Diogenes is looking for a person in what meaning. Questions. Who first used the term “philosophy”? Plato
Many people know the legend about the Greek philosopher Diogenes (about 400 - about 325 BC), who, as the legend tells, lived in a barrel, walked around the city with a lantern during the day, and when asked “why does he need a lantern during the day?” answered simply: “I’m looking for a person...”
So who was Diogenes looking for? Let's try to figure it out.
Nature is designed in such a way that a cat is born a cat, a dog is born a dog, only “man” is not born a Man, but becomes (or rather can become) one in the process of self-improvement. If a human baby is placed in the environment of monkeys, then not a human will grow up, but a monkey. If a human baby is placed in an environment of smokers and alcoholics, then a smoking alcoholic will grow up (an exception is allowed provided that contact with another environment is possible or discrimination is given from above) That is, whether an individual becomes a Human depends on the environment-CULTURE into which this individual finds itself after birth.
We will not answer the question: “KULBTURA is like this in itself, or is it formed by SPECIFIC people for specific purposes.” Let's move on to the person and what guides him in his daily activities.
The behavior of an individual of a biological species, now called Homo Sapiens, is based on the interaction: (if we draw an analogy with a computer, then this is human software)
. innate instincts and unconditioned reflexes,
. thoughtless automatic practice of habits and mastered behavioral skills in stimulating situations (CULTURE)
. intelligent development of one’s behavior based on memorable and newly received information (MIND)
. intuition that goes beyond the boundaries of the instinctive and rational, the recommendations of which can subsequently be understood by reason.
And from what predominates in the psyche (takes a higher priority when making decisions) we get the types of structure of the human psyche.
They are divided:
-human structure of the psyche
-demonic structure of the psyche
-structure of the psyche of a zombie biorobot
-animal structure of the psyche
Types of mental structure
For a humane psyche- it’s normal if innate reflexes and instincts are the basis on which rational behavior is built; It is normal when intuition provides information that can be understood through intellectual activity. That is, it is normal for the human psyche when in its hierarchy intuition is always higher than reason, reason is higher than instincts, and all together they ensure that a person remains in harmony with the biosphere of the Earth, the Cosmos and God.
Nevertheless, quite often we see how the mind becomes a slave and serves the animal instincts of man; how rational activity exalts itself and tries to deny intuitive assessments and even completely displaces intuition from the psyche; as all of them together, they try to reject the Higher Providence, as a result of which they become victims of limitations and obsession that they themselves cannot overcome, which finds expression in the inhuman structure of the psyche, which, depending on the organization of the component of the individual’s psyche, can be of several types:
If the mind rejects intuition or serves - like a slave - instincts, then this is not a human, but an animal structure of the psyche. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that even with an animal structure of the psyche, intelligence can be highly developed, and its bearer can be an outstanding professional in one or another field of civilization, without essentially being a person.
Also the structure of the psyche of a biorobot (zombie) differs from human behavior in that freedom in handling information is lost, as a result of which the individual autonomously processes behavioral programs implanted by CULTURE into his psyche(autonomous robotic machine) or is not able to prevent the activation of inherent skills and qualities from the outside, i.e. others at their discretion (remote controlled robot). In addition, zombie programs can be hierarchically more significant in an individual’s behavior than innate instincts, as a result of which, on the one hand, in some situations a zombie does not show instinctive animal reactions to stimuli and looks like a human, unlike carriers of an animal mentality who do not try to restrain the animal nature; on the other hand, a conflict is possible in the zombie psyche between behavioral programs of instincts and zombie behavior programs, as well as between various zombie programs.
Relationships between the individual psyche and collective mental activity
Individuals who form a society and its subsets tend to generate collective mental activity, and this collective mental activity can be, in general, of only two types:
. in one case, to the mistakes made by one individual are added the mistakes made by others. The mass of their many mistakes grows and oppresses society until it disappears under their yoke, or until it begins to generate collective mental activity of the second type.
. in the second case, mistakes made by one individual are eliminated and compensated by others, but at the same time, everyone takes care to make fewer mistakes themselves, so as not to burden others with the need to eliminate their consequences.
Education and mental structure
Education - as acquired knowledge and skills - is just a “dowry” to the structure of the psyche
, as a result of which, with the dominance of animal instincts over other components of the psyche (mind, intuition, etc.), an educated person in the organization of his behavior is indistinguishable from a trained animal. In other words, human dignity is expressed not in education, knowledge and skills, but in a certain structure of the psyche.
In addition, although many individuals throughout their entire lives remain with one particular structure of their psyche, many others change the structure of their psyche irreversibly and repeatedly throughout their lives; There are also numerous those whose mental structure changes repeatedly, but reversibly, even over the course of one day, and not so much throughout their lives.
If we distinguish in life the structure of the individual’s psyche in the previously specified sense of this term, in each of the many previously considered options, then under the pressure of emerging circumstances we will have to abandon the opinion that all individuals of the species Homo sapiens, already by the fact of belonging to this biological species, have taken place as of people.
(ancient Greek Διογένης ὁ Σινωπεύς; lat. Diogenes Sinopeus; c. 412 BC, Sinop - June 10, 323 BC, Corinth) - ancient Greek philosopher, student of Antisthenes, founder of the Cynic school.
In broad daylight he walked down the street with a lantern and shouted: “I’m looking for a man!” - “And how did you find it?” - "No. Only slaves."
Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein (1751–1829). "Diogenes was looking for a man"
When asked who he was and where he was from, Diogenes answered: “I am a citizen of the world” (it was Diogenes who invented the term “cosmopolitan”), he denied the idea of the state and the advantage of some people over others: citizens over non-citizens, rulers over the people, men over women, legitimate over illegitimate. He considered the only true state to be the whole world, in which people from birth are equal before the gods.
Jacob Jordaens (Jacob Jordaens). Diogenes Seeking Man. 1641-1642. Art gallery, Dresden. 
