"Guilty Without Guilt" by Alexander Ostrovsky, summary Automatic translate

This play is a profound drama about loss, betrayal, and maternal love, written in 1883. The work’s power lies in its paradox: the main character bears the cross of guilt for her