History of creation
After leaving the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum, Alexander Pushkin went to St. Petersburg, where he led an absent-minded lifestyle and did not work too hard. Nevertheless, during the years 1818-1820, Pushkin wrote the poem “Ruslan and Lyudmila”. Work on the work took place mainly at a time when Pushkin was forced to be inactive due to illness.
The poem in the “romantic” genre absorbed Pushkin’s impressions of satirical works, the knightly poem of the Italian Ariosto “The Furious Roland” and Russian literary fairy tales dedicated to the exploits of heroes. The result was supposed to be a “heroic” fairy-tale poem in the spirit of Ariosto, whom Pushkin knew in French translation.
The poet also relied on information from “History of the Russian State,” the first volumes of which were published just in 1818.
In the poem “Ruslan and Lyudmila,” the young Pushkin also parodies the ballad “The Twelve Sleeping Virgins” by the founder of romanticism in Russian poetry, Vasily Zhukovsky. Pushkin’s sublime romantic images are deliberately reduced, grotesque fantasy and common folk vocabulary, elements of eroticism appear.
Plot
The sorcerer Chernomor stole Lyudmila, the prince's youngest daughter. This happened immediately after the feast, where the wedding of Lyudmila and Ruslan was celebrated, right in the bedchamber, where the newlyweds retired.
Thunder rumbles in the bedchamber, the light flashes, and then it becomes dark. There is silence, in which a strange voice is heard. In the darkness, something flies up and disappears, and Prince Ruslan discovers that he is left alone in the room.
Prince Vladimir is angry with Ruslan for not being able to save his daughter, and announces that Lyudmila will go to one of the knights who can find and save the girl. Ruslan goes on a search along with other contenders for Lyudmila's hand.
Later, Ruslan learns details about Chernomor from a certain old man who lives in a cave that the hero met on the way. Chernomor is a terrible sorcerer who has long made a habit of kidnapping beautiful maidens and taking them to his castle, hidden in the northern mountains, where no warrior has ever managed to get through.
Chernomor is strong in witchcraft and is able to bring down stars from the sky, but at the same time he is old and weak in love, so Lyudmila is in no danger. The elder reassures Ruslan, saying that he will certainly defeat the villain and return the maiden unharmed. Ruslan, overjoyed, continues on his way, having previously listened to the elder’s story about his unhappy youthful love for the sorceress Naina.
Chernomor, meanwhile, arranged everything so that the kidnapped girl would like him. A luxurious four-poster bed in the spirit of “A Thousand and One Nights” has been prepared for Lyudmila. Beautiful and skillful maids are assigned to the girl, who dress and shoe Lyudmila, braid her hair and decorate it with pearls. Invisible maidens sing cheerful songs to Lyudmila, the doors themselves open for the heroine.
The girl has at her disposal a blooming garden with orange trees, cedars, palm trees, warm lakes and fountains. And all this - in the middle of the gloomy northern mountains covered with snow-covered forest. A magical tent unfolds above the girl, inside which Lyudmila finds luxurious dishes, and music plays while she eats. When the girl wants to sleep, someone invisible lifts Lyudmila into the air and carries her to bed.
Despite all these courtships, the girl receives Chernomor badly when he comes into the bedroom, accompanied by araps carrying Chernomor’s long gray beard on pillows. The sorcerer himself looks like an important-looking dwarf with a shaved head and a high cap on it. Lyudmila gets scared, attacks Chernomor and screams. The first date ends unsuccessfully.
The next morning, when Chernomor is still lying in bed, and the slaves are caring for his beard and mustache, the witch Naina appears to the sorcerer through the window in the form of a winged serpent. She tells Chernomor about the knight Ruslan, who is going to fight him, but this does not frighten the sorcerer. Chernomor's strength is in his beard, and as long as the beard is intact, the sorcerer is not afraid of anything.
After talking with Naina, Chernomor again goes to Lyudmila, but she has disappeared to no one knows where. Neither Chernomor himself nor his servants can find the princess either in the castle or in the garden. Chernomor is angry, but the girl actually didn’t disappear anywhere, but found an invisibility cap among Chernomor’s goods and decided to use it so that no one could find her.
Ruslan, meanwhile, meets along the way a huge head of a knight the size of a hill and learns the sad story of this head. Previously, the head sat on the shoulders of Chernomor’s elder brother, the giant. Chernomor cunningly cut off his brother's head, using a magic sword for this, which is dangerous for Chernomor himself too. The vengeful head gives this sword to Ruslan.
