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A dog's heart is short. dog's heart

The action takes place in Moscow in the winter of 1924/25. Professor Philip Filippovich Preobrazhensky discovered a way to rejuvenate the body by transplanting glands to people internal secretion animals. In his seven-room apartment in a large house on Prechistenka, he receives patients. The building is undergoing “densification”: new residents, “tenants,” are being moved into the apartments of the previous residents. The chairman of the house committee, Shvonder, comes to Preobrazhensky with a demand to vacate two rooms in his apartment. However, the professor, having called one of his high-ranking patients by phone, receives armor for his apartment, and Shvonder leaves with nothing.

Professor Preobrazhensky and his assistant Dr. Ivan Arnoldovich Bormental are having lunch in the professor's dining room. Choral singing comes from somewhere above - it passes general meeting"tenants". The professor is outraged by what is happening in the house: the carpet was stolen from the main staircase, the front door was boarded up and people are now walking through the back door, all the galoshes disappeared from the galosh rack in the entrance at once. “Devastation,” notes Bormental and receives the answer: “If instead of operating, I start singing in chorus in my apartment, I will be in ruins!”

Professor Preobrazhensky picks up a mongrel dog on the street, sick and with tattered fur, brings him home, instructs the housekeeper Zina to feed him and care for him. After a week, a clean and well-fed Sharik becomes affectionate, charming and beautiful dog.

The professor performs an operation - transplants Sharik with the endocrine glands of Klim Chugunkin, 25 years old, three times convicted of theft, who played the balalaika in taverns, and died from a knife blow. The experiment was a success - the dog does not die, but, on the contrary, gradually turns into a human: he gains height and weight, his hair falls out, he begins to speak. Three weeks later he is already a short man with an unattractive appearance who enthusiastically plays the balalaika, smokes and curses. After some time, he demands from Philip Philipovich that he register him, for which he needs a document, and he has already chosen his first and last name: Polygraph Poligrafovich Sharikov.

From his previous life as a dog, Sharikov still has a hatred of cats. One day, while chasing a cat that had run into the bathroom, Sharikov clicks the lock in the bathroom and accidentally turns it inside out. water tap, and the whole apartment is flooded with water. The professor is forced to cancel the appointment. The janitor Fyodor, called to fix the tap, embarrassedly asks Philip Philipovich to pay for the window broken by Sharikov: he tried to hug the cook from the seventh apartment, the owner began to chase him away. Sharikov responded by throwing stones at him.

Philip Philipovich, Bormental and Sharikov are having lunch; again and again Bormenthal unsuccessfully teaches Sharikov good manners. To Philip Philipovich’s question about what Sharikov is reading now, he answers: “The correspondence of Engels with Kautsky” - and adds that he does not agree with both, but in general “everything must be divided,” otherwise “one sat in seven rooms, and another is looking for food in trash bins.” The indignant professor announces to Sharikov that he is at the lowest level of development and nevertheless allows himself to give advice on a cosmic scale. The professor orders the harmful book to be thrown into the oven.

A week later, Sharikov presents the professor with a document, from which it follows that he, Sharikov, is a member of the housing association and is entitled to a room in the professor’s apartment. That same evening, in the professor’s office, Sharikov appropriates two chervonets and returns at night completely drunk, accompanied by two unknown men, who left only after calling the police, however, taking with them a malachite ashtray, a cane and Philip Philipovich’s beaver hat.

That same night, in his office, Professor Preobrazhensky talks with Bormenthal. Analyzing what is happening, the scientist comes to despair that he received such scum from the sweetest dog. And the whole horror is that he no longer has a dog’s heart, but a human heart, and the lousiest of all that exist in nature. He is sure that in front of them is Klim Chugunkin with all his thefts and convictions.

One day, upon arriving home, Sharikov presents Filipp Filippovich with a certificate, from which it is clear that he, Sharikov, is the head of the department for cleaning the city of Moscow from stray animals (cats, etc.). A few days later, Sharikov brings home a young lady, with whom, according to him, he is going to marry and live in Preobrazhensky’s apartment. The professor tells the young lady about Sharikov’s past; she sobs, saying that he passed off the scar from the operation as a battle wound.

The next day, one of the professor’s high-ranking patients brings him a denunciation written against him by Sharikov, which mentions Engels being thrown into the oven and the professor’s “counter-revolutionary speeches.” Philip Philipovich invites Sharikov to pack his things and immediately get out of the apartment. In response to this, Sharikov shows the professor a shish with one hand, and with the other takes a revolver out of his pocket... A few minutes later, the pale Bormenthal cuts the bell wire, locks the front door and the back door and hides with the professor in the examination room.

