Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (1804-1857) - founder of the Russian school of composers, whose works had a huge influence on the formation of Russian classical music and the creative path of his followers-composers, among whom are A. P. Borodin, A. S. Dargomyzhsky, N. A . Rimsky-Korsakov, M. P. Mussorgsky, P. I. Tchaikovsky and many others. The outstanding music critic V. Stasov compared the significance of Glinka’s work for Russian music with the significance of A. S. Pushkin’s work in literature.

History of creation

Glinka's opera "Ivan Susanin" is one of the first Russian operas. The composer began writing a patriotic work on the advice of the poet V. Zhukovsky. The content is based on the feat that was accomplished by the Kostroma peasant Ivan Susanin. The image of Susanin meant the Russian people who heroically fought against Napoleonic troops. The formation of the image of the main character of the opera was greatly influenced by the poem by K. Ryleev - “Ivan Susanin”.

The creator of the libretto of the opera "Ivan Susanin" is G. F. Rosen. The premiere took place in St. Petersburg at the Bolshoi Theater on November 27, 1836. The production was enthusiastically received by the progressive intelligentsia, who saw in the creation of the opera “Ivan Susanin” the beginning of a new stage in the development of Russian music. The court aristocracy did not share their delight, although the emperor himself was present at the premiere.

At the request of Nicholas I, Glinka’s opera “Ivan Susanin” was renamed “A Life for the Tsar” so that it would have a monarchical overtone. After the collapse of the monarchy, it again began to be called “Ivan Susanin”. Rosen's libretto was revised by the poet S. M. Gorodetsky.

First action

The excited and dynamic music of the overture anticipates the dramatic plot summary opera "Ivan Susanin".

A choir of peasants and peasant women is singing along the street of the village of Domnina. Men glorify military exploits. Women rejoice at the arrival of spring. In Soviet-era productions, the action takes place in the fall, since the movement that Minin raised was started at that time.

After the peasants disperse, Antonida comes out and looks sadly towards the river. The girl is waiting for her fiancé Bogdan Sobinin, who left to fight with the Polish gentry, to return. The peasants come out again, and with them Susanin, who has returned from the city. He reports that the wedding that Antonida dreams of so much will not happen, because there is no end to the people’s grief. Suddenly a boat approaches the shore, from which Sobinin gets out. He warmly greets Antonida and tells her father that Pozharsky’s troops defeated the Poles.

The peasants rejoice, but Susanin understands that this is not the end of the war. Sobinin and Antonida ask him to agree to their wedding. He is adamant. From the summary of the opera "Ivan Susanin" it becomes clear: the fate of the homeland for the main character is inextricably linked with the fate of the family. Main character declares that he will consent to the wedding when the king ascends the throne. Sobinin says that Mikhail Romanov should soon become king. Susanin agrees to the wedding. Everyone disperses, rejoicing.

In Poland, a luxurious ball is given at court. Those present are in high spirits in anticipation of an imminent victory over Moscow. But the messenger that comes does not announce the end of the war. Several daredevils propose to head to Moscow and capture the Tsar. The Poles are confident in the success of this event.

Act three

An orphan boy, Vanya, lives in Susanin’s hut. Together with Ivan Susanin, he thinks that the Poles might come here to capture the Tsar. But they will be able to resist the Poles and protect the sovereign from a similar fate.

The peasants who entered wish Ivan happiness. After they leave, there is a scene of Susanin blessing the newlyweds. Suddenly a horse's tramp is heard. These are Poles. They demand to be taken to the Tsar, since they think that the Tsar is hiding somewhere nearby, and promise Ivan Susanin gold. He agrees, quietly telling Vanya to notify the sovereign of the danger. Antonida, thinking that her father was really seduced by money, begs him not to do this. But her father blesses her and orders her to celebrate the wedding without him. After that he leaves. Antonida cries bitterly. From the summary of the opera “Ivan Susanin” it is already clear: the main character is no longer destined to return home.

Sobinin, who arrived, is perplexed where the enemies came from. After listening to the bride's story, he gathers a detachment of peasants to free Ivan Susanin.

Susanin wanders with the Poles in a deep forest. They are exhausted, so they curse their guide, but for now they still believe him. The enemies stop for the night. Susanin understands that his hour of death is near. Sorrowful thoughts torment him. In the summary of the opera "Ivan Susanin" this is the most tragic moment. Mentally saying goodbye to his family, the peasant goes to bed.

The strongest blizzard. The Poles, waking up, understand that the cunning peasant deliberately brought them here so that they would find their death here. Susanin tells them about his treacherous plan. The angry Poles decide to kill Susanin.