Chernomor, meanwhile, finally manages to cunningly attract to himself a girl who walks around the castle in an invisible hat, mocking the servants. For this, the sorcerer appears to Lyudmila in the guise of the wounded Ruslan. But at that moment, when the girl is ready to give the fruit of love to the scoundrel, the real Ruslan appears and blows the horn. Hearing the sound of the horn, Chernomor flies off to fight the knight.
During the fight, Ruslan cuts off Blackmore's beard with a sword, after which the sorcerer becomes helpless. Ruslan takes the defeated Chernomor with him to the palace of Prince Vladimir.
Screen adaptations (productions)
Ukrainian animation studio “Animagrad” and director Oleg Malamuzh are working on creating a 3D animated fantasy film “The Kidnapped Princess: Ruslan and Lyudmila”. The cartoon script was created based on Pushkin's poem. The hero Ruslan appears here as a traveling artist who rescues Princess Lyudmila, kidnapped by the evil wizard Chernomor.
Young heroes fall in love with each other, despite the difference in social status. But the villain Chernomor does not need a girl for romantic reasons. The sorcerer wants to sacrifice her to maintain his own witchcraft power and immortality. Chernomor is voiced by Ukrainian actor Evgen Malukha. The cartoon will be released on March 7, 2018.
In 1972, the Mosfilm film studio released a two-part fairy tale film “Ruslan and Lyudmila” directed by Alexander Ptushko. The plot here is close to Pushkin's, but there are noticeable differences. For example, Pushkin’s magical gardens of Chernomor are described as an oasis full of roses and tropical plants, orange trees, and palm trees. This is an enchanted summer garden surrounded by endless snowy plains. While in the movies, the Chernomor gardens are depicted as a cold dungeon full of crystals and minerals.
Chernomor is played by an actor in the film and voiced by an actor.
In 1842, the fairy-tale opera “Ruslan and Lyudmila” in five acts was created and first staged. The first production took place at the Bolshoi Theater in St. Petersburg and lasted three and a half hours. The evil wizard Chernomor in this opera is deprived of the right to vote - this is a role without singing.
In December 2017, she presented the ice musical “Ruslan and Lyudmila” at the Megasport Sports Palace in Moscow. The role of Chernomor in this show was played by Ivan Righini, a Russian-Italian figure skater.
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SONG FIFTH
Ah, how sweet my princess!
Her like is most dear to me:
She is sensitive, modest,
Marital love is faithful,
A little windy... so what?
She's even cuter.
Always the charm of the new
She knows how to captivate us;
Tell me: is it possible to compare
Is she harsh with Delphira?
One - fate sent a gift
To charm hearts and eyes;
Her smile, her conversations
Love gives birth to heat in me.
And she is under the skirt of a hussar,
Just give her a mustache and spurs!
Blessed is he who in the evening
To a secluded corner
My Lyudmila is waiting
And he will call you a friend of the heart;
But believe me, blessed is he too
Who is running away from Delphira?
And I don’t even know her.
Yes, but that’s not the point!
But who blew the trumpet? Who's the sorcerer
Did you call me to a flogging?
Who scared the sorcerer?
Ruslan. He, burning with revenge,
Reached the abode of the villain.
The knight is already standing under the mountain,
The calling horn howls like a storm,
The impatient horse is seething
And he digs snow with his wet hoof.
The prince is waiting for Karla. Suddenly he
On a strong steel helmet
Struck by an invisible hand;
The blow fell like thunder;
Ruslan raises his vague gaze
And he sees - right above the head -
With a raised, terrible mace
Karla Chernomor flies.
Covering himself with a shield, he bent down,
He shook his sword and swung it;
But he soared under the clouds;
For a moment he disappeared - and from above
Noisily flies towards the prince again.
The agile knight flew away,
And into the snow with a fatal swing
The sorcerer fell and sat down there;
Ruslan, without saying a word,
Off the horse, he hurries towards him,
I caught him, he grabs me by the beard,
The wizard struggles and groans
And suddenly he flies away with Ruslan...
The zealous horse looks after you;
Already a sorcerer under the clouds;
The hero hangs on his beard;
Flying over dark forests
Flying over wild mountains
They fly over the abyss of the sea;
The stress makes me stiff,
Ruslan for the villain's beard
Holds on with a steady hand.