Ten days later, an investigator appears in the apartment with a search warrant and the arrest of Professor Preobrazhensky and Doctor Bormental on charges of murdering the head of the cleaning department, Sharikov P.P. “What Sharikov? - asks the professor. “Oh, the dog I operated on!” And he introduces the visitors to a strange-looking dog: in some places bald, in others with patches of growing fur, he walks out on his hind legs, then stands on all fours, then again rises on his hind legs and sits in a chair. The investigator faints.

Two months pass. In the evenings, the dog sleeps peacefully on the carpet in the professor’s office, and life in the apartment goes on as usual.

A stray dog, Sharik, who lived in Moscow, was scalded with boiling water by a cruel cook. It was December, and Sharik, with his side peeling from a burn, was in danger of starvation. He howled pitifully in the gateway. (See Monologue of the dog Sharik.)

But a well-dressed, intelligent-looking gentleman suddenly appeared from the door of a nearby store. To the dog’s surprise, this mysterious man threw him a piece of Krakow sausage and began calling him to follow him.

Sharik ran after his benefactor to Prechistenka and Obukhov Lane. On the way, the gentleman threw him a second piece of Krakow. To Sharik’s even greater amazement, a decent man called him into the luxurious entrance of a large rich house and led him inside past the age-old enemy of all stray dogs - the doorman.

“Heart of a Dog”, chapter 2 – summary

The gentleman went with Sharik into a luxurious apartment. Here the dog learned the name of its benefactor - professor of medicine Philip Philipovich Preobrazhensky. Noticing Sharik's scalded side, the professor and his assistant, Doctor Bormental, bandaged the dog.

The dog settled down in the professor's waiting room and began to watch with interest as patients came to him - elderly gentlemen and ladies who wanted to restore the youthful freshness of love. The astute Sharik guessed that medical specialty Philip Philipovich is associated with rejuvenation.

Bulgakov. Dog's heart. Audiobook

But in the evening, special visitors came to the professor: proletarian-looking. These were “tenants” - Bolshevik activists who were settled throughout Moscow in the “excess” rooms of wealthy apartment owners. The leader of the “tenants,” who bore the purely Russian surname Shvonder, stated that his seven-room apartment was too large for Philip Philipovich. The conversation turned harsh. Preobrazhensky called some influential official on the phone and threatened that if he was not left alone, he would stop operating on high-ranking party bosses. The official scolded Shvonder into the phone, and the “tenants” retreated in shame. (See the full text of the scene with Shvonder.)

“Heart of a Dog”, chapter 3 – summary

In the evening, Preobrazhensky and Bormental sat down to dinner, feeding the dog as well. Over dinner, the doctors talked about the new - Soviet - order. (See Heart of a Dog. Dialogue at dinner.) Preobrazhensky assured that after the “housing” proletariat moved into their house, everything inside would fall into decay. After the social revolution, everyone began to walk up the marble stairs in dirty shoes. The Bolsheviks blame all their troubles on the mythical “devastation,” not noticing that it is in their own heads. The working class must work, but now they are spending most time for political studies and singing revolutionary anthems. (See Professor Preobrazhensky's monologue about devastation, Professor Preobrazhensky about Soviet newspapers.)

Sharik listened to the doctors' reasoning with genuine interest and great sympathy.

“Heart of a Dog”, chapter 4 – summary

Over the course of several days spent with Preobrazhensky, Sharik turned into a well-fed and well-groomed dog. He was taken for walks wearing a collar, and one stray dog, out of black envy, once even called Sharik “the lord’s bastard.” Having skillfully sucked up to the professor's cook Daria Petrovna, the dog spent whole days in her kitchen, where he received various tidbits.

Dog's heart. Feature Film

But one terrible day everything changed. One morning Preobrazhensky received a call from Bormental and reported about a man who had died three hours earlier. Soon Bormenthal arrived with a strange suitcase, and Sharik was taken by the collar to the examination room. There he was euthanized with damp cotton wool and subjected to a complex operation. The dog's seminal glands were replaced with human ones taken from someone who had just died. Then Sharik’s skull was opened, the pituitary gland in the brain was cut out, and it was also replaced with a human one. Professor Preobrazhensky performed this experimental operation on a dog, suggesting that in this way strong rejuvenation could be achieved. (See full text of the operation scene.)

“Heart of a Dog”, chapter 5 – summary

Dr. Bormenthal recorded observations of the operated Sharik in a special notebook. The changes that happened to the dog shocked both doctors. The dog was on the verge of life and death for some time, but then he began to recover quickly, eat a lot and grow rapidly. Sharik's fur began to fall out, his weight and height approached that of a human. He began to get out of bed and stand on his hind legs.

