In the house of the intellectual-populist Ivan Akimovich Samgin, a son was born, to whom his father decided to give the "unusual", peasant name Klim. It immediately singled out the boy among the other children of his circle: the daughter of Dr. Somov, Lyuba; children of the tenant Varavka Barbara, Lydia and Boris; Igor Turoboev (studying with Moscow at the Moscow military school); Ivan Dronov (an orphan, an engorer in the Samghins' house); Konstantin Makarov and Alina Telepneva (comrades in the gymnasium). A difficult relationship develops between them, partly because Klim is trying to distinguish himself, which is not always successful. The first teacher is Tomilin. Rivalry with Boris. The unexpected death of Boris and Barbara, who fell through the ice while ice skating. A voice from the crowd: “Was there a boy, maybe there wasn’t a boy yet?” - as the first "key" motive of the story, as if expressing the unreality of what is happening.
Studying at the gymnasium. Erotic languor of Samghin. Svejka Rita was secretly bribed by Klim's mother for the "safe" sex life of the young man. She is in love with Dronov; Samghin finds out about this and about the act of his mother and is disappointed in women. Makarov's love for Lydia; unsuccessful suicide attempt. Klim saves him, but then regrets it, for he secretly sympathizes with Lydia and feels that he looks pale against the backdrop of his friend.
Petersburg, students. Samghin’s new circle of contacts, where he again tries to occupy a special place, subjecting “to himself” everything and everyone to critical analysis and receiving the nickname “wise guy”. The elder brother Dmitry (a student who joined the revolutionary struggle), Marina Premirova, Serafima Nekhaeva (in love with everything “decadent”), Kutuzov (an active revolutionary, a future Bolshevik resembling Lenin in his own traits), Elizaveta Spivak with a sick musician husband, Vladimir Lyutov (student from a merchant family) and others. Lyutov’s love for Alina Telepneva, who grew up in a beautiful and capricious woman. Her consent to be Lyutov’s wife and her subsequent refusal, for she falls in love with Turoboev (the theme of the peculiar rivalry of the “poor aristocrat” Turoboev and the “rich man” Lutov).
Life in the country. The symbolic scene of catching catfish on a pot of hot porridge (catfish swallows the pot, it bursts, catfish pops up) is a swindle of “gentlemen” by a man who nevertheless admires Lyutov as an expression of the mysterious talent of the Russian people. Disputes about Slavophiles and Westerners, Russia and the West. Lyutov is a Russian anarchist. Klim tries to take a special position, but as a result does not occupy any. His unsuccessful attempt to declare his love for Lydia. Renouncement. Raising the bells to the village church. The death of a young peasant (rope swept over the throat). The second "key" phrase of the story, uttered by a village girl: "Why are you mischievous?" - as if turned to the "masters" in general. Not knowing the people, they are trying to decide their fate.
Moscow. New people whom Samghin is trying to understand: Semion Diomidov, Varvara Antipova, Petr Marakuev, Uncle Khrisanf - a circle of Moscow intelligentsia that differs from St. Petersburg underlined “Russianness”. Booze at Lyutov’s apartment. Deacon-rastrigo Yegor Ipatievsky reads his own poems about Christ, Vaska and the “unchangeable ruble”. The bottom line is that the Russian man also serves Christ with hatred. Yelling Lyutova: "Brilliant!" Samghin, again, does not find a place in this environment. The arrival of young Nicholas I and the tragedy on the Khodynka field, where hundreds of people were crushed during the coronation festival. Samghin's look at the crowd, which resembles "caviar". The insignificance of personal will in an era of a surge of mass psychosis.
Samghin’s final break with Lydia; her departure to Paris. Klim goes to the Nizhny Novgorod industrial exhibition and gets acquainted with the provincial journalistic environment. Inokov - a bright newspaper and a kind of poet (a likely prototype of Gorky himself). Arrival in the Lower Tsar, similar to "Balsaminov dressed as an officer ...".
Samghin and the newspaper. Dronov, Inokov, spouse of Spivaki. Meeting with Tomilny, preaching that “the path to true faith lies through the desert of unbelief” (Nietzsche’s thought close to Samgin). The provincial historian Kozlov is a guardian and a monarchist who denies the revolution, including the revolution of the spirit. A meeting with Kutuzov, "outrageously self-confident" and therefore similar to his antipode - Kozlov. Kutuzov is about “revolutionaries from boredom,” to whom the whole intelligentsia belongs. The fall of the barracks under construction as a symbol of the “rotten” system. A parallel scene of the feast of the "fathers of the city" in the restaurant. Search in Samghin’s apartment. Conversation with gendarme captain Popov, who for the first time makes Samgin understand that he will never become a revolutionary.
Moscow. Preuss and Tagilsky are the top of the liberal intelligentsia (possible prototypes are “Vekhists”). Kutuzov’s arrival (each of his appearances reminds Samgin that a genuine revolution is being prepared somewhere on the sidelines, and he and his entourage are not taking part in it). The arguments of Makarov about the philosophy of N.F. Fedorov and the role of women in history.
