls.

Puppet comedy starring comic heroes has its roots in Italy and France, and the performances of foreign puppeteers influenced the Petrushka Theater, but in Russia Petrushka became a people's favorite, incorporating Russian folklore features.

Performances with the participation of Petrushka were always perceived as a holiday and gathered people around them. a large number of people, but by the beginning of the 20th century this entertainment gradually faded away and Petrushka ceased to be the main character of the fair, he was replaced by other folk amusements. Only after 1917 was Petrushka briefly able to gain fame.

(The article was prepared based on materials from: A. Nekrylova “Russian folk city festivals, entertainment and spectacles. The end of the 18th - beginning of the 20th century”)

In the illustration “Petrushka”, 1882. Leonid Ivanovich Solomatkin (1837-1883)

Article rating:

M.: Type. T-va I.D. Sytina, 1918. 20 p., ill. 20.4x15 cm. In the publisher's illustrated chromolithographed cover. The famous "Sytin" popular print book for children.

Parsley- one of the characters in Russian folk puppet shows. Depicted in a red shirt, canvas pants and a pointed cap with a tassel; Traditionally, Parsley is a glove puppet (glove doll). Parsley is “the nickname of a farcical doll, a Russian jester, a jokester, a wit in a red caftan and a red cap; The whole clownish, puppet den is also called Petrushka.” The origin of this doll, which appeared in Russia in the second half of the 19th century, has not been reliably clarified. Although in Russia Parsley has been known since the 17th century. Russian puppeteers used marionettes (string puppet theater) and parsleys (glove puppets). Until the 19th century, preference was given to Parsley, by the end of the century - to marionettes, as parsley makers united with organ grinders. Petrushka's appearance is by no means Russian: he has an exaggerated big hands and the head, the facial features are hypertrophied, the face itself (carved from wood) is treated with a special plant liquid, which makes it look darker; large almond-shaped eyes and a huge nose with a hump, completely white eyeballs and a dark iris, due to which Parsley’s eyes appear black. He inherited Parsley's appearance from the Italian Pulcinella. Many people mistakenly believe that Parsley’s wide-open mouth is a smile, but this is not so; being negative character, Petrushka constantly stretches her lips in a grin. He has four fingers on his hands (a possible symbol that Petrushka is not a person, but some character from another world). A typical misconception is to revere Petrushka as an extremely ancient and primordially Russian hero, based on his archetypal character traits, which originated in the depths of human ideas About Me. Parsley is the younger relative of the older ones: the Neapolitan Pulcinella, the French Polichinelle, the English Punch, the Turkish Karagöz, the German Hanswurst and Kasperle, the Spanish Don Cristobal and others - despite the fact that all of them are theatrical puppets and are controlled using threads. The only analogue of Petrushka in terms of driving technique is the Guignol glove doll, which appeared in Lyon in early XIX century. The famous Russian writer Maxim Gorky, characterizing the image of Parsley, wrote the following:

“...a figure was created... known to all nations...

This is the invincible hero of the folk puppet comedy, he defeats everyone and everything: the police, the priests, even the devil and death, but he himself remains immortal. In a crude and naive image, the working people embodied themselves and their belief that in the end, it is they who will overcome everything and everyone.” The parsley screen consisted of three frames, fastened with staples and covered with chintz. It was placed directly on the ground and hid the puppeteer. The barrel organ gathered the audience, and behind the screen the actor began to communicate with the audience through a peep (whistle). Later, with laughter and reprise, he ran out himself, in a red cap and with a long nose. The organ grinder sometimes became Petrushka's partner: because of the squeak, speech was not always intelligible, and he repeated Petrushka's phrases and conducted a dialogue. The comedy with Petrushka was played out at fairs and booths. In Russia, only men “drove” Petrushka. To make the voice louder and squeakier (this was necessary both for audibility at fair performances and for the special character of the character), they used a special squeak inserted into the larynx. Petrushka’s speech had to be “piercing” and very fast. Until the middle of the 19th century in Russia, Parsley did not yet have its current name. Most often he was then called “Ivan Ratyutyu” or “Ivan Ratatouille” (which gives away the French roots of the doll). There is a version about the origin of the nickname Parsley from Ukrainian word“command” (save). The current name came to Petrushka after the appearance of the miniature “Petrushka and the Policeman” among his many everyday scenes, in which, during numerous attacks, the policeman says to Petrushka:

“You don’t even have a passport!”

to which Petrushka proudly replies:

"Eat! According to my passport, I am Pyotr Ivanovich Uksusov!”