But the most amazing thing is that the dog began to pronounce human words. Sharik's vocabulary was dominated by swearing. Among the phrases he most often used: “Get off the bandwagon”, “I’ll show you!” and “Get in line, you sons of bitches, get in line!” They began to seat Sharik at the table and tried to instill in him cultural manners. To this he briefly replied, “Get off, you nit.”

It turned out that a pituitary gland transplant does not lead to rejuvenation, but to humanization! In an attempt to clarify the strange habits of the former dog, Preobrazhensky and Bormenthal inquired about the identity of the deceased person, whose pituitary gland was transplanted during surgery. He turned out to be the proletarian drunkard Klim Chugunkin, who was tried three times for theft, played the balalaika in taverns and died from a knife attack in a pub.

Rumors about the extraordinary experiment of Professor Preobrazhensky spread throughout Moscow.

Sharikov sings “Eh, apple.” This episode from the film “Heart of a Dog” is absent from Mikhail Bulgakov’s story, but expresses its main idea well

“Heart of a Dog”, chapter 6 – summary

Soon, the operated Sharik finally turned into a man of extremely unattractive appearance and disgusting habits. Philip Philipovich and Bormental tried in vain to teach him not to throw cigarette butts on the floor of the apartment, to spit in all corners, and to use the urinal correctly. This creature could not get rid of the dog's instinct to rush at cats. Jumping on them, it broke glass in cabinets and cupboards, tore down pipes in the bathroom, causing a real flood. “The man with the heart of a dog” began to show considerable voluptuousness, brazenly pestering the maid Zina, the cook Daria Petrovna and the neighboring cooks.

Worst of all, the dog recently became friends with the “tenants” who hated Professor Preobrazhensky. Shvonder taught him to “defend his interests” before Philip Philipovich. Sharik demanded that human documents be issued to him. He came up with a name for himself in the new Bolshevik style - Poligraf Poligrafovich, and “agreed to take the hereditary surname” - Sharikov. After talking with Shvonder, Sharikov, who had never worked, declared himself a “labor element.” In Preobrazhensky and Bormental he clearly saw “exploiters”.

“Heart of a Dog”, chapter 7 – summary

While eating, Sharikov strove to use his hands rather than a fork and spoon. He relied so heavily on vodka that they had to take it away from him. Preobrazhensky and Bormental did not give up their attempts to introduce Polygraph to decent manners. But he refused to go to the theater, calling it “counter-revolution,” and he could only attend the circus when there were no cats on the program.

The two doctors were stunned by the news that Sharikov himself began to read books. But when they inquired about which ones, they heard that it was correspondence between Engels and Kautsky, which was given by Shvonder. Sharikov, however, “disagreed” with both of these theorists, finding their social ideas too confusing - it was better to simply “take everything and divide it.”

Philip Philipovich, becoming truly furious, ordered Zina to find a book with Engels’ correspondence among Sharikov’s belongings and throw it into the fire. Once, when Bormental took Polygraph away from the circus, Preobrazhensky took out from the cabinet a liquid containing the pituitary gland of the dog Sharik in alcohol, began to look at it and shake his head, as if about to decide on something.

“Heart of a Dog”, chapter 8 – summary

Soon Sharikov was brought human documents with his new name and a certificate stating that he is a member of the “housing association.” The polygraph immediately made a claim for “living space of sixteen square arshins in the apartment of the responsible tenant Preobrazhensky.” But when the angry Philip Philipovich threatened to stop feeding him, Sharikov became quiet for a while: he needed to “eat food” somewhere.

But very soon he stole two ducats from Preobrazhensky’s office, disappeared from the apartment and returned towards nightfall, completely drunk. With him were two more unknown drunkards who expressed a desire to spend the night. When threatened to call the police, these two uninvited guests fled, but the professor's malachite ashtray, beaver hat and cane disappeared with them. Sharikov tried to blame the theft of two chervonets on the housekeeper Zina.

That same night, Preobrazhensky and Bormenthal discussed everything that had happened. It was impossible to tolerate Sharikov any longer, but what to do with him? Bormenthal tried to feed him arsenic. Philip Philipovich tried to persuade his assistant not to commit a crime. Preobrazhensky sadly admitted: the result of his operation was a greatest discovery, but it seems that it could bring more harm to humanity than good. In the middle of the conversation, the cook Daria Petrovna unexpectedly entered the doctors’ office, dragging the half-naked, drunken Sharikov by the collar: he pestered her and Zina with brazen harassment.

