on the Volga by Nikolay Nekrasov. Short summary

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The narrator returned to his homeland after a long wander. As a child, he loved to visit the banks of the Volga, but once he saw exhausted boatmen, he began to think of it as a river of slavery.

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The narrator returns to his homeland after years of wandering. He recalls his past life while standing on the bank of the Volga River. The hero left his parents when he was very young. Many years have passed since then, but he has never achieved anything. During this time he was very tired, lost faith in his own strength and wanted to rest.

The narrator’s childhood was spent on the banks of the Volga. At that time he felt happy and knew no doubt and no fear. But fate dealt with him cruelly, from a brave boy he turned into an insecure adult.

The hero hears groans and notices floats on the shore dragging their cargo. The man recalls how, as a child, he loved the Volga and often visited its banks. One day he saw the hobblers singing a song that sounded like a moan.

He noticed their bad clothes and haggard faces. This made the boy sad, and he began to think of the Volga as a river of slavery. Much time passed, the narrator grew old, but he saw that the boatmen were still dragging their burdens and their lives had not changed.