Oleg Chayka

Brief imaginary period in the famed Russian writer's life that encapsulates one of his darker moments in 1866. At that time he was still a relatively unknown writer whose first widely acclaimed work, Crime and Punishment, was just on the horizon. His life was at a very low ebb as he struggled with debts he could not pay, and as he fought depression over the loss of his wife to tuberculosis, and the death of his brother, who was very close to him. His first literary journal had to be scrapped because of political reasons, and the second venture needed funding.

...People living in the future have comfortable cars, obedient robots, beautiful houses. There are only books missing in these houses. Books are declared enemies, subject to extermination...

A.N. Ostrovsky recalls the first period of his creative work (1849–1859), when he began collaborating with the Maly Theatre and with masters of the Russian stage such as L.P. Kositskaya, M.S. Shchepkin, and P.M. Sadovsky. Almost every character in this film is a real historical figure.

In a small Russian town, there is a Research Institute for magic. One of the witches, Alyona Sanina, is going to marry a guy named Ivan Puhov (not a magician). A jealous Apollon Sataneev tells her boss Kira Shemahandskaya that Sanina is going to marry not Ivan Puhov, but Ivan Kivrin, whom Shemahandskaya is going to marry herself. Enraged, Shemahandskaya, who is a powerful witch, orders Sanina to forget about her Ivan and marry Sataneev instead. And this will be final unless Alyona kisses Puhov before midnight on New Year. Alyona's friends call Puhov to the rescue.

In an attempt to get away from his work problems at the circus, Makhmut travels to the North Caucasus to visit his relatives. Little does he know that his sister has her own set of problems, albeit in the matters of the heart.

The nobleman des Grieux falls in love with the mysterious and attractive girl of humble origin Manon Lescaut. The girl seems to love the young man, but at the same time commits unworthy acts, seducing rich noblemen and involving des Grieux himself in a dissolute life.

The basis of the play is the eponymous poem and the poems of Alexander Blok.