He laughed at those who purchased luxury goods: “How is this so! Is it right that they pay three thousand coins for a marble statue, and two thousand for a vital measure of barley?”
Diogenes did not hide why he was expelled from Sinope, and when someone reproached him for damaging the coin and reproached him for his expulsion, he replied: “Fool! After all, thanks to exile, I became a philosopher!
Diogenes believed that a virtuous life, like any other task, must be learned. He chose Antisthenes, the most severe of Socrates' students, as his teacher. The gloomy warrior, the hero of the Battle of Tanagra, at one time walked 16 kilometers every day to learn from Socrates firmness and endurance and to adopt the impassivity of the sage. In order not to lose anything, you must have nothing - he learned. Minimize your needs. To keep the body like a slave in hunger and cold: “contempt for pleasure is also pleasure”
. Looking at the ragged followers of Antisthenes, the bulk of whom were freedmen and slaves, the Athenians called them cynics (cynics; in Greek kyon - dog).
A well-known symbol is the Diogenes barrel in which he lived; it was not a barrel, but a pithos - a huge clay jug for storing grain and wine.
John William Waterhouse (eng. John William Waterhouse; 1849 - 1917). Diogenes. 1882. Art Gallery of New South Wales 
One of the most famous parables about Diogenes tells: Alexander the Great came to Athens specially to look at the philosopher in a barrel. “I am Alexander, king of Macedonia,” he said, “and in the future, of the whole world. Ask me what you want." “Do not block the sun for me,” answered Diogenes. The amazed Alexander said to his friends: “If I were not Alexander, I would become Diogenes.”
I.F. Tupylev. Alexander the Great before Diogenes. 1787 
While in Corinth, Diogenes put on the winner's laurel wreath. They demanded that he remove the wreath, since he had not defeated anyone.
“On the contrary,” Diogenes objected, “I am no match for those slaves who wrestle, throw the discus and compete in running. My opponents are more serious: poverty, exile, oblivion, anger, sadness, passion and fear, and the most invincible, insidious monster - pleasure.”
His defiant behavior did not bring much charity. When asked why people give to the poor and not to philosophers, he said: “Because they know: they may become lame and blind, but never wise.”
Legend says that Diogenes died on the same day as
Alexander - at the age of thirty-three in distant and alien Babylon. His last request was to bury him with his arms outstretched, palms up, he asked to make holes in the coffin and pull out his hands so that everyone could see that they were empty. He told the world: “I have conquered half the world, but I am leaving empty-handed.”
Diogenes - in his eighty-ninth year of life in his native Corinth on a city wasteland.
Feeling the approach of the end, Diogenes came to the wasteland and said to the watchman: “When I die, throw me into a ditch - let the brother dogs feast on it.”
The townspeople buried Diogenes near the city gates. A column was erected over the grave, and on it was a dog carved from marble. Later, other compatriots showed honor to Diogenes by erecting bronze monuments to him.
Aphorisms
Treat nobles like fire; do not stand either too close or too far from them.
When extending your hand to friends, do not clench your fingers into a fist.
Poverty itself paves the way to philosophy; What philosophy tries to convince in words, poverty forces us to implement in practice.
The slanderer is the most fierce of wild beasts; The flatterer is the most dangerous of tame animals.
Gratitude ages the fastest.
Philosophy and medicine have made man the most intelligent of animals; fortune telling and astrology - the craziest; superstition and despotism - the most unfortunate.
Death is not evil, for there is no dishonor in it.
Philosophy gives you readiness for any turn of fate.
I am a citizen of the world.
If there is no pleasure in life, then there must be at least some meaning.
The ultimate goal is to choose wisely what is in accordance with nature. 
Antiquity is considered fertile ground for the emergence of schools of philosophy - humanity has already made a cultural leap and expanded the horizons of knowledge, which, in turn, has given rise to even more questions. Then the teaching was formulated, supplemented and revised by his illustrious student. This teaching has become a classic, and therefore remains relevant to this day.
Ancient philosophers in Raphael's painting "The School of Athens"
But there were other philosophical schools, for example, the school of the Cynics, founded by another student of Socrates - Antisthenes. A prominent representative of this trend is Diogenes of Sinope, who became famous for his eternal disputes with Plato, as well as for his shocking (sometimes even vulgar) antics.
Childhood and youth
Little is known about the life of Diogenes, and the information that remains is controversial. What is known about the biography of the philosopher fits into one chapter of the book by his namesake, the late antique scientist and bibliographer Diogenes Laertius, “On the Life, Teachings and Sayings of Famous Philosophers.”
According to the book, the ancient Greek philosopher was born in 412 BC, in the city of Sinope (hence the nickname), located on the shores of the Black Sea. Nothing is known about Diogenes' mother. The boy’s father, Hykesius, worked as a trapezite - that’s what money changers and money lenders were called in Ancient Greece.
Diogenes' childhood passed through turbulent times - conflicts constantly broke out between pro-Greek and pro-Persian groups in his hometown. Due to the difficult social situation, Hykesius began to counterfeit coins, but the meal was quickly caught red-handed. Diogenes, who was also about to be arrested and punished, managed to escape from the city. And so began the guy’s journey, which led him to Delphi.
In Delphi, tired and exhausted, Diogenes turned to the local oracle with the question of what to do next. The answer, as expected, was vague: “Reconsider values and priorities.” At that moment, Diogenes did not understand these words, so he did not attach any significance to them and went on wandering.
Philosophy
The road led Diogenes to Athens, where he encountered the philosopher Antisthenes in the city square. It is not known how their acquaintance took place, but Antisthenes struck Diogenes to the core, and Diogenes aroused a feeling of hostility in Antisthenes. Then Diogenes decided to stay in Athens to become a student of the philosopher.