Epilogue

Mass scene. The people praise the king. Antonida, Sobinin and Vanya enter. They yearn for Ivan Susanin. The military detachment that notices them slows down and wonders why they are sad when everyone is happy? When the soldiers find out that this is the family of Susanin, who saved the tsar, they also express their grief over his death. From the libretto of the opera "Ivan Susanin" you can find out that the soldiers took full revenge on their enemies for the death of the main character.

The triumphant people sing to the glory of the Tsar on Red Square in Moscow; bells can be heard everywhere. The Tsar's train heads to the Kremlin's Spassky Gate.

The heroes of the opera "Ivan Susanin" bear in their images the characteristic features of the Russian people: masculinity and the ability to sacrifice oneself for high goals (Susanin), courage and determination (Sobinin), loyalty and humility (Antonida), devotion and fearlessness (Vanya). The patriotic plot and wonderful music of Mikhail Glinka provided this opera with an all-Russian and world vocation.

Ivan Susanin short biography for children, is outlined in this article.

Brief message about Ivan Susanin

Ivan Osipovich Susanin is, in fact, a rather dark figure in the story, in which he is the hero who saved Tsar Mikhail from death. The exact date when Ivan Susanin was born is not known, only the date of death is 1613. All that can be said with certainty is that he was a peasant living in the Kostroma district, the village of Domnina. His family belonged to the Romanov family.

What did Ivan Susanin do?

You can learn about the feat that Ivan Susanin accomplished from the texts of the deed of gift of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov. According to it, the peasant Bogdan Sobinin, the son-in-law of Ivan Susanin, was granted land for the feat of his father-in-law, who saved Mikhail Fedorovich from the Poles, who wanted to “eliminate” him in order to elevate their protege to the Russian throne.

History says that in the autumn of 1612, a “war” broke out for the Russian throne between supporters of the childless tsar and the Poles, who wanted to see their protégé at the head of the state. The pretender to the Russian throne, Romanov Mikhail Fedorovich, together with his mother Martha, left the Kremlin, besieged by troublemakers, and headed towards Domnino - Makaryevsky Monastery. The Poles, having learned about this journey, wanted to find and eliminate a rival to the throne. Having reached Domnino, they tortured Ivan Susanin and fellow villagers, trying to obtain information about the whereabouts of Mikhail Fedorovich. Ivan Osipovich understood perfectly well that the Poles would not retreat from theirs until they got theirs. He pretended that he knew where Mikhail Fedorovich was and agreed to take them to him if they stopped torturing their fellow villagers. Ivan Susanin led the Poles into the swamp. When they realized that the guide had deceived them, they began to abuse and torture Ivan Osipovich. But he, like a real hero, did not say anything to the enemies and accepted death, and Mikhail Fedorovich thereby avoided death at the hands of the Poles.

Not a single royal dynasty came to the throne as unusually as the House of Romanov. This remark belongs to the famous writer Ivan Gogol, who, not without reason, believed that the feat of Ivan Susanin inextricably linked the tsar with his subjects. What is known about this significant incident for Russian history?

Volkov Adrian – picture Death of Ivan Susanin

Due to the limited source base, the biography of Ivan Susanin is the subject of historical controversy. The only documentary source about his life is the charter of Mikhail Fedorovich in 1619. It talks about granting Susanin's son-in-law half of the village with relief from all taxes and duties, while the folk hero is mentioned quite briefly. The rest of the information about this man’s life is legendary.

It is generally accepted that Ivan Susanin was born in the village of Domnino, 70 miles away from Kostroma. According to one version, he was a serf peasant of the Shestov nobles, according to another, he served as a patrimonial headman. It is known that he had a daughter, Antonida, and a son-in-law, Bogdan Sabinin.

The above-mentioned royal letter states that in the winter of 1613, the newly elected Tsar Mikhail Romanov lived with his mother Martha in the village of Domnino. At that time the Troubles of civil war turned into a struggle against the interventionists from Poland. The nobles decided to capture the newly elected tsar; for this purpose, a small Polish-Lithuanian detachment headed to Domnino.

Along the way, the interventionists met the peasant Susanin, who was ordered to show the way to the village. But he led the detachment in the opposite direction, and sent his son-in-law Bogdan to Domnino to warn the tsar and his mother of the impending danger. Susanin led the Poles deep into the forest, and then to the Isupov swamp, for which he was tortured and killed. It is assumed that at that time this person was already in old age. The enemy detachment also died in impassable terrain. At this time, Mikhail Romanov took refuge in the Ipatiev Monastery.

After 6 years, the king thanked the relatives of the peasant who saved him by giving them land and exemption from taxes. The death of Ivan Susanin was not forgotten even later. The descendants of the national hero repeatedly received letters of grant and preferential decrees until 1837.

