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This happened, according to the narrator, in St. Petersburg, on March 25. Ivan Yakovlevich, a barber, while eating, discovered a nose in the bread that his wife had baked. Extremely puzzled by the strange find, he recognizes, however, Kovalev’s nose and, in fright, tries to figure out how to get rid of it. Having found nothing better than throwing him off the St. Isaac's Bridge, he already felt that the danger had passed, but he was being detained by the quarterly warden.

Kovalev, a collegiate assessor, wakes up in the morning of the same day and discovers his nose is missing. Major Kovalev always strived to have the appearance that suited him, since his goal in the capital was to find an enviable place in the State Department and a wife. Heading to the chief police chief, he notices his own nose, dressed in a uniform lined with gold, and a hat with feathers. Having got into the cart, he arrives at the Kazan Cathedral and prays with incredible piety.

The assessor, at first a little timid, then speaks directly to the nose about its rightful place, achieves nothing and, focusing his attention for a moment on the girl in the hat, loses sight of his interlocutor. Kovalev does not find the Chief of Police at home and decides to go to the newspaper office in order to publish an announcement about the loss, but is refused by an elderly man who, trying to help, advises him to sniff tobacco, which completely upsets Kovalev. Having come to a private bailiff, but in response to all requests for help, he only hears dissatisfied sleepy remarks from the bailiff.

Once at home, the depressed Kovalev reflects on the reasons for this event and comes to the conclusion that the headquarters officer is to blame for this (he was in no hurry to ask her daughter to marry, and she probably took revenge with the help of witchcraft). At the moment of such reflections, a policeman appears, bringing his nose with him and explaining that he was intercepted due to the use of false documents, which causes a joyful shock in the major.

But, despite his happy mood, his nose could not be returned to his face. The doctor refuses to reattach it, explaining that it will turn out much worse, urging him to sell the nose preserved in alcohol for a lot of money. Having refused, Kovalev even writes a letter to officer Podtochina, reproaching her and demanding that her nose be returned to its rightful place. However, her answer completely proves her ignorance and innocence in what happened.

After a while, gossip begins to circulate around St. Petersburg: at 3 o'clock the collegiate assessor's nose was walking along Nevsky, later that he was seen in a store, and after another time - in the garden. All these places are beginning to attract huge masses of people.

Be that as it may, on April 7, Kovalev sees a nose on his face, which makes him truly happy. A barber already familiar to us arrives and, embarrassed, begins to carefully shave him. During these 24 hours, the major was able to visit everywhere: in a candy store, in the department, with his friend the major, having met a staff officer with her daughter, and managed to sniff tobacco. Suddenly, the description of the affairs of Kovalkov, raised on the wings of joy, ends, and the narrator admits that the narrated plot contains There is a lot of fiction, but what is especially surprising is the fact that there are authors who publish such stories. It also says that such incidents occasionally happen.

The described incident, according to the narrator, happened in St. Petersburg on March 25th. The barber Ivan Yakovlevich, biting off fresh bread in the morning baked by his wife Praskovya Osipovna, finds his nose in it. Puzzled by this impossible incident, having recognized the nose of the collegiate assessor Kovalev, he searches in vain for a way to get rid of his find. Finally, he throws him off the St. Isaac's Bridge and, against all expectations, is detained by a quarterly guard with large sideburns. The collegiate assessor Kovalev (who preferred to be called a major), waking up that same morning with the intention of examining the pimple that had popped up on his nose earlier, did not even discover the nose itself. Major Kovalev, who needs a decent appearance, because the purpose of his visit to the capital is to find a place in some prominent department and, possibly, to get married (on occasion of which he knows ladies in many houses: Chekhtyreva, state councilor, Pelageya Grigorievna Podtochina, headquarters officer) - goes to the chief police chief, but on the way he meets his own nose (clad, however, in a gold-embroidered uniform and a hat with a plume, revealing him to be a state councilor). Nose gets into the carriage and goes to the Kazan Cathedral, where he prays with an air of greatest piety.

