The Little Golden Calf
Encyclopedia
The Little Golden Calf is a famous satirical novel by Soviet authors Ilf and Petrov
, released in 1931. Its main character Ostap Bender
, also appeared in a previous novel of the authors called The Twelve Chairs
. The title alludes to the "Golden calf
" of the Bible
.
The novel was made into a 1968 black-and-white film The Little Golden Calf
and 2006 eight-part TV series The Little Golden Calf.
is alive again, after somehow surviving the assassination in the previous book. This time he hears a story about an "underground millionaire
", Alexandr Koreiko. Koreiko has made millions, a truly enormous sum, by living on 46 rubles a month, through various illegal enterprises, taking full advantage of the widespread corruption in the New Economic Policy
(NEP) period.
Living in Chernomorsk (literally: Black Sea
city, referring to the city of Odessa
), and working as an accountant for a government office in charge of economic management, Koreiko keeps his large stash of wrongly acquired money in a suitcase, waiting for the fall of the Soviet government, so that he can make use of it.
Together with two associates, two petty criminals, and an extremely naive and innocent car driver, Bender finds out about him and starts to collect all the information he can get on Koreiko’s business activities. Koreiko tries to flee, but Bender eventually tracks him down in Turkestan
, on the Turkestan–Siberia Railway being just constructed. He then blackmails him into giving him a million rubles.
Suddenly becoming rich, Bender faces the problem of how to spend his money in a country where there are no legal millionaires. Nothing of the life of the rich Bender dreamt of seems possible in the Soviet Union. Frustrated, Bender even decides to anonymously donate the money to Ministry of Finance, but changes his mind. He turns money into jewels and gold
, and tries to cross the Romania
n border, only to be robbed by the Romanian border guards, leaving him only with a medal, the Order of the Golden Fleece
.
Koreiko finds another job as an accountant. He hides the rest of his cash, and continues to wait for the fall of the Soviets.
According to the first, Ostap Bender, after reaching his "million", familiarizes himself with the sorrow of a lonely man who has fulfilled his purpose, renounces the fortune, and marries his beloved, Zoya Sinitskaya.
In the second, he is torn. At first, he returns his "million" to the Commissariat of Finance, but then changes his mind. Determined to travel to Rio de Janeiro
, he was caught crossing the Romanian border and sent back home, after being deprived of his fortune by Romanian border guards.
, such as "Horns and Hoofs company ("Рога и копыта")" and "Children of Lieutenant Schmidt
", see the Wikiquote page for the book for more.
Ilf and Petrov
Ilya Ilf Ilya Ilf Ilya Ilf (Ilya Arnoldovich Faynzilberg and Evgeny or Yevgeni Petrov (Yevgeniy Petrovich Kataev or Katayev were two Soviet prose authors of the 1920s and 1930s...
, released in 1931. Its main character Ostap Bender
Ostap Bender
Ostap Bender is a fictional con man and antihero who first appeared in the novel The Twelve Chairs written by Soviet authors Ilya Ilf and Yevgeni Petrov and released in January 1928.-Appearances:...
, also appeared in a previous novel of the authors called The Twelve Chairs
The Twelve Chairs
The Twelve Chairs is a classic satirical novel by the Soviet authors Ilf and Petrov, released in 1928. Its main character Ostap Bender reappears in the book's sequel The Little Golden Calf.-Plot:...
. The title alludes to the "Golden calf
Golden calf
According to the Hebrew Bible, the golden calf was an idol made by Aaron to satisfy the Israelites during Moses' absence, when he went up to Mount Sinai...
" of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
.
The novel was made into a 1968 black-and-white film The Little Golden Calf
The Little Golden Calf (film)
The Little Golden Calf is a 1968 Soviet film directed by Mikhail Shveytser, based the eponymous novel by Ilf and Petrov.-Cast:* Sergei Yursky as Ostap Bender* Leonid Kuravlyov as Shura Balaganov* Zinovi Gerdt as Panikovsky...
and 2006 eight-part TV series The Little Golden Calf.