“Heart of a Dog”, chapter 9 – summary

The next morning Sharikov disappeared, taking with him a bottle of mountain ash from the cupboard and Doctor Bormenthal's gloves. Shvonder insisted that he also borrowed seven rubles from him, allegedly to buy textbooks. The man with the heart of a dog was absent for three days, and then returned in a truck and announced that he had “taken up a position.” Sharikov showed a paper from which it was clear: he had been appointed “head of the department for clearing the city of Moscow from stray animals (cats, etc.).” The Polygraph smelled terribly of a cat. He explained that yesterday he spent the whole day strangling cats that would be used as “polts” for the proletarians.

Two days later Sharikov brought a young lady with him. He intended to live with her in Preobrazhensky’s apartment, and insisted on evicting Bormental. But when the professor told the young lady the story of her fiance’s origin from a dog who lived in the gateway, she burst into tears and left.

A couple of days later, one of Preobrazhensky’s patients, an employee of the investigative authorities, warned: Sharikov, with the help of Shvonder, compiled a denunciation. In it, the professor was characterized as “a counter-revolutionary and an obvious Menshevik” who ordered Engels’ book to be burned in the stove.

Preobrazhensky and Bormenthal demanded that Polygraph immediately move out of the apartment. But Sharikov showed a sign and tried to take a revolver out of his pocket. Bormental threw him onto the couch with a desperate throw. Philip Philipovich rushed to help the assistant...

“Heart of a Dog”, epilogue – summary

Ten days later, criminal police officers and Shvonder came to Preobrazhensky’s apartment. They were going to investigate a case of suspected murder of the head of the cleaning department, Sharikov, who had not appeared at work since that fateful day.

The professor explained with an air of surprise: Sharikov is not a person, but a dog, the victim of an unsuccessful medical experience. Just at that moment, a strange dog with a purple scar on its forehead jumped out of Philip Philipovich’s office. Fur only grew on it in places. The dog stood on two, then on four paws, and in the end sat down in a chair.

Preobrazhensky explained to those who came that the dog he operated on took on a human form only for a while, and then gradually began to return to its previous state.

The policemen left. The professor returned to his usual medical activities. The dog Sharik lay nearby on the carpet and was glad that he had finally established himself in Philip Philipovich’s well-fed and warm apartment.

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Chapter One: Dog Ordeals

The story “The Heart of a Dog” by Mikhail Bulgakov begins in a very unusual way - with the reasoning of a poor dog whose side was scalded by the cook. The dog seems to be thinking about his difficult life, where he was beaten with a boot and “got a brick in the ribs” - and dreams of only one thing: to eat.

The animal does not dare hope for luck, when suddenly... the dog is called to him by a representative gentleman. What a stroke of luck - Sharik, as his unexpected benefactor called him, received a piece of Krakow sausage. And the dog, having satisfied his hunger, went where he called, without looking back, ready to follow the benefactor even to the ends of the world.

Chapter two: new life for Professor Preobrazhensky

Professor Philip Philipovich – that was the name of Sharik’s new owner – brought the dog into a spacious apartment. Seeing the wounded side, he decided to examine the dog, but that was not the case. The dog struggled for a long time and stubbornly, but we still managed to treat the dog with anesthesia. When Sharik woke up, he realized that he was in the same room. The side no longer bothered me. He began to watch with interest how the doctor received patients. The astute dog guessed that the professor’s activities were related to rejuvenation. However, in the evening the professor received a visit from special visitors, Bolshevik activists, who began to make claims, saying that his apartment of seven rooms was too large, and people needed to be moved into it, taking away the observation room and dining room. Shvonder was especially zealous in this. The problem was resolved when Philip Philipovich called some influential official, and he resolved the conflict.

Chapter Three: Dog's Everyday Life in Preobrazhensky's House

“You need to be able to eat,” Preobrazhensky said over dinner. For him, eating was a special ritual. The dog was fed too. They were condescending to what Sharik sometimes did. They were patient. But not for nothing. The dog was needed for an incredible experiment. But they haven’t talked about this yet: they were waiting for the right moment.

During the meal, the household talked about the new Soviet order, which Philip Philipovich did not like at all. After all, before, galoshes weren’t stolen at all, but now they disappear without a trace. And even after the revolution, they began to walk on marble stairs in dirty shoes, which, in the opinion of an intelligent person, is completely unacceptable.

