Alexander Kuprin’s story “The Pit”, summary. Alexander Kuprin's story “The Pit”, summary Kuprin's stories summary Pit
At the time of the events described, the two main streets of the southern city - Bolshaya Yamskaya and Malaya Yamskaya - were already lined with brothels, of which there were more than thirty.
The most respectable is Treppel's brothel, where three rubles are charged for a visit, and in simple brothels with holey blankets, dirty sheets and squalid furnishings, a visit costs the client only fifty kopecks. Anna Markovna's house is in the middle price category - the entrance fee is two rubles.
The owner of the establishment is about sixty years old, and she seems to consist of three balls: a lush bottom, a round torso and a head. Her old husband doesn’t sit idle either: he accompanies her on the guitar during the dances. The establishment also has two housekeepers and a doorman-bouncer, Simeon.
Anna Markovna treats the girls who work in the establishment as a tyrant and a bloodsucker, but for her daughter Bertochka she is the most tender mother, not sparing her horses, diamonds, or annual trips abroad.
In the morning and afternoon, the brothel resembles a sleepy kingdom; the inmates walk around unwashed, unkempt, and half-dressed. But in the evening everything changes dramatically: the red lanterns are lit, the priestesses of corrupt love dress up and put on makeup, music flows, and a variety of guests arrive: students, officials, actors, clerks.
Prostitutes not only serve clients, but also try to trick them into buying champagne, sweets, and oranges. Each cherishes the hope that some noble gentleman will fall in love with her and take her into his custody.
The reporter Platonov constantly visits this house, but not for the purpose of entertainment, but with the aim of studying the inner life in such an institution. He is affirmed in the idea that such a vice as prostitution is invincible. Many literary critics consider this character to be the prototype of the author; on his behalf, Kuprin expresses his attitude towards this social evil.
Student Likhonin believes that these lost women can still be saved, and redeems the brothel dweller Lyuba in order to set her on the right path. He begins to educate her, takes her to the theater, and student friends teach her to play musical instruments. But soon the young man realizes that he has taken on an unbearable burden, and as a result, Lyuba experiences a “second” fall - she returns to the brothel.
The most prominent representatives of the ancient profession in the house of Anna Markovna are the beautiful Zhenya, whom her own mother sold into vicious slavery to a certain doctor in Zhitomir as a child, and the former pupil of the monastery Tamara, who speaks fluently two languages - English and German.
When Zhenya finds out that she has contracted a shameful disease - syphilis, she does not begin treatment, but tries to infect as many clients as possible, whom she considers “two-legged scoundrels.” After the implementation of his plan, Zhenya takes his own life.
Subsequently, the former housekeeper Emma Eduardovna becomes the owner of the brothel, the establishment falls into disrepair, and all the former inhabitants tragically die for various reasons. Pasha is going crazy; as we wrote earlier, Zhenya commits suicide; Verka is killed by her “lover”, Manka dies in a drunken fight, and Tamara goes to prison.
Famous for its riotousness and debauchery, Yamki is turning into an everyday and peaceful urban outskirts.
In this story, the writer without embellishment described the theme of corrupt love, its moral, psychological and social aspects. And as we see, this path leads to nowhere, to the destruction and desecration of life, which, in the words of Platonov, should be a manifestation of “great joy and impartial creativity.” And the author himself considered prostitution an even greater evil than war. Since wars pass, but this vice continues to exist for centuries. Therefore, this work can be called a warning for those who want to buy or sell love for money. And it is still relevant today.
The text is suitable for use in a reader's diary.
Summary provided by Marina Korovina.
In 1915, the book “The Pit” was published. Chukovsky called the story “a slap in the face to society.” One of the critics called Kuprin's best work. However, it caused angry indignation in certain sections of society. Many, not even knowing the brief content of Kuprin’s “The Pit”, but having a superficial understanding of the problems of the story, refused to read the work.
The writer understood that scrupulous readers would find his work indecent and immoral. Nevertheless, he dedicated the story “The Pit” to mothers and youth. What is the book about that has received negative reviews from critics? A summary of Kuprin’s “The Pit” will answer this question.
