Duck hunting content. Duck hunting

The play “Duck Hunt” by Vampilov was written in 1967. The work has a rather complex structure, since it consists of three parts: the realities of life of the main characters, memories and an intermediate layer of visions.

Main characters

Victor Zilov– a young man, self-confident, loving, relaxed.

Other characters

Galina– Victor’s wife, a teacher, a fragile, sophisticated woman.

Kuzakov- Zilov’s friend, a calm, slightly reserved man.

Sayapin– Victor’s best friend, his classmate and colleague.

Kushak Vadim Andreevich- boss of Sayapin and Zilov.

Valeria- Sayapin’s wife, an energetic young woman.

Faith- Zilov's mistress.

Irina– student, Victor’s new passion

Dima- waiter, classmate of Sayapin and Zilov.

Act one

Scene one

Viktor Zilov wakes up from a phone call. He “reluctantly picks up the phone,” but in response there is silence. Noticing that it is raining outside the window, the man expresses dissatisfaction. Another call, and again silence.

Victor himself dials the required number, and in a conversation with his interlocutor, the waiter Dima, clarifies that the long-awaited hunt will still take place. It becomes clear that Zilov had a very eventful evening the day before, and he barely remembers how he caused a scandal in the cafe.

There is a knock on the door, and the boy hands the stunned Zilov “a large, cheap pine wreath with large paper flowers and a long black ribbon.” From the inscription on the mourning ribbon, he learns that the wreath is from friends. Such a joke does not seem funny to him at all.

Confused, the man sits on the ottoman and imagines how everything would have happened if he had really died. Pictures of his life float before Zilov’s eyes.

Zilov and his friend Sayapin come to the Forget-Me-Not cafe during lunch break. They are waiting for their boss, Kushak, to celebrate an important event - Zilov received an apartment in a new house. A housewarming celebration is planned for the evening, and Victor also invites the waiter, Dima, with whom he went to school and hunted.

Suddenly, Verochka appears, Zilov’s young lover, who is already quite tired of him. When he sees the boss, he asks Verochka not to advertise their relationship. The girl introduces herself as Zilov’s classmate and, having learned that Kushak sent his wife on vacation to Sukhumi, begins to flirt with him. Victor, seeing the boss’s interest, is forced to invite his mistress to the housewarming party.

While waiting for the guests, Victor’s wife, Galina, begins to dream that in the new place their relationship will be “like at the very beginning.” Having met Kushak, Zilov makes him understand that with Vera he can behave boldly and persistently - “Grab the bull by the horns!” Friends give the owner of the house “pieces of hunting equipment: a knife, a cartridge belt and several wooden birds, which are used for decoys in duck hunting.” Everyone knows that hunting is Zilov’s greatest passion.

Verochka dynamites the tipsy Kushak, and leaves together with Victor’s friend Kuzakov.

Scene two

At work, Zilov complains to Sayapin that the boss urgently demands “modernization, the production line method, young, growing production.” Colleagues decide to take a chance and present their boss with a fake report on modernization in porcelain production.

Zilov receives a letter from his old father, whom he has not seen for several years. It causes a wave of irritation in him, since his father asks to see him before he dies. Victor does not believe him, believing that a couple of times a year “the old man goes to die”, and he cannot miss the long-awaited duck hunt.

A young girl named Irina appears in the office, having confused the technical bureau with the editorial office. Realizing that “you don’t come across such girls often,” Zilov decides to have an affair with her and introduces himself as an employee of the newspaper.

Act two

Scene one

Returning home only early in the morning, Zilov complains to his wife that he was forced to stay late at work. Galina does not believe a single word he says, since he was seen in the city last night. The offended Victor reminds that “in family life, the main thing is trust.”

Upon learning that Galina had an abortion, Zilov feigns indignation. Galina does not react to her husband, whom she has managed to thoroughly study over the course of six years of married life.

Scene two

Zilov arranges a date with Irina at the Forget-Me-Not cafe, Sayapin is waiting to go to a football match. An angry Kushak enters, demanding an explanation from them regarding the fake document on the reconstruction of the porcelain factory.

Zilov takes the blame for a “serious mistake in his work” in order to shield Sayapin, who is about to get an apartment. At this moment, Sayapin’s wife, Valeria, appears, who manages to soften Kushak and take him to football.

