A comedy written by Gogol in two months in 1836 remains relevant: it is funny and awkward to recognize human justifications, fears, and petty intrigues. The meeting will be conducted by Daniil Ryasov and Svetlana Panchenko. The conversation will focus on the characters of 'The Government Inspector' and their motives. Participants will discuss how Gogol's comedy is structured and how the language of the characters reflects their nature, what changed in the second edition of 1842, and how the plot, suggested by Pushkin, turned into a satire that does not age. They will also talk about the first staging of the play on stage, which caused a noisy debate in society and attracted the attention of Emperor Nicholas I, as well as why the writer himself was dissatisfied with the premiere. It is recommended to reread 'The Government Inspector' before the meeting to be prepared. On our website, we tell about free events in Moscow.