The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories · Chapter
What Happened to Búlka in Pyatigórsk explained
The narrator travels to Pyatigórsk with his dog Búlka.
What happens
The narrator travels to Pyatigórsk with his dog Búlka. He describes the pleasant setting of the city and its hot springs. A city-wide dog cull is ordered due to overpopulation, and prisoners are tasked with killing the dogs. Búlka, having had his collar removed, is attacked by a prisoner with a hook but manages to escape with an injury and hide under the narrator's bed.
Themes in this chapter
Fate, Injustice, and Suffering
The brutal, indiscriminate killing of the city's dogs and Búlka's narrow escape highlight arbitrary violence and suffering.
Moral Philosophy and Virtue
Contrasts the narrator's compassion and Búlka's loyalty/bravery with the prisoners' cruel, duty-bound actions and the impersonal city decree.
Characters to notice
- Búlka
The narrator's dog; is gentle around bees but fiercely attacks a prisoner during the dog cull, getting hooked in the thigh but escaping.
- The Master
The narrator who observes the events, removes Búlka's collar, and unsuccessfully tries to call him back and stop the prisoners.
- The Prisoners
Four chained prisoners, two with hooks and two with clubs, who carry out the brutal dog cull, laughing and shouting as they kill dogs.
- The Landlady
The narrator's landlady who explains the reason for the dog cull and notes dogs with collars are to be spared.
Key passages
“The dogs have been breeding so much that the city authorities have ordered all the dogs in the city to be killed.”
An official order mandates the extermination of all dogs in the city due to overpopulation.
Explains the cause of the violent event.
“Búlka rushed headlong at that prisoner, as though he were a bear.”
Búlka charged ferociously at the prisoner.
Shows Búlka's protective and brave nature.
“he jerked, and broke the skin at the thigh and, taking his tail between his legs, flew... and hid himself under my bed.”
He tore free, injuring his thigh, and ran terrified to hide under the bed.
Describes Búlka's narrow escape and trauma.