Zilov receives a telegram about his father’s death - “this time the old man was not mistaken.” He asks Galina to urgently bring money to catch the plane.

Before leaving, Victor decides to have a drink or two at Forget-Me-Not. In a cafe, Galina accidentally catches her husband in the company of Irina. Zilov is forced to admit to the girl that this is his wife, but they “have long been strangers, friends, good friends.” For the sake of a romantic evening with Irina, Zilov postpones his trip to his father’s funeral.

Scene three

Galina is packing her things - she is going to relax with relatives. As soon as the door closes behind his wife, Victor calls Irina to invite her to his place.

Galina unexpectedly returns to tell Zilov the truth - she is leaving him forever. She admits that she is leaving for her childhood friend, who has been in love with her all these years. The wounded Zilov tries to stop Galina, but she leaves and closes the front door with the key so that he does not bother her.

Victor uses all his eloquence, trying to convince his wife of his sincere love for her, but she quietly leaves. He continues to promise a happy life together, not suspecting that all his outpourings are no longer heard by Galina, but by Irina. The girl is sure that Zilov confesses his love to her in this way.

Act three

On the occasion of the upcoming vacation and hunting, Zilov invites friends to celebrate this event at Forget-Me-Not. He discusses with Dima a joint trip that he has long dreamed of.

By the time his friends arrive, Zilov manages to get drunk and begins to insult them. He does not even stop before humiliating Irina and the waiter Dima, whom he calls a lackey. Indignant guests leave the cafe. After a while, Sayapin and Kuzakov return to take Zilov home.

Remembering his behavior the day before, Zilov decides to commit suicide. Kuzakov and Sayapin enter the apartment. Seeing Victor's preparations, they take his gun away. After a short hysteria, Zilov calms down and, as if nothing had happened, agrees with Dima about the hunt.

Conclusion

Vampilov's book is confessional in nature. Experiencing moral torment, the main character is going to resolve the internal conflict by suicide, but he lacks the determination to change his life.

After reading the short retelling of “Duck Hunt,” we recommend reading the play by Alexander Vampilov in its full version.

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Retelling rating

Average rating: 4. Total ratings received: 247.

Vampilov wrote the play “Duck Hunt” in 1967. The work has a rather complex structure, since it consists of three parts: the realities of life of the main characters, memories and an intermediate layer of visions. We recommend reading a summary of “Duck Hunt” by chapters (actions), which will be useful for your reading diary and preparation for a literature lesson.

Main characters of the play

Main characters:

Victor Zilov is a young man, self-confident, loving, relaxed.

Other characters:

Galina is Victor’s wife, a teacher, a fragile, sophisticated woman.
Kuzakov is a friend of Zilov, a calm, slightly reserved man.
Sayapin is Victor’s best friend, his classmate and colleague.
Kushak Vadim Andreevich is the boss of Sayapin and Zilov.
Valeria is Sayapin’s wife, an energetic young woman.
Vera is Zilov's mistress.
Irina is a student, Victor’s new passion
Dima is a waiter, a classmate of Sayapin and Zilov.

Vampilov “Duck Hunt” very briefly

The plot centers on the life of a simple careerist and womanizer Viktor Zilov, to whom his friends give him a comic gift - a funeral wreath, and who begins to imagine what would happen at his real funeral. At the same time, Zilov is often immersed in memories of the most significant events of his life and at the end of the story he discovers that he led a worthless, meaningless life.

Zilov actually decides to commit suicide and only the timely appearance of friends keeps him from this step. However, Zinin’s self-flagellation does not last long. Soon he comes to his senses, and, as if nothing had happened, gets ready to go duck hunting.

Having remembered everything and analyzed his life, Zilov decides to commit suicide. He is ready to shoot, but his friends manage to stop him.

The play shows the “spiritual degradation” of a person. The main character exists without any values. He easily betrays those closest to him: his father, wife, lover, friends. As a result, he became so confused in himself that he was ready to commit suicide. Duck hunting is demonstrated by the author as a symbol of spirituality. Hunting is the hero’s only chance to escape the vicious circle.

