Pan Apolek by Isaac Babel. Short summary

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Once upon a time, Mr. Apolek was entrusted with the painting of the church. The painter worked hard, but the townspeople did not appreciate his efforts. The reason was that people recognized themselves in the sacred paintings.

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In the apartment of the fleeing priest, the narrator looks at the icons of Mr. Apolek. One of the icons depicts someone familiar. Then the narrator notices a canvas depicting Mrs. Eliza in the image of the Virgin. The unraveling of the Novgorod icons was close at hand.

The painter Apolek and the blind accordionist Gottfried came to the city thirty years ago. They immediately went into a tavern. As a sign of gratitude, Apolek painted a portrait of the hostess. In the morning he went to the priest with his paintings on themes from the sacred scriptures. Apolek immediately got an order to paint the church.

Within a month the priest and the invited citizens recognized themselves in the pictures. The priest recognized himself as one of the wise men, people recognized Janek in Apostle Paul and Jewish Elka in Magdalene. People demanded that the blasphemous images be closed. The priest threatened the blasphemer, but Apolek did not remove his work.

Since then a war between the priest and the artist began, which lasted for thirty years. When the old monk was banished, Apolek appeared in the kitchen of Mrs. Eliza.