Major Kovalev, timid at first, and then directly calling his nose by its proper name, does not succeed in his intentions and, distracted by a lady in a hat as light as a cake, loses his unyielding interlocutor. Not finding the Chief of Police at home, Kovalev goes on a newspaper expedition, wanting to advertise the loss, but the gray-haired official refuses him (“The newspaper may lose its reputation”) and, full of compassion, offers to sniff tobacco, which completely upsets Major Kovalev. He goes to the private bailiff, but finds him in the mood to sleep after lunch and listens to irritated remarks about “all sorts of majors” who hang around God knows where, and about the fact that a decent person’s nose will not be torn off. Arriving home, the saddened Kovalev ponders the reasons for the strange disappearance and decides that the culprit is the staff officer Podtochina, whose daughter he was in no hurry to marry, and she, probably out of revenge, hired some witches. The sudden appearance of a police official, who brought his nose wrapped in paper and announced that he had been intercepted on the way to Riga with a false passport, plunges Kovalev into joyful unconsciousness.

However, his joy is premature: his nose does not stick to its previous place. The summoned doctor does not undertake to put his nose on it, assuring that it will be even worse, and encourages Kovalev to place his nose in a jar of alcohol and sell it for decent money. Unhappy Kovalev writes to headquarters officer Podtochina, reproaching, threatening and demanding that the nose be immediately returned to its place. The headquarters officer's answer exposes her complete innocence, for it reveals a degree of misunderstanding that cannot be imagined on purpose.

Meanwhile, rumors spread throughout the capital and acquire many details: they say that at exactly three o’clock the nose of the collegiate assessor Kovalev is walking along Nevsky, then that he is in Juncker’s store, then in the Tauride Garden; Many people flock to all these places, and enterprising speculators build benches for ease of observation. One way or another, on April 7th the nose was back in its place. The barber Ivan Yakovlevich appears to the happy Kovalev and shaves him with the greatest care and embarrassment. One day, Major Kovalev manages to go everywhere: to the confectionery shop, to the department where he was looking for a position, and to his friend, also a collegiate assessor or major, and on the way he meets the staff officer Podtochina and her daughter, in a conversation with whom he thoroughly sniffs tobacco.

The description of his happy mood is interrupted by the sudden recognition of the writer that there is a lot of implausibility in this story and what is especially surprising is that there are authors who take similar plots. After some reflection, the writer nevertheless states that such incidents are rare, but still happen.

One of the characteristic features of N.V. Gogol’s skill is the ability to make a masterpiece from a randomly heard story or a popular anecdote. A striking example The story “The Nose,” which caused a lot of controversy among contemporaries and has not lost its relevance to this day, serves as such a writer’s ability.

The work “Nose” was written by N.V. Gogol in 1832-1833, it is included in the collection “Petersburg Tales”. The plot of the book is based on a well-known joke at that time, translated from French, about a missing nose. Such stories were very popular and had many variations. For the first time, the motif of the nose, which prevents one from living fully, appears in Gogol’s unfinished essay “The Lantern Was Dying” in 1832.

This story has undergone many changes over the course of several years, which was due to censorship comments, as well as the desire of the author in the best possible way bring your idea to life. For example, Gogol changed the ending of “The Nose”; in one version, all incredible events are explained by the hero’s dream.

Initially, the writer wanted to publish his work in the Moscow Observer magazine, but he was refused. A.S., who had already opened his own magazine by that time, came to the rescue. Pushkin, and the story “The Nose” was published in Sovremennik in 1836.

Genre and direction

By the time the story “The Nose” was published, Gogol had already become famous for his collection “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka,” where he addresses the theme of mysticism. But if “Evenings...” are mostly based on folk superstitions, then in “Petersburg Tales” Nikolai Vasilyevich skillfully interweaves supernatural motifs with the depiction of poignant social problems. This is how a new direction for Russian literature is formed in Gogol’s work - fantastic realism.

Why does the author come to this particular writing method? Throughout his entire literary career, he heard social dissonances, but, as a writer, he could only identify them in his works and encourage the reader to pay attention to them. He saw no way out, and turning to the fantastic made it possible to depict the picture of modernity even more dramatically. This same technique would later be used by Saltykov-Shchedrin, Andrei Bely, M. Bulgakov and other authors.