Sharik listened to these conversations and mentally sympathized with the owners. He was quite happy with life, especially since he managed to sneak into the kitchen and receive tidbits from Daria Petrovna there. Sharik felt that he had the right to this hitherto forbidden territory when the collar was put on him. Now he is truly the owner's dog. However, happy life in a dog's body was coming to an end. But Sharik did not know what he would soon experience.

That day, an unusual, even alarming turmoil reigned around Sharik. Everyone was running and fussing, Doctor Bormenthal brought with him a foul-smelling suitcase and rushed with it to the examination room. Sharik decided to eat, but suddenly, out of the blue, he was locked in the bathroom. And then they took me for surgery.

Chapter Four: Unusual Operation

The experiment of transplanting human seminal glands into a dog has begun. The instruments flashed in the hands of the surgeons, they worked very energetically, acted with unusual dexterity: they cut, sewed up, but in the depths of their souls they did not hope for a successful outcome of the operation, being almost sure that the dog would die.

Chapter Five: From Dog to Man

Contrary to the doubts of doctors, the unprecedented experiment was successful: the dog survived. Gradually, Sharik, in front of the amazed eyes of Bormental and Preobrazhensky, began to turn into a man. But the doctor and the professor did not rejoice for long, because along with the miracle they observed, bad things happened: having turned from Sharik into Sharikov, the former dog behaved impudently, was rude to the professor, used profanity, and played bad songs on the balalaika.

The strange habits of the former dog haunted Preobrazhensky and Bormental. And they began to look for the reason for this. It soon became clear that the pituitary gland of the twenty-five-year-old former drunkard and rowdy Klim Chugunkin, who was convicted three times for theft and died in a knife fight, was transplanted to Sharik.

Chapter Six: Man is worse than a dog

After conducting the experiment, the professor and doctor got themselves into big trouble. They constantly fought with a human being who attacked cats, tore down pipes, causing a flood in the bathroom, and broke glass in cabinets and cupboards. In addition, a man with a dog’s heart had the audacity to pester the cooks and the maid Zina. But that wasn't the worst thing yet. Recently, the dog became friends with the “tenants” who hated Professor Preobrazhensky, who taught him to defend his rights. In the end, he asked the professor to make human documents. He took the hereditary surname - Sharikov, but came up with the name, according to the ideas of the revolution - Poligraf Poligrafovich. In Preobrazhenskoe and Bormental the former dog saw oppressors.

Chapter Seven: Sharikov’s behavior upsets the professor and doctor

Bormenthal and Preobrazhensky are trying to teach Sharikov good manners, but he is difficult to educate. But he really loves vodka, and for entertainment he loves going to the circus. Having become friends with Shvonder, he very quickly adopted his style of behavior. When Philip Philipovich and his colleague found out that Polygraph could read, they were very surprised. But real amazement and shock was caused by the fact that Sharikov was reading nothing more than the correspondence between Engels and Kautsky, given to him by Shvonder. The enraged Preobrazhensky orders Zina to find this book and burn it in the stove. Sharikov's mind is primitive, however, Polygraph does not hesitate to give advice, for example, about the seven rooms of Preobrazhensky: just take everything and divide it - he offers his own option.

Day after day, Sharikov behaves more and more defiantly: in a fit of animal rage, he kills a cat belonging to a neighbor; accosts women on the stairs; he bit one of them when she hit him in the face in response to the fact that he brazenly pinched her, and does many other indecent things that cause inconvenience to the residents of the apartment. Professor Preobrazhensky is thinking about a new operation - this time to transform a person into a dog. But he has not yet made a final decision, although he admits with great regret that the greatest discovery made as a result of a unique operation could turn out to be harmful to others.

Chapter Eight: Sharikov is becoming more and more rowdy

The former dog, and now a man, demands that documents be made for him, and, having received them, he tries to abuse his position: he claims the right to living space in Preobrazhensky’s apartment, to which the angry Philip Philipovich says that he will stop giving him food.

Soon Sharikov does even worse: he steals twenty rubles from the professor’s office and returns in the evening completely drunk, and not alone, but with friends who would also like to spend the night in good conditions. They were threatened that the police would be called, and the drunkards retreated, but valuable things disappeared with them: the professor’s cane, a malachite ashtray and a beaver hat. Polygraph shifts the blame for the chervonets onto Zina.

While the scientists are discussing the situation and deciding what to do now, Daria Petrovna appears at the door, holding the half-naked Sharikov by the collar and reporting that he dared to pester them. An angry Bormenthal promises to take action.

Chapter Nine: Operation Again

The polygraph reports that he has accepted a position in the department of cleaning the city of Moscow from stray animals and presents the corresponding paper in this regard.