From some memoirs and diaries of the 1840s it follows that Petrushka was called Pyotr Ivanovich Uksusov. The famous Russian puppeteer Sergei Obraztsov called Petrushka Pyotr Petrovich Uksusov (the story “The Four Brothers”) or Vanka Ratatouille. There were main plots: Parsley's treatment, soldier training, the scene with the bride, buying a horse and testing it. The stories were passed from actor to actor, by word of mouth. Not a single character in the Russian theater had the popularity equal to Petrushka. According to a widespread but unproven version, plays with the participation of Petrushka were still part of the repertoire of buffoons and consisted of humorous skits and dialogues. Each scene depicted a fight between Petrushka and one character or another (fights were carried out using fists, sticks, etc.). Usually the performance began with the following plot: Petrushka decides to buy a horse, the musician calls the gypsy horse dealer. Parsley examines the horse for a long time and bargains with the gypsy for a long time. Then Petrushka gets tired of the bargaining, and instead of money, he beats the gypsy on the back for a long time, after which he runs away. Petrushka tries to mount the horse, but it throws him off to the laughter of the audience. This could continue until people laughed it off. Finally the horse runs away, leaving Petrushka lying dead. The doctor comes and asks Petrushka about his illnesses. It turns out that everything hurts. A fight ensues between the Doctor and Petrushka, at the end of which Petrushka hits the enemy hard on the head with a baton.

“What kind of doctor are you?” Petrushka shouted,- when you ask, where does it hurt? Why did you study? You yourself should know where it hurts!”

The quarterly appears.

- “Why did you kill the doctor?”

He answers:

“Because he doesn’t know his science well.”

After the interrogation, Petrushka hits the policeman on the head with a club and kills him. A growling dog comes running. Parsley unsuccessfully asks for help from the audience and the musician, after which he flirts with the dog, promising to feed it cat meat. The dog grabs him by the nose and drags him away, and Petrushka shouts:

- “Oh, my little head with a cap and a brush has disappeared!”

The music stops, signaling the end of the performance. If the audience liked it, then they did not let the actors go, applauded, threw money, demanding a continuation. Then they played a small scene “Petrushka’s Wedding”. A bride is brought to Parsley, he examined her the way a horse is examined. He likes the bride, he doesn’t want to wait for the wedding and begins to beg her to “sacrifice herself.” From the scene where the bride “sacrifices herself,” the women left and took their children with them. According to some reports, another skit in which a clergyman was present was a great success. It was not included in any of the recorded texts; most likely, it was removed by censorship. There were scenes in which Petrushka did not participate. It was dancing and juggling with balls and sticks. Parsley defeated all opponents except one - Death. In the last, final scene, Death took Petrushka with him. However, since Petrushka was used in a farce theater, it is natural that the performance was shown repeatedly and in different places. Thus, Petrushka, who “died” for one circle of viewers, “resurrected” for another. This gives researchers reason to draw parallels between the image of Parsley and many different pagan gods, endlessly dying and resurrecting.

Here is what Alexander Benois remembers about Petrushka:

“In fact, the first performances that I enjoyed were the performances of Petrushka. In any case, I remember Petrushka at the dacha, when we still lived in the Cavalier Houses. Already from afar you can hear a piercing squeal, laughter and some words - all this pronounced by the Petrushechnik through a special machine, which he placed behind his cheek (the same sound can be reproduced if you close both nostrils with your finger). The colorful chintz screens are quickly set up, the “musician” places his organ-organ on the folding trestle, the nasal, plaintive sounds it makes are tuned to a special mood... And then a tiny and very ugly man appears above the screens. He has a huge nose, and on his head is a pointed hat with a red top. He is unusually agile and nimble, his hands are tiny, but he gestures very expressively with them, and he deftly threw his thin legs over the side of the screen. Immediately, Petrushka teases the organ grinder with stupid and impudent questions... Petrushka takes care of the terribly ugly Akulina Petrovna, he proposes to her, she agrees, and both take a kind of wedding walk, holding each other tightly by the hand. But a rival appears - he is a brave, mustachioed policeman, and Akulina apparently gives him preference. Parsley, in a rage, beats the peace officer, for which he ends up as a soldier. But soldier’s teaching and discipline are not given to him, he continues to commit outrages and, horror of horrors, kills his non-commissioned officer. Here comes an unexpected interlude. For no apparent reason, two black araps, dressed in bright costumes, emerge. Each of them has a stick in their hands, which they deftly throw up, throw to each other and, finally, loudly beat each other on the wooden heads with it. The interlude is over. Parsley is on the screen again. He has become even more fidgety, even more active, he enters into daring altercations with the organ grinder, squeals, giggles, but the fatal outcome immediately follows. Suddenly, a figurine gathered into a furry ball appears next to Petrushka. Petrushka is extremely interested in her. He nasally asks the musician what it is, the musician replies: “It’s a lamb.” Parsley is delighted, strokes the “learned, soaked” lamb and sits astride it. The “lamb” obediently makes two or three rounds with its rider along the side of the screen, but then suddenly throws it off, straightens up and, horror of horrors, it is not a lamb at all, but the devil himself. Horned, covered in black hair, with a hooked nose and a long red tongue sticking out of his toothy mouth. The devil butts Petrushka and mercilessly tosses him, so that his arms and legs dangle in all directions, and then drags him to the underworld. Three more times, Petrushka’s pitiful body flies up from some depths, high, high, and then only his dying cry is heard and an “eerie” silence sets in...” Life of an Artist. Memories. Volume 2. Alexander Benois.

It happens in almost all cities, suburbs and villages of Russia.

ACT ONE

Characters:

Parsley, Musician, Gypsy and Horse.

In the distance appears the Musician with a barrel organ, his comrade, the main comedian; he has screens, a box with dolls. Parsley, still sitting in the box, sings in a shrill voice:

Along Piterskaya
Along the path
Petenka is riding
Yes with a bell!

Screens are placed; all this time Petrushka sings and shouts whatever comes into his head. Finally he appears and with a loud laugh sits down on the edge of the screen.

Parsley. Ha ha ha! Dear gentlemen! So I came here, not in a tarantass, but right on an airplane - in an oak box! My respect to you, gentlemen! I am your old friend - Petrushka. I came to amuse you, amuse you and congratulate you on the holiday! ( Addresses the Musician.) The gypsy didn't come?
Musician. It's been waiting for you for a long time.
Parsley. Call here!

Appears Gypsy with a horse.

