The meaning of the lyrics of the song "In memory of Vasily Shukshin" (Pamyati Vasiliya Schukschina) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

No frost yet, no ice.

The earth is warm. Viburnum red.

And into the ground lay another one

At Novodevichy, a man dead.

"He must not have known the omens,"

The idle folk will say,

"Death takes those of us first,

Who pretended to die in play."

If so, Makarych, don't rush,

Loosen the pegs, slacken the clamps,

Reshoot, rewrite, replay - stay alive.

But driving the men to tears,

He carried the bullet in his belly,

Fell to the ground like a faithful dog.

And nearby a viburnum bush grew,

Viburnum - so very red...

Death marks the best

And pulls them one by one.

Such a brother of ours has gone into darkness!...

He doesn't rage and doesn't miss a beat.

He would have been "Razin" this year.

Nature where - Onega, Naroch?

All stoves and benches, Makarych!

A guy like that doesn't live.

Then after a momentary pause,

Fate muttered through its lips:

"Lift the taboo from the strong-jawed one

Because he saw in the coffin

All the funeral services and memorials.

The one with a big soul in his body

And a heavy burden on his back,

So that he wouldn't tempt fate,

Take him warm from his bed in the morning!"

And after the inevitable bath,

Clean before God and sober,

He up and died for real,

More decisively than on screen.

Еще ни холодов, ни льдин.

Земля тепла. Красна калина.

А в землю лег еще один

На Новодевичьем мужчина.

"Должно быть, он примет не знал, -

Народец праздный суесловит, -

Смерть тех из нас всех прежде ловит,

Кто понарошку умирал."

Коль так, Макарыч, - не спеши,

Спусти колки, ослабь зажимы,

Пересними, перепиши,

Переиграй - останься живым.

Но в слезы мужиков вгоняя,

Он пулю в животе понес,

Припал к земле, как верный пес.

А рядом куст калины рос,

Калина - красная такая...

Смерть самых лучших намечает

И дергает по одному.

Такой наш брат ушел во тьму!...

Не буйствует и не скучает.

А был бы "Разин" в этот год.

Натура где - Онега, Нарочь?

Все печки-лавочки, Макарыч!

Такой твой парень не живет.

Вот после временной заминки,

Рок процедил через губу:

"Снять со скуластого табу

За то, что видел он в гробу

Все панихиды и поминки.

Того, с большой душою в теле

И с тяжким грузом на горбу,

Чтоб не испытывал судьбу,

Взять утром тепленьким с постели!"

И после непременной бани,

Чист перед богом и тверез,

Взял да и умер он всерьез,

Решительней, чем на экране.

Vladimir Vysotsky's poem "In Memory of Vasily Shukshin" is not just a tribute to a departed friend and colleague, but also a deep reflection on life, death, and the artist's destiny. Vysotsky uses metaphors, colloquialisms, and imagery characteristic of both authors' work to convey the full grief and bitterness of loss, as well as to analyze the phenomenon of Shukshin's early departure.

The very first lines ("No frost or ice yet. / The earth is warm. Red viburnum.") create a contrast between blossoming life and death, emphasizing the injustice of Shukshin's untimely departure. The image of viburnum, traditionally associated with Russia, youth, and beauty, takes on a tragic connotation, becoming a symbol of a life cut short.

Vysotsky refers to the common superstition that death "catches" those who have often "died for fun." Shukshin, who brilliantly played dramatic roles, is perceived in the context of these lines as a victim of his own talent. Vysotsky, addressing Shukshin ("Makarych"), seems to be begging him to cheat fate, "replay" death, and stay alive.

But Shukshin could not "replay" his fate. He "carried a bullet in his stomach," remaining true to his calling, to his truth to the end. The image of a "faithful dog" that fell by a viburnum bush emphasizes the tragedy and at the same time the greatness of Shukshin, who did not deviate from his principles.

Vysotsky mourns the fact that he will not see Shukshin's new works ("And there would have been 'Razin' this year"), that "such a guy does not live." In these lines - the pain of loss, a feeling of irreparable loss for art.

The finale of the poem is filled with bitter irony. Vysotsky speaks of fate, which "lifted the taboo" from Shukshin, taking him "warm from his bed." This is both a revolt against the injustice of fate and a recognition of its inevitability.

The poem "In Memory of Vasily Shukshin" is a piercing cry of the soul, reflecting the full depth of Vysotsky's experiences. It is both a monument to Shukshin, a reflection on the fragility of life, and a hymn to talent that continues to live in its works.