Punin and Baburin by Ivan Turgenev. Short summary

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The narrator recalls two friends, Punin and Baburin, whom he occasionally met. The first died, the second was exiled to Siberia for freethinking. But he waited for the manifesto on the abolition of serfdom.

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The narrator recalls three meetings with colorful characters, Punin and Baburin. When the author was 12 years old, his grandmother hired Baburin. Punin lived with him. He was well educated and went to seminary.

Then he went down, but Baburin helped him to return to a virtuous life. Baburin soon calculated the latter, and the friends left.

The 2nd meeting took place seven years later. The author’s classmate Tarkhov introduced him to his lover, Muse Pavlovna. She lived in the house of Panin and Baburin as a pupil. But now the old man wants to marry her. Muse ran away to Tarkhov.

Another twelve years passed. The author got to the funeral of Punin. Behind his coffin walked his friend. Muse left Tarkhov, she returned to Baburin and became his wife. But he was arrested for freethinking and exiled to Siberia. The muse went with him.

Another 12 years later, in 1861, a letter came from Muse. She wrote with what jubilation perceived the abolition of serfdom Baburin. But he caught a cold and died at the age of 67. Muse wrote that she would remain in Siberia to continue his work.