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Summary of "The Cherry Orchard"

Greetings, dear readers of the site. This article provides summary of the play The Cherry Orchard, written . So, the reading time of the summary is 5 minutes.

The play begins in May. We see a beautiful cherry orchard in full bloom. The owner of the estate and garden, Ranevskaya, and her seventeen-year-old daughter Anya, have been absent in recent years - she lived abroad. Friends, neighbors and servants are preparing for Madame's long-awaited return. She fled the estate five years ago, after the tragic death of her husband and young son. Now she is returning from France, where she was robbed and then abandoned by her lover, leaving her practically without a livelihood.

All these years, Leonid Andreevich Gaev, the brother of Ranevskaya and his adopted daughter Varya, remained on the estate. They meet Lyubov Andreevna and her daughter Anya at the station.

Lopakhin and Epikhodov are waiting for them at home. Lopakhin talks about his own successes: he was born a serf, but managed to make a fortune for himself. Epikhodov is a clerk with whom something always happens, and therefore he has the nickname "twenty-two misfortunes."

Finally, the carriages arrive at the house. Friends and family of Ranevskaya rejoice at the meeting with Madame. Everyone is excited and everyone is trying to talk about something of their own. Lyubov Andreevna is also glad and looks around the familiar rooms with tears of emotion.

There are many storylines in the novel: a romance between Ranevskaya's son's former mentor Trofimov and Anya; another romance is between Varya and Lopakhin; a love triangle between the maid Dunyasha, Yasha, and Epikhidov.

The main intrigue is Madame's duty. Neither she nor her brother have the money to pay the mortgage on the cherry orchard, and if they find solutions, the orchard will be sold in August at auction.
Lopakhin offers to rent land to summer residents, but Madame is against it, she does not want to turn on the garden. Spring turns into summer, and debts only grow, and there are no solutions to this problem.

Lopakhin continues to persuade Madame and Gaev to act according to his plan. They went to the city and on the way back they stopped near the chapel. Before that, here, on the bench, Epikhodov unsuccessfully explained himself to Dunyasha: she preferred Yasha, a young and cynical footman. Neither Ranevskaya nor Gaev listen to Lopakhin, he is just entertainment for them. When Petya Trofimva, the former teacher of Ranevskaya's drowned son, Anya and Varya arrive, the conversation turns to pride and the concept of a "proud person". Trofimov believes that a poor person has no sense in pride, he must work. Lopakhin interrupts him and says that there are very few decent people around. Following this, Ranevskaya interrupts him - no one wants to listen to each other, everyone speaks out about his own.

On August 22, on the day of the auction, a ball is being held at the estate, which seems to be completely out of place. Lyubov Andreevna anxiously awaits the return of her brother, she has 15 thousand rubles sent by her aunt from Yaroslavl, but this is not enough to pay her debts, but she still hopes for a miracle and believes that the cherry orchard will not be sold. Charlotte Ivanovna entertains the guests at the ball. She teaches guests and servants to dance. Petya Trofimov reassures Ranevskaya, he understands that the sale of the garden cannot be avoided, but you condemn her for loving a petty scoundrel, a lover who begs her to come to Paris again.

Finally Gaev and Lopakhin return. Lopakhin is cheerful and proud - he bought a cherry orchard. Cooking with rage, she proudly throws the keys on the floor and Lopakhin picks them up. Madame Ranevskaya is devastated, she cannot imagine life without a garden. Lopakhin cannot hide his happiness: he bought the estate where his family lived as serfs. Ironically, he encourages the participants to continue the party even though the hosts are not in the mood. Anya consoles her mother, saying that despite the fact that the garden is sold, there is still a whole life ahead, and there will be another garden.

All the inhabitants of the house are gradually dispersing. Ranevskaya and Gaev seem to have even calmed down after the sale of the garden. Lyubov Andreevna is going back to Paris, where her aunt's money will live. Anya hopes for a new life after graduating from high school. Lopakhin is going to Kharkov, and Trofimov is going to Moscow - to the university. Always asking for a loan of money, Simeonov-Pishchik suddenly distributes debts, since the British found white clay in his land. Gaev becomes a bank clerk. Varya gets a job as a housekeeper. She likes Lopakhin, but he, who also speaks well of Varya, cannot explain himself to her, and Varya cannot propose to him first. Epikhodov remains to work on the Lopakhin estate.