The play teaches that it is impossible to exist without deep spiritual values. A soulless life is empty and vicious.

A short retelling of “Duck Hunt” by Vampilov

“Duck Hunt” summary:

Now Zilov is calling himself. He talks to the waiter Dima, with whom he was going hunting together, and is extremely surprised that Dima asks him if he will go. Zilov is interested in the details of yesterday’s scandal, which he caused in a cafe, but which he himself remembers very vaguely. He is especially worried about who hit him in the face yesterday.

He barely hangs up when there is a knock on the door. A boy enters with a large mourning wreath, on which is written: “To the unforgettable Viktor Aleksandrovich Zilov, who was untimely burned out at work, from inconsolable friends.” Zilov is annoyed by such a dark joke. He sits down on the ottoman and begins to imagine how things might have been if he had actually died. Then the life of the last days passes before his eyes.

Zilov reminds Kushak that a housewarming celebration is scheduled for that evening, and he, somewhat flirtatiously, agrees. Zilov is forced to invite Vera, who really wants this. He introduces her to the boss, who has just escorted his legal wife south, as a classmate, and Vera, with her very relaxed behavior, inspires Kushak with certain hopes.

Duck hunting is Zilov's greatest passion (except for women), although so far he has not yet managed to kill a single duck. As Galina says, the main thing for him is getting ready and talking. But Zilov does not pay attention to the ridicule.

Memory two. At work, Zilov and Sayapin must urgently prepare information about the modernization of production, the flow method, etc. Zilov suggests presenting how a modernization project has already been implemented at a porcelain factory. They toss a coin for a long time, what to do or not to do. And although Sayapin is afraid of exposure, they are nevertheless preparing this “linden”. Here Zilov reads a letter from his old father, living in another city, whom he has not seen for four years.

He writes that he is sick and calls to see him, but Zilov is indifferent to this. He doesn’t believe his father, and he doesn’t have time anyway, since he’s going duck hunting on vacation. He cannot and does not want to miss her. Suddenly, an unfamiliar girl, Irina, appears in their room, confusing their office with the editorial office of a newspaper. Zilov plays it out, introducing himself as a newspaper employee, until his joke is exposed by the boss who comes in. Zilov begins an affair with Irina.

She has endured for a long time and no longer wants to endure Zilov’s lies. She tells him that she went to the doctor and had an abortion. Zilov feigns indignation: why didn’t she consult with him?! He tries to somehow soften her, remembering one of the evenings six years ago when they first became close.

Galina protests at first, but then gradually succumbs to the charm of memory - until the moment when Zilov cannot remember some very important words for her. She finally sinks into a chair and cries. The memory is the following. At the end of the working day, an angry Kushak appears in Zilov and Sayapin’s room and demands an explanation from them about a brochure with information about reconstruction at the porcelain factory.

Shielding Sayapin, who is about to get an apartment, Zilov takes full responsibility upon himself. Only Sayapin’s wife, who suddenly appears, manages to extinguish the storm by taking the simple-minded Kushak to football. At this moment, Zilov receives a telegram about his father’s death. He decides to fly urgently to make it to the funeral. Galina wants to go with him, but he refuses. Before leaving, he stops at Forget-Me-Not for a drink.

In addition, he has a date with Irina here. Galina accidentally witnesses their meeting and brings Zilov a cloak and briefcase for the trip. Zilov is forced to admit to Irina that he is married. He orders dinner, postponing his flight until tomorrow.

Finding himself in a trap, Zilov uses all his eloquence, trying to convince his wife that she is still dear to him, and even promising to take her hunting. But it is not Galina who hears his explanation, but the appearance of Irina, who perceives everything said by Zilov as relating specifically to her.

Left alone, Zilov calls the waiter Dima a lackey, and he hits him in the face. Zilov falls under the table and “passes out.” After some time, Kuzakov and Sayapin return, pick up Zilov and take him home.

Zilov drives them away. He screams that he doesn't trust anyone, but they refuse to leave him alone. In the end, Zilov manages to drive them out, he walks around the room with a gun, then throws himself on the bed and either laughs or sobs. Two minutes later he gets up and dials Dima’s phone number. He is ready to go hunting.