Meanwhile, weakening in the air
And amazed at the Russian strength,
Wizard to proud Ruslan
He insidiously says: “Listen, prince!
I will stop harming you;
Loving young courage,
I will forget everything, I will forgive you,
I'll go down - but only with an agreement..."
“Be silent, treacherous sorcerer!”
Our knight interrupted: - with Chernomor,
With his wife's tormentor,
Ruslan doesn't know the contract!
This formidable sword will punish the thief.
Fly even to the night star,
How about you be without a beard!”
Fear surrounds Chernomor;
In frustration, in silent grief,
In vain long beard
Tired Karla is shocked:
Ruslan doesn't let her out
And sometimes it stings my hair.
For two days the sorcerer wears a hero,
On the third he asks for mercy:
“O knight, have pity on me;
I can barely breathe; no more urine;
Leave me life, I am in your will;
Tell me, I’ll go down wherever you want..."
“Now you’re ours: yeah, you’re trembling!
Humble yourself, submit to Russian power!
Take me to my Lyudmila."
Chernomor humbly listens;
He set off home with the knight;
He flies and instantly finds himself
Among their terrible mountains.
Then Ruslan with one hand
Took the sword of the slain head
And, grabbing the beard with the other,
I cut her off like a handful of grass.
“Know ours!” he said cruelly, “
What, predator, where is your beauty?
Where is the strength?" and on the helmet high
Gray hair knits;
Whistling he calls the dashing horse;
A cheerful horse flies and neighs;
Our knight Karl is barely alive
He puts it in a knapsack behind the saddle,
And he himself, afraid of the moment of waste,
The steep one hurries to the top of the mountain,
Achieved, and with a joyful soul
Flies into magical chambers.
In the distance, seeing a big-haired helmet,
The key to a fatal victory,
Before him is a wonderful swarm of Arabs,
Crowds of fearful slaves,
Like ghosts from all sides
They ran and disappeared. He walks
Alone among the proud temples,
He calls his dear wife -
Only the echo of silent vaults
Ruslan gives his voice;
In the excitement of impatient feelings
He opens the doors to the garden -
He walks and walks and doesn’t find him;
Confused eyes look around -
Everything is dead: the groves are silent,
The gazebos are empty; on the rapids,
Along the banks of the stream, in the valleys,
There is no trace of Lyudmila anywhere,
And the ear does not hear anything.
A sudden chill embraces the prince,
The light is darkening in his eyes,
Dark thoughts arose in my mind...
"Perhaps there is sorrow... gloomy captivity...
A minute... waves..." In these dreams
He's immersed. With silent melancholy
The knight bowed his head;
He is tormented by involuntary fear;
He is motionless, like a dead stone;
The mind is darkened; wild flame
And the poison of desperate love
Already flowing in his blood.
It seemed like the shadow of a beautiful princess
Touched trembling lips...
And suddenly, frantic, terrible,
The knight rushes through the gardens;
He calls Lyudmila with a cry,
It tears cliffs from the hills,
He destroys everything, he destroys everything with a sword -
Gazebos, groves are falling,
Trees, bridges dive in the waves,
The steppe is exposed all around!
Far away the rumbles repeat
And roar, and crackling, and noise, and thunder;
Everywhere the sword rings and whistles,
The lovely land is devastated -
The mad knight is looking for a victim,
With a swing to the right, to the left he
The desert air cuts through...
And suddenly - an unexpected blow
Knocks off the invisible princess
Chernomor's farewell gift...
The power of magic suddenly disappeared:
Lyudmila has opened up on the networks!
Not believing my own eyes,
Intoxicated with unexpected happiness,
Our knight falls at his feet
Faithful, unforgettable friend,
Kisses hands, tears nets,
Tears of love and delight are shed,
He calls her, but the maiden is dozing,
Eyes and lips are closed,
And a voluptuous dream
Her young breasts rise.
Ruslan doesn’t take his eyes off her,
He is tormented by grief again. ..
But suddenly a friend hears a voice
The voice of the virtuous Finn:
"Take courage, prince! On the way back
Go with sleeping Lyudmila;
Fill your heart with new strength,
Be true to love and honor.
Heavenly thunder will strike in anger,
And silence will reign -
And in bright Kyiv the princess
Will rise up before Vladimir
From an enchanted dream."
Ruslan, animated by this voice,
He takes his wife into his arms,
And quietly with the precious burden
He leaves the heights
And he goes down into a secluded valley.