The Cherry Orchard is the pinnacle of Russian drama at the beginning of the 20th century, a lyrical comedy, a play that marked the beginning of a new era in the development of the Russian theater.

The main theme of the play is autobiographical - a bankrupt family of noblemen is selling their family estate at auction. The author, as a person who has gone through a similar life situation, describes with subtle psychologism the state of mind of people who are forced to leave their homes soon. The novelty of the play is the lack of division of heroes into positive and negative, into main and secondary. All of them fall into three categories:

people of the past - aristocratic nobles (Ranevskaya, Gaev and their footman Firs);
people of the present - their bright representative merchant-entrepreneur Lopakhin;
the people of the future are the progressive youth of that time (Pyotr Trofimov and Anya).

History of creation

Chekhov began work on the play in 1901. Due to serious health problems, the writing process was rather difficult, but nevertheless, in 1903 the work was completed. The first theatrical production of the play took place a year later on the stage of the Moscow Art Theater, becoming the pinnacle of Chekhov's work as a playwright and a textbook classic of the theatrical repertoire.

Play analysis

Description of the artwork

The action takes place in the family estate of the landowner Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya, who returned from France with her young daughter Anya. They are met at the railway station by Gaev (Ranevskaya's brother) and Varya (her adopted daughter).

The financial situation of the Ranevsky family is nearing complete collapse. Entrepreneur Lopakhin offers his own version of the solution to the problem - to divide the land into shares and give them for use to summer residents for a certain fee. The lady is burdened by this proposal, because for this she will have to say goodbye to her beloved cherry orchard, with which many warm memories of her youth are associated. Adding to the tragedy is the fact that her beloved son Grisha died in this garden. Gaev, imbued with the experiences of his sister, reassures her with a promise that their family estate will not be put up for sale.

The action of the second part takes place on the street, in the courtyard of the estate. Lopakhin, with his characteristic pragmatism, continues to insist on his plan to save the estate, but no one pays attention to him. Everyone switches to the appeared teacher Peter Trofimov. He gives an excited speech dedicated to the fate of Russia, its future and touches on the topic of happiness in a philosophical context. The materialist Lopakhin is skeptical about the young teacher, and it turns out that only Anya is able to imbue his lofty ideas.

The third act begins with the fact that Ranevskaya invites an orchestra with the last money and arranges a dance evening. Gaev and Lopakhin are absent at the same time - they left for the city for auction, where the Ranevsky estate should go under the hammer. After a long wait, Lyubov Andreevna finds out that her estate was bought at the auction by Lopakhin, who does not hide his joy from his acquisition. The Ranevsky family is in despair.

The finale is entirely devoted to the departure of the Ranevsky family from their home. The parting scene is shown with all the deep psychologism inherent in Chekhov. The play ends with a remarkably profound monologue by Firs, which the hosts hastily forgot on the estate. The final chord is the sound of an axe. They cut down the cherry orchard.

main characters

Sentimental person, owner of the estate. Having lived abroad for several years, she has become accustomed to a luxurious life and, by inertia, continues to allow herself a lot that, in the deplorable state of her finances, according to the logic of common sense, should be inaccessible to her. Being a frivolous person, very helpless in everyday matters, Ranevskaya does not want to change anything in herself, while she is fully aware of her weaknesses and shortcomings.

A successful merchant, he owes a lot to the Ranevsky family. His image is ambiguous - it combines industriousness, prudence, enterprise and rudeness, a "muzhik" beginning. In the finale of the play, Lopakhin does not share the feelings of Ranevskaya, he is happy that, despite his peasant origin, he was able to afford to buy the estate of the owners of his late father.

Like his sister, he is very sensitive and sentimental. Being an idealist and a romantic, to console Ranevskaya, he comes up with fantastic plans to save the family estate. He is emotional, verbose, but completely inactive.

Petya Trofimov

Eternal student, nihilist, eloquent representative of the Russian intelligentsia, advocating for the development of Russia only in words. In pursuit of the "higher truth", he denies love, considering it a petty and illusory feeling, which greatly upsets his daughter Ranevskaya Anya, who is in love with him.

A romantic 17-year-old young lady who fell under the influence of the populist Peter Trofimov. Recklessly believing in a better life after the sale of her parental estate, Anya is ready for any difficulties for the sake of joint happiness next to her lover.

An 87-year-old man, a footman in the Ranevskys' house. Type of servant of the old time, surrounds with paternal care of his masters. He remained to serve his masters even after the abolition of serfdom.