Diogenes did not have money (according to some sources, it was stolen by his comrade Manes, with whom Diogenes arrived in Athens), so he could not afford to buy a house or even rent a room. But this did not become a problem for the future philosopher: Diogenes dug next to the temple of Cybele (not far from the Athenian agora - the central square) a pithos - a large clay barrel in which the Greeks stored food so that it would not disappear (ancient version of the refrigerator). Diogenes began to live in a barrel (pithos), which served as the basis for the expression “Diogenes’ barrel.”
Although not immediately, Diogenes managed to become a student of Antisthenes - the elderly philosopher could not get rid of the persistent student even by beating him with a stick. As a result, it was this student who glorified Cynicism as a school of ancient philosophy.
The philosophy of Diogenes was based on asceticism, renunciation of all the blessings of existence, as well as imitation of nature. Diogenes did not recognize states, politicians, religion and clergy (an echo of communication with the Delphic oracle), and considered himself a cosmopolitan - a citizen of the world.
After the death of his teacher, Diogenes's affairs became very bad; the townspeople believed that he had lost his mind, as evidenced by his regular antics. It is known that Diogenes publicly engaged in masturbation, exclaiming that it would be wonderful if hunger could be satisfied by stroking the belly.
During a conversation with the philosopher, he called himself a dog, but Diogenes called himself that way before. One day, several townspeople threw him a bone like a dog and wanted to force him to chew it. However, they could not predict the result - like a dog, Diogenes took revenge on bullies and offenders by urinating on them.
There were also less extravagant performances. Seeing the incompetent archer, Diogenes sat down near the target, saying that this was the safest place. Standing naked in the rain. When the townspeople tried to take Diogenes under the canopy, Plato said that they shouldn’t: the best help for Diogenes’ vanity would be to not touch him.
Naked Diogenes The history of the disagreements between Plato and Diogenes is interesting, but Diogenes only once managed to really beat his opponent beautifully - this is the case of Plato’s man and the plucked chicken. In other cases, victory remained with Plato. Modern scholars are of the opinion that the native of Sinop was simply jealous of his more successful opponent.
It is also known about the conflict with other philosophers, including Anaximenes of Lampsacus and Aristippus. In between skirmishes with competitors, Diogenes continued to do weird things and answer people's questions. One of the philosopher’s eccentricities gave the name to another popular expression – “Diogenes’ lantern.” The philosopher walked around the square with a lantern during the day, exclaiming: “I am looking for a man.”
In this way he expressed his attitude towards the people around him. Diogenes often spoke unflatteringly about the inhabitants of Athens. One day the philosopher began to give a lecture in the market, but no one listened to him. Then he squealed like a bird, and a crowd immediately gathered around him.
“This is the level of your development,” said Diogenes, “when I said smart things, they ignored me, but when I crowed like a rooster, everyone began to watch with interest.”
When the military conflict between the Greeks and the Macedonian king Philip II began, Diogenes left Athens, going by ship to the shores of Aegina. However, it was not possible to get there - the ship was captured by pirates, and everyone on it was either killed or captured.
From captivity, Diogenes was sent to the slave market, where he was purchased by the Corinthian Xeanides so that the philosopher would teach his children. It is worth noting that Diogenes was a good teacher - in addition to horse riding, throwing darts, history and Greek literature, the philosopher taught the children of Xeanidas to eat and dress modestly, as well as to engage in physical exercise to maintain their physical fitness and health.
Students and acquaintances offered the philosopher to buy him out of slavery, but he refused, claiming that this allegedly illustrates the fact that even in slavery he can be “the master of his master.” In fact, Diogenes rejoiced at having a roof over his head and regular meals.
The philosopher died on June 10, 323, while enslaved by Xeanidas. Diogenes was buried face down - as requested. At his grave in Corinth there was a tombstone made of Parian marble with words of gratitude from his students and wishes for eternal glory. A dog was also made from marble, symbolizing the life of Diogenes.
Diogenes introduced himself to Alexander the Great as a dog when the Macedonian king decided to get acquainted with the famous marginal philosopher. To Alexander’s question: “Why a dog?” Diogenes answered simply: “Whoever throws a piece, I wag, whoever does not throw, I bark, and whoever offends, I bite.” To a humorous question about the breed of dog, the philosopher also answered without further ado: “When hungry - Maltese (i.e. affectionate), when full - Milosian (i.e. angry).”
Personal life
Diogenes denied the family and the state, arguing that children and wives are common, and there are no borders between countries. Based on this, it is difficult to establish the philosopher’s biological children.
Essays
According to Diogenes Laertius, the philosopher from Sinope left behind 14 philosophical works and 2 tragedies (in some sources the number of tragedies increases to 7). Most of them have survived thanks to other writers and philosophers using the sayings and sayings of Diogenes.
The surviving works include On Wealth, On Virtue, The Athenian People, The Science of Morals and On Death, and the tragedies include Hercules and Helen.
Quotes
- “Poverty itself paves the way to philosophy. What philosophy tries to convince in words, poverty forces us to do in practice.”
- “Philosophy and medicine have made man the most intelligent of animals, fortune telling and astrology the most insane, superstition and despotism the most unfortunate.”
- “Treat dignitaries like fire: stand neither very close nor very far from them.”
Looking for a man
Looking for a man
From Latin: Hominem quaero (Hominem quaero).
As the Greek writer Diogenes Laertius (3rd century) wrote in his work “The Life, Teaching and Opinions of Famous Philosophers,” once the ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes of Sinope (400-325 BC) lit a lantern during the day and began to walk with it through crowded streets. places in Athens. He answered all perplexed questions briefly: “I’m looking for a person.” Thus, he showed the Athenians that it was extremely difficult to find among them a person worthy of this title. This work of Diogenes Laertius formed the basis of the famous legend about the great philosopher.
There is another version of the origin of this phrase, which was outlined in one of his works by the Roman poet Phaedrus (15 BC - 70 AD). One day, the great fabulist Aesop went to his neighbors to get a fire to cook dinner for his master (Aesop was a slave). When he was returning home with a lighted lamp, a certain idle man accosted him and began to mock him: “Why, Aesop, do you walk around with a fire during the day?” To which Aesop replied: “I’m looking for a man.”