Read also: The satirical play “The Bedbug” was written in 1928, as he sought to ensure that his work became the property of the general public. You can read it with quotes on our website. In the play, the author ridicules and condemns romance-guitar bourgeois lyrics and idyllic bourgeois ideals.

A. Vampilov “Duck Hunt” summary with a description of each action:

Act one

Scene one

Confused, the man sits on the ottoman and imagines how everything would have happened if he had really died. Pictures of his life float before Zilov’s eyes.

While waiting for the guests, Victor’s wife, Galina, begins to dream that in the new place their relationship will be “like at the very beginning.” Having met Kushak, Zilov makes him understand that with Vera he can behave boldly and persistently - “Grab the bull by the horns!” Friends give the owner of the house “pieces of hunting equipment: a knife, a bandoleer and several wooden birds, which are used for decoys in duck hunting.” Everyone knows that hunting is Zilov’s greatest passion.

Verochka dynamites the tipsy Kushak, and leaves together with Victor’s friend Kuzakov.

Scene two

Zilov receives a letter from his old father, whom he has not seen for several years. It causes a wave of irritation in him, since his father asks to see him before he dies. Victor does not believe him, believing that a couple of times a year “the old man goes to bed to die,” and he cannot miss the long-awaited duck hunt.

A young girl named Irina appears in the office, having confused the technical bureau with the editorial office. Realizing that “such girls don’t come across often,” Zilov decides to have an affair with her and introduces himself as an employee of the newspaper.

Act two

Scene one

Upon learning that Galina had an abortion, Zilov feigns indignation. Galina does not react to her husband, whom she has managed to thoroughly study over the course of six years of married life.

Scene two

Zilov receives a telegram about his father’s death - “this time the old man was not mistaken.” He asks Galina to urgently bring money to catch the plane.

Scene three

Galina is packing her things - she is going to relax with relatives. As soon as the door closes behind his wife, Victor calls Irina to invite her to his place.

Act three

On the occasion of the upcoming vacation and hunting, Zilov invites friends to celebrate this event at Forget-Me-Not. He discusses with Dima a joint trip that he has long dreamed of.

Vampilov’s play “Duck Hunt,” a brief summary of which will be presented below, became one of the best works of Soviet literature. Today it is classified as Russian classical literature.

Preface

In our article, every reader will find a work authored by Vampilov. A very brief summary of “Duck Hunt” will tell you about the main events of the play. Reading a summary of the play will not take more than ten minutes, while the original will require about two hours. What did Alexander Vampilov write about? An analysis and summary of “Duck Hunt” will help you better understand the work. The morality that the author deliberately introduced into his creation became an indicator that even in the times of the Soviet Union there were dishonest spouses, despair and the shame of betrayal. Undoubtedly, in the summary of “Duck Hunt” by A. Vampilov it is impossible to convey all the author’s thoughts that can be seen in the original play.

Additionally, it is important to note that there have been numerous theatrical productions and several film adaptations of the play. A summary of “Duck Hunt” (Vampilov) will play an important role in motivating viewing of the film adaptation of the heritage of world culture. So, more details.

About the heroes

Viktor Zilov is the main character of the story. A thirty-year-old man has a noble appearance: large facial features, tall stature, strong build. In all of Zilov’s manners, one can see how self-confident the main character is: this is noticeable in the way he talks, in his gestures and even in his gait. Zilov feels special because he differs from his friends in physical superiority. Despite the fact that Viktor Alexandrovich does not show his inner experiences, from his habits one can notice boredom and sadness, which goes unnoticed when first meeting the hero.

Galina is the wife of the main character. The girl is slightly younger than her husband - she is twenty-six. This is a fragile woman who amazes everyone with her elegance. But natural femininity is inherent in Galina from birth. After she fell in love with Zilov and married him, all the dreams that the girl had kept for years were simply destroyed by everyday difficulties. Due to her unenviable financial situation, Galina has to work a lot, and difficulties in her personal life constantly upset the woman. The expression of happiness and carelessness has long disappeared on Galina’s face - the girl is always upset and preoccupied with something.

Irina is a young student who manages to lure Zilov into the love network. She falls in love with a married man, who is eventually going to marry her, leaving Galina alone.