In silence, with Karla behind the saddle,
He went his own way;
Lyudmila lies in his arms
Fresh as spring dawn
And on the shoulder of the hero
She bowed her calm face.
With hair twisted into a ring,
The desert breeze plays;
How often does her chest sigh!
How often is a quiet face
It glows like an instant rose!
Love and secret dream
They bring Ruslan’s image to her,
And with a languid whisper of lips
The spouse's name is pronounced...
In sweet oblivion he catches
Her magical breath
Smile, tears, gentle moan
And the sleepy Persians' excitement...
Meanwhile, across the valleys, across the mountains,
And in broad daylight and at night,
Our knight travels incessantly.
The desired limit is still far away,
And the maiden is sleeping. But the young prince
Burning with a barren flame,
Is it really a constant sufferer?
I was just watching over my wife
And in a chaste dream,
Having subdued the immodest desire,
Have you found your bliss?
The monk who saved
Faithful legend to posterity
About my glorious knight,
We are confidently assured of this:
And I believe! No division
Sad, rude pleasures:
We are truly happy together.
Shepherdesses, the dream of a lovely princess
Wasn't like your dreams
Sometimes a languid spring,
On the grass, in the shade of a tree.
I remember a little meadow
Among the birch oak forest,
I remember a dark evening
I remember Lida’s evil dream...
Ah, love's first kiss,
Trembling, light, hasty,
I didn’t disperse, my friends,
Her patient slumber...
But come on, I'm talking nonsense!
Why does love need memories?
Her joy and suffering
Forgotten by me for a long time;
Now they're getting my attention
Princess, Ruslan and Chernomor.
The plain lies before them,
Where the spruces sprang up occasionally;
And a formidable hill in the distance
The round top turns black
Sky in bright blue.
Ruslan looks and guesses
What comes to the head;
The greyhound horse ran faster
It’s a miracle of miracles;
She looks with a motionless eye;
Her hair is like a black forest,
Overgrown on the high brow;
The cheeks are deprived of life,
Covered with leaden pallor;
Huge lips are open,
Huge teeth cramped...
Over half dead head
The last day was already hard.
A brave knight flew to her
With Lyudmila, with Karla behind her
He shouted: “Hello, head!
I'm here! your traitor is punished!
Look: here he is, our villain prisoner!
And the prince's proud words
She was suddenly revived
For a moment the feeling was awakened in her,
I woke up as if from a dream,
She looked and groaned terribly...
She recognized the knight
And I recognized my brother with horror.
The nostrils flared; on the cheeks
The crimson fire is still born,
And in dying eyes
The final anger was depicted.
In confusion, in silent rage
She ground her teeth
And to my brother with a cold tongue
An inarticulate reproach babbled...
Already her at that very hour
The long suffering is over:
Chela instant flame went out,
Weakly heavy breathing
A huge rolled-up gaze
And soon the prince and Chernomor
We saw the shudder of death...
She fell into eternal sleep.
The knight left in silence;
The trembling dwarf behind the saddle
Didn't dare to breathe, didn't move
And in blackish language
He prayed fervently to the demons.
Not at all brilliant. Let this statement remain on the conscience of the literary critic. Because the “not at all brilliant” work continues to live in Russian literature and is read with pleasure by both young and old. This first major work was written by the young Pushkin in 1818-1820. In this work there is youthful enthusiasm with a mixture of some hooliganism. The tale is charming both in style and plot, borrowed from Russian folk epics.
Prince Vladimir the Sun- a real historical figure, Lyudmila’s father, ruler of Kievan Rus.
Lyudmila– a seventeen-year-old girl, preparing to become Ruslan’s wife. The fairy tale began with a wedding. The young bride was kidnapped by Chernomor almost from her wedding bed.
She is sensitive, modest,
Marital love is faithful,
A little windy... so what?
She's even cuter.
Ruslan- a brave knight, prince, Lyudmila’s fiancé. But at the same time a generous and honest person.
Rogdai- a brave warrior who pushed the boundaries of the rich Kyiv fields with his sword. A serious man, as they say, on his own mind. But the thirst for revenge and the desire for battle were stronger in him than his love for the girl. Not knowing where to go next, he turned back. The insidious Naina guessed Rogday’s warlike disposition and directed him towards Ruslan. A fierce battle took place between the two knights, in which Rogdai died.