This is the most voluminous work of the Russian writer. Consists of three parts. The summary of Kuprin’s “The Pit” in this article is presented according to the following plan:
- Bolshaya Yamskaya.
- Platonov.
- What is the tragedy?
- Girls.
- Likhonin.
- Zhenya's illness.
- The end of Anna Markovna's establishment.
Bolshaya Yamskaya
Once upon a time, on the outskirts of a certain southern city, only coachmen lived. That’s why this area was called Yamskaya Sloboda. But steam locomotives appeared, and the work of the area’s residents lost its meaning. The coachmen scattered in all directions, but the name remained. True, over time the area began to be called simply - Yama. This had some social and even philosophical meaning.
On Bolshaya Yamskaya (that was the official name of one of the streets in the district) there were expensive, cheap and medium-sized brothels. The heroines of Kuprin's story are prostitutes who work in the establishment of Anna Markovna Shoibes. There are more luxurious houses. For example, Treppel's establishment. But there are also very cheap ones on Bolshaya Yamskaya, in rubles, which every inhabitant of Anna Markovna’s house is afraid to get into.
Platonov
This main character"Pits" by Kuprin. Platonov is a rather strange person. He spent many evenings in Anna Markovna’s establishment, he knows everything about the dull, forced fun that reigns here every night. He knows the secrets of the inhabitants of the establishment. But Platonov never visited any of the girls.
Great artists avoid the topic of prostitution. They probably do not have enough dedication, time, and self-control to delve into the life of a fallen woman. But if someone wrote a book about prostitution that was sincere and truthful, it would become a great work. Platonov pronounces approximately these words. The prototype of this hero is the writer A.I. Kuprin himself.
The title of the story symbolizes the social bottom. But can the heroines be called fallen? Kuprin does not condemn them. He is an outside, objective observer. The author rather condemns those who change the lives of girls for the worse. So, one of the heroines was brought to the brothel by none other than her husband. Later it turned out that he is a professional swindler who trades in this: he falls in love with a young lady, marries her, then sends her to Anna Markovna for a good fee.
What is the tragedy?
The work caused a mixed reaction from critics, not only because of the scandalous topic. A summary of Kuprin’s “The Pit” is not easy to describe. After all, the issues can be understood from the characters’ dialogues, Platonov’s reasoning, and the terrible details of the heroines’ everyday life.
Horror is happening in Anna Markovna's house. But it is perceived as something ordinary. Girls sell themselves, but few of them realize how miserable, dirty their existence is. By the way, Leo Tolstoy did not appreciate the deep theme of the story “The Pit”. After reading only the first few chapters, he noted: “The author takes pleasure in delving into ugly details.”
Girls
Zhenya is one of the heroines of the story by A. I. Kuprin. This is a self-confident, beautiful, daring girl. Tamara is a rather mysterious person. It is known that she was previously a nun. Pasha is the most sought-after prostitute in Anna Markovna's establishment. She was the only one who came here voluntarily. This girl is sick. The main symptom of her illness is that she enjoys her job.
Lyuba is a simple, narrow-minded girl. A story will happen to her that will become one of the leading plot lines of the story “The Pit”. There is also a prostitute Sonya Rul. She got her nickname because of her large nose.
The life of brothel dwellers
Anna Markovna's establishment is a two-story house. On the second floor the girls both work and relax. The inhabitants of this lair are as diverse as their clientele. Each has its own story. In this place they lost their names, relatives, loved ones, rights, principles and, finally, their “I”. Their life is gray and ugly, static and has no development, devoid of any meaning. Rather, this is not life, but a miserable existence.
What does Kuprin write about? About the disgusting inhabitants of the brothel? Or about men who, in their desire to gain pleasure, ruin the lives of young women? You can formulate the idea of the story any way you like, but the meaning remains the same. Alexander Kuprin wrote a terrible story about prostitutes - women who cannot live any other way.
The author brought out all the ins and outs of the brothel, revealed all the secrets and tricks. A man wants a story about how a girl came to this life? She will tell him sweet lies about a vile family friend who abandoned her to the mercy of fate. The client needs spectacle and funny company? He will get it if he pays the girl for champagne.