After some time, a modest-looking girl, a typist, appears in the apartment, and Sharikov reports that this is his fiancee who will live with him. Philip Philipovich calls the young lady into his office and explains Sharikov’s true origins. A typist named Vasnetsova is crying and says that she has very little food. Preobrazhensky borrows her three chervonets.

After the “result of an unsuccessful experiment” begins to write slander against the professor, Preobrazhensky decisively tries to kick him out of the apartment. But that was not the case: Polygraph picks up a revolver and threatens them. Bormenthal quickly finds his bearings and throws Sharikov onto the couch. Scientists, in order to protect themselves and others, are again deciding to perform surgery.

Chapter Ten: Epilogue

Policemen who are investigating the disappearance of Poligraf Poligrafovich Sharikov cross the threshold of Preobrazhensky’s apartment. In response to the charge of murder, Philip Philipovich asks that Sharik be brought before the investigator. A very strange-looking dog runs out of the door, bald in spots, and fur is growing on it in spots. The dog still talks, but less and less. Surprised law enforcement officers leave Philip Philipovich's home.

Sharik is glad that now he will live with Preobrazhensky all the time. He is no longer a rebel man, but an ordinary dog, and, dozing on the carpet next to the leather sofa, he reflects on his dog’s life. Which, it seems to him, is very good.

Mikhail Bulgakov's story “The Heart of a Dog,” written in 1925 in Moscow, is a filigree example of sharp satirical fiction of that time. In it, the author reflected his ideas and beliefs about whether a person needs to interfere with the laws of evolution and what this can lead to. The topic touched upon by Bulgakov remains relevant in modern times. real life and will never cease to disturb the minds of all progressive humanity.

After its publication, the story caused a lot of speculation and controversial judgments, because it was distinguished by the bright and memorable characters of the main characters, an extraordinary plot in which fantasy was closely intertwined with reality, as well as an undisguised, sharp criticism of Soviet power. This work was very popular among dissidents in the 60s, and after its reissue in the 90s it was generally recognized as prophetic. In the story “Heart of a Dog,” the tragedy of the Russian people is clearly visible, which is divided into two warring camps (red and white) and in this confrontation only one must win. In his story, Bulgakov reveals to readers the essence of the new victors - proletarian revolutionaries, and shows that they cannot create anything good and worthy.

History of creation

This story is the final part of a previously written cycle of satirical stories by Mikhail Bulgakov of the 20s, such as “The Diaboliad” and “Fatal Eggs”. Bulgakov began writing the story “Heart of a Dog” in January 1925 and finished it in March of the same year; it was originally intended for publication in the Nedra magazine, but was not censored. And all of its contents were known to Moscow literature lovers, because Bulgakov read it in March 1925 at the Nikitsky Subbotnik (literary circle), later it was copied by hand (the so-called “samizdat”) and thus distributed to the masses. In the USSR, the story “Heart of a Dog” was first published in 1987 (6th issue of the Znamya magazine).

Analysis of the work

Story line

The basis for the development of the plot in the story is the story of the unsuccessful experiment of Professor Preobrazhensky, who decided to turn the homeless mongrel Sharik into a human. To do this, he transplants the pituitary gland of an alcoholic, parasite and rowdy Klim Chugunkin, the operation is successful and a completely “new man” is born - Poligraph Poligrafovich Sharikov, who, according to the author’s idea, is a collective image of the new Soviet proletarian. The “new man” is distinguished by a rude, arrogant and deceitful character, a boorish manner of behavior, a very unpleasant, repulsive appearance, and the intelligent and well-mannered professor often has conflicts with him. Sharikov, in order to register in the professor’s apartment (to which he believes he has every right), enlists the support of a like-minded and ideological teacher, the chairman of the Shvonder house committee, and even finds himself a job: he catches stray cats. Driven to the extreme by all the antics of the newly minted Polygraph Sharikov (the last straw was the denunciation of Preobrazhensky himself), the professor decides to return everything as it was and turns Sharikov back into a dog.

Main characters

The main characters of the story “Heart of a Dog” are typical representatives of Moscow society of that time (the thirties of the twentieth century).

One of the main characters at the center of the story is Professor Preobrazhensky, a world-famous scientist, a respected person in society who adheres to democratic views. He deals with the issues of rejuvenating the human body through animal organ transplants, and strives to help people without causing them any harm. The professor is depicted as a respectable and self-confident person, having a certain weight in society and accustomed to living in luxury and prosperity (he has a large house with servants, among his clients are former nobles and representatives of the highest revolutionary leadership).

