Yushka

Summary

The story «Yushka» by Andrei Platonov tells of a humble and defenseless old man, nicknamed Yushka, who lives in a small town and works as a blacksmith's assistant. His appearance is unremarkable: he is thin, quiet, with kind but weary eyes. Both children and adults often mock him—laughing, pushing, and throwing stones at him, unable to understand or accept his gentle presence. Yushka never responds to rudeness, never takes offense, and silently steps aside with quiet resignation. He lives in poverty, spending almost nothing on himself, often coughing and appearing ill. Once a year, he takes a vacation, disappearing for a few days, which sparks rumors and ridicule in the town. Yet no one imagines that behind his silent life lies a noble purpose. One day, a drunken passerby strikes Yushka, and he dies. The townspeople react to his death with indifference, but some time later, an orphaned girl arrives in town. She reveals that Yushka was her adoptive father: he found her sick and alone, nursed her back to health, provided her with an education, and paid for the treatment of other orphaned children. It turns out that every year he traveled to Moscow to see doctors, battling a deadly illness, and gave everything he had for the sake of others. His kindness was silent but genuine. After these revelations, people began to see Yushka differently, with remorse and shame. In his image, they discovered a saintly simplicity, self-sacrifice, and true humanity that had previously been mocked and rejected. The story explores themes of inner dignity, Christian humility, and the tragedy of misunderstood people whose kindness remains unseen by the world.