The book closely intertwines the stories of different girls. Each of them has their own life and destiny. One got here by at will. Another dreams of a fairy-tale prince. The third is hatching a brutal plan of revenge against the “two-legged scoundrels.” All girls have only one thing in common. They all hate men, not all of them, but those who are willing to pay for love. They despise their stinginess, stupidity, and tendency to perversion.
Likhonin
This student is once inspired by Platonov's speeches. A reckless, stupid idea comes to his mind - to save one of the girls. Platonov tries to dissuade Lichonin. Knowing well the morals and psychology of the inhabitants of the establishment, he understands that this task is not easy. Many years of debauchery have made them stupid, lazy creatures. But the student stands his ground. Lyuba agrees to leave with him. What is the essence of re-educating a prostitute using the Lichonin method?
The student and his friends enlighten Lyuba. He takes her to theaters and exhibitions. His comrades tell the girl about literary works. However, at these moments their thoughts are not at all about art. A lot of effort was spent, but there was no result. Lyuba is perplexed why the student refuses an intimate relationship with her. Meanwhile, she turns into an unbearable burden for Lichonin. Finally, he returns Lyuba to Anna Markovna’s establishment.
Zhenya's disease
This girl is not stupid and, perhaps, that is why she hates two-legged scoundrels with all her heart - that is what she calls her clients. A doctor regularly visits Anna Markovna's house. If a girl is sick, she is sent to a cheaper institution. Medical examination the inhabitants of the house are in panic fear.
Zhenya learns about his terrible illness - syphilis. But she, of course, doesn’t say anything about this to Anna Markovna. Moreover, every night she tries to infect as many men as possible. Such is her revenge. Little is known about the girl’s past. But one day Zhenya told Platonov that her own mother had sold her to a brothel.
The end of Anna Markovna's establishment
The wife manages to infect many. She only regrets the high school student who is in love with her. On the day of the examination, she commits suicide. A sad fate awaits other girls in the brothel.
Pasha falls into unconsciousness, after which she is committed to an insane asylum. The girl dies in the hospital. Tamara disappears from the city with her thief lover. Another prostitute, a girl nicknamed Little Manka, dies in the fight.
As for the mistress of the house, she too has to flee. Zhenya’s death and the illness that she gave to dozens of clients, including an important official, all led to a big scandal. The housekeeper buys the establishment, which will soon be plundered by soldiers. This is the whole plot of Kuprin’s book “The Pit”. So, what were the reviews of the story, which revealed the dark side of society?
Criticism of the story “The Pit”
The work was met with the most controversial reviews. Critics still have not formed a definite opinion about Kuprin's story. This book is the fruit of the writer’s great work, but it caused more condemnation than understanding. The author was accused of excessive naturalism and immorality.
In Soviet times, critics wrote almost nothing about the story. Few articles offering analysis of Kuprin’s “The Pit” were imbued with ideology. Prostitution is a phenomenon that could exist exclusively in Tsarist Russia, the author managed to colorfully convey the horrors of pre-revolutionary times - this was approximately the point of view of Soviet critics. More than a hundred years have passed since The Pit was first published. For a long time there is neither the royal nor Soviet Russia. Kuprin’s work is still relevant.
Positive reviews
One of the few who appreciated Kuprin’s work was Korney Chukovsky. The writer agreed with the critics that the heroines of the book are truly disgusting. But at the same time he emphasized that the more dirt they contain, the greater the shame for society. Chukovsky, in an article published in the Niva magazine, said: “It is necessary to rebuild public life so that there is no place in it for a pit.”
The story became the last major work of Alexander Kuprin. After its publication, the writer’s talent, of course, did not dry out. He still continued to create interesting stories and novels. But he no longer reached such high creative heights.
Scarier than war
Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin worked on the story “The Pit” for six years. He was the first to dare to touch on such a sore subject. social society. In society itself, the author’s impulse was not appreciated at all. The work was called pornographic, and the publishing house was even sued. Negative reviews were to be expected. The social system at all times sees what it wants to see. Kuprin nevertheless responded to the critics: “I am convinced that I did my job. Prostitution is an even more terrible evil than war, pestilence, or famine. Wars pass, but prostitution lives on for centuries.”
