The beginning
Having successfully reached Lithuania, Kurbsky writes a letter to the Tsar, in which he accuses him of the useless deaths of his subjects. All night he pronounces every word with hatred and does not even remember his faithful vassal, who, risking his life, saved him. However, after some time, Vasily appears, exhausted, but alive. By some miracle he manages to escape pursuit and reach Lithuania. From the very threshold, the stirrup offers the prince her help. Kurbsky, after thinking, decides that he cannot find a better messenger and sends Vasily to deliver the letter to the Tsar. As a reward, the prince promises the stirrup a lot of silver, but he says that he does not need anything like that. He takes the letter and sets off. The episode of the meeting with the Tsar (summary) will show Vasily Shibanov as a man of great endurance, with a devoted heart.
Summary
Fleeing from the royal wrath, Prince Kurbsky went on the run. And “Vaska Shibanov, the stirrup,” fled with him. When his exhausted horse fell under the prince in the middle of the night, his faithful servant Vasily gave him his horse, and he continued on foot.
Prince Kurbsky safely reached the Lithuanian camp. The Lithuanians paid tribute to the famous Russian prince and were sincerely surprised that from now on he would be on their side. However, Kurbsky was not pleased with the honor. Filled with anger, he decided to write a stinging letter to the sovereign and express all his accumulated grievances. The prince worked all night on the letter, and by morning “a message full of poison” was ready.
Now all that remains is to find a daredevil, “who doesn’t like a head on his shoulders,” to deliver the letter to the king. Vaska Shibanov turned out to be such a brave man. The prince was very happy and began to urge his faithful servant. He promised Shibanov a large reward for the service rendered, but he resolutely refused.
Meanwhile, bells were ringing over Moscow - the tsar was ringing all the bells, and those close to him echoed him. It was unclear whether the king was calling back his former peace, or burying his own conscience.
When the king left the cathedral, a messenger galloped up to him with a message. Having learned that it was a letter from the “dashing villain” Andrei Kurbsky, the Tsar became angry and plunged his sharp staff into Shibanov’s leg. He then ordered his servants to read the message “word by word.”
In his letter, Krubsky accused the tsar of many terrible sins and reminded that “the hour of retribution will come” and the tsar will suffer his well-deserved punishment. Hearing the accusations against him, the king peered for a long time into Shibanov’s calm face - “the ruler’s mysterious look was gloomy,” and everyone froze in anticipation. He appreciated Vasily’s courage and devotion, but still sent him to prison.
Shibanov was subjected to terrible torture. The executioners replaced each other, demanding that Vasily testify against Prince Kurbsky and hand over all his accomplices. But the faithful servant stubbornly remained silent and only glorified his master.
After prolonged torture, Vasily Shibanov became close to giving his soul to God. Before his death, he asked the Lord to have mercy on the prince who betrayed the Fatherland. He himself had only “love and forgiveness” in his heart. Shibanov also prayed to God to forgive the cruel tsar and protect “holy, great Rus'.” This is how the eager Vasily Shibanov died.
Climax
Upon arrival in Russia, the stirrup immediately gives the letter to Grozny. In his message, Kurbsky writes about the cruelty and injustice of the king, that the day will come when he will be rewarded for his sins. This is exactly how Tolstoy A. N. describes Kurbsky’s words (their summary). Vasily Shibanov stands and waits for Ivan the Terrible’s further reaction, there is not a single sign of fear on his face. And he, having heard who exactly wrote this message, out of indignation pierces the stirrup’s leg with a stick. The further Grozny reads the letter, the more serious and darker his gaze becomes. Blood is flowing from Shibanov's leg, but he is silent and does not show any emotion. Having finished reading the message, Grozny says in surprise that the stirrup is not only a devoted servant of the prince, but also a faithful friend. The Tsar says that Kurbsky does not value Vasily’s life, because it was he who sent him to a painful death. All the details of this important episode cannot be revealed only through a summary. Vasily Shibanov will face many challenges in the future, which he will withstand with dignity.
Brief summary of the ballad “Vasily Shibanov” by A. K. Tolstoy
A. Tolstoy based this work on very real events. It was at this time that Kurbsky left the country and went abroad because he was afraid of Ivan the Terrible. The merit of the main character of Vasily Shibanov’s work is that, despite all the risks, he helps him. The prince gives the tsar a letter along with Shibanov. He, of course, fulfills the order, but the letter contains unpleasant things for the king, so he is sent to prison. He is tortured, but in the end he dies in agony.
The action in the work begins with Kurbsky's servant helping him escape. Even at the moment when his horse is already exhausted, Vasily gives up his. The prince goes to Lithuania, from where he writes a letter to the tsar. Also, the prince does not think for a second about the fact that he abandoned his servant. All his thoughts are only about the lines that he composed for the king. And although Vasily Shibanov is tired and exhausted, he still offers him his help. The prince finishes his letter and sends Vasily on his way. Kurbsky offers to pay for his devotion in silver, but Vasily refuses this reward.
Of course, it is clear that only one fate could await the messenger with unpleasant news, but Vasily still gives the letter to the king. When Ivan the Terrible reads it, he becomes furious. After all, in the letter they threaten him with God’s punishment. And then the king pierces Vasily’s leg with a stick, but he didn’t even show pain or fear. The embittered king admires his will. And then he speaks out about the fact that Kurbsky does not at all value the loyalty of his subjects.