Kuzakov is Victor's friend. He is about thirty years old, an inconspicuous young man. By nature, Kuzakov is silent and thoughtful. He constantly worries about his problems, although he does not share his feelings with any of his loved ones.

Sayapin is Victor's former classmate. In addition, young people served together in military service in the past. For many years, Zilov and Sayapin remained friends.

Valeria is Sayapin's wife. The girl is younger than her husband. She is distinguished by her particular activity, positive outlook on life and humor with which she perceives all life's difficulties.

Vadim Kushak is the boss of Sayapin and Zilov. He is a serious man who knows his worth. Important, respectable, Kushak keeps all his subordinates in fear. Despite the fact that in the institution Vadim is strict and businesslike, outside the walls of the workplace he is too unsure of himself, indecisive and often fussy.

Vera is Victor's former lover. She is young and beautiful, dresses well and spares no time and effort to look great. The girl works as a simple saleswoman in a store.

Dmitry is a waiter at the Forget-Me-Not bar. Since Victor is a regular at the bar, Dima and the main character have a common friendship since their school days.

Plot

It’s worth starting with the morning when Viktor Zilov wakes up and feels a severe hangover. Victor was awakened by a phone call. He picks up the phone, but the caller doesn't say a word. Within a few minutes everything repeats itself: the phone rings, silence on the phone. He tries to remember what happened last night, but the memories don't want to come back. Then Zilov himself decides to call Dima to ask what happened last night. Dima briefly talks about how the main character caused a row in the bar. In addition, the waiter asks if Zilov is going to duck hunting, which they agreed on for a long time. Surprised by the question, Viktor Alexandrovich says that the offer is valid and hangs up. He begins to do morning exercises, quenching his thirst with cold beer.

Unexpected guest

The continuation of the summary of “Duck Hunt” may surprise the reader with its plot twist.

Victor hears the doorbell. Opening it, he sees a boy holding a funeral wreath in his hands. On the wreath is written “Eternal memory of Viktor Zilov, who died during a huge fire.” Surprised and annoyed by such a joke, Zilov sits down on the bed and begins to think about what would happen if he really died. He begins to remember the last days of his life.

First memory

Our summary of “Duck Hunt” continues with the memories of the main character, which are truly capable of shedding light on the character of Zilov and his entourage.

The first memory was of the meeting of Zilov and Sayapin with their boss. It took place in honor of a joyful event - Zilov had just received a good apartment. Suddenly, Zilov’s mistress, Vera, appears in the Forget-Me-Not bar. He takes her aside and asks her not to tell anyone about their affair. Vera understands everything and fulfills the request. And he begins to “make eyes” at Kushaku, who just recently sent his wife to rest in the south. Vera does not retreat from conquering Vadim’s heart, and hope begins to appear in the soul of the insecure man.

Housewarming

That same evening the whole company goes to a housewarming party with the Zilovs. Galina is very upset; she sees how strained her relationship with her husband has become. She warms her heart with hope that it is still possible to improve. She believes that everything can be the same as it was between her and Victor at the very beginning of the relationship.

Zilov's friends brought a huge number of gifts to the spouses, most of which related to hunting equipment. Zilov's passion is duck hunting. Despite the fact that the “hunter” himself has not yet managed to shoot a single bird, he regularly goes for it. Galina says the following about her husband’s passion: “For Victor, hunting is just talk and preparation.” However, Zilov himself does not notice his wife’s ridicule.

Second memory

A very brief summary of Vampilov’s play “Duck Hunt” continues to amaze the reader with its ironic events.

Sayapin and Zilov were given an assignment at work: to draw up a plan for innovations in the institution. Victor suggests his friend do something simpler: simply provide information that the porcelain factory was modernized and reconstructed. Sayapin doubts for a long time whether this is a good idea. He is afraid that such a prank will soon be discovered. In the end, he agrees to hand over the “fake” information.

At the same time, the main character receives a letter from his old father. The old man writes that he is very sick and would like to see his son. But Zilov does not believe that this is true. He decides that his father is just playing him. Therefore, Victor is not going anywhere, and he is very busy, he has a vacation soon, which he was going to spend hunting, so he does not have time to visit his father.