1990 film
Few today remember the first film adaptation of Kuprin’s “The Pit,” despite the brilliant cast. The main role in this film was played by Tatyana Dogileva. Oleg Menshikov played Lichonin. True, according to the plot of the film, the young man who decided to rehabilitate a prostitute is not a student, but an accomplished lawyer. The director of the film is Svetlana Ilyinskaya. Evgeny Evstigneev, Irina Tsyvina, and Valentina Talyzina also played in the film.
TV series "Kuprin"
This film is not an adaptation of The Pit in the full sense of the word. The series is based not only on the story about the inhabitants of the brothel, but also on the works “Duel” and “In the Dark”. In addition, there is no such character in the film as Platonov. There is Alexander Kuprin. Mikhail Porechenkov appeared before the audience as a writer.
Zhenya was played by Svetlana Khodchenkova in the series. Tamaru - Polina Agureeva. The role of Lichonin was played by Anton Shagin. In the first part of the television film “Kuprin”, the main storyline of which is based on the story “The Pit”, Ekaterina Shpitsa, Natalya Egorova, Nelly Popova and others played.
Many people know such works by Kuprin as “Garnet Bracelet”, “Olesya”, “Duel”. It is not surprising, since the stories are included in the school curriculum. “The Pit” is not one of the most famous books by Alexander Kuprin. Interest in her increased after the premiere of the series “Kuprin”. It is worth saying that there are very few negative reviews of the literary source. Readers generally respond with admiration to the story “The Pit.”
Today no one will call Kuprin’s book pornographic, as was the case at the beginning of the last century. She received angry reviews from critics primarily due to her naturalism and unusual frankness. For modern readers there is nothing strange in the description of the life of prostitutes. There is no outright vulgarity or obscenity in the book. Kuprin left behind the scenes everything unnecessary, conveying without loss the depth of emotions and experiences of the heroines.
“Kuprin. Pit"
Episode 1
Horizon brings girls to a brothel called “The Pit”. One of them is his wife Lyuba, who doesn’t even know where she ended up. Young student Pyotr Likhonin decides to marry Lena, with whom he is in love. By chance, he finds out that she has a lover, and she is supported by an elderly gentleman. Vera Sheina regularly receives letters from a mysterious boyfriend. She is embarrassed by these messages, and her husband and brother are outraged by the intrusiveness of the admirer. Kuprin works as a teacher for the daughter of Anna Markovna, the owner of “Yama”, observes the life of the institution and collects material for the book...
Episode 2.
Peter, killed by shattered hopes, comes to the brothel and sees Lyuba there. Lyuba, forced to receive clients, is brought to extreme exhaustion. Kuprin pays for the girl’s time to give her a break. And Petya decides to take action - he takes Lyuba to live with him, hoping to give her an education and find a job. Kuprin helps Petya take Lyuba away, for which he receives a reprimand from Anna Markovna and loses his place. Nikolai Shein invites Kuprin to settle not far from their dacha.
Episode 3.
Lyuba falls in love with Peter. Kuprin tells the Sheins about a wonderful young man who took home a girl from “Yama”. Intrigued, Vera invites Kuprin and Petya to her name day. Pyotr's friend Sabashnikov begins to court Lyuba. One day, finding them together and not understanding the situation, Peter leaves. The singer Rovinskaya arrives at the brothel. One of the girls, Zhenya, moved by the beautiful voice, falls to her knees in front of her and admits that she is sick. Lyuba leaves Sabashnikov, leaving Peter a farewell note.
Episode 4.
Peter lives at Kuprin's dacha. At Vera's name day, guests ask Petya about his ward. Lyuba comes to the “Pit” and asks to take her back. They bring a gift to Vera - Garnet bracelet- and another letter from her mysterious beau. Vera's indignant brother Nikolai believes that he decides that the admirer has crossed all boundaries, and asks Kuprin to help find this man. Kuprin and Petya identify the poor telegraph operator Zheltkov. Nikolai and Shein go to him and ask him to leave the princess alone. Soon Vera learns that Zheltkov committed suicide...
Episode 5.