Aesop's thought is the same as that of Diogenes: it is not so easy to find a person who, in terms of his moral qualities, truly meets this obligatory title.
Encyclopedic Dictionary of winged words and expressions. - M.: “Locked-Press”. Vadim Serov. 2003.
See what “Looking for a person” is in other dictionaries:
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- “LOOKING FOR A MAN”, USSR, film studio IM. M.GORKY, 1973, color, 97 min. Film story. Based on the book of the same name and a series of radio broadcasts by A. Barto. True stories about separations, meetings and searches for loved ones that continued for many years after the war. Cast: Oleg... ... Encyclopedia of Cinema
Looking for a man Genre drama Director Mikhail Bogin Scriptwriter Agnia Barto Starring ... Wikipedia
The ancient Greek writer (111th century) Diogenes Laertius in the 4th book of his work “The Life, Teaching and Opinions of Famous Philosophers” tells how once the great philosopher of Ancient Greece Diogenes of Sinope (IV century BC) lit a lantern during the day and went with him... ... Dictionary of popular words and expressions
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World ... Wikipedia
Wed. Among people there are often such complex creatures that no matter what you call them, everything will suit them, only the name of the person will not apply to them. M. Gorky. Kirilka. Wed. Give me a man so that I can love him!.. Like Diogenes with a lantern, I look for him and cannot... ... Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary
I'm looking for a person. Wed. Among people there are often such complex creatures that no matter what you call them, everything will be fine for them, only the name of the person does not apply to them. M. Gorky. Kirilka. Wed. Give me a man so that I can love him!... Like Diogenes with... ... Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary (original spelling)
Wikipedia has articles about other people with this surname, see Valeev. Dias Nazikhovich Valeev tat. Dias Nazikh uly Valiev Date of birth: July 1, 1938 (1938 07 01) Place of birth ... Wikipedia
Diogenes- The rise of Cynicism and the collapse of the Socratic schools Diogenes and the radicalization of Cynicism As we already know, the founder of Cynicism was Antisthenes, but fate was pleased to make Diogenes of Sinope the symbol of the Cynic movement. Diogenes was an older contemporary... ... Western philosophy from its origins to the present day
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Books
- Looking for a man, Dovlatov S.. Sergei Dovlatov is one of the most popular and read Russian writers of the late 20th - early 21st centuries. His stories, short stories, notebooks have been translated into many languages, filmed,...
© S. Dovlatov (heirs), 2017
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Looking for a man
Four years later, journalist Agapova’s face will bear a deep scar from being hit by a metal bar. The self-taught architect Degtyarenko, the hero of the journalistic radio program “Clarity”, which was never broadcast, will rush at her with a mad scream. Six weeks before this ugly scene, the journalist will be told for the first time about the Mobile Cooperato project and its brilliant creator, a laborer in one of the Tallinn factories. Agapova will write an essay under the heading “Meeting with an interesting person.” The technical department will request drawings. Expert Chubarov will hold two dirty, fluttering tracing papers in his sleek hands for a minute and speak as follows:
- Original! Very original!
The journalist will exclaim with relief and pride:
– He has a four-year education!
- And you? – the expert will ask disgustedly. – Do you know what this is?
– Mobile Cooperato. Mobile home. Home of the future...
“This is a carriage,” Chubarov will interrupt her, “an ordinary carriage.” And your Le Corbusier needs to be hospitalized urgently...
The transfer will be immediately rejected. Degtyarenko was hopeful that he would hit Lida on the head with a metal rod. The career of a freelance employee of Tallinn Radio will be interrupted for a long time... All this will happen four years later. In the meantime, we follow her to the tram stop.
Before this it was a cloudy morning, even earlier it was night. A sleepy dove wandered along the cornice, scratching the tin. Then - the alarm clock, cold slippers, crowds near the restroom, tea, warped wet cheese, the buzz of an electric razor - the husband is in a hurry to go to work. Daughter: “I think I asked you not to touch my robe!”... And finally - the coolness of the indifferent streets, the wind, zinc puddles, lap dogs in the park, the rumble of the tram...
I'll try to draw her. Although Agapova’s appearance is not significant.
Imported rubber boots. A heavy brown skirt does not emphasize the stride. The synthetic jacket with a zipper rustles. Cap with a blue top - uniform - of the Tallinn Polytechnic. A determined face, always chilled. No traces of makeup. A missing tooth at the edge of a smile. Only the eyes are surprised, the eyebrows are motionless, like a finish line...
Let's follow our heroine. Tram station…
“...Look how well the young girls dress. The coat is a waste coat, not ours. Instead of buttons, there are some fir cones... But it looks... Or this one, in overalls... Cornflowers on the butt... A proud gait, like Lollobrigida's... And in the summer I once saw her barefoot... Not drunk, deliberately barefoot... In the center of the city... Walking, appears... So with me, it would seem, everything is imported, from people's democracy. But there is no kind... And where do they get it? Do they hang out with foreigners? Shame!.. But it looks...”
The doors of the tram opened with effort. A short painful assault. Her path was blocked by a wide army back. With my cheek against the fluffy, suffocating fabric... I grabbed the handrail. Life flashed in a nickel-plated pipe...
- Don’t drop a penny...
Lida is balancing over a metal cash register.
- Come on in, she’s standing there like a stepchild...
The main thing is not to get irritated and treat it with humor. Rush hour is a common occurrence. The main thing here is to find a source of positive emotions. Over there they gave up their place to the grandmother. The student flips through his notes. Even a military man has a decent face...
And again - the street, cars, people, the pleasant, exciting indifference of people and cars. Then - the lobby, a wide marble staircase, carpet runners frayed at the folds... A sign - “Propaganda Department”.
