"On the Eve" by Ivan Turgenev, summary Automatic translate

This book is one of the most famous classic Russian novels, written in 1859. The plot revolves around a young Russian noblewoman and her love for a Bulgarian patriot against a backdrop of historical upheaval. The novel details the story of coming of age and genuine sacrifice — the main themes of literature of the time.

The work was successfully adapted for the screen twice by Soviet and Bulgarian filmmakers in 1959 and 1985.

Introduction of the heroes

In the summer of 1853, two young men, Andrei Bersenev and Pavel Shubin, lie on the grass under a tall linden tree on the riverbank near Kuntsevo. Shubin is a talented but extremely flighty and frivolous sculptor. Bersenev is a modest, serious university graduate dreaming of a career as a professor. They engage in a heated debate about nature, art, and love. Shubin believes in enjoying life and loving only for its own sake. Bersenev believes in self-sacrificing love and the higher purpose of man. The conversation gradually turns to Elena Stakhova. Both young men often visit her house, and both are attracted to her.

Elena lives at her dacha with her parents. Her mother, Anna Vasilyevna, is a kind woman, but prone to constant melancholy and imaginary illnesses. Her father, Nikolai Artemyevich, is a shallow, narcissistic, and rebellious man who spends almost all his time with his mistress. Also living in the house are her companion Zoya, a flirtatious Russian German woman who sings romances beautifully, and a distant relative, Uvar Ivanovich, a corpulent, taciturn retired cornet.

From early childhood, Elena was distinguished by a deep, passionate, and demanding soul. She always longed for active good and to help the oppressed. As a child, she saved flies from spiders, hid stray puppies, and secretly befriended a poor girl named Katya. The measured, domestic life weighs heavily on Elena. Shubin is secretly in love with her, but she treats him with a degree of disdain. She sees him as nothing more than an idle artist, incapable of great deeds. Bersenev is much closer to her in spirit.

Soon, Bersenev introduces Elena to his new university classmate, a Bulgarian named Dmitry Insarov. His life is full of tragic events. As a child, his mother was brutally murdered by a Turkish aga. Dmitry’s father attempted to take revenge on the Turk, but was captured and executed without trial. The boy grew up in Kyiv with his aunt, and then traveled on foot throughout his native Bulgaria. Insarov is obsessed with one idea: liberating his homeland from Ottoman rule. He is poor, stern, taciturn, and incredibly determined.

Elena is deeply impressed by the Bulgarian’s iron will. Insarov begins visiting the Stakhovs frequently. One day, he travels sixty-five kilometers from Moscow to Troitsky Posad to resolve a conflict between his poorly educated fellow countrymen. He spends three days on this. Elena understands the true extent of his dedication to the common cause. She starts a diary, detailing her feelings and tangled thoughts.

Anna Vasilyevna decides to take a country trip to Tsaritsyno. This trip becomes a test for all the characters. In Tsaritsyno, a cheerful group is boating, and Zoya is singing. A huge, drunken German accosts them on the shore. He brazenly demands a kiss from the girls. Insarov calmly intercedes for the ladies. He lifts the enormous German into the air and throws him into the pond. This act finally wins Elena’s heart. She sees Dmitry as a true protector.

Dmitry’s decision

Realizing he’s falling deeply in love with the Russian girl, Insarov becomes alarmed. He doesn’t want to be distracted from his main goal in life. The Bulgarian decides to leave Moscow hastily. Bersenev, himself secretly in love with Elena, nobly breaks the news of Dmitry’s imminent departure to her. Elena despairs. She can’t bear to be separated and decides to act first.

During a sudden thunderstorm, Elena accidentally meets Dmitry in an old abandoned chapel. She professes her sincere love to him. Insarov realizes he can no longer resist fate. He reciprocates. They decide to join their destinies. Dmitry warns Elena of poverty, hardship, and mortal danger, but she is ready to follow him to the ends of the earth.

Meanwhile, Nikolai Artemyevich finds a suitable husband for his daughter: the civil servant Yegor Kurnatovsky. Her father invites him to dinner. Elena sees Kurnatovsky as a heartless, cold, and practical careerist. After meeting the official, Elena is even more convinced of the correctness of her choice. Out of frustration and jealousy, Shubin sculpts caricatures of Insarov and himself, showing them to Bersenev.

War looms in the Balkans, and Insarov hastily prepares to leave for his homeland. Suddenly, he falls gravely ill with pneumonia. Bersenev selflessly cares for his sick comrade, sleeping at his bedside. Elena, distraught with grief, secretly sneaks into her lover’s room. She sees him delirious and on the brink of death. Thanks to the tireless care of Bersenev and the doctor, the illness recedes. Dmitry slowly recovers.

Having barely recovered, Insarov secretly marries Elena. One of the footmen informs Nikolai Artemyevich of his daughter’s visits to someone else’s apartment. The enraged father locks himself in the bedroom with his wife and demands an explanation. Elena openly declares that she has become Insarov’s legal wife and will soon leave with him for Bulgaria. Nikolai Artemyevich flies into a furious rage. He threatens to disinherit his daughter and send her to a convent. However, the girl’s firmness and fear of a public scandal force the parents to back down. The father even agrees to pay off his debts in exchange for peace.

Departure and denouement

The difficult day of parting arrives. Anna Vasilyevna bids farewell to her daughter, knowing she’s seeing her for the very last time. Nikolai Artemyevich catches up with the sleigh on the street to give the newlyweds his blessing and offer them champagne. The couple leaves Russia, heading off to face harsh trials. The grueling journey saps Dmitry’s last strength. They reach Vienna, where Insarov falls gravely ill again and spends two long months in bed.

In the spring, the couple arrives in Venice. Dmitry’s health is a source of grave concern. He has lost terribly much weight, coughs, and walks with difficulty. Elena finds the sun-drenched city in springtime a cruel contrast to their grief. They visit an art gallery and the opera. Verdi’s "La Traviata" is being performed at the theater. Elena’s premonition of Dmitry’s imminent death becomes unbearably acute. Insarov eagerly awaits a ship with his faithful companion, the Dalmatian named Rendić, to cross the turbulent sea.

An old Moscow acquaintance, Lupoyarov, visits them at the hotel. He chatters incoherently about politics, exhausting the sick man. Elena has a terrible dream about a boat, a snowy road, and an icy abyss. She is suddenly awakened by her husband’s scream. Dmitry manages to say goodbye before suddenly dying of an aneurysm. The grief-stricken widow refuses to return home. Rendich arrives, and Elena sails with him to Zara, carrying her husband’s coffin into the stormy sea.

The girl writes a farewell letter to her parents. She announces that she plans to become a nurse and care for the war wounded. From then on, all traces of Elena are lost forever in the Balkans. Her family in Russia continue their normal lives. Kurnatovsky marries Zoya. Shubin moves to Rome and becomes a successful sculptor. Bersenev studies in Heidelberg, preparing to become a renowned professor. Shubin asks in his letters, "Well, Uvar Ivanovich, will they be?" Uvar Ivanovich merely gazes mysteriously into the distance, twitching his fingers.