Being a cultured person and possessing an independent and critical mind, Preobrazhensky openly opposes Soviet power, calling the Bolsheviks who came to power “idlers” and “idlers”; he is firmly convinced that it is necessary to fight devastation not with terror and violence, but with culture, and believes that the only way to communicate with living beings is through affection.

Having conducted an experiment on the stray dog Sharik and turned him into a human, and even tried to instill in him basic cultural and moral skills, Professor Preobrazhensky undergoes a complete fiasco. He admits that his “new man” turned out to be completely useless, does not lend himself to education and learns only bad things (Sharikov’s main conclusion after studying Soviet propaganda literature is that everything needs to be divided, and doing this by the method of robbery and violence). The scientist understands that one cannot interfere with the laws of nature, because such experiments do not lead to anything good.

The professor's young assistant, Dr. Bormenthal, is a very decent and devoted person to his teacher (the professor at one time took part in the fate of a poor and hungry student, and he responded with devotion and gratitude). When Sharikov reached the limit, having written a denunciation of the professor and stole a pistol, he wanted to use it, it was Bormental who showed fortitude and toughness of character, deciding to turn him back into a dog, while the professor was still hesitating.

Describing with positive side of these two doctors, old and young, emphasizing their nobility and self-esteem, Bulgakov sees in their descriptions himself and his relatives, doctors, who in many situations would do exactly the same.

The absolute opposites of these two positive heroes are people of modern times: the former dog Sharik himself, who became Polygraph Poligrafovich Sharikov, the chairman of the house committee Shvonder and other “tenants”.

Shvonder is a typical example of a member of the new society who fully and completely supports Soviet power. Hating the professor as a class enemy of the revolution and planning to get part of the professor’s living space, he uses Sharikov for this, telling him about the rights to the apartment, giving him documents and pushing him to write a denunciation against Preobrazhensky. Himself, being a narrow-minded and uneducated person, Shvonder gives in and hesitates in conversations with the professor, and this makes him hate him even more and makes every effort to annoy him as much as possible.

Sharikov, whose donor was a bright average representative of the Soviet thirties of the last century, an alcoholic without a specific job, three times convicted lumpen-proletariat Klim Chugunkin, twenty-five years old, is distinguished by his absurd and arrogant character. Like all ordinary people, he wants to become one of the people, but he doesn’t want to learn anything or put any effort into it. He likes to be an ignorant slob, fight, swear, spit on the floor and constantly run into scandals. However, without learning anything good, he absorbs the bad like a sponge: he quickly learns to write denunciations, finds a job he “likes” - killing cats, the eternal enemies of the canine race. Moreover, by showing how mercilessly he deals with stray cats, the author makes it clear that Sharikov will do the same with any person who comes between him and his goal.

The gradually increasing aggression, impudence and impunity of Sharikov are specially shown by the author, so that the reader understands how much this “Sharikovism” emerging in the 20s of the last century is new social phenomenon post-revolutionary time, terrible and dangerous. Such Sharikovs, found all over the place in Soviet society, especially those in power, pose a real threat to society, especially to intelligent, smart and cultured people, whom they hate fiercely and are trying to destroy them in every possible way. Which, by the way, happened later, when during Stalin’s repressions the color of the Russian intelligentsia and military elite was destroyed, as Bulgakov predicted.

Features of compositional construction

The story “The Heart of a Dog” combines several literary genres; in accordance with the plot of the storyline, it can be classified as a fantastic adventure in the image and likeness of “The Island of Dr. Moreau” by H.G. Wells, which also describes an experiment on breeding a human-animal hybrid. From this side, the story can be attributed to the science fiction genre that was actively developing at that time, the prominent representatives of which were Alexei Tolstoy and Alexander Belyaev. However, under the surface layer of science-adventure fiction, it turns out to be a sharp satirical parody, allegorically showing the monstrosity and failure of that large-scale experiment called “socialism”, which was carried out by Soviet authority on the territory of Russia, trying to create a “new man” through terror and violence, born from a revolutionary explosion and the inculcation of Marxist ideology. Bulgakov very clearly demonstrated what will come of this in his story.

The composition of the story consists of such traditional parts as the beginning - the professor sees a stray dog and decides to bring him home, the climax (several points can be highlighted here) - the operation, the visit of the house committee members to the professor, Sharikov writing a denunciation against Preobrazhensky, his threats with the use of weapons, the professor's decision to turn Sharikov back into a dog, the denouement - the reverse operation, Shvonder's visit to the professor with the police, the final part - the establishment of peace and tranquility in the professor's apartment: the scientist goes about his business, the dog Sharik is quite happy with his dog's life.