Gypsy. Hello, Monsieur Shishel-Myshel! I'm the horse breeder who came to you! How are you living? Do you often get sick? I am Gypsy Mora from the Gypsy choir, I sing in a bass voice, eat pineapple, and wash it down with kvass!
Parsley. That's it, grimy face, Humpty Dumpty! Don’t waste your time wagging your tongue, but speak to the point!
Gypsy. My friend, the Englishman Rock, stuck a pitchfork in his side, roams all over Europe, spends the night on Khitrovka every night... Shishel-Myshel, I heard from someone that you need a good horse.
Parsley. Yes, brother, I have been working for a long time - I want to get a race runner. But is your horse good?
Gypsy. Such a horse, master, that without a collar you can drive with four whips... and then only in the wind! Not a horse, but a fire: when it runs, it trembles, stumbles, but if it falls, it doesn’t get up!
Parsley. Oh oh oh! Matchmaker fathers! That's a horse! And what color?
Gypsy. Brown, bay, thin on the sides, with spots, without a tail or mane - shaggy, crooked in one eye, just like you - hunchbacked. Arabian breed, with a certificate.
Parsley. This is the one I need... How much does it cost?
Gypsy. For someone it’s four thousand, but based on an acquaintance I’ll give it to you for two hundred rubles!
Parsley. What did you, grimy, pay dearly for? Or didn't you wake up?
Gypsy. My request is not on your nose! Speak to your heart: how much do you give?
Parsley. A ruble and a quarter.
Gypsy. What a wolf you are, you can even howl like a wolf! Give the kids some extra milk.
Parsley. Well, here's a hundred rubles for you.
Gypsy. Not enough, the master is good! Add more.
Parsley. Do you want one and a half hundred and two kopecks?
Gypsy. There is nothing to do for a dear friend and an earring from his ear! Give me money.
Parsley. Wait, I'll go get my wallet now. (He leaves and quickly returns with a ratchet club and begins to beat Gypsy on the head.) Here you are a hundred, here you are one and a half hundred! (The gypsy runs away.) Hey, hey! Grimy! Wait - there are still two kopecks left! (He laughs and turns to the Musician.) Musician, did I buy a horse cheap?
Musician. What better way! He just acted dishonestly - he didn’t give two kopecks!
Parsley (laughs). And the horse is good - very young! There is not a single tooth in the mouth! (Sits on horseback.) Farewell, Musician, goodbye, gentlemen, guys!
Musician. Where are you going, Pyotr Ivanovich?
Parsley. From here, through Vologda and Arkhangelsk, I’ll head straight to the Caucasus to drink Kakheti kvass. (The horse kicks.) Whoa! Whoa! Sivka-burka! Hush, you damned one! Otherwise I’ll fall and become hunchbacked for a whole century! (The horse throws Petrushka behind the screen.) Oh, fathers! My daring little head has disappeared! My death is coming!.. Musician. Where is your death, Petra Ivanovich?
Parsley. Oh oh oh! Behind the zemstvo outpost, he's digging potatoes in the garden!
Musician. Don't worry: it won't come soon.
Parsley. Yes, in twenty years, by the Intercession, I will probably die... Call the doctor quickly!
Musician. I'll bring it up in a moment.

ACT TWO

Parsley, Musician and Doctor.

Parsley (lays down and groans).
Let the grave punish me
I am not afraid of my own death!

Included Doctor.

Doctor. Who's sick here? What kind of noise is that? Don’t moan, don’t scream, but lie still until death! I am a famous doctor-healer, from under Stone Bridge pharmacist The obstetrician and farrier, the whole Zatsepsky Val knows me! All sciences originated in Italy and much further; performed operations in Paris and here closer to us! I have talent, I know how to heal: whoever comes to me on his feet will leave me on crutches or be carried on a log. Where is the patient?
Parsley. Father the horse-doctor, the pharmacist from under the bridge! Have pity on me, an orphan, don’t ruin me: don’t carry me on a log, but it’s better in a carriage.
Doctor. Well, tell me about your pain: inside or outside? Here or here? (He feels Petrushka.)
Parsley. Here, between the shoulder blades, near the pit of the stomach, and the right bridge of the ankle is aching.
Doctor. Here?
Parsley. Lower and to the left!
Doctor. Here?
Parsley. Higher to the right!
Doctor. What a fool you are! With you you will lose all peace. Now lower, now higher! Stand up and point it out!
Parsley. Father Doctor, I don’t have the strength to get up! Apparently, my illness dragged on for forty years. Oh oh! Now I’ll get up and show you. (He gets up with difficulty, leaves and returns with a stick, which he uses to hit the Doctor on the head, neck and back.) This is where it hurts! It's moaning here! It hurts in this place, but it’s brainy here!

The doctor runs away.

ACT THREE

Parsley, Musician and German.

German (sings and dances). Tra-la-la! Tra-la-la!

Appears Parsley.