Composition of the story

Gogol divides “The Nose” into 3 parts, in a classic way: 1 – exposition and plot, 2 – climax, 3 – denouement, a happy ending for the main character. The plot develops linearly, sequentially, although the logic of certain events is not always explained.

1. The first part includes characteristics of the characters, a description of their life, as well as the starting point of the entire narrative. In its structure, it also consists of three blocks: detection of the nose - the intention to get rid of it - release from the burden, which turned out to be false.
2. The second part introduces the reader to Major Kovalev himself. There is also a plot (discovery of the loss), development of the action (an attempt to return the nose) and, as a result, the return of the nose.
3. The third movement is homogeneous, a laconic and bright chord that completes the work.

About what?

The description of the story “The Nose” can be reduced to a fairly simple and schematic plot: loss of the nose - search - acquisition. The main thing in this work is its ideological content.

On the morning of March 25, barber Ivan Yakovlevich discovers the nose of one of his clients, Major Kovalev, in his bread. The discouraged barber hurried to get rid of the evidence; he could not think of anything better than accidentally throwing his nose into the river. Ivan Yakovlevich already felt relieved, but a policeman approached him, “and absolutely nothing is known what happened next.”

Collegiate assessor Kovalev woke up and found his nose missing. He goes to the “Chief Police Chief”. He didn’t find him at home, but on the way he met his nose, which behaved self-sufficiently and did not want to know its owner. Kovalev is making attempts to reunite with his nose, he wanted to publish an ad in the newspaper, but he is refused everywhere and treated quite rudely. Finally, the fugitive was caught trying to emigrate and returned to his owner. But the nose was not going to grow back to its original place. The major comes to the assumption that this is damage caused by headquarters officer Podtochina. He even writes her a letter, but receives a puzzled response and realizes that he was mistaken. Two weeks later, Kovalev finds his face in its original form, everything resolves itself.

Real and fantastic

Gogol skillfully combines in his story. If, for example, in “The Overcoat” the mystical element appears only at the end of the work, then “The Nose” from the first pages carries the reader into the writer’s fairy-tale world.

At its core, there is nothing special in the reality depicted by Gogol: Petersburg, the life of a barber and a state councilor. Even topographical details and exact dates of events correspond to reality. The author dilutes such plausibility with one single fantastic element: Major Kovalev’s nose runs away. And throughout the work, he develops from the separated part to an independent independent personality, and in the finale everything returns to normal. It is curious that this fact, although it shocks the reader, is woven into the fabric of the work quite organically, because the greatest absurdity lies not so much in the escaped part of the face, but in the attitude towards what happened, in admiration for officials and aspirations for public opinion. According to the writer, such cowardice is more difficult to believe than the disappearance of the nose.

The main characters and their characteristics

1. Petersburg There is much more to Gogol’s “The Nose” than just the city. This is a separate place with its own laws and realities. People come here to make a career for themselves, and those who have already achieved some success try not to fade in the eyes of others. Here everything is possible, even the nose can become independent for a while.
2. Traditional for Gogol image of a little man represents the character Major Kovalev. What matters to him is how he looks; the loss of his nose drives him into despair. He believes that you can do without an arm or a leg, but without a nose - you are not a person, “just take it and throw it out the window.” The hero no longer occupies the lowest rank: 8 out of 14 according to the Table of Ranks, but dreams of a higher rank. However, even being at this level, he already knows with whom he can be arrogant and with whom he can be modest. Kovalev is rude to the cab driver, does not stand on ceremony with the barber, but ingratiates himself with respected officials and tries not to miss parties. But he is absolutely discouraged by the meeting with Nose, who is 3 ranks higher than his owner. How to deal with the part of yourself that doesn’t know its place in physical sense, but perfectly understands his position in society?
3. Image of the Nose in the story is quite bright. He is superior to his master: his uniform is more expensive, his rank is greater. An important difference between them is their behavior in church: if Nos humbly prays, then Kovalev stares at a beautiful woman, thinks about anything, but not about his soul.