Lida knocked and entered. Everyone was extremely happy about her. Kuleshov said another vulgarity. Verochka Kotova smiled without raising her eyes. Zhenya Tyurin helped me undress. Moralevich asked:
– Did you listen on Thursday? Yurna himself is pleased with you.
- Is it true?!
Valya Chmutov, a chronic loser, also smoked right there. Chmutov was an actor. He had a natural gift - a beautiful low voice of amazing timbre. Worked as an announcer. Six months ago, a tragic story happened to him. Chmutov was supposed to open the program early in the morning, which was broadcast directly. Say just a few words: “Dear radio listeners! The weekly program “Hello, comrade!” is on air.” That's all. Next comes music and recording. Chmutov receives his eleven rubles.
Chmutov entered the control room. Sat down. He moved the microphone. I mentally repeated the text. He turned up the cuffs so that the cufflinks wouldn’t rattle on the table. I waited for the “Ether” light to light up. My soul was sad after yesterday. The light didn't light up.
– Dear radio listeners! – Chmutov said thoughtfully.
The tongue, burnt by port wine, tossed and turned heavily. The light didn't light up.
“Dear radio listeners,” Chmutov repeated again, “oh, abomination... Dear radio listeners... Yes, I shouldn’t have gotten worked up yesterday...
The light didn't light up. As it turned out, it burned out... This happens once every hundred years...
“There’s a weekly program on the air,” Chmutov was rehearsing, “well, fuck, that’s it, I’m calling it a day...
The editor's distorted face flashed behind the glass. Chmutov froze. The door swung open. The reluctant announcer was thrown onto the stairs. His hangover spells spread throughout the world. The actor was fired... The story does not end.
Chmutov left for Pskov. He became a radio announcer. The local radio broadcast was conducted every day for an hour and a half. The rest of the time was occupied by Moscow and Leningrad. Chmutov was blissful. He was valued as a metropolitan master.
One day he was broadcasting. Suddenly the door creaked. A big brown dog came in. (Whose? Where from?) Chmutov stroked her carefully. The dog flattened his ears and closed his eyes. Her nose shone like a tiny boxing glove.
“The village workers are reporting,” said Chmutov.
And then the dog suddenly barked. Maybe out of happiness. Apparently she was not spoiled with affection.
– The village workers are reporting... Woof! Woof! Woof!
Chmutov was fired again. Now forever and everywhere. When he told about the dog, they didn’t believe him. They decided that he himself barked from a hangover.
Chmutov left for Leningrad. I sat on the radio all day. I was waiting in the wings...
Everyone avoids losers. Lida smiled at him.
Agapova worked in the propaganda department for a long time. Everyone loved her. And now the head, Nina Ignatievna, nodded affectionately to her:
- Lidochka, come to me.
There is silence in the office, a polished table, countless fountain pens. In the cabinets behind the glass, souvenirs and encyclopedia spines flicker. In Nina Ignatievna’s desk there is lipstick, a mirror and mascara. And in general it’s nice to see an interesting young woman in such a serious office...
– Lidochka, I want to offer you a new section. "Meeting an interesting person." And not necessarily with a scientist or astronaut. The range here is extremely wide. An honorable hobby, an unexpected hobby, some touch in your biography. Let's say a modest nomenklatura chief accountant secretly... I don't know... anything... doesn't come to mind... Let's say he secretly...
“Molesting minors,” Lida suggested.
– I meant something else. Let's say he secretly...
– Studying Sanskrit...
- Something like that. Only more socially significant. Let’s say a policeman is helping someone find a loved one...
– There is a movie on this topic.
– I can’t offer you anything specific. We need to think about this. Here, for example. The filming of “A Lonely Woman” took place at the Kalev factory. Remember, with the artist Doronina. So, the boy who participated in the filming turned into the head of one of the workshops.
“I like this topic,” said Lida, “I feel it.”
– This topic has already been used by Arvid Kiisk. I say - in principle. We need to come up with something of our own. Let's say an old general goes into surgery. And he recognizes his former orderly in the surgeon...
- What's your last name? – asked Lida.
-What is the name of this general? Or an orderly?
– I’m speaking conditionally... The main thing here is surprise, mystery, chance... Multifaceted life... Outside is one thing, inside is another...
“This is true for many,” Lida sighed.
“In short, act,” said Nina Ignatievna, barely noticeably irritated.
Lidochka left the office.
Interesting people surrounded her since childhood. My father knew Ehrenburg. The art teacher at school was known as an unrecognized genius. Then a bandit courted her and even wrote poetry. The institute professors surprised us with their eccentricities. One of them always had his fly unzipped. Her husband was an interesting person: a senior economist, but he writes with errors. The daughter seemed mysterious - she was always silent. And recently, to such an extent that Lida wondered if she was pregnant... They called Monter from the house management, it turns out - he was almost imprisoned for murder. In short, all people are interesting, if you look at it...
By education, Lidochka was a hygienist. I started looking through my former classmates. Pavinsky, Rozhin, Yankelevich, Feofanov... Mishchenko, it seems, was involved in sports. Levin went into science... Levin, Borka Levin, professor, clever, doctor of sciences... They say he was in France...
Agapova took out a notepad and wrote down on a blank page – Levin.
I started looking through my husband’s friends. Also, of course, interesting people. Economists. Kalinin, for example, argues that unemployment is a stimulus for progress. Otherwise everyone knows that they will not be fired. And if they fire you, it doesn’t matter. He will cross the road and get a job at a neighboring factory. That is, you can skip, abuse... Kalinin is unlikely to suit. Too progressive... But Merkin is the same. He is asked what can dramatically boost our economy? The answer is war. War, and only war. War is discipline, a rise in consciousness. The war will write off any shortcomings... I think that Merkin won’t do either... But the other day a philologist came with a journalist friend... Or even, it seems, a translator. He served, he says, as a supervisor in convoy units... He told terrible stories... The non-Russian surname is Alikhanov. Undoubtedly an interesting person...