Parsley. Musician, what kind of scarecrow is this?
Musician. And this is a foreign person, he doesn’t speak Russian, ask him in French.
Parsley. How is this in French?
Musician. Parlay-vous-France, Alphonse Rallet.
Parsley. Hey Mister Monsieur! Parlais-vous-france? (The German bows silently.) What the hell! Yes, he doesn’t know a damn thing in French! He must be a German from the Green Isles. Let me ask him in German... Sprechen-si-deutsch, Ivan Andreich?
German. Oh me! Their spreche gut.
Parsley. Who is being burned here? Speak Moscow.
German. Main liberger, you?
Parsley. What kind of kvass did you find here? It’s better if I bring you a glass! (He hits the German with a stick, he runs away.) Musician, where has the German gone? He must have run to drink kvass... I’ll go grab a glass too!
Musician. Wait, he’ll be back now, he probably wants to treat you.
Parsley. That is good! In the meantime, I’ll sing a song. (Sings, shaking his head sadly.)"In the evening of a stormy autumn..." (The German appears, hits Petrushka on the head with a stick and quickly disappears.) What a wonder this is, brother Musician: it was as if a mosquito was flying and touched me on the back of the head with its wing! (The German appears again and bows.) Yeah! Sprechen-see-deutsch is back! Musician, why can’t you see his bottle, but some kind of stick?
Musician. It's his corkscrew.
Parsley. Nice corkscrew! Now I’ll give him a corkscrew! (He snatches the stick from the German and hits him on the head several times; the German falls on the barrier.)
Musician. What have you done, villain! After all, you killed him.
Parsley. Bought? Why do I need it? If you want, I'll give it to you for free - completely with tripe and bones.
Musician. What do I need it for? You'll end up in court with him!
Parsley. Well, I'll sell it at the market. (Puts the German on his back, spins with him in all directions and screams.) Piglets! Piglets! I'll sell it cheap to anyone who needs it!.. (Hides.)

ACT FOUR

Parsley, Musician and then Corporal.

Parsley(dancing and singing).
Everyone knows I'm for grabs,
At least I’m ready to swear to you, -
From Varvarka to Arbat
And to Presnensky Ponds!..

Appears Corporal, Parsley instantly disappears.

Cpl. Musician, where did Petrushka disappear?
Musician. I can’t know, Mr. Corporal! He went left, or maybe turned right.

Only Parsley's head is visible from behind the screen.

Parsley. Musician, tell him that I went to Paris...
Corporal (turns quickly and grabs Petrushka). So I’ll show you, you swindler, Paris - you’ll get a kick out of it! You keep getting rowdy here and being rude to noble people! You scream, you yell, you don’t give peace to all of Moscow! So, my dear, I’ll take you as a soldier without a deadline!.. You’ll start kicking frogs out from under my guns.
Parsley. Your frying pan, Mr. Corporal! What kind of soldier am I - a cripple with a hump? The nose is crooked, the head is a knot, and he himself is a box! And then I don’t have a backbone!
Cpl. You're lying! Where is your hump?
Parsley. I lost my hump on Trubnaya Square!
Cpl. This won't get you off me! Here's your gun, stand in front!
Parsley. This is not a gun, but a stick!
Cpl. Fools are taught first with a stick, and then with a gun. Attention! Be equal! K no-o-o-gi!
Parsley. Oops, fleas bite!
Cpl. Listen to the command: on the shoulder!
Parsley. Oooh, it's painfully hot!
Cpl. Right shoulder forward!
Parsley(hits him with a stick). Here you go, here you go!
Cpl. What are you doing, fool? You won't get the next rank.
Parsley. I stumbled just a little, Mr. Corporal!..
Cpl. Listen to the command: all around, march! (Parsley walks behind the Corporal.) Left, right! One, two!
Parsley. Damn curly! (Hits the Corporal on the back of the head.) Three, four, five, six! Go comb your fur?

The corporal runs away.

ACT FIVE

Parsley, Musician and Mongrel.

Parsley. Ha ha ha! How well did I, the Musician, serve? Received the rank of reserve ensign!
Musician. What's better? Now you, Pyotr Ivanovich, should think about the wedding... Prepare the dowry.
Parsley. I have a rich dowry: all the things are good - five caftans with new patches, three wrinkled hats, one and a half arshins of linen, a horse on three legs, without a tail, in the barn there is an onion and a soldier’s button... There is a teapot without a lid with one handle, and It's been sent in for repair!
Musician. Dowry is important! You will live as a full house!

A big shaggy one jumps out dog and with an angry bark rushes at Petrushka.

Parsley (smacks). Shavochka! Little mongrel!.. (The dog grabs him by the caftan.) Where are you going, catechumen? Stop, stop! You will tear the government uniform. Oh, fathers, it hurts! Shavochka, darling! Let's come live with me - I'll feed you cat meat! (The dog rushes and grabs him by the nose.) Ay-ay! Darlings, matchmaking brothers! Intercede, dear ones! Don't let a dog die! Get lost, my daring little head, with a cap and a brush!

The dog fiddles with Parsley and drags him away by the nose.