In the summer of 1956, far beyond a hundred kilometers from Moscow, a passenger disembarks from a passing train. He intends to work as a teacher in a rural area and settles in the hut of one of the villages, whose hostess is named Matryona. The woman's stories about her fate astonish the guest. A woman who has borne incredible burdens of life, unbearable twists of fate, with all its tragic injustice, appears as a simple and modest person. She has not broken, not become embittered, not sunk to envy, meanness, and pettiness like her relatives and neighbors. Her ability to maintain kindness and fire in her heart, helping everyone, purity of soul, nobility, and powerful inner strength inspire and sadden the narrator, who is essentially Solzhenitsyn himself. It is said that all of Russia relies on people like Matryona. But what will happen to a country that relies only on selfless old women? The main roles are played by Elena and Alexander Mikhailov, who left the acting profession more than twenty years ago. She is a conductor of a church choir, and he is a teacher of the law of God. This production has brought them back to the theatrical stage, as they dreamed of it while finishing the Shchukin School. Solzhenitsyn's works are rare guests on the theatrical stage, as his texts are quite difficult to adapt. Therefore, the audience has a unique opportunity to see and feel his revelations. The duration of the performance is 1 hour and 40 minutes. For more performances, visit our website in the theater section.