Themes of the story

• The subject of the story is quite broad. The main topic, of course, is social inequality. Each hero has his place in social system. Their behavior and role in society fully corresponds to their position, but this idyll cannot be violated. It will be strange if the highest official does not be rude to the titular councilor, and the titular councilor is not rude to the groom.
• The theme of the little man in the story is illuminated quite clearly. Major Kovalev, having no special connections, cannot publish an advertisement in the newspaper about his missing nose. The victim of the “Table of Ranks” cannot even come close to his property, which turned out to be more noble.
• The theme of spirituality is also present in the work. Kovalev does not have good education, military service allowed him to become a major, the main thing for him was appearance, not inner world. The nose is opposed to the hero: the fugitive is focused on worship, he is not distracted by the surrounding ladies, unlike the owner. The major is characterized by frivolous behavior: he invites girls to his place and deliberately torments Podtochina’s daughter with imaginary hope.

Problems

• Gogol in “The Nose” reveals vices that concern both society as a whole and individuals. The main problem of the story is philistinism. Kovalev is proud of his rank and dreams of a brilliant career. He is worried that his facial defect will prevent him from accomplishing future plans. He values public opinion, and what kind of rumor can there be about a person without a nose?
• The problem of immorality is raised in the story. The barber does not seek to return the nose to the owner, or to admit his, perhaps, guilt in ruining the face. No, he is in a hurry to get rid of the strange object, hoping to remain unpunished. And the immorality of Kovalev’s behavior speaks for itself.
• Another vice highlighted by Gogol is hypocrisy. The arrogant Nose does not want to communicate with those who are lower in rank, just like his cowardly owner.

The meaning of the work

The main idea of ​​the story is to show, through the contrast of paradoxes, all the depravity and cowardice of St. Petersburg society. One can consider the loss of the nose as a kind of punishment for Major Kovalev for his sins, but Gogol does not focus on this; the story is devoid of direct moralizing. The author did not dare to show the way to cure society; he could only identify the problems. This will give rise to the erroneous idea of ​​a “natural school”: fix society and the problems will stop. Gogol understood: the most he could do to improve the situation was to present the shortcomings of society in the brightest light. And he succeeded: the reader was blinded, many contemporaries recognized their acquaintances or even themselves, horrified by the insignificance of man.

What does it teach?

In his story “The Nose,” Gogol depicts the spiritual crisis of a person obsessed with vain desires. Career growth, entertainment, women - that’s all that attracts the main character. And this depravity does not bother Kovalev, he has the right, along with all these aspirations, to be called a man, but without a nose, no. But the image of Major Kovalev is collective, he is similar to the writer’s contemporaries. The conclusion suggests itself: the situation in society dictates rules of behavior that no one dares to break: neither little man will not show persistence, nor will the high-ranking official show generosity. About the approach of such a catastrophe that will affect society as a whole and each person individually, N.V. Gogol warns his readers.

Artistic originality

The story “The Nose” uses a very rich literary toolkit. Gogol most widely uses such a means of expression as the grotesque. Firstly, this is the autonomy of the Nose, which is superior in position to its owner. Secondly, comic exaggeration is typical for depicting relationships between people of different social levels. Kovalev is afraid to approach Nos, and Ivan Yakovlevich begins to treat his client with incredible trepidation and excitement after the incident.

Gogol humanizes the nose, but the technique of personification is also used on an enlarged scale. The nose becomes independent from the owner, an almost full-fledged member of society, he even planned to flee abroad.

At the syntactic level, Gogol refers to zeugma: “Dr.<…>had beautiful resinous sideburns, a fresh, healthy doctor.” These features help the writer portray humor and irony in the work.

Criticism

The story “The Nose” caused a wide resonance in the literary environment of the first half of the 19th century. Not all magazines agreed to publish the work, accusing N.V. in the vulgarity and absurdity of what was written. Chernyshevsky, for example, treated this story as nothing more than a retold joke that existed at that time. The first to recognize the merits of “The Nose” was A.S. Pushkin, seeing the farcical nature of the creation. The review by V.G. was significant. Belinsky, who called on the reading public to pay attention to the fact that such Major Kovalevs in society can be found not just one person, but hundreds, even thousands. S. G. Bocharov saw the greatness of the work in the fact that the author here encouraged society to look into the eyes of reality. V. Nabokov considered this story one of vivid images a motif that runs through the entire work of N.V. as a cross-cutting theme. Gogol.

