On a cold November night in 1851 Hadji Murad, the famous Naib Imam Shamil, enters the non-peaceful Chechen village Makhkety. Chechen Sado receives visitors in his hut, despite the recent orders of Shamil delay or kill the rebellious Naib,
On the same night of the Russian fortress Vozdvizhenskaya, fifteen miles from the village Makhkety, go to the advanced guard of three soldiers from the non-commissioned officer Panov. One of them, a merry Avdeev, recalls how from homesickness propyl one of company money, and once again said that the soldiers went to the mother's request, instead of the family brother.
This guard out messengers Hadji Murad. Seeing the Chechens into a fortress to Prince Vorontsov, cheerful Avdeev asks about their wives, children, and concludes: "And what are these, my boy, GOLOLOBOV guys are good."
The colonel of the regiment Kura, Chief of the son, adjutant Prince Vorontsov lives in one of the best buildings of the fortress with his wife Marya Vasilevna, a famous Petersburg beauty, and her young son from his first marriage. Despite the fact that the life of the prince struck the inhabitants of the small Caucasian fortress for its luxury, Vorontsov spouses think that they suffer great hardships here. The news of Hadji Murad zastaot their playing cards with regimental officers.
That same night, the residents of the village Makhkety to clean themselves before Shamil, trying to detain Hadji Murad. Firing back, he breaks with his murid Eldar in the forest, waiting for him where the other murids - Hanefi Avar and Chechen Gamzalo. Here Hadji Murad expects Prince Vorontsov respond to his offer to go to the Russian and begin to fight on their side against Shamil. He is, as always, believes in happiness and that this time it succeeds him, as it always did before. Returning Envoy Khan Mahoma reports that the prince promised to take Hadji Murad as a dear guest.
Early in the morning two companies Kura Regiment out felling. Of company officers for a drink to discuss the recent death in battle of General Sleptsova. In this conversation, none of them sees no essential - the end of human life and return it to the source from which it came - and see only the military daring young general. At the time of Hadji Murad pursuing it mortally wound Chechens casually cheerful soldier Avdeeva; he died in the hospital, unable to get his mother a letter that his wife had left the house.
All Russian first seeing "terrible mountaineer," struck its kind, almost childlike smile, self-esteem and the attention, insight and serenity with which he looks at the others. Admission to the castle of Prince Vorontsov Vozdvizhenskaya turns out better than expected Hadji Murad; but the less they trust the prince. He demands to be sent to the commander in chief himself, the old prince Vorontsov, in Tiflis.
During the meeting in Tbilisi Vorontsov's father is well aware that he should not believe a single word Hadji Murad, because he will always be the enemy of everything Russian, and now only submits circumstances. Hadji Murad, in turn, understands that the cunning prince sees it through. And both say to each other quite opposite to his understanding - something that is necessary for the success of negotiations. Hadji Murad assures that there will be faithfully serve the Russian Tsar to avenge Shamil and warrants that he could raise against the Imam of the whole of Dagestan. But for this it is necessary that the Russian bought from captivity family Hadji Murad. Commander in chief promises to think about it.
Hadji Murad lives in Tbilisi, visiting theater and dance, increasingly rejecting in the shower Russian lifestyle. He says it was set over the adjutant Vorontsov Loris-Melikov his life story and enmity with Shamil. Before a student passes a series of brutal murders committed by the law of vendetta and rightly so strong. Loris-Melikov watches and murids Hadji Murad. One of them, Gamzalo, Shamil continues to consider holy and hates all Russian. Another Khan Mahoma, went to the Russian just because of the fact that is easy to play his and other people's lives; just as easily, he could always go back to Shamil. Eldar and Hanefi obey without reasoning Hadji Murad.
While Haji-Murat is located in Tbilisi, on the orders of Emperor Nicholas I in January 1852 raid undertaken in Chechnya. It participates and has recently moved from guard young officer Butler. He retired from the Guard because of the loss of the card and enjoys now is a good, youthful life in the Caucasus, trying to keep his poetic idea of war. During the raid devastated village Makhkety, bayonet in the back killed teenager pointless filthy mosque and fountain. Seeing all this, the Chechens to the Russian experience is not even hatred, but only disgust, confusion and the desire to exterminate them like rats, poisonous spiders. Residents of the village of Shamil asking for help,
Hadji Murad moved into a formidable fortress. Here it is allowed to have relations with the mountaineers through spies, but he can not leave the fort except with an escort of Cossacks. His family is contained in this time of detention in the village of Vedeno, pending a decision on their fate Shamil. Shamil requires that Hadji Murad went back to it before the holiday Bairam, otherwise threatening to give his mother, an old woman Patimat, auls and blind beloved son Yusuf.
Week Hadji Murad lives in a castle, in the house of Major Petrov. Major girlfriend, Marya Dmitrievna, imbued with respect for Hadji Murad, whose treatment differs markedly from the cruelty and drunkenness, taken among the regimental officers. Between the officer and Butler Hadji Murad friendships. Butler covers "poetry special, energetic highland life," felt in the mountain songs that sings Hanefi. Particularly striking Russian officer's favorite song Hadji Murad - about the inevitability of a blood feud. Butler soon becomes the witness of how easy Hadji Murad perceives try vendetta himself from kumytskogo Prince Arslan Khan,
Negotiations on redemption of the family, which Hadji Murad leads in Chechnya, have no success. He returned to Tbilisi, and then moved to a small town Nuhu, hoping to trick or force yet snatch family Shamil. He is listed in the service of the Russian tsar and received five gold per day. But now, when he sees that the Russian is not in a hurry to release his family, Hadji Murad sees its output as a bad turn in life. He often reminisces about his childhood, his mother, his grandfather and his son. Finally he decides to run away to the mountains, to break with the right people in the Vedeno, to die or to release family.
During a horseback riding Hadji Murad with his murids ruthlessly kills escort Cossacks. He expects to cross the river Alazan and thus get away from the chase, but he can not cross the top of the water bathed in the spring rice field. The pursuit catches him in an unequal battle Hadji Murad was mortally wounded.
Recent memories of family run over in his mind, without causing any more feelings; but he is fighting to the last breath.
Cut off from the mutilated body of the head of Hadji Murad carry the fortress. In Grozny, her show Butler and Marya Dmitrievna, and they see that the blue lips of the dead child's head retain good expression. Mary D. particularly shocked by the cruelty "zhivorezov" who killed her recent guest and not betray his body to the ground.
History Hadji Murad, the inherent power of life and resilience to mind when you look at a flower thistles in full bloom crushed by the people in the midst of plowed fields.