This work shows the difficult time that was in Rus'. He admires the devotion of the servant, but at the same time frightens the cruelty of the master and the king.
With this work, the author shows what devotion to one’s master is and how the one to whom one is devoted can often repay. You need to appreciate the attitude of your subordinates and value it.
You can use this text for a reader's diary
Denouement
Grozny orders Shibanov to be taken to prison and tortured until he betrays all of Kurbsky’s accomplices. The torture lasts day and night, but in response to all questions, Vasily only praises his master. Perseverance and courage do not allow the hero to give up and betray the prince. The guardsmen are surprised to inform the Tsar that the prisoner does not give out a single name, despite the fact that his strength is running out.
The last two paragraphs were written on behalf of Shibanov himself. He asks God for forgiveness for Kurbsky. Even torture, torment and death cannot shake his loyalty to his master. On the verge of death, Vasily does not think that he can alleviate his suffering and stay alive; to do this, he only needs to tell Grozny who contributed to Kurbsky’s escape. Shibanov prefers to remain faithful to the prince.
The main characters appearing in the text of the work
| Character | a brief description of |
| Shibanov | First appears at the beginning of the ballad. Devoted to Prince Kurbsky, he is described as a selfless, brave man who respects his master and does not reveal his secrets. Shows Christian obedience and enormous willpower. It is him who the prince chooses as a messenger when he needs to send letters to Ivan the Terrible. Shabanov shows all the strength of his character, not betraying his master (Shibanov, based on the text of the work, is Kurbsky’s servant) even under severe torture, and as a result he actually dies. His death evokes respect from the tsar - Shibanov never surrendered Kurbsky. |
| Kurbsky | Real historical character. He went down in history thanks to his correspondence with the Tsar and his escape to Lithuania. He opposed the oprichnina established by the tsar and fought against his despotism. All this can be seen in the letters that he sends to the king, denouncing him of dishonest actions. However, Kurbsky acts shamefully, like a traitor, since he moves to the side of the enemy. Has an ambiguous image. It is known that in descriptions of the character the author of the work uses negatively colored vocabulary, which shows his emphatically negative attitude towards the traitor to his homeland. |
| Ivan groznyj | Real historical character. The Russian Tsar, known for his cruel attitude towards those who bring him bad news, enemies, and those who are their messengers, is shown in the ballad to be a cruel person, but has certain human qualities. So, despite the fact that Kurbsky sends Shibanov with a letter to Ivan the Terrible, being confident that he will die, since the tsar will treat him with the utmost cruelty, Ivan the Terrible respects Shibanov, since he turned out to be a faithful servant of Kurbsky, and does not betrayed him even despite the torture he had to endure. |
The image of the main character
The attitude towards Vasily is ambivalent. On the one hand, the author admires his loyalty, dedication and willingness to help his master. Shibanov is a very brave man, because he was not afraid to be left alone and without a horse, pursued by the army of Ivan the Terrible. He is not characterized by meanness and betrayal. Vasily fulfills his duty, no matter what. On the other hand, the main character’s lack of understanding of consumer attitudes towards himself outrages the writer. He sacrifices his own life for a man who does not value him. In the stirrup one can see the features of a real slave of his master. This concludes the analysis of the image (summary) of Vasily Shibanov.
Kurbsky in exile
The summary of “Vasily Shibanov” describes in detail the current situation, which does not suit Prince Kurbsky himself at all.
He wants revenge for the fact that he was treated unfairly in his homeland. At least he thinks so himself. At night he writes a letter to Ivan the Terrible, full of hatred, anger and resentment. However, delivering the message is not so easy. Kurbsky understands that there will be few people willing to do this. It is obvious to everyone that a messenger who comes to the king with such news will most likely be executed. Moreover, it is cruel and merciless. Then Kurbsky’s servant Shibanov, who by that time had just reached Lithuania on foot, acts as a messenger. He faithfully serves his master, so he nobly refuses the generous reward that the prince offered him and goes with a dangerous message to Ivan the Terrible.
Tsar of All Rus'
The image of Ivan the Terrible in the ballad is also quite controversial. On the one hand, the author paints him as a cruel and bloodthirsty ruler, to whom no laws are written. During the years of his reign, he executed a large number of people, including completely innocent ones. On the other hand, it is Ivan the Terrible, and not Kurbsky, who notices what a devoted friend and ally Vasily Shibanov is. You will find a summary of a more detailed description of the ruler of Rus' below.
Ivan the Terrible is a significant figure in the history of our state. He became the first Russian Tsar and expanded the country's borders; during his reign, the Urals and Siberia were annexed to Rus'. Grozny was also highly educated; he corresponded with many people, including Prince Kurbsky. During his reign, many reforms were carried out. Judging by the surviving reviews of his contemporaries, for some Ivan the Terrible was a cruel and hot-tempered man, and for others he was a fair and wise ruler.
Summary of “Vasily Shibanov”
The ballad “Vasily Shibanov” by Tolstoy was written in 1840.
It describes the events during the reign of Ivan the Terrible, known for his cruel, indomitable temper. An involuntary victim of the confrontation between the king and his subject becomes a simple servant who sets an example of true courage and patriotism. We recommend reading online a summary of “Vasily Shibanov”, which will be useful for a reading diary and preparation for a literature lesson in 7th grade. You can test your knowledge using a test on our website.