So Alikhanov appeared next to Levin in the notebook.
I wish I could find a third candidate. And then Lida remembered that a relative from Porkhov was staying with the neighbors. Or an acquaintance. Milka Osinskaya was saying something in the yard. His fate is somehow mysterious. Either he was repressed, or vice versa... A boss from the provinces is interesting. This can be turned in some original way. “There is no geographical province, there is a spiritual province...”
So a question mark appeared next to Alikhanov and Levin. And in parentheses - a relative of Milka O.
You can also leave a well-read house law in reserve. I was interested in Simenon. But Lida has a conflict with him over the always overflowing garbage cans... Okay... We need to get down to business!..
- Goodbye, Verochka, boys!
- Agapova, don’t disappear!..
I called Borka Levin at the clinic. I found out, was delighted, and agreed on an hour.
The former warden was at home.
“Come,” he said, “and if you can, buy three bottles of beer.” I will return the money immediately.
Lida went to a grocery store on Karya Street and bought beer. Houses in the area of new buildings: from entrance to entrance - a kilometer...
Alikhanov met her on the threshold. He was a huge young man with a low forehead and a flabby chin. Something falsely Neapolitan twinkled in his eyes. He started some kind of awkward, illiterate exclamation and was unable to finish it:
- To what do I owe, Lidochka, that fair wind, to whom... to whom... Did you get beer? Smart girl. Take off your clothes. I'm a huge mess.
The room made a terrible impression. A sofa littered with papers and ashes. A table invisible under a pile of books. The black frame of a pre-war typewriter. Some kind of rusty scimitar on the wall. Unwashed dishes and purple sediment in the wine glasses. Dull blades of herrings on a piece of newsprint...
- Come here. It's more or less clean here.
The warden uncorked the beer.
“Yes, your place is colorful,” said Lida. “I’m a hygienist by training.”
– I was brought to a comrades’ court for unsanitary conditions.
- How did it end?
- Nothing. I gave up on the rebellious spirit. A poet, they say, a yogi, a Buddhist, I live in shit... Do you want a beer?
- I do not drink.
- Here's the money. Ruble eleven.
“What nonsense,” said Lida.
“No, sorry,” Alikhanov was loudly indignant.
Lida put a handful of change in her pocket. The warden deftly drank a bottle of beer from the neck.
“It’s become easier,” he said confidentially. Then he tried again, this time to master the cumbersome phrase by storm: “What do I owe, one might say, to that unexpected pleasure of which...
-Are you a philologist? – asked Agapova.
- More precisely, a linguist. I am dealing with the problem of phonemicity of the Russian “Ш”...
– Is there such a problem?
– One of the most pressing... Listen, what happened? To what do I owe the unexpected pleasure of seeing?..
The warden knocked back the second bottle.
– We are preparing a radio program “Meeting with an interesting person.” A hero with an original biography is needed. You are a philologist. More precisely, a linguist. Former warden. A person of a multifaceted life... Do you have a multifaceted life?
“Lately, yes,” the warden answered honestly.
– Tell us more about your philological research. Preferably in an accessible form.
– I’d better give you my abstract. I'm not thinking well. Somewhere here. I'll find now…
Alikhanov rushed towards the layers of paper.
“Another time,” Lida reassured. - We will obviously meet again. This is our preliminary conversation. I want to ask. You were a supervisor, is it dangerous, risky?
Alikhanov reluctantly thought about it.
- Of course, there was a risk. We drank a lot of vodka. They didn't disdain lotion. It reflects on the heart...
– I meant prisoners. After all, these are terrible people. Nothing sacred...
“People are like people,” said Alikhanov, uncorking the third bottle.
– I read a lot. This is a special world... Its own laws... Courage is required... Are you a courageous person?
Alikhanov was completely at a loss.
“Luba,” he said.
- Lida! – Alikhanov almost shouted. - I’ll get six rubles now. I have humane neighbors. Let's take half a jar and dry. I'm not thinking well.
- I do not drink. Are you a courageous person?
- Don't know. Previously, I could drink two liters. And now I’m crazy about seven hundred grams... Age...
- You do not understand. I need an original person, an interesting personality. You are a philologist, a sensitive individual. And before they were a supervisor. We took risks every day. Mental subtlety very often accompanies physical roughness...
- When have I ever been rude to you?
- Not for me. You guarded the prisoners...
“We protected ourselves more.”
-Where did you get this scar? Please don't be modest...
“This is not a scar,” Alikhanov exclaimed, “this is a boil.” I combed... Excuse me...
– I still want to know what you experienced in the North? Figuratively speaking, what was the tundra silent about?
– What was the tundra silent about?
- Lida! – Alikhanov shouted wildly. - I can not do it anymore! I'm not fit for radio broadcast! I got drunk yesterday! I have debts and alimony! Deutsche Welle mentioned me! In some way I am a dissident! You will be fired... Let me go...
“It’s a pity,” she said, “the material is interesting.” Be healthy. I will call you. In the meantime, find your essay...
The warden stood exhausted and pale.
“Just a minute,” he said, “I’m going too.” I have humane neighbors...
On the site they parted. Lida walked downstairs. Alikhanov flew up to the fourth floor...
Levin hugged her and looked at her for a long time.
“Yes,” he said, “the years go by, the years go by...
-Are you old?
– How can I tell you... It has taken shape.
- And you are flabby. A shame. Is Galina at home?
- At a meeting at school. Our bully is growing... Getting fat, you say? My wife advises: “You should run in the morning.” And I answer: “If I run, I won’t come back...” Do you want some coffee? Take off your clothes...
“Only after you, doctor,” Lida remembered some old joke.
They went into the living room. Floor lamp with burnt lampshade. Foreign magazines on the windowsill.
“It’s good for you,” said Lida, “things are terrible in the new apartments.” Everything is polished, solid crystal...