A young footman, with contempt for Russia, dreaming of going abroad. A cynical and cruel person, rude to old Firs, disrespectful even to his own mother.

The structure of the work

The structure of the play is quite simple - 4 acts without division into separate scenes. The duration of action is several months, from late spring to mid-autumn. In the first act there is an exposition and a plot, in the second - an increase in tension, in the third - a climax (sale of the estate), in the fourth - a denouement. A characteristic feature of the play is the absence of genuine external conflict, dynamism, and unpredictable twists in the storyline. The author's remarks, monologues, pauses and some understatement give the play a unique atmosphere of exquisite lyricism. The artistic realism of the play is achieved through the alternation of dramatic and comic scenes.

(Scene from a contemporary production)

The play is dominated by the development of the emotional and psychological plan, the main engine of action is the inner experiences of the characters. The author expands the artistic space of the work by introducing a large number of characters who never appear on stage. Also, the effect of expanding the spatial boundaries is given by the symmetrically emerging theme of France, which gives arched form to the play.

Final conclusion

Chekhov's last play can be said to be his "swan song". The novelty of her dramatic language is a direct expression of Chekhov's special life concept, which is characterized by extraordinary attention to small, at first glance, insignificant details, focusing on the inner experiences of the characters.

In the play The Cherry Orchard, the author captured the state of critical disunity of the Russian society of his time, this sad factor is often present in scenes where the characters hear only themselves, creating only the appearance of interaction.

The estate of the landowner Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya. Spring, cherry trees bloom. But the beautiful garden is soon to be sold for debts. For the past five years, Ranevskaya and her seventeen-year-old daughter Anya have lived abroad. Ranevskaya's brother Leonid Andreevich Gaev and her adopted daughter, twenty-four-year-old Varya, remained on the estate. Ranevskaya's affairs are bad, there are almost no funds left. Lyubov Andreevna always littered with money. Six years ago, her husband died of alcoholism. Ranevskaya fell in love with another person, got along with him. But soon her little son Grisha died tragically by drowning in the river. Lyubov Andreevna, unable to bear her grief, fled abroad. The lover followed her. When he fell ill, Ranevskaya had to settle him in her dacha near Menton and take care of him for three years. And then, when he had to sell the dacha for debts and move to Paris, he robbed and abandoned Ranevskaya.

Gaev and Varya meet Lyubov Andreevna and Anya at the station. At home, the maid Dunyasha and the familiar merchant Yermolai Alekseevich Lopakhin are waiting for them. Lopakhin's father was a serf of the Ranevskys, he himself became rich, but he says about himself that he remained "a man a man." The clerk Epikhodov arrives, a man with whom something constantly happens and who is called "thirty-three misfortunes."

Finally, the carriages arrive. The house is filled with people, all in a pleasant excitement. Everyone speaks about his own. Lyubov Andreevna looks around the rooms and through tears of joy recalls the past. Maid Dunyasha can't wait to tell the young lady that Epikhodov proposed to her. Anya herself advises Varya to marry Lopakhin, and Varya dreams of marrying Anya to a rich man. The governess Charlotte Ivanovna, a strange and eccentric person, boasts of her amazing dog, a neighbor, the landowner Simeonov-Pishik, asks for a loan. He hears almost nothing and all the time mutters something old faithful servant Firs.

Lopakhin reminds Ranevskaya that the estate should soon be sold at auction, the only way out is to break the land into plots and lease them to summer residents. Lopakhin's proposal surprises Ranevskaya: how can you cut down her favorite wonderful cherry orchard! Lopakhin wants to stay longer with Ranevskaya, whom he loves "more than his own," but it's time for him to leave. Gaev delivers a welcoming speech to the hundred-year-old "respected" closet, but then, embarrassed, again begins to senselessly pronounce his favorite billiard words.

Ranevskaya did not immediately recognize Petya Trofimov: so he changed, became uglier, the “dear student” turned into an “eternal student”. Lyubov Andreevna cries, remembering her little drowned son Grisha, whose teacher was Trofimov.