Farlaf- an arrogant loudmouth, a lover of food, but a modest warrior among swords. Farlaf was also in no hurry to search. Having settled down on the shore, he slept sweetly and settled down to eat. Seeing Rogdai galloping, he ran away from him with all his might. Naina chose the cowardly Varlaf for her deceit. When Ruslan and the sleeping Lyudmila were returning home, during his rest Varlaf struck the sleeping Ruslan with a sword, and he and Lyudmila went to Kyiv.
- a young Khazar khan, a self-confident, temperamental youth. Going south, he found happiness along the way with a young shepherdess and became a simple fisherman. He warmly received Ruslan when he returned with Lyudmila.
Old Man Finn, cave dweller:
clear view,
Calm gaze, gray hair;
The lamp in front of him is burning;
He sits behind an ancient book,
Reading it carefully.
These lines speak of the wisdom of the old man. The old man is Finnish by birth. In his youth he was a shepherd and fell passionately in love with the local beauty Naina. To earn the love of the cold beauty, he went to fight with his squad, bringing jewelry and untold riches to her feet, but Naina rejected Finn’s love. Then he found the wizard-sages, studied their sciences for decades and managed to kindle Naina’s heart. But the years flew by, and Naina turned into an old woman. Finn was afraid of what he had done and ran away from his native place. This fact from the Finn’s life, told by him to Ruslan, speaks of the perseverance and determination of this man. The old man revived the murdered Ruslan and taught him how to wake up Lyudmila.
Naina- evil witch. Capable of transforming into either a snake or a cat. She commits crimes out of a desire to take revenge on Finn, who first made her fall in love with him and then rejected her feelings. She does evil even simply because of an evil heart.
Chernomor- a sorcerer, kidnapper of beauties, including Lyudmila. A dwarf with a beard longer than himself. The magical power of Chernomor was contained in his beard.
Head of Brother Chernomor. The brother was physically developed, one might say a giant, but simple-minded and ingenuous. Chernomor easily deceived him. The head asks Ruslan to punish the sorcerer, and tells him what his strength is. Returning, Ruslan showed Chernomor to the Head, and he died, reassured by the fact that the evil had been punished, and he himself had been avenged.
The fairy tale poem ends with good triumphing and evil being punished. Happy Prince Vladimir threw a feast.
"Ruslan and Lyudmila, or the Overthrow of Chernomor, the Evil Wizard"- “a large magical-heroic ballet in five acts”, staged by choreographer A. P. Glushkovsky to the music of composer F. E. Scholz based on A. S. Pushkin’s poem “Ruslan and Lyudmila”; the first stage embodiment of this work and the first production of Pushkin on stage in general.
The premiere took place on the stage of the Pashkovsky Theater in Moscow on December 16 of this year (orchestra conducted by F. E. Scholz, scenery by A. Raslov, costumes by Levizi, Ruslan- A. P. Glushkovsky, Lyudmila- T.I. Glushkovskaya); On December 2 of the year it was transferred to St. Petersburg, to the stage of the Bolshoi Theater (produced by Charles Didelot and Auguste, at the latter’s benefit performance, Ruslan- Nikolay Golts, Lyudmila- Avdotya Istomina) .
Main characters
- Lyudmila
- Ruslan, her fiance
- Prince, Lyudmila's father
- Chernomor, wizard
- Head
- Zlotvora, sorceress
- Dobrada, sorceress
Libretto
Act one
“The theater presents a magnificent hall. The Prince of Kyiv leads Ruslan and Lyudmila from the temple; ambassadors (Kazarian, Hungarian, Circassian), princes, boyars, warriors and people accompany them.” March. Then the dancing begins, “in which the whole retinue participates.” The wizard Chernomor descends on a cloud. He carries away the unconscious Lyudmila and plunges all the guests into a daze.
“The prince and Ruslan approach the place where Lyudmila was, but, not finding her, they fall into despair.” March. Ruslan goes in search of his wife. “The forest, on one side is a cave, in the distance on the mountains you can see the Chernomora castle, near it you can see many dead knights beaten by the enemy, spears, swords, quivers, shields, cones, horse shells, banners are scattered everywhere.” The head guards the entrance to the castle. After meeting with Dobrada, Ruslan fights with the Head. The body and head fall apart into parts consisting of actors lying motionless. Ruslan enters into battle with the soldiers - victory over them gives him access to Chernomor.