At first sight

You can learn about further funny events from the summary of “Duck Hunt” by Vampilov. At the same moment, Irina appears in Zilov’s office, having confused his office with the room of the newspaper’s editor-in-chief. Victor decides to play a prank on the girl and pretends to be an employee of the publishing house. When Kushak enters the office, he immediately exposes the deceiver, which makes Irina laugh. It is after this joke that a romance begins between the young people.

Third memory

The summary of “Duck Hunt” continues with tragic events.

Victor returns home early in the morning. My wife Galina has not yet gone to bed. She meets her husband and complains to him that she has a lot of work, that she is very tired, that she is too upset by such a sudden business trip of her beloved. Zilov understands that Galina began to suspect him of treason and denies all his wife’s accusations. But the girl does not give up and tells her husband that the neighbor saw him with a young beauty. Angry at Galina, the main character says that she herself is to blame for this state of affairs, without paying any attention to him.

Galina rashly tells Victor that she had an abortion last week. A completely heated Zilov begins to scream, asking Galina why she did not consult with him before making such an important decision, to which his wife replied that she was not sure that Victor really wanted children together. The man is trying to somehow soften the tension that has grown between him and his wife. He begins to remember how his relationship with Galina began. At first, the girl tries not to react in any way to the words of her beloved man, but soon gives up and begins to plunge into the past. As a result, the unhappy woman sits down on a chair and begins to cry.

Fourth memory

The very brief summary of “Duck Hunt” continues with another memory of the main character.

Sayapin and Zilov are sitting in their office. Suddenly an angry boss appears and begins to scold his friends for their prank with the porcelain factory. Zilov, knowing that his friend should soon be allocated an apartment, takes the entire blow upon himself. Sayapin's wife invites Vadim to football and thereby pacifies the evil boss.

Unexpected message

Our very brief summary of Vampilov’s “Duck Hunt” continues with very sad events.

On this day, Victor receives an urgent telegram saying that his father has died as a result of illness. He abandons all his plans and is going to fly to his native land in order to be in time for the funeral. Galina offers to join him, but the man refuses. Before leaving, Victor decides to look into the bar where he had an appointment with his mistress. Galina, who suddenly appeared within the walls of “Forget-Me-Not” and brought a briefcase and a raincoat to her husband, sees Victor and Irina. After this, Zilov confesses to the young girl that he is married. Realizing that he doesn’t have the strength to fly anywhere today, he postpones his departure until the next day and orders dinner at a bar.

Fifth memory

Zilov’s wife is going to leave for her relatives. As soon as Galina leaves the apartment, Victor calls Irina and asks her to come to him. Suddenly the wife returns to the apartment and tells Zilov that she will not come back. He tries to stop the woman, but she leaves and locks Zilov in the apartment. The man shouts that he loves her, that she is infinitely dear to him, he is ready to do anything so that she does not leave. But instead of Galina, for whom this speech was intended, Irina hears all Victor’s words, taking all Zilov’s confessions personally.

Last memory

While Zilov is waiting for his friends at the bar, he drinks heavily. When the friends finally gather, Victor is already very drunk and begins to be rude to everyone, saying various nasty things. Friends, seeing Victor's behavior, simply leave. Irina also leaves the main character, who greatly insulted her.

Victor calls the waiter Dima a lackey, for which he hits Zilov painfully in the face. Victor passes out and soon his friends come to take him home.

Conclusion

From the summary of Vampilov's "Duck Hunt" you can learn that the plot ends with the despair of the main character. Remembering all the horror of the last days, the main character wonders whether he should commit suicide. He writes a farewell letter, takes the gun and points the barrel under his chin. At this time, friends come to him and, seeing what is happening to Zilov, push him onto the bed and take away his weapon. Viktor Alexandrovich tries to drive them away, and he succeeds. Having kicked out his friends, he throws himself into bed and either laughs loudly or sobs out loud. Time passes, and he calls Dmitry to say that he is ready to go hunting.

The main character of the play, Viktor Aleksandrovich Zilov, wakes up in the morning in his own house, located in a small town.

Victor is awakened by a sharp phone call. He picks up the phone, but all he hears in response is silence. This situation is repeated 2 times. Having woken up, Zilov himself begins to call. He is answered by an old friend, waiter Dima, who is extremely surprised by this call. After all, he believed that Victor was dead. During the conversation, the hero tries to find out the details of the past evening, but does not receive any answer.