Gaev, left alone with Varya, tries to talk about business. There is a rich aunt in Yaroslavl, who, however, does not like them: after all, Lyubov Andreevna did not marry a nobleman, and she did not behave "very virtuously." Gaev loves his sister, but still calls her "vicious", which causes Ani's displeasure. Gaev continues to build projects: his sister will ask Lopakhin for money, Anya will go to Yaroslavl - in a word, they will not allow the estate to be sold, Gaev even swears about it. The grouchy Firs finally takes the master, like a child, to sleep. Anya is calm and happy: her uncle will arrange everything.

Lopakhin does not cease to persuade Ranevskaya and Gaev to accept his plan. The three of them had lunch in the city and, returning, stopped in a field near the chapel. Just here, on the same bench, Epikhodov tried to explain himself to Dunyasha, but she had already preferred the young cynical footman Yasha to him. Ranevskaya and Gaev do not seem to hear Lopakhin and talk about completely different things. So without convincing “frivolous, unbusinesslike, strange” people of anything, Lopakhin wants to leave. Ranevskaya asks him to stay: with him "it's still more fun."

Anya, Varya and Petya Trofimov arrive. Ranevskaya starts talking about a "proud man." According to Trofimov, there is no point in pride: a rude, unhappy person should not admire himself, but work. Petya condemns the intelligentsia, who are incapable of work, those people who philosophize importantly, and treat peasants like animals. Lopakhin enters the conversation: he just works “from morning to evening”, dealing with big capital, but he is becoming more and more convinced of how few decent people are around. Lopakhin does not finish, Ranevskaya interrupts him. In general, everyone here does not want and does not know how to listen,

e each other. There is silence, in which the distant, sad sound of a broken string is heard.

Soon everyone disperses. Left alone, Anya and Trofimov are happy to have the opportunity to talk together, without Varya. Trofimov convinces Anya that one must be “above love”, that the main thing is freedom: “all of Russia is our garden”, but in order to live in the present, one must first redeem the past with suffering and labor. Happiness is near: if not they, then others will definitely see it.

Comes the twenty-second of August, the day of trading. It is on this evening, quite inopportunely, that a ball is being held in the estate, a Jewish orchestra is invited. Once, generals and barons danced here, and now, as Firs complains, both the postal official and the head of the station "do not go willingly." Charlotte Ivanovna entertains guests with her tricks. Ranevskaya anxiously awaits the return of her brother. The Yaroslavl aunt nevertheless sent fifteen thousand, but they are not enough to buy the estate.

Petya Trofimov “reassures” Ranevskaya: it’s not about the garden, it’s been over for a long time, we need to face the truth. Lyubov Andreevna asks not to condemn her, to feel sorry for her: after all, without a cherry orchard, her life loses its meaning. Every day Ranevskaya receives telegrams from Paris. At first she tore them up right away, then - after reading them first, now she doesn't vomit anymore. "That wild man", whom she still loves, begs her to come. Petya condemns Ranevskaya for her love for "a petty scoundrel, a nonentity." Angry Ranevskaya, unable to restrain herself, takes revenge on Trofimov, calling him a “funny eccentric”, “freak”, “clean”: “You must love yourself ... you must fall in love!” Petya tries to leave in horror, but then stays, dancing with Ranevskaya, who asked for his forgiveness.

Finally, the embarrassed, joyful Lopakhin and the tired Gaev appear, who, without saying anything, immediately goes to his room. The Cherry Orchard was sold and Lopakhin bought it. The "new landowner" is happy: he managed to beat the rich Deriganov at the auction, giving ninety thousand in excess of the debt. Lopakhin picks up the keys thrown on the floor by the proud Varya. Let the music play, let everyone see how Yermolai Lopakhin “suffices the cherry orchard with an ax”!

Anya comforts her crying mother: the garden has been sold, but there is a whole life ahead. There will be a new garden, more luxurious than this, “quiet deep joy” awaits them ...

The house is empty. Its inhabitants, having said goodbye to each other, disperse. Lopakhin is going to Kharkov for the winter, Trofimov returns to Moscow, to the university. Lopakhin and Petya exchange barbs. Although Trofimov calls Lopakhin a "predatory beast", necessary "in the sense of metabolism", he still loves in him "a tender, subtle soul." Lopakhin offers Trofimov money for the journey. He refuses: over the "free man", "in the forefront going" to the "higher happiness", no one should have power.

Ranevskaya and Gaev even cheered up after the sale of the cherry orchard. Previously, they were worried, suffering, but now they have calmed down. Ranevskaya is going to live in Paris for the time being on the money sent by her aunt. Anya is inspired: a new life begins - she will finish the gymnasium, she will work, read books, "a new wonderful world" will open before her. Simeonov-Pishchik suddenly appears out of breath and, instead of asking for money, on the contrary, distributes debts. It turned out that the British found white clay on his land.