The cult of Ivan Susanin during the Russian Empire

In Tsarist Russia, the image of Ivan Susanin was the subject of a cult. Paintings, sculptures, musical and literary works. It was his name that official propaganda actively used during the suppression of the Polish uprisings and the War of 1812.

In 1838, the central square of the city of Kostroma began to be officially called Susaninskaya. In addition, the hero was depicted among other prominent historical figures on the monument “Millennium of Russia” (1862). Propaganda had its effect; two centuries later, what Susanin did was to some extent repeated by Osip Komissarov, who saved Emperor Alexander II from death. It is interesting that Komissarov was born not far from Susanin’s native village.

Nevertheless, it was in pre-revolutionary Russia that the first criticism of the official version of the feat was voiced. Thus, the historian N. Kostomarov believed that the only reliable fact in the entire history of Susanin was his death from one of the robber detachments in Time of Troubles. S. Soloviev was also known for critical reviews of this story, who believed that the peasant was tortured by the Cossacks.

probable place of death

During the Soviet era, the initial attitude towards Susanin was negative. So, in 1918, the monument to Ivan Susanin was thrown off its pedestal. The people's hero began to be called the king's servant, and the feat for which he became famous was called a fairy tale.

Attitudes changed dramatically in the late 1930s. He again entered the list of national heroes. The regional center, near which Susanin once lived, was renamed in his honor. At the same time, a version spread that he was a “patriot of the Russian Land” who fought against foreign invaders, and did not save the Tsar. In the 60s of the last century, a monument to Susanin was even erected in Kostroma.

In post-Soviet Russia, Susanin’s personality is interpreted in two ways. Most historians continue to call him a folk hero, while recognizing that he was prompted to his feat by vassal loyalty rather than patriotism. There are also several versions of how events took place. For example, A. Shirokopad believes that Susanin suffered from a predatory raid of the Zaporozhye Cossacks.

• In some publications, Susanin is given the patronymic name Osipovich. However, there is no mention of this in the sources; in addition, in the 17th century it was not customary to call peasants by their patronymics.
• In Soviet times, the peasant Matvey Kuzmin was no less famous than Susanin. In 1942, at the cost of his own life, he led a German detachment under machine-gun fire from Soviet soldiers. The enemy detachment was destroyed, but the German commander managed to kill Kuzmin. After the end of World War II, a book appeared describing the exploits of 58 “followers” ​​of Susanin.

In 2003, remains were discovered in the necropolis of the village of Isupovo that may belong to Susanin. However, professional archaeologists and historians dispute their authenticity.

Ivan Susanin is a peasant, a native of the Kostroma district. He is a national hero of Russia because he saved the Tsar, Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, from the Poles who came to kill him.

The feat of the Kostroma peasant

Historians claim that Susanin was the headman in the village of Domnino, Kostroma district. The interventionists from Poland did not know the way to the village where the king was, and asked Susanin how to get there. Ivan Osipovich volunteered to personally escort them to Domnino. The Poles promised to reward him for this. The future folk hero, instead of the village, led them to a huge, impenetrable forest, which he himself knew like the back of his hand. The Poles realized that the village elder had deceived them and led them into the forest to destroy them. They were beside themselves with anger and killed the peasant. However, they themselves soon disappeared into the swamps located in the forest.

It is believed that this event occurred in 1612, in the fall. There is some evidence to support this date. Legends say that Susanin hid Mikhail Romanov in a hole where a barn had recently been burned, and disguised the hole with charred boards. In the 17th century, barns were burned in late autumn, so if the story about the pit is true, the date of the event is correct. Although many researchers still reject this theory.

Susanin's personality

Unfortunately, there are almost no reliable facts about Susanin’s personality. However, it is known that he had a daughter named Antonida. He also had grandchildren - Konstantin and Daniil. In the year of the feat, Ivan’s daughter was 16, therefore, the hero himself was approximately 32-40 years old.

Death of a Hero

There are 2 versions regarding Susanin’s death. The first, most common version, says that he died in the forest, in the Isupov swamps. The second is that he died in the village of Isupovo itself. This version the most truthful, as it is confirmed by documents. The fact is that Susanin’s great-grandson went with a petition to Empress Anna Ioannovna to receive special benefits, since he was his descendant. To prove this, he cited the death certificate of his great-grandfather, where this village was indicated.

Ivan Osipovich Susanin was buried in the Ipatiev Monastery.

In conclusion, I would like to say that Susanin is a noble man who can serve as an example for his contemporaries. His name has not been forgotten to this day. Schoolchildren are told about his feat. Yes, the history of our country contains many heroes, and one of them is the peasant elder, Ivan Osipovich Susanin.