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Brief retelling

“The Nose” Gogol N.V. (Very briefly)

On March 25, St. Petersburg barber Ivan Yakovlevich discovers a nose in freshly baked bread, which he apparently cut off from his client, collegiate assessor Kovalev, the day before. Ivan Yakovlevich leaves the house, tries in every possible way to get rid of his nose, but they constantly point out to him that he dropped something. In the end, he throws his nose down the St. Isaac's Bridge.

Kovalev wakes up in the morning and doesn’t find his nose on his face. He doesn’t believe his eyes, goes to the candy store, looks in the mirror and is convinced of the nightmare of what happened. On the street he unexpectedly meets his own nose, which rides around in a carriage and wears a uniform and trousers. Kozalev follows the nose into the cathedral, where he prays. Kovalev tries to reason with the nose and persuade it to return to its place, but the nose pretends that it does not understand the subject of the conversation.

Kovalev goes to the Chief of Police, but does not find him at home. Kovalev comes to the newspaper advertisement department with the intention of advertising about his missing nose, but he is refused because such an advertisement could harm the reputation of the newspaper. A visit to the private bailiff also turns out to be fruitless, since Kovalev arrives at the wrong time (when the bailiff is about to take a nap).

Returning home, the upset Kovalev begins to think about which of his acquaintances could play such a cruel joke on him. His suspicion falls on staff officer Podtochina, who wants to marry Kovalev to her daughter, and he avoids a decisive explanation.

A policeman comes to Kovalev, announces that the nose has been found (he tracked down Ivan Yakovlevich and picked up the nose he threw) and hands the find to Kovalev. He warmly thanks the policeman and gives him a banknote. But attempts to put the nose back lead to nothing. Even the doctor refuses to help, admitting the powerlessness of medicine. An angry Kovalev writes a letter to Podtochina, accusing her of intrigues against his nose. In his response note, Podtochina is sincerely surprised by such strange conclusions.

Rumors are spreading around St. Petersburg about the nose of Major Kovalev walking through the streets. One lady even asks to take her children on a tour showing this rare phenomenon.

On April 7, Kovalev wakes up and finds his nose in the same place. He goes to Ivan Yakovlevich to shave, he shaves him, trying not to grab his nose (which used to be his habit).

The story “The Nose” was written by N.V. Gogol in 1836. Gogol himself considered it an ordinary joke and for a long time did not agree to publish it. Humor - main part content of "The Nose", although it is far from the only one. In Gogol's story, laughter is subtly intertwined with apt sketches of everyday life of that time. Outlining summary“Nose”, we will, if possible, try to convey both of these characteristic features of him - and humor in the first place.

Gogol. Nose. Feature film

St. Petersburg barber Ivan Yakovlevich, waking up in the morning, smells the hot bread that his grumpy wife Praskovya Osipovna is baking. Sitting down at the table, he begins to cut the bread - and suddenly discovers something white and dense inside. Running his fingers, Ivan Yakovlevich takes out a human nose from the edge.

“Where are you, beast and drunkard, who cut off your nose? - his wife shouts to him. - Robber, I’m already from three people I heard that while shaving you pull your noses so hard that you can barely hold on!”

Ivan Yakovlevich recognizes the nose: it belongs to Major Kovalev, whom he shaves twice a week. The barber does not understand anything: “the incident is unrealistic, because bread is baked, but the nose is not at all like that.” Gogol describes how Ivan Yakovlevich, in terrible anxiety, wraps his nose in a rag and takes it out into the street to throw it away somewhere. After several unsuccessful attempts, the barber goes out onto the bridge over the Neva and, pretending to examine the running fish, quietly throws the rag with its nose into the water. Sighing with relief, he is about to go to the tavern for a glass of punch, but at this time the quarter warden standing at a distance calls him and asks what he was doing while standing on the bridge...