Petya asks Lyuba to come back, but she doesn’t believe him. Having stolen money from a rich client, the girl runs away from the “Pit”. At the station, when Lyuba buys a train ticket, Senka notices her wallet. He kills Lyuba and brings her pendant to the prostitute Tamara. Zhenya intercepts the gift and realizes who the killer is. She tells Tamara that she is sick and has infected Senka. Tamara persuades Senka to commit double suicide...
“Kuprin. In the Dark"
Episode 1
Ivan Egorovich Alarin spends his vacation in St. Petersburg, where he meets a very strange man named Abag. He initiates Alarin into the essence of the system, following which you can always win - both at roulette and at cards. Alarin returns to serve in the city of Gusyatin with the dream of trying out the knowledge he has acquired. On the train, his companion turns out to be Dasha Kolosova. Dasha becomes a governess to Lisa, the daughter of the landowner Kashperov. A circus troupe comes to Gusyatin, in which Kuprin works as a rider, and the beautiful Zenida is a tiger tamer...
Episode 2.
Alarin begins to court Zenida. Kuprin warns Alarin against getting involved with the wayward beauty. He plays cards, hoping to use the system to get rich and win the tamer. Dasha and Lisa become friends. Kashperov sees an extraordinary personality in the governess. Dasha meets with Alarin. The same one treats the girl who is in love with him patronizingly. Dasha persuades Kashperov to go to the circus with Lisa. At the performance, Zenida invites those who want to enter the cage with the tigers to drink champagne. Alarin is called...
Episode 3.
Kashperov, Dasha and Liza are going to the city ball. Seeing Dasha talking to Alarin, Kashperov experiences pangs of jealousy. After the ball, he takes the girl away and confesses his love to her. Shocked, Dasha understands that she needs to leave. But Lisa asks her to stay. Before his death, Alarin’s friend Doctor Goldberg gives Ivan the hospital’s money for safekeeping - 11 thousand rubles. Zenida and Alarin spend the night together. Having quarreled with his beloved, Ivan goes to play and spends all the doctor’s money...
Episode 4.
Alarin is trying to find money. Dasha, having learned about his trouble, turns to Kashperov for help. Struck by the governess’s self-sacrifice, Kashperov gives her 11 thousand. Zenida dies in the circus. Dasha brings money to Alarin. He decides that he must pay the girl for her favor on a night of love. Insulted, Dasha runs away, falls on the ice on the way, loses consciousness and barely makes it home...
"Kuprin. Duel"
Episode 1
Young second lieutenant Georgy Romashov falls in love with Lieutenant Nikolaev’s wife, the charming Shurochka. He soon learns that the object of his adoration had an affair with Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin, who serves in the same regiment with Romashov. Romashov, tired of army rules, calls on senior ranks to show respect for ordinary soldiers. He comes into conflict with Captain Plum and files a report on him.
Episode 2
Romashov goes to Shurochka Nikolaeva every day. Her husband starts to get jealous. One of the soldiers' boots are stolen. Soldier Khlebnikov admits to the theft, although Georgy is sure that he is innocent. Klebnikov is punished with public flogging. Romashov meets a retired captain performing with a trained dog named Pirate. The captain sells the dog for a hundred rubles to the merchant Spiridonov and dreams of starting new life. Romashov takes pity on the old man and lets him live with him.
Episode 3
Romashov decides to break up with Raisa Peterson, who vows revenge. The old man drinks away all the money he received for the dog Pirate. Seeing how desperate he is, Romashov tries to help and buy the dog. But Spiridonov is adamant. Shurochka invites Romashov to a picnic to celebrate her birthday, where the long-awaited explanation takes place. Shurochka encourages Romashov to excel at the upcoming show. Then he will advance in his career and they can be together.
Episode 4
At the regimental review, Romashov, looking at Shurochka, awkwardly leads his company and breaks up the formation. The general reprimands him, and Captain Sliva is given command back. In the evening, Romashov gets drunk in the officers' club and accuses Peterson of writing anonymous letters about him and Shurochka. Nikolaev is outraged by Romashov’s public act. As a result of the scandal, a fight occurs. The officer's court orders Nikolaev and Romashov to duel. In case of disagreement, both must leave the service. Kuprin convinces Romashov to abandon the duel. But before the fight, Shurochka comes to him and asks him to shoot...