As soon as Victor finishes the conversation, someone knocked on his door. On the threshold he saw a boy with a funeral wreath addressed to Zilov. Such a dark joke did not please the main character. He sits on the bed and begins to fantasize about how things would turn out if he actually died. At the same time, he begins to remember what happened in his life in recent days.

The first memory is associated with meeting friends in my favorite cafe “Forget-Me-Not”. Zilov, together with his friends Sayapin and Kushak, are planning to celebrate the purchase of a new apartment. The main character's closest friends come to visit him. Victor is given various gifts, including duck hunting equipment.

Duck hunting is the main passion of the hero. According to his wife, Galina, Zilov never hit a duck. He prefers the process itself and conversations about hunting.

After this memory, the hero calls his friends at work, but no one answers there. He remembers the work, the unfinished report and the telegram from his father. In the message, the father writes that he is seriously ill and is waiting for his son to visit. Unfortunately, this news does not affect Zilov in any way.

In addition, the main character is left indifferent by the news from his wife Galina that in the near future he will become a father. Viktor Zilov is more interested in meeting a young girl, Irina, who mistakenly came to their work.

This relationship captivates the hero so much that he forgets about his wife. The spouses are quarreling. Zilov's excuses do not bring results.

After this, Viktor Zilov recalls the following fragment from his life. He and his friend Sayapin solve work problems. Unexpectedly, the hero receives a telegram with the news of his father’s death. He decides to leave for the funeral immediately, however, before leaving he goes to the Forget-Me-Not cafe. There Victor meets Irina, who is very attractive to him. His wife Galina witnesses their meeting.

Galina leaves her indifferent husband. The main character connects his life with his mistress Irina.

The play ends with a memory of the last evening. Zilov meets with friends and his lover Irina in a cafe. Victor is rude to his friends and insults Vera and Irina. The waiter, wanting to stand up for the girls, hits Zilov. Friends deliver the hero home.

Having remembered everything and analyzed his life, Zilov decides to commit suicide. He is ready to shoot, but his friends manage to stop him.

The play teaches that it is impossible to exist without deep spiritual values. A soulless life is empty and vicious.

Picture or drawing of Vampilov - Duck hunting

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The work is one of the “thoughts” of Ryleev’s collection about events that happened in history and people who glorified the fatherland to varying degrees. The plot involves the death of the ataman of the Cossack army, whose name is inextricably linked with the conquest of the Siberian Khanate.

Still from the film “Holiday in September” (1979)

The action takes place in a provincial town. Viktor Aleksandrovich Zilov is awakened by a phone call. Having difficulty waking up, he picks up the phone, but there is silence. He slowly gets up, touching his jaw, opens the window, and it’s raining outside. Zilov drinks beer and begins physical exercises with a bottle in his hands. Another phone call and again silence. Now Zilov is calling himself. He talks to the waiter Dima, with whom he was going hunting together, and is extremely surprised that Dima asks him if he will go. Zilov is interested in the details of yesterday’s scandal, which he caused in a cafe, but which he himself remembers very vaguely. He is especially worried about who hit him in the face yesterday.

First memory. In the Forget-Me-Not cafe, Zilov’s favorite place to hang out, he and his friend Sayapin meet with their work boss Kushak during their lunch break to celebrate a big event - he has received a new apartment. Suddenly his mistress Vera appears. Zilov asks Vera not to advertise their relationship, seats everyone at the table, and the waiter Dima brings the ordered wine and kebabs. Zilov reminds Kushak that a housewarming celebration is scheduled for that evening, and he, somewhat flirtatiously, agrees. Zilov is forced to invite Vera, who really wants this. He introduces her to the boss, who has just escorted his legal wife south, as a classmate, and Vera, with her very relaxed behavior, inspires Kushak with certain hopes.

In the evening, Zilov's friends gather for a housewarming party. While waiting for guests, Galina, Zilov’s wife, dreams that everything between her and her husband will be like at the very beginning, when they loved each other. Among the gifts brought were items of hunting equipment: a knife, a cartridge belt and several wooden birds used in duck hunting for decoys. Duck hunting is Zilov's greatest passion (except for women), although so far he has not yet managed to kill a single duck. As Galina says, the main thing for him is getting ready and talking. But Zilov does not pay attention to the ridicule.