“I have crystal too,” Levin boasted.
- At the pawnshop.
– Are you still working on carcinogens?
- Still.
- Tell.
- Just a minute, I’ll put the kettle on.
Levin is back. They started smoking.
– Have you been to France?
- Two weeks.
- So how is it?
- Fine.
- And more specifically?
– Hardworking people, reactionary bourgeoisie, economic crisis, impoverishment of the masses...
– You tell me like a human being. Do the French treat us well?
- The devil knows. Everyone is in a good mood.
– How about welfare? How do you like the French girls?
- Well-being is normal. The food was good. I had a third table. Wine, chicken, coffee, cream... The girls are wonderful. Or rather, it’s either ugly or beautiful. It's a matter of cosmetics, I guess. Cosmetics emphasize advantages and exaggerate disadvantages... They are held freely, directly. They have such white synthetic robes, a neckline...
- What do you mean - white coats? Did you work at the clinic?
- I did not work. I fell ill with dysentery in Nice. I walked for a day and fell ill.
– So, you practically haven’t seen France?
- Why? We had color TV.
- Bad luck to you.
- But I had a rest.
– Did you bring anything interesting? Souvenirs, rags?
“Listen,” Levin perked up, “I brought a unique thing.” Just treat it without hypocrisy. You're a doctor. I'll get it now. I’m hiding it from Vova.
- What do you mean?
- Lidka, I brought a dick. Rubber member of filigree work. By God. Where did he go? Apparently, Galka hid it...
- Why do you need this?
- What do you mean why? This is a work of art. I swear. And Galka likes it.
- How come the customs officers didn’t take it away?
“I didn’t drag it in my hands, I hid it.”
- Where? It's not a needle...
– I asked a lady from our laboratory. Women are searched less thoroughly. And they have more opportunities. Physiology is more... secluded...
- You're like a kid. Let's talk about business.
– I’ll bring coffee now.
Candy, waffles and lemon appeared on the table.
– Can you bring me condensed milk?
- No. Tell me.
- Tell me what? I am modeling chemical reactions. At one time he studied the carcinogenesis of asbestos dust...
– Tell me, can we cure cancer?
– Skin cancer – yes.
– What about stomach cancer, for example?
- Lidochka, there is complete chaos in this matter. A milligram of carcinogen kills a horse. Any adult has these same carcinogens on his finger – a herd can be poisoned. But I smoke and yet I am alive... Smoke, in turn, too... Don’t write it down. Cancer is a touchy subject. Your show will be banned.
- Don't think.
– What, I didn’t have anything to do with journalists?! See a therapist, they have grace. Social obligations are collected every month... Call your office and agree.
Agapova called Nina Ignatyevna. She got scared.
– Lidochka, cancer is too sad. Generates negative emotions. Associated with a well-known novel. We are waiting for something bright...
– Cancer is the number one problem.
- Lidochka, don’t be stubborn. There is an unspoken order.
“Well,” Lida sighed, “sorry...
- Where are you going? – Levin was surprised. - Sit down.
– In general, I came to the point.
“We haven’t seen each other for seven years.” Galka will come soon, let's have something to drink.
- Forgive me, I wouldn’t like to see her.
Levin was silent.
-Are you happy, Borya?
Levin took off his glasses. Now he looked like a repeat student.
- What happiness there! I live, I work. Galka, I agree, is a difficult person. There is something lifeless about her. Volodya is a boor, a well-read, developed boor. After all, I am a doctor of sciences, a professor. And he told me yesterday: “You have an inferiority complex...”
– But you are a scientist, you serve people. You should be proud...
- Come on, Lida. I serve Galina and this asshole.
-You're just out of shape.
Lida was already standing on the platform.
– Do you remember how we went to Novgorod? – Levin asked.
- Borya, shut up now. All goes to good. Well, I'm off.
And she went downstairs, opening her umbrella as she went. A click - and a mottled, slightly vibrating dome appeared above her head.
- How did we steal melons?! - he shouted into the flight of stairs...
By this time it was dark. Watercolor neon lights floated in the puddles. The pale faces of passers-by seemed detached. A light-filled tram came swaying around the bend. Lida sat down on a wooden bench. She folded her umbrella. Her tired face was reflected in the black glass opposite. She handed money to someone and they gave her a ticket. She slept the whole way and woke up with a headache. She walked towards the house slowly, stepping into puddles. Okay, I guessed to wear Czech rubber boots...
The Osinskys lived in the next entrance. Arkady is a coach and always jokes. On his chest, under his suede jacket, a stopwatch glints. Milka teaches chemistry somewhere.
The son is a mysterious person. He has been evading military service for six years. For six years he alternately feigns neuroses, stomach ulcers and chronic arthritis. Surpassed the legendary revolutionary Kamo. Over the years, I really became nervous, my stomach deteriorated and I acquired chronic arthritis. As for medical knowledge, Igor has long left behind any local doctor. In addition, he understands jazz and speaks fluent English...
In general, he’s a pretty interesting person, but he doesn’t work...
Lida went up to the third floor. She suddenly wanted to go home uncontrollably. Dispelling this thought, she pressed the button. Milord barked dully.
“Come in,” Mila Osinskaya was delighted, “Igor is hanging around somewhere.” Arik at the training camp in Matsesta. Meet Vladimir Ivanovich.
A heavyset man of about sixty stood up to meet her. He extended his hand and identified himself. He poured the cognac with dignity. Mila turned on the TV.
- Do you want borscht?
- No. Oddly enough, I'll drink.
“For all the good things,” Vladimir Ivanovich said friendly.
He was a broad-shouldered, healthy man in a beautiful thin jumper. The face of a moderate but regular drinker. This is how retired colonels are portrayed in movies. A strong forehead, ordinary light eyes, golden crowns.
They clinked glasses and drank.
“Well, talk,” said the hostess, “and I’ll go to the Vorobyovs for ten minutes.” Rita is knitting a sweater for me...