At the same time, in one of the St. Petersburg apartments, the collegiate assessor Kovalev, a minor civil official, who, nevertheless, likes to call himself a military major, wakes up. Looking in the mirror to check whether the pimple that appeared on his nose yesterday has disappeared, he discovers that there is no nose: instead, only a smooth spot is visible. The situation is scandalous! Kovalev loves to walk along Nevsky Prospekt and is going to look for a vice-governor's position. He is not averse to getting married if the bride ends up with two hundred thousand in capital. But how can we do all this now without a nose?!!

Gogol. Nose. Audiobook

Covering his face with a handkerchief, Kovalev runs out of the house to go straight to the chief of police. But unfortunately there is not a single cab driver. Standing on the street, Kovalev suddenly sees an inexplicable phenomenon: his own nose comes out of the carriage in the uniform of a state councilor and hides in the entrance of a house. Two minutes later the nose comes back out and, shouting to the coachman: “Bring it on!”, he drives away.

Kovalev runs after the carriage. She stops in front of the Kazan Cathedral. Kovalev runs into the cathedral and sees his nose, hiding his face in a high standing collar, praying with an expression of the greatest piety. Coming closer, Kovalev coughs for a minute, but then still decides to speak directly to the nose, although he, judging by his uniform, is much higher in official rank than him.

Illustration by Kukryniksy for “The Nose” by Gogol

“What do you want?” - asks the nose. Kovalev explains that the nose “should know its place, and not stand in the church.” “I am a major who knows many ladies, and it is indecent for me to walk around without a nose... But you are my own nose.” "You are mistaken, Dear Sir", the nose answers irritably.

Kovalev’s attention is distracted for a moment by the sight of a pretty young lady entering the cathedral. The major looks at her fresh chin with pleasure, but at that moment he remembers that he has no nose. With tears in his eyes, he turns to his nose to call him a cheat and a scoundrel. However, he is no longer there: he probably went to visit someone.

In desperation, the major catches a cab and goes to the chief of police. That one is not at home. Kovalev is considering whether to file a complaint with the Deanery Office, because his nose is clearly a person for whom nothing is sacred. But, on reflection, he decides to first make a publication about the shamelessly snuck nose in the newspaper.

The newspaper expedition where Kovalev arrives is a small room with many visitors who have come to give advertisements. They are received by a gray-haired official in a tailcoat and glasses sitting at a table. Kovalev reports that his nose ran away from him, deceptively dressed up in the uniform of a state councilor, and he himself, as a major, cannot be without such a noticeable part of the body: it is not “the little toe on the foot, which no one will see in a boot.”

A confused official in a tailcoat refuses to accept Kovalev’s advertisement, saying that if the newspaper writes about the missing nose, it may lose its reputation. He talks about a similar case: one citizen, having paid 2 rubles 73 kopecks, advertised in the newspaper about the disappearance of a black poodle, and this poodle later turned out to be the treasurer of a certain establishment. To convince the gray-haired gentleman, Kovalev removes the rag from his face. The official confirms that instead of a nose he sees “a place that is completely smooth, as if it were a freshly baked pancake,” but still does not want to take the ad. He advises the major to contact one of the literary magazines, where a skillful pen will describe “this rare work of nature” in such a way that, at least, there will be useful edification for youth.

Trying to calm down a completely upset Kovalev, the gray-haired official kindly invites him to sniff some tobacco. Kovalev takes this as a mockery: what can he smell when he doesn’t have a nose? With an exclamation: “The devil take your tobacco,” he goes to a familiar private bailiff, in whose house the entire front room is filled with sugar loaves brought from neighboring merchants. The bailiff loves offerings and, of all types, prefers state banknotes most of all: “there is nothing better than this thing: it doesn’t ask for food, it takes up little space, it will always fit in your pocket, if you drop it, it won’t hurt you.” But the bailiff, who was just about to take a nap after dinner, received the major rudely, declaring that “ decent person They won’t tear your nose off.”

Exhausted, Kovalev returns home, where his lackey Ivan, lying on a soiled sofa, spits at the ceiling and quite successfully ends up in the same place. Once in his room, the major sadly complains: “a man without a nose is the devil knows what: a bird is not a bird, a citizen is not a citizen.” He pinches himself to make sure he is not drunk, and again examines his “livilous appearance” in the mirror.