Memory two. At work, Zilov and Sayapin must urgently prepare information on the modernization of production, the flow method, etc. Zilov proposes to present it as an already implemented modernization project at a porcelain factory. They toss a coin for a long time, what to do or not to do. And although Sayapin is afraid of exposure, they are nevertheless preparing this “linden”. Here Zilov reads a letter from his old father, living in another city, whom he has not seen for four years. He writes that he is sick and calls to see him, but Zilov is indifferent to this. He doesn’t believe his father, and he doesn’t have time anyway, since he’s going duck hunting on vacation. He cannot and does not want to miss her. Suddenly, an unfamiliar girl, Irina, appears in their room, confusing their office with the editorial office of a newspaper. Zilov plays it out, introducing himself as a newspaper employee, until his joke is exposed by the boss who comes in. Zilov begins an affair with Irina.

Memory three. Zilov returns home in the morning. Galina is not sleeping. He complains about the abundance of work, about the fact that he was sent on a business trip so unexpectedly. But his wife directly says that she does not believe him, because last night a neighbor saw him in the city. Zilov tries to protest, accusing his wife of being excessively suspicious, but this has no effect on her. She has endured for a long time and no longer wants to endure Zilov’s lies. She tells him that she went to the doctor and had an abortion. Zilov feigns indignation: why didn’t she consult with him?! He tries to somehow soften her, remembering one of the evenings six years ago when they first became close. Galina protests at first, but then gradually succumbs to the charm of memory - until the moment when Zilov cannot remember some very important words for her. She finally sinks into a chair and cries. The memory is the following. At the end of the working day, an angry Kushak appears in Zilov and Sayapin’s room and demands an explanation from them about a brochure with information about reconstruction at the porcelain factory. Shielding Sayapin, who is about to get an apartment, Zilov takes full responsibility upon himself. Only Sayapin’s wife, who suddenly appears, manages to extinguish the storm by taking the simple-minded Kushak to football. At this moment, Zilov receives a telegram about his father’s death. He decides to fly urgently to make it to the funeral. Galina wants to go with him, but he refuses. Before leaving, he stops at Forget-Me-Not for a drink. In addition, he has a date with Irina here. Galina accidentally witnesses their meeting and brings Zilov a cloak and briefcase for the trip. Zilov is forced to admit to Irina that he is married. He orders dinner, postponing his flight until tomorrow.

The memory is the following. Galina is going to visit relatives in another city. As soon as she leaves, he calls Irina and invites her to his place. Galina unexpectedly returns and announces that she is leaving forever. Zilov is discouraged, he tries to detain her, but Galina locks him with a key. Finding himself in a trap, Zilov uses all his eloquence, trying to convince his wife that she is still dear to him, and even promising to take her hunting. But it is not Galina who hears his explanation, but the appearance of Irina, who perceives everything said by Zilov as relating specifically to her.

The last memory. While waiting for friends invited on the occasion of the upcoming vacation and duck hunting, Zilov drinks at Forget-Me-Not. By the time his friends gather, he is already quite drunk and begins to say nasty things to them. Every minute he diverges more and more, he is carried away, and in the end everyone, including Irina, whom he also undeservedly insults, leaves. Left alone, Zilov calls the waiter Dima a lackey, and he hits him in the face. Zilov falls under the table and “passes out.” After some time, Kuzakov and Sayapin return, pick up Zilov and take him home.

Having remembered everything, Zilov actually suddenly gets the idea of committing suicide. He doesn't play anymore. He writes a note, loads the gun, takes off his shoes and feels for the trigger with his big toe. At this moment the phone rings. Then Sayapin and Kuzakov appear unnoticed, who see Zilov’s preparations, pounce on him and take away the gun. Zilov drives them away. He screams that he doesn't trust anyone, but they refuse to leave him alone. In the end, Zilov manages to drive them out, he walks around the room with a gun, then throws himself on the bed and either laughs or sobs. Two minutes later he gets up and dials Dima’s phone number. He is ready to go hunting.

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