A Living Relic by Ivan Turgenev
"A Living Relic" is a poignant story by Russian author Ivan Turgenev that explores themes of compassion, resilience, and the human condition through the life of Lukerya, a paralyzed serf girl. The narrative centers on Pyotr Petrovich, who discovers Lukerya abandoned in a shed on his mother's farm, starkly contrasting her former vibrant self. Once a lively young woman who loved to sing and dance, Lukerya has been reduced to a state of immobility due to an undiagnosed illness that followed a tragic fall. Despite her suffering, she exhibits a remarkable sense of gratitude and acceptance, expressing joy in the beauty of nature and the happiness of her former betrothed, Vasily, who has moved on with his life.
As Pyotr learns about her past and her quiet endurance of pain, he is deeply moved by her character and her selflessness, even as she requests more opium for her sleeplessness rather than seeking medical intervention. The local peasants refer to her as the "Living Relic," recognizing her unique capacity for gratitude amid adversity. Turgenev's tale ultimately culminates in a reflection on life, death, and the enduring human spirit, leaving readers with a profound sense of empathy for Lukerya's plight and the broader social realities of 19th-century Russia.
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A Living Relic by Ivan Turgenev
First published: "Zhivye Moshchi," 1874 (English translation, 1895)
Type of plot: Social realism
Time of work: The 1850's
Locale: The village of Alekseyevka, in Belyov province, Russia
Principal Characters:
Pyotr Petrovich , the narrator, a landowner and hunterErmolay , a serf, Pyotr's companion and guideLukerya , the protagonist, a paralyzed twenty-nine-year-old serf girlVasily Polyakov , a freed serf and bailiffAgrafena , Vasily's wifeFather Aleksey , a priest
The Story
The title, "A Living Relic," refers to a paralyzed serf girl, Lukerya, whom the narrator, Pyotr Petrovich, unexpectedly encounters lying alone and abandoned in a small shed on one of his mother's farms. Pyotr is stunned by the sight of the immobile, mummylike body that lies before him and cannot believe that the half-dead creature is the same lively, beautiful, robust young girl who loved to sing and dance a mere six years ago, when she lived in his mother's manor house as one of her household serfs.
Pyotr's compassion for the girl grows as he questions her about her misfortunes and learns that she fell, injured herself internally, and gradually lost the use of her legs. Because the doctors were unable to diagnose her illness and the gentry considered it inconvenient to keep invalids in the manor house, she was sent to the village of Alekseyevka. Her affliction caused her great grief because it separated her from the young peasant lad, Vasily Polyakov, whom she loved and to whom she had been betrothed. Vasily also grieved but eventually married another girl, named Agrafena. As Lukerya relates her misfortune, the narrator is astonished to learn that she harbors no resentment. She is grateful knowing that Vasily has found a good wife who has provided him with children. She weeps only after Vasily's visits, when she recalls the happy times that they shared together. For the most part she endures her suffering quietly and patiently, without dwelling on her affliction. She explains that as long as she still breathes, she is alive and she values that life. She takes delight in the beauty of the natural world around her: the aroma of wild flowers; the sounds of insects; the activities of birds, fowl, and other small woodland creatures that creep into her shed. Although it is with great effort, she continues to sing and even teaches the songs she remembers to an orphan girl. Pyotr is overwhelmed by the scarcely audible but pure sound that she emits from her trembling lips.
Deeply moved by the condition of the unfortunate Lukerya, he offers to transfer her to a hospital, but she declines, remembering the painful medical treatment she received. She asks only that he try to obtain for her more opium to help relieve her sleeplessness. Then, in a supreme expression of compassion and concern for others, she asks Pyotr to persuade his mother to reduce the quit-rent for the peasants because they are poor and do not have enough land. Pyotr agrees and departs. As he leaves, the foreman on the farm tells him that the local peasants call Lukerya "Living Relic," because she never complains and is grateful for everything. A few weeks later, Pyotr learns that Lukerya has died as she had foreseen in one of her dreams.