He worked on the story “The Pit” for six years, from 1908 to 1914, although the idea for the work was born back in 1906. He was the first among Russian writers to dare to reveal the theme of corrupt love, to show the life of corrupt women “in all its monstrous simplicity.”
The originality of the plot composition of the story
The narrative in “The Pit” is not connected with the fate of one or several heroes; it lacks a single plot core. The plot of “The Pit” is based on pictures of the life of a certain social environment - the inhabitants of brothels. The author describes day after day the life of girls in a “two-ruble establishment”; A unique chronicle of events is united by the dialogue between Platonov and Lichonin about the causes of the “terrible social ulcer” - prostitution.
The narration is characterized by purely sketchy descriptiveness, an abundance of different, little interconnected episodes. To a certain extent, this is a reflection of Kuprin’s lack of a coherent ideological concept. The absence of central characters in the story is not accidental. The author seeks to show that the “little man” is powerless in the fight against social evil, he is simply an episodic figure in this picture of life.
Compositionally, the story consists of three parts. The first part includes 12 chapters, the second has 17 chapters, the third – 9. final chapter The story, which plays the role of an epilogue, briefly describes the tragic fate of all prostitutes.
The plot connection between the first and second parts of the story is the desire of student Likhonin to conduct a social experiment - to save one of the prostitutes. The story of Lichonin’s relationship with the prostitute Lyubka forms the plot basis of the second part of the work, but along with it the story about the life of the inhabitants of the “Pit” continues. The third part of the story sums up the life of each prostitute.
The first part of the story is stronger artistically, in subsequent parts the elements of journalism are strengthened and the language of the characters is decolorized. The story is characterized by novelism (especially in the second and third parts), extra-plot episodes (a short story about the “live goods” merchant Horizon, episodes with the singer Rovinskaya and lawyer Ryazanov). “The Pit” is a striking example of naturalistic prose.
Theme and problems of the story
Kuprin approaches the main theme of the work - prostitution - with the honest, caring and humane position of an artist-humanist, deeply sympathizing with women who find themselves at the “bottom” of life.
The story also raises a number of complex socio-philosophical problems, one way or another related to main theme works. In the book we're talking about about the power of art, about the system of upbringing and education, about the depravity of morals in society, about ignorance. Kuprin puts into the mouths of the heroes discussions about the revolution and the Russian character. In the second part of the story, through the storyline of the relationship between Lichonin and Lyubka, Kuprin raises the important topic of the isolation of the intelligentsia from the people.
The story of brothels can easily be called a work about the social and moral dead ends of our time.
System of images of the story
The images of the brothel's inhabitants are artistically vivid and lifelike. Kuprin created a whole gallery of psychotypes of prostitutes - the meek and sober Manya Little, the unfortunate Pasha, Tamara in love with the thief Senka, the only lover of reading Zhenya. The girls living in Anna Markovna’s “institution” differ both externally and internally. Giving bright, colorful portrait sketches of prostitutes, it is no coincidence that the author compares them to animals, because their whole life passes at the level of animal instincts. With the exception of the images of Lyubka and Zhenya, the images of the priestesses of love are given statically, without development, since the life of these people is like a stagnant swamp.
The images of the brothel keepers - Anna Markovna and her weak-willed husband Isaiah Savvich - are masterfully drawn. The image of the senior housekeeper Elsa Eduardovna is no less bright and accurate.
The image of the reporter Platonov, observing the life of a brothel and acting as a mouthpiece for the author’s ideas, is largely autobiographical.
With stunning truthfulness, Kuprin reveals the ugliness of the lives of fallen women, while sympathizing with prostitutes with all his heart, since they are the product of the spiritual poverty of society.
Still from the film “Kuprin. Pit" (2014)
Anna Markovna's establishment is not one of the most luxurious, like, say, Treppel's, but it is not low-class either. In Yama (the former Yamskaya settlement) there are only two of these. The rest are ruble and fifty-kopeck coins, for soldiers, thieves, and gold miners.