“I’m basically on business,” said Lida.
- At your service.
– We are preparing a radio program “Meeting with an interesting person.” Lyudmila Sergeevna told me something about you... And I thought... It seems to me that you are an interesting person...
“I’m a very ordinary person,” said Vladimir Ivanovich, “although I won’t hide the fact that I love my work and the team respects me...
- Where do you work? – Lida took out a notepad.
– There is a branch of “Red Dawn” in Porkhov. We create coordinate automatic telephone exchanges. The workshop is large, leading. Based on the results of the second quarter, we achieved serious success...
- Aren't you bored?
- Didn't understand.
– Isn’t it boring in the provinces?
“Our city is growing and improving. New House of Culture, stadium, residential areas... Have you written it down?
Vladimir Ivanovich tilted the bottle. Lida shook her head negatively. He drank. I caught the elusive pickled mushroom.
Lida, after waiting, continued:
– I think you can be a provincial in the capital and a capital resident in the tundra.
- Absolutely right.
– That is, the province is a spiritual phenomenon, not a geographical one.
- That's it. Moreover, we have good supplies: meat, fish, vegetables...
– Are the capital’s creative groups touring?
– Of course, right up to Magomayev.
Vladimir Ivanovich poured it again.
– You probably read a lot? – asked Lida.
- What could we do without it? I respect Simonov. Ananyev, military memoirs, of course - the classics: Pushkin, Lermontov, Tolstoy... As you know, there were three of the latter... In my youth I wrote poetry...
- This is interesting.
- May God bless your memory. For example... Vladimir Ivanovich leaned back in his chair:
Everyone strives to be a hero with us,
We march together in formation,
In the name of Stalin we will cover the earth,
We will find happiness in battle...
Lida suppressed her disappointment.
– Is it difficult to be a shop manager?
– I’ll tell you straight – it’s not easy. There is both a production factor and a moral one... Plan, fluidity, microclimate, denial... And most importantly, the demanding people have come. He knows his rights. Give this, give that... No responsibilities, but damn rights... Eh, Father Stalin is gone... There was order, order... If you were a minute late, you would be put on trial! And now... People are babbling, babbling... Satirists, you know, are all around... Eh, there’s no dad...
– So you approve of the cult of personality? – Agapova asked quietly.
– Cult, cult... There is and will be a cult... A personality is needed, you know, a personality!
Vladimir Ivanovich became excited and drunk. Now he was gesticulating, leaning over and waving his fork.
– I have not lived an easy life. Anything has happened. I fell low, I flew high... After all, between us, I was married...
- Why - between us? – Lida was surprised.
- Yakira? The same one?
- Well. We had a child. Boy...
- And where are they now?
- Don't know. Lost sight. In thirty-nine...
Vladimir Ivanovich fell silent and retreated into himself.
Lida waited for a long time, then, worried and blushing, she asked:
- What do you mean, you lost sight of it? How can you lose sight of your wife? How can you lose sight of your own child?
“It was a harsh time, Lidochka, a stormy, harsh time.” Families were collapsing, centuries-old foundations were crumbling...
– What does this have to do with centuries-old foundations?! – Lida suddenly shouted. - I'm not small. And I know everything. Yakir was arrested, and you vilely abandoned your wife and child. You... You... You are an uninteresting person!
“I would ask,” said Vladimir Ivanovich, “I would ask... Such words are not thrown around...
And then more peacefully:
- Behave more modestly, Lidochka, more modestly, more modestly...
My lord raised his head.
Lida was no longer listening. She jumped up, tore off her jacket in the hallway and slammed the door.
The stairs were quiet and cold. An invisible cat flashed by like a shadow. The smell of fried fish was depressing.
Lida went downstairs and walked across the yard. The humid twilight hid behind garages and near garbage cans. The branches of the wretched square grew dark and creaked. A wooden horse was lying in the snow.
Lida looked into the mailbox and took out the Economic Newspaper. She got up and opened the door. The TV was humming in my husband's room. Tanino’s demi-season coat was red on the hanger. Lida undressed and threw her gloves on the mirror table.
A young man slipped into the restroom, barely saying hello. His dirty locks were tied with brown shoelace. Plush trousers fell like a train.
- Tatyana, who is this?
– Let’s say, Zhenya. We are engaged.
- Let's say in German. Do you have anything against it?
“Make sure he washes his hands,” said Lida.
- How you love to vulgarize everything! – the daughter said in a hateful whisper...
- Didn’t you wake me up?
“No,” I say, “it’s worse...
- You are not alone?
- One. With Marina...
-Can you talk seriously?
- Of course.
– Is there an interesting person in your sights?
- Eat. And he bows to you.
- Stop doing that. This is a very serious matter. I have to take the transfer on Thursday.
– Meeting an interesting person. Do you have a suitable candidate?
“Lida,” I pleaded, “you know my surroundings.” Total scum! Call Klensky, his father-in-law is disabled...
- I have a suggestion. Let's write a show together. You will earn fifteen rubles.
- I don’t use a tape recorder.
- I take it upon myself. I need your...
- Cynicism? – I suggested.
“Your professional experience,” Lida delicately formulated.
“Okay,” I said, to get rid of it, “I’ll call you tomorrow morning.” Or rather, today...
- Just be sure to call.
- I've told…
Here Marina could not stand it. She bit my finger.
“See you tomorrow,” I said (or rather, shouted) and hung up...
Lida opened the door to her husband’s room, filled with bluish light. Vadim was lying on the sofa in his boots.
– Can I finally have dinner? - he asked.
My daughter looked in:
- We are leaving.
Tanya had a gloomy face, on which a grimace of eternal confrontation was frozen.
- Come back quickly...
– Can I finally have some tea? – asked Vadim.
“By the way, I also work,” Lida answered.
And then, not allowing the quarrel to grow:
– Do you think Merkin is an interesting person?..