Everyone settled down differently. Gaev says that now he is a bank servant. Lopakhin promises to find a new place for Charlotte, Varya got a job as a housekeeper to the Ragulins, Epikhodov, hired by Lopakhin, remains on the estate, Firs must be sent to the hospital. But still, Gaev sadly says: “Everyone is leaving us ... we suddenly became unnecessary.”

Between Varya and Lopakhin, an explanation must finally occur. For a long time, Varya has been teased by "Madame Lopakhina." Varya likes Yermolai Alekseevich, but she herself cannot propose. Lopakhin, who also speaks well of Vara, agrees to "put an end immediately" to this matter. But when Ranevskaya arranges their meeting, Lopakhin, without deciding, leaves Varia, using the very first pretext.

“Time to go! On the road! - with these words, they leave the house, locking all the doors. All that remains is old Firs, whom everyone seemed to take care of, but whom they forgot to send to the hospital. Firs, sighing that Leonid Andreevich went in a coat, and not in a fur coat, lies down to rest and lies motionless. The same sound of a broken string is heard. "There is silence, and only one can hear how far in the garden they knock on wood with an ax."

Anya comforts her crying mother: the garden has been sold, but there is a whole life ahead. There will be a new garden, more luxurious than this, “quiet deep joy” awaits them ...

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On January 17, 1904, Anton Pavlovich Chekhov's play The Cherry Orchard was staged for the first time at the Moscow Art Theater. It was this play that was destined to become a symbol of Russian dramaturgy of the 20th century.

The Cherry Orchard is Chekhov's last play and the pinnacle of his dramatic work. By the time this play was written in 1903, Chekhov was already a recognized ruler of thoughts and the author of four plays, each of which became an event - Ivanov, The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters.

The main dramatic feature of The Cherry Orchard is symbolism. The main character-symbol of the play is not this or that character, but the cherry orchard itself. This garden was not grown for profit, but to please the eyes of its noble owners. But the economic realities of the beginning of the 20th century inexorably dictate their laws, and the garden will be cut down, as the noble nests will fall apart, and with them the noble Russia of the 19th century will go down in history, and it will be replaced by Russia of the 20th century with its revolutions, the first of which not far off anymore.

Chekhov already worked closely with the Moscow Art Theatre. While working on the play, he often discussed it with Stanislavsky, and the main role of Ranevskaya was originally intended for the actress Olga Knipper-Chekhova, who became the writer's wife in 1901.

The premiere of The Cherry Orchard was a great success and became the main event in Moscow at the beginning of 1904, helped by the skill and fame of Chekhov, the reputation of the Moscow Art Theater, Stanislavsky's directing talent and the brilliant performance of the Moscow Art Theater actors. In addition to Olga Knipper-Chekhova, Konstantin Stanislavsky himself (who played the role of Gaev), Leonid Leonidov (who played the role of Lopakhin), Vasily Kachalov (who played Trofimov), Vladimir Gribunin (the role of Simeonov-Pishchik), Ivan Moskvin (played Epikhodov) played in the premiere performance , and Alexander Artem delighted the audience in the role of Firs, which Chekhov wrote especially for this favorite actor.

In the same 1904, Chekhov, whose tuberculosis worsened, went to Germany for treatment, where he died in July.

And "The Cherry Orchard" began a triumphal procession on the theater stages of Russia and the world, which continues to this day. Only in 1904, this play by Chekhov was staged at the Kharkov Dyukova Theater (simultaneously with the production at the Moscow Art Theater, premiered on January 17, 1904), by the New Drama Partnership in Kherson (director and performer of the role of Trofimov - Vsevolod Meyerhold), at the Kiev Solovtsov Theater and in Vilna theatre. And in 1905, the audience in St. Petersburg also saw The Cherry Orchard - Yuri Ozerovsky staged a play by Chekhov on the stage of the Alexandrinsky Theater, and Konstantin Korovin acted as a theater designer.

Scene from the second act of the play "The Cherry Orchard" based on the play by A.P. Chekhov. Moscow Art Theater, 1904. Photo from the almanac "Album" The Sun of Russia ", No. 7. Moscow Art Theatre. Plays by A.P. Chekhov"