The lifestyle, morals and customs are almost the same in all thirty-odd establishments, the only difference being the fees charged for short-term love.
Late on a May evening, a group of students are having fun in Anna Markovna’s guest room. In their company are private associate professor Yarchenko and a reporter local newspaper Platonov. The girls have already come out to them, but the men continue the conversation they started on the street.
Platonov says that he has known this establishment and its inhabitants well for a long time. He, one might say, belongs here, but he has never visited any of the “girls.” He wants to enter this little world and understand it from the inside. All the loud phrases about the trade in female meat are nothing in comparison with everyday, business trifles, prosaic everyday life. The horror is that it is not perceived as horror. Bourgeois everyday life - and nothing more. Moreover, in the most incredible way, seemingly incompatible principles converge here: sincere piety and a natural attraction to crime.
Here is Simeon, the local bouncer. He robs prostitutes, beats them, is probably a murderer in the past, but he loves the works of John of Damascus and is extraordinarily religious. Or Anna Markovna. A bloodsucker, a hyena, but the most tender and generous mother for her daughter Bertha.
At this time, Zhenya enters the hall, whom Platonov, the other clients and the inhabitants of the house respect for her beauty, mocking audacity and independence. The excited girl speaks very quickly in conventional jargon with Tamara, but Platonov understands him: Zhenya is worried about her friend Pasha. Due to the influx of public, she had already been taken into the room more than ten times, and this ended in hysterics and fainting. But as soon as the girl comes to her senses, the hostess sends her back to the guests. The girl is in great demand because of her sexuality.
Platonov pays for her so that Pasha can rest in their company. The students soon disperse to their rooms, and Platonov, left alone with Vasily Vasilich Likhonin, an ideological anarchist, continues his story about the local women. As for prostitution as a global phenomenon, it is an insurmountable evil.
Lichonin listens sympathetically to Platonov and suddenly declares that he would not like to remain just a sympathetic spectator. He wants to take the girl from here, save her. Platonov is convinced that the girl will come back, and Zhenya also thinks so. Lichonin asks another girl, Lyuba, if she wants to get out of here and open her own dining room. The girl agrees. Lichonin hires her for the whole day, and the next day he plans to demand from Anna Markovna her yellow ticket and exchange it for a passport.
Taking responsibility for a person’s fate, the student has little idea of the associated hardships. His life becomes complicated from the very first hours. However, his friends agree to help him develop the rescued one. Lichonin begins to teach her arithmetic, geography and history, and he is also responsible for taking her to exhibitions, the theater and popular lectures. Nezheradze reads “The Knight in the Skin of a Tiger” to her and teaches her to play the guitar, mandolin and zurna. Simanovsky suggests studying Marx's Capital, cultural history, physics and chemistry.
All this takes a lot of time, requires a lot of money, but gives very modest results. Students try to maintain brotherly relations with Lyuba, but she perceives them as disdain for her feminine virtues.
To get a yellow ticket from the mistress Lyubin, Lichonin has to pay off all the girl’s debts, and the passport costs a tidy sum. The relationship of Lichonin’s friends to Lyuba, who looks prettier outside the brothel setting, also becomes a problem. But Lyuba refuses everyone, because she becomes more and more attached to her Vasil Vasilich. The same one, noticing that her friends like her, is already thinking about catching them inadvertently, causing a scene and freeing himself from a burden that is too much for him.
Lyuba reappears at Anna Markovna's after another extraordinary event. Singer Rovinskaya, famous throughout Russia, big, beautiful woman with the green eyes of an Egyptian woman, in the company of Baroness Tefting, lawyer Rozanov and secular young man Out of boredom, Volodya Chaplinsky visits all the establishments in Yama and finally appears at Anna Markovna’s.
The company occupies a separate office, where the housekeeper herds the girls. The last one is driven by Tamara, a quiet, pretty girl who was once a novice in a monastery and speaks fluent French and German. Everyone knew that she had a pimp, Senechka, a thief, on whom she spent a lot of money.
If you love a person, then everything should be nice from him. He's going to prison, and you're going to prison with him. He has become a thief, and you help him. He is a beggar, but you are still with him.