For children 3, 4, 5, 7 grades.

Biography by dates and interesting facts. The most important.

Other biographies:

• Victor Golyavkin

  Victor Golyakin is a man who possessed many unique skills, a man who succeeded in many branches of art, made a huge contribution to the development of the infrastructure of his country, contribution to the development of painting

• Saltykov-Shchedrin Mikhail Evgrafovich

  M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin was born in the Tver province in 1826. At the age of 10 he began studying at the Moscow Noble Institute

• Stolypin Pyotr Arkadevich

  Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin – Russian statesman. Active, assertive, purposeful, he managed to hold the positions of minister and governor, as well as introduce many reforms and radically improve the lives of the people.

• Vincent van Gogh

  Van Gogh was born in 1853 and died in 1890. He was inspired by such great artists as Miele and Sardo and focused on them in his work. How the artist Van Gogh began by sketching various scenes from life

• Biography of Nikola Tesla and his discoveries

  On July 10, 1856, in the small village of Smilyan, in Austria, a boy was born into the family of a clergyman, who was named Nikola. Nikola was born the fourth of five children of the Tesla couple.

Glinka’s opera “Ivan Susanin” describes the events associated with the campaign of the Polish army against Moscow in 1613. The work was written in 1836 and dedicated to Nicholas I, and therefore was soon renamed “Life for the Tsar.”

Main characters

Ivan Susanin- peasant of the village of Domnina.

Antonida- native daughter of Ivan Susanin

Ivan- adopted son of Ivan Susanin

Other characters

Bogdan Sobinin- Antonida's fiancé, militiaman.

Sigismund III- Polish king.

Minin- leader of the liberation movement.

Act one

In a small village live a simple peasant Ivan Susanin and his two children: his own daughter Antonida and his adopted son Vanya. The news of the attack by the Polish army stirs up the people, who are not going to give up their homeland to the enemy without a fight - “Whoever dares to attack Rus' will find death.”

Bogdan, together with other young and strong peasants, join the people's militia. After a while, he brings home good news - the peasant Minin from Nizhny Novgorod gathers a great squad to defeat the Poles and liberate the capital from the invaders.

Antonida and Bogdan turn to Ivan Susanin to give a blessing for their wedding, but the old man refuses the lovers’ request: “Nowadays there is no time for weddings. It's battle time!

Act two

Meanwhile, Sigismund III throws a luxurious ball in honor of his victory. Inspired by military success, the Poles are looking forward to a heavenly life at the expense of looted wealth.

During the general rejoicing, the ambassador brings bad news to the king. The Russians, led by Minin, resist the Poles. The Polish detachment is besieged in Moscow, and the remaining army flees in panic.

Act three

Vanya makes himself a wooden spear, dreaming of growing up quickly and defending his homeland. Susanin enters the hut and reports that Minin and his retinue have set up camp nearby in the forest.

Bogdan and Antonida are busy preparing for their long-awaited wedding. Peasants come to the Susanins' house to congratulate the future newlyweds. When the guests leave, Polish soldiers suddenly burst into the hallway and demand the old man to take them to Minin.

At first, the peasant refuses, but then an insidious plan matures in his head - to deceive the Poles into the wilderness and destroy them there. He quietly instructs Vanya to rush as quickly as possible to the militia and warn of the danger, while he himself leads the enemies into the forest.

When Antonida’s friends come to the hut, the tear-stained girl tells them about the misfortune that has happened. Bogdan and the peasants go to help Susanin.

Act four

Late at night, Vanya resorts to the militia and informs Minin about the Polish attack. The alarmed warriors immediately prepare to go on a campaign.

Tired Poles suspect something is wrong. They ask Susanin where he took them, to which the brave peasant replies that he took them to a place where they would have to “die by starvation.” In anger, the Poles kill Susanin.

Epilogue

Jubilant crowds of people rush to Red Square, church bells deafen the area with festive ringing. Among the joyful people, the sad ones Antonida, Bogdan and Vanya stand out.

One of the warriors asks about the reason for their sadness, to which Vanya tells him about the heroic deed of his father. The soldiers console the boy with the words: “Ivan Susanin will live forever in the people’s memory.”

The people welcome the appearance of their heroes - Minin and Pozharsky, and sing songs of praise addressed to them.

Conclusion

Glinka's opera glorifies the heroism and self-sacrifice of a simple Russian peasant who did not spare his own life for the sake of his people.

After reading brief retelling“Ivan Susanin”, we recommend that you read full version libretto.

Opera test

Check your memorization of the summary content with the test:

Retelling rating

Average rating: 4.1. Total ratings received: 426.