Death of father Samghin in Vyborg. Meeting with brother. The arrest of Samghin and Somova. Interrogation by the police and an offer to become an informant. Samghin's failure; strange uncertainty that he did the right thing. Love affair with Barbara Antipova; abortion.
The words of the old servant Anfimyevna (expressing popular opinion) about the young: "Alien god children." Samghin trip to Astrakhan and Georgia).
Moscow, student unrest near the Manege. Samghin in the crowd and his fear of her. Mitrofanov helps out - a police agent. A trip to the village; scene of peasant robberies. Samghin’s fear of men. New unrest in Moscow. Love affair with Nikonova (will turn out to be a police informant). A trip to Staraya Russa; look at the king through the curtains of the car.
January 9, 1905 in St. Petersburg. Bloody Sunday Scenes. Gapon and the conclusion about him: "insignificant pop." Samghin in prison on suspicion of revolutionary activity. Bauman’s funeral and outbursts of Black-Hundred psychology.
Moscow, 1905 revolution. Somova is trying to organize sanitary facilities to help the wounded. Samghin’s thoughts about the revolution and Kutuzov: “And right! .. Let passions flare up, let everything go to hell, all these houses, apartments stuffed with carers of the people, leaders, critics, analysts ...” Nevertheless, he understands that such a revolution will abolish him, Samghin. The death of Turoboev. Makarov’s thoughts about the Bolsheviks: “So, Samghin, my question is: I do not want a civil war, but I helped and, it seems, I will help the people who start it. Something is wrong with me ... - recognition of the spiritual crisis of the intelligentsia. The funeral of Turoboev. The crowd of Black Hundreds and the thief Sashka Sudakov, who helps Samghin, Alina Telepneva, Makarov and Lyutov.
Barricades. Samghin and combat units. Comrade Jacob - the leader of the revolutionary crowd. Execution in front of Samgin detective Mitrofanov. The death of Anfimievna. Samghin understands that events are developing against his will, and he is their involuntary hostage.
A trip to Russia at the request of Kutuzov for money for the Bolsheviks. A conversation on the train with a drunken lieutenant who tells how scary it is to shoot people on orders. Acquaintance with Marina Zotova, a rich woman with a “folk” way of thinking. Her reasoning is that the intelligentsia never knew the people, that the roots of the popular faith go to schism and heresy, and this is a hidden, but true driving force of the revolution. The nightmare of "duality", pursuing Samghin and expressing the beginning of the collapse of his personality. The murder of the governor in front of Samghin. A meeting with Lydia, who came from abroad, the final disappointment of Samghin in her. The philosophy of Valentin Bezbedov, a friend of Marina, who denies any meaning in history. The “I don't want” motto is the third “key” motive of the story, which expresses Samghin’s rejection of the whole universe, in which he seems to have no place. Marina and Elder Zakhary are a type of “popular” religious leader. Religious "joys" in Marina, which Samghin spies and who finally convince him of their isolation from the folk element.
Departure abroad. Berlin, boredom. Bosch's paintings in the gallery, which unexpectedly coincide with Samghin's worldview (fragmentation of the universe, lack of a clear image of a person). Meeting with mother in Switzerland; mutual misunderstanding. Samghin remains in complete solitude. Lutov's suicide in Geneva; words of Alina Telepneva: "Volodya escaped ..."
Paris. Meeting with Marina Zotova. Popov and Berdnikov, who are trying to bribe Samghin so that he would be their secret agent under Zotova and report on her possible deal with the British. The sharp rejection of Samghin.
Return to Russia. The murder of Marina Zotova. Mysterious circumstances associated with it. Suspicion falls on Bezbedov, who denies everything and strangely dies in prison before the trial.
Moscow. The death of Barbara. Kutuzov’s words about Lenin as the only true revolutionary who sees through the future. Samghin and Dronov. An attempt to organize a new liberal-independent newspaper. Conversations around the Milestones collection; Samghin’s thoughts: “Of course, this bold book will make a fuss. The bang of the bell in the middle of the night. Socialists will vehemently object. And not just socialists. "Whistling and ringing from all sides." A dozen more bubbles will swell on the surface of life. ” The death of Tolstoy. The words of the servant Agafya: “Lev Nikolayevich passed away ... Do you hear the doors slamming in everyone's house?” It’s as if people were frightened. ”
Samghin’s thoughts about Faust and Don Quixote as a continuation of Ivan Turgenev’s thoughts in the essay “Hamlet and Don Quixote”. Samghin puts forward the principle of not active idealism, but of rational activity.
The outbreak of world war as a symbol of the collapse of the collective mind. Samghin’s trip to the front in Borovichi. Acquaintance with the second lieutenant Petrov, symbolizing the decomposition of military officers. The absurd killing of Tagilsky by an angry officer. Nightmares of war.
Return from the front. Evening with Leonid Andreev. His words: “People will feel like brothers only when they understand the tragedy of their being in space, they will feel the horror of their loneliness in the universe, they will touch the bars of the iron cage of the insoluble secrets of life, a life from which there is one way out - to death,” which seem to bring the line under the spiritual quest of Samghin.
The February Revolution of 1917. Rodzianko and Kerensky. Incomplete finale. The ambiguity of the future fate of Samghin ...