At Elena Viktorovna’s request, the young ladies sing their usual songs. Suddenly, a drunken Little Manka bursts into the office. When sober, she is the meekest girl in the establishment, but now she falls to the floor and shouts: “Hurray! New girls have arrived!” The indignant baroness says that she patronizes a monastery for fallen girls - the Magdalene Orphanage. Zhenya invites this old fool to leave immediately. Her shelters are worse than a prison, and Tamara declares: she knows well that half of decent women are supported, and the rest, older ones, support young boys. Of the prostitutes, hardly one in a thousand had an abortion, and they all did it several times.
During Tamara’s tirade, the Baroness says in French that she has already seen this face somewhere, and Rovinskaya, also in French, reminds her that in front of them is the chorus girl Margarita from Kharkov. Then Rovinskaya was not yet a baroness.
Rovinskaya gets up, promises to leave and pay for the girls’ time, and as a farewell she sings to them Dargomyzhsky’s romance “We parted proudly...”. As soon as the singing stops, the indomitable Zhenya falls to her knees in front of Rovinskaya and sobs. Elena Viktorovna bends down to kiss her, but she quietly asks her something. The singer replies that a few months of treatment and everything will pass.
After this visit, Tamara inquires about Zhenya’s health. She admits that she has contracted syphilis, but does not announce it, and every evening she deliberately infects ten to fifteen two-legged scoundrels.
The girls curse all their most unpleasant or perverted clients.
A woman loves once, but forever, and a man is like a greyhound dog... It’s okay that he changes, but he never even has a simple feeling of gratitude to either the old or the new mistress.
Zhenya remembers the name of the man to whom her own mother sold her, ten years old. Zoya remembers her teacher who said that she must obey him in everything or he would kick her out of school for bad behavior.
At this moment Lyubka appears. When asked to take her back, the housekeeper responds with abuse and beatings. Zhenya, unable to stand it, grabs her hair. Screams begin in the neighboring rooms, and a fit of hysteria engulfs the entire house. Only an hour later, Simeon and two fellow professionals calm the girls down, and at the usual hour the junior housekeeper calls them into the hall.
Cadet Kolya Gladyshev invariably comes to Zhenya. And today he sits in her room, but she asks him not to rush and does not allow him to kiss her. Finally she says that she is sick; anyone else would not have spared him. After all, those who are paid for love hate those who pay and never feel sorry for them. Zhenya says goodbye to the cadet forever.
In the morning, Zhenya goes to the port, where, leaving the newspaper for a vagabond life, he works unloading Platonov’s watermelons. She tells him about her illness, and he tells him that it was probably Sabashnikov and a student nicknamed Ramses who got infected from it, who shot himself, leaving a note where he wrote that he himself was to blame for what happened, because he took a woman for money, without love.
Sergei Pavlovich, who loves Zhenka, cannot resolve the doubts that gripped her: was her dream of infecting everyone stupid? Zhenya loses the meaning of life. Two days later she is found hanged. This smacks of scandalous fame for the establishment, but now only the housekeeper, who has finally become the mistress, has bought the house from Anna Markovna. She announces to the young ladies that from now on she demands real order and unconditional obedience, and invites Tamara to become her main assistant, but so that Senechka does not appear in the house.
Through Rovinskaya and Rezanov, Tamara buries the suicide Zhenka Orthodox rite. Following Zhenka, Pasha dies. She finally fell into dementia and was taken to an insane asylum, where she died. But this did not end the troubles of the former housekeeper.
Tamara ingratiates herself with the notary and, together with Senka, soon robs him. She mixed sleeping powder with the notary, let Senka into the apartment, and he opened the safe. A year later, Senka is caught in Moscow and betrays Tamara, who fled with him.
Then Vera passes away. Her lover, a military official, squandered government money and decided to shoot himself. Vera wanted to share his fate. In an expensive hotel room after a luxurious feast, he shot at her, became cowardly and only wounded himself.
Finally, during one of the fights, Little Manka is killed. The ruin of the establishment ends when a hundred soldiers come to the aid of two fighters who were cheated in a nearby brothel.
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