Thinking about the reasons for the missing nose, Kovalev suggests: the culprit could be staff officer Podtochina, who wanted him to marry her daughter. The major himself loved to drag himself after this daughter, but avoided the “final cutting.” And so the staff officer, probably out of revenge, decided to spoil him and hired some witch women for this.

At this moment, a quarterly police official enters Kovalev’s apartment and says that the missing major’s nose has been found: he was caught red-handed when he boarded a stagecoach to go to Riga using a fake passport issued in someone else’s name. A rogue barber is also involved in this case.

Kvartalny hands Kovalev his nose wrapped in a rag, loudly complaining about the growing high cost, which, given his large family, is very difficult. Taking the hint, Kovalev thrusts a red note into his hands. After the warden leaves, the major examines the package he brought and joyfully realizes: the nose is really his, and on the left side of it is visible the pimple that popped up yesterday. But the momentary triumph gives way to anxiety: Kovalev does not know how to make his nose stick to its original place.

With trembling hands, he brings his nose to his face, but it does not stick even after the major warms him with his breath and persuades him: “Well, climb up, fool!” Kovalev then sends the lackey Ivan to his neighbor’s doctor. Soon a prominent man with beautiful resinous sideburns enters and, saying “Hm!” several times, begins to examine Kovalev. Taking him by the chin, the doctor gives a click to the place where the nose used to be - this causes Kovalev to throw his head back so much that he hits the back of his head against the wall. Taking him away from the wall, the doctor gives a second click, shakes his head and persuades the major to remain as he is now, because the nose can be easily fixed, but “it will only get worse.”

Kovalev begs the doctor to put his nose in so that he can hold on somehow. The major even agrees to “support his nose with his hand in dangerous cases” - otherwise it will be impossible for him to make visits to good houses. But the doctor only advises him to wash the area of ​​his nose with cold water - and “I assure you that, without a nose, you will be as healthy as if you had one.” The doctor offers Kovalev to preserve his nose in alcohol and sell it for decent money. “It’s better to let him disappear!” – the major shouts in despair.

After the doctor leaves, Kovalev sits down to write a letter to headquarters officer Podtochina. In it, he makes it clear to her that her participation in the story with her nose disguised as an official is not a secret to him. If the nose is not in its place today, the major threatens to “resort to the protection and patronage of the laws.” Soon a response comes from Podtochina. She assures that she never hosted any disguised official and that she never thought of leaving Kovalev in the cold, that is, refusing him in the event of a possible matchmaking with her daughter. Podtochina, on the contrary, is ready to satisfy the major at this very moment, “for this has always been the object of her deepest desire.” Kovalev comes to the conclusion that Podtochina, apparently, is really not to blame.

Meanwhile, rumors about his runaway nose are spreading throughout St. Petersburg - and with the most colorful additions. Crowds of curious people flock to Nevsky Prospekt to check out the stories that the nose goes for a walk every day at exactly three o’clock. One speculator makes strong wooden benches from which it is convenient to look out for the nose, and allows those who wish to stand on them for a fee of 80 kopecks. True, trustworthy people are unhappy with this hype...

About two weeks after the incident, Kovalev woke up in the morning and suddenly noticed that his nose, as if nothing had happened, was on his face. The presence of a nose is also confirmed by the footman Ivan. Beside himself with joy, Kovalev first of all goes to the barber Ivan Yakovlevich to shave. At first he greets him timidly, but when he sees his nose in place, he calms down. Shaving is made very difficult for Ivan Yakovlevich because he tries not to touch his nose with his hands. Happy Kovalev, no longer covering his face, goes out into the street and makes visits. Having accidentally met staff officer Podtochina and her daughter, he carries on a long and cheerful conversation with them, taking out his snuff box and generously stuffing his nose “from both entrances.”

This is what happened in the northern capital of our vast state! - Gogol concludes his short story. – Although no one still knows how the nose was separated and then appeared in different places under the guise of a state councilor - such incidents (Gogol smiles) happen in the world - rarely, but they do happen.