Act two
Night. "The theater represents the garden." Zlotvora and Lyudmila descend on a cloud, “cupids fluttering around them.” Spirits appear carrying images of the seven planets, colorful lanterns, torches, shawls, garlands, and vases. The awakened Lyudmila looks around in amazement. The dancing begins, interrupted by the appearance of Zlotvora and Chernomor. Lyudmila showers Karl with reproaches, he offers her the crown, but she “rejects everything with contempt.” The sounds of a tom-tom and a trumpet announce the approach of the enemy: this is Ruslan. Lyudmila's joy, Chernomor's fury; the wizard instructs Zlotvora to hide Lyudmila, and he rushes into battle.
Act three
“The theater represents the inside of the Chernomor castle, in the middle there is a throne decorated with snakes and monsters; in different places altars are visible, similar to the decorations of a throne, fires blaze from the mouths of monsters; on the right side stands a colossal-looking oracle with one eye in its forehead, holding a scroll on which are prophecies,” “tombs and several human skeletons are visible.” Chernomor casts spells. The image of Lyudmila appears in the magic mirror; she rejects Chernomor's passion.
Zlotvora appears at Karla’s call, and at her sign they bring Ruslan’s armor and weapons, which must convince Lyudmila that her husband is dead. They bring in Lyudmila. Seeing Ruslan’s armor and the inscription “Armament of the slain Ruslan,” she loses consciousness. “Recovering, Lyudmila pushes the wizard away, runs to Ruslan’s false weapons, unfurls the banner, kisses him and sheds sorrowful tears.” Thunderclap (tam-tam); An inscription appears on the oracle scroll: “Ruslan is approaching. Be afraid, Chernomor." Lyudmila's courage returns.
Zlotvora tries to defeat Ruslan with the power of seduction. She turns the sorceresses under her control into young beautiful maidens: she gives one a charming lyre, another a cup of poison, and a third a garland.”
Act four
Chernomor and Zlotvora turn the rose bush into a cave where they hide Lyudmila. The sound of a trumpet heralds Ruslan's approach. In the Chernomor garden he is met by nymphs. One of them plays the lyre, luring Ruslan into the garden. She advises Ruslan to leave his weapon and indulge in pleasure. Seeing the other under the blanket, he runs up to her; the second nymph gives him an enchanted wreath and garland, offering to wear this decoration instead of a helmet and end the search for Lyudmila. Every time, as soon as Ruslan is ready to succumb to temptation, a clap of thunder is heard and an inscription appears on the stone: “Infidel.” “The third nymph, seeing the failure of her friends, begins to dance with great diligence and at this time brings him a cup filled with poison. Blinded by beauty, the knight wants to fulfill the seductress’s proposal.”
Suddenly a flame bursts out of the nymph's cup. Ruslan comes to his senses and rushes with a weapon at the insidious sorceresses. The garden turns into a desert, the nymphs become furies that attack the knight. Ruslan wins the fight, and then his duel with Chernomor begins. The hero is in danger, and his patron, the sorceress Dobrada, comes to his aid. She casts evil forces into the underworld. Ruslan frees Lyudmila, the spouses fly away on Dobrada’s winged chariot.
Act five
“The theater represents a clearing in the middle of a dense forest, in the middle the Temple of Perun is visible; the priests surround the altar; Prince of Kyiv, boyars, people." The priest performs the ritual - the sacred fire is lit, a clap of thunder is heard, and the inscription appears on the temple: “Ruslan and Lyudmila are under my protection.”
“Ruslan appears preceded by warriors, knights walk behind him; he leads Lyudmila by the hand, who, seeing her parent, rushes into his arms; the prince thanks Ruslan for saving his daughter and gives her hand to the deliverer a second time; Ruslan, having expressed gratitude to the gods, sits down with the prince and Lyudmila on an elevated place.” Great dance divertissement.
History of the production
While preserving individual plot lines and images of the poem, Glushkovsky introduced episodes and scenes characteristic of the musical theater of that time. He staged a large five-act play, each of the acts of which was replete with fabulous transformations. These transformations and fantastic episodes permeate the entire fabric of the performance. The ballet program compiled by Glushkovsky outlined many magical episodes that required complex stage technique and artistic sophistication: for example, “Zlotvora, turning into Karla Chernomor, carried away Lyudmila on a cloud surrounded by furies. The head, repelling Ruslan’s attack, turned into warriors and a twelve-headed serpent. Then the knight was attacked by hellish monsters flying out of the waterfall, and the beauties, after a vain attempt to seduce him, turned into angry furies.”