Despite all the fantastic and incredible nature of the events described in the story, the author’s use of various techniques of grotesque and allegory, this work, thanks to the use of descriptions of specific signs of that time (city landscapes, various locales, life and appearance of the characters), is distinguished by its unique verisimilitude.

The events taking place in the story are described on the eve of Christmas and it is not for nothing that the professor is called Preobrazhensky, and his experiment is a real “anti-Christmas”, a kind of “anti-creation”. In a story based on allegory and fantastic fiction, the author wanted to show not only the importance of the scientist’s responsibility for his experiment, but also the inability to see the consequences of his actions, the huge difference between the natural development of evolution and revolutionary intervention in the course of life. The story shows the author's clear vision of the changes that took place in Russia after the revolution and the beginning of the construction of a new socialist system; all these changes for Bulgakov were nothing more than an experiment on people, large-scale, dangerous and having catastrophic consequences.

Bulgakov’s story “The Heart of a Dog” was written back in 1925 and was distributed through samizdat in the 60s. Its publication abroad took place in 1968, but in the USSR - only in 1987. After that, it was reprinted many times.

He takes the stray dog Sharik home from the street. Philip Philipovich is a doctor, he sees patients at home, he has as many as seven rooms at his disposal, which is unheard of in new government. Shvonder, who runs the house committee, is fighting for justice in society. He writes articles for the newspaper, reads the works of Engels and dreams of a worldwide revolution. In his opinion, residents of the house should have the same benefits. He proposes to equalize the rights of the professor with Sharikov, since occupying as many as seven rooms for the master is too much.

Events take place in March 1917. Philip Philipovich is not only a literate person, but also a highly cultured person with an independent mind. He perceives revolutionary changes critically. The professor is outraged by the current devastation. He believes that it begins with the chaos in people's heads. And, first of all, we need to restore order there, and not transfer everything into society. Philip Philipovich resolutely opposes any violence. He is confident that affection can tame the wildest animal, and terror will not help either the whites or the reds. It only paralyzes the nervous system. When Sharik first appeared in the professor’s apartment, he continued to “behave,” as befits a stray dog. But he soon became a pretty decent house dog. When the collar was put on him for the first time, he was ready to burn with shame. But I quickly realized that on the street this attribute is perceived by other dogs, mongrels, with envy. On the day before the operation, Sharik, locked in the bathroom, thought about freedom. And he came to the conclusion that it is better to be an intelligent creature, a master’s dog, and will is just delirium of democrats, nothing more than a mirage.

The brilliant medical scientist Professor Preobrazhensky and his assistant Bormental decided to experiment, which led to tragicomic consequences that were unexpected for them. Having transplanted the pituitary gland of the brain and the seminal glands of a man into a dog, they, to their great surprise, obtained a human from the animal! Before Preobrazhensky’s eyes, the offended, constantly hungry homeless dog Sharik turns into homo sapiens in just a few days. He also gets a new name. Now his name is Sharikov Poligraf Poligrafych. However, his habits still remain that of a dog. The professor begins to educate him.

What a terrible mistake! Summary Bulgakov "Heart of a Dog" »

A medical-biological experiment ends with a social, moral and psychological one. The ball becomes more and more dangerous, brazen and uncontrollable. Maybe it would have made something better if the source material had only been a dog. But the trouble is that the human organs he inherited belonged to a criminal. He was 25-year-old non-party and single Klim Chugunkin. He was tried three times and acquitted each time. Either there was not enough evidence, then his origin came to the rescue, then he was conditionally sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. Thus, Philip Philipovich's experiment became dependent on unsightly reality. With the help of Shvonder, the former dog and criminal rolled into one begins to actively participate in “building a bright future.” Shvonder, by the way, instills new postulates in Sharikov, but at the same time does not burden him with any culture. A couple of months later, Polygraph was appointed head of the department for clearing the city of cats. From animals, which Sharikov strangles with real gusto, he moves on to people: he threatens Bormental with a pistol, and the girl typist with a layoff. The professor and his assistant admit that they have turned the sweetest dog into a disgusting scum. To correct their mistake, they reversed the transformation.

M. A. Bulgakov “Heart of a Dog.” Summary of the epilogue

An investigator with the police came to the professor’s apartment and charged him with the murder of citizen Sharikov. Philip Philipovich asks Bormental to show people the dog he operated on. The assistant opens the door of the room, and Sharik runs out. The policeman recognized him as the same citizen. The prosecutors left. The ball remained in the professor’s apartment, who continues to persistently experiment.