Plot summary
Ostap BenderOstap Bender
Ostap Bender is a fictional con man and antihero who first appeared in the novel The Twelve Chairs written by Soviet authors Ilya Ilf and Yevgeni Petrov and released in January 1928.-Appearances:...
is alive again, after somehow surviving the assassination in the previous book. This time he hears a story about an "underground millionaire
Millionaire
A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. It can also be a person who owns one million units of currency in a bank account or savings account...
", Alexandr Koreiko. Koreiko has made millions, a truly enormous sum, by living on 46 rubles a month, through various illegal enterprises, taking full advantage of the widespread corruption in the New Economic Policy
New Economic Policy
The New Economic Policy was an economic policy proposed by Vladimir Lenin, who called it state capitalism. Allowing some private ventures, the NEP allowed small animal businesses or smoke shops, for instance, to reopen for private profit while the state continued to control banks, foreign trade,...
(NEP) period.
Living in Chernomorsk (literally: Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
city, referring to the city of Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
), and working as an accountant for a government office in charge of economic management, Koreiko keeps his large stash of wrongly acquired money in a suitcase, waiting for the fall of the Soviet government, so that he can make use of it.
Together with two associates, two petty criminals, and an extremely naive and innocent car driver, Bender finds out about him and starts to collect all the information he can get on Koreiko’s business activities. Koreiko tries to flee, but Bender eventually tracks him down in Turkestan
Turkestan
Turkestan, spelled also as Turkistan, literally means "Land of the Turks".The term Turkestan is of Persian origin and has never been in use to denote a single nation. It was first used by Persian geographers to describe the place of Turkish peoples...
, on the Turkestan–Siberia Railway being just constructed. He then blackmails him into giving him a million rubles.
Suddenly becoming rich, Bender faces the problem of how to spend his money in a country where there are no legal millionaires. Nothing of the life of the rich Bender dreamt of seems possible in the Soviet Union. Frustrated, Bender even decides to anonymously donate the money to Ministry of Finance, but changes his mind. He turns money into jewels and gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, and tries to cross the Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n border, only to be robbed by the Romanian border guards, leaving him only with a medal, the Order of the Golden Fleece
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...
.
Koreiko finds another job as an accountant. He hides the rest of his cash, and continues to wait for the fall of the Soviets.
Main characters
- Ostap Ibragimovich BenderOstap BenderOstap Bender is a fictional con man and antihero who first appeared in the novel The Twelve Chairs written by Soviet authors Ilya Ilf and Yevgeni Petrov and released in January 1928.-Appearances:...
, the main character and protagonist - Shura Balaganov, the second "Son of Lieutenant Schmidt"
- Mikhail Samuelevich Panikovsky, the third "Son of Lieutenant Schmidt"
- Adam Kazimirovich Kozlevich, a taxi "Wildebeest" driver
- Alexander Ivanovich Koreiko, a millionaire
Two endings
There are two variations of the ending of The Little Golden Calf. One was written at the time of delivering the novel to the magazine Thirty Days to be printed. The other appeared later, probably under the influence of objections to the writers for poetizing their main character.According to the first, Ostap Bender, after reaching his "million", familiarizes himself with the sorrow of a lonely man who has fulfilled his purpose, renounces the fortune, and marries his beloved, Zoya Sinitskaya.
In the second, he is torn. At first, he returns his "million" to the Commissariat of Finance, but then changes his mind. Determined to travel to Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, he was caught crossing the Romanian border and sent back home, after being deprived of his fortune by Romanian border guards.
“No ovations! I failed to become the Count of Monte Christo. I’ll have to retrain for an apartment manager”. (the 1932 English translation reads: "I shall have to qualify as a janitor")
Cultural influence of the book
The book contributed a number of catchphrases and colorful terms into the Russian languageRussian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, such as "Horns and Hoofs company ("Рога и копыта")" and "Children of Lieutenant Schmidt
Children of Lieutenant Schmidt
Children of Lieutenant Schmidt is a fictional secret non-society of con men. They pretended to be children of Lieutenant Schmidt , described in The Little Golden Calf by Ilf and Petrov...
", see the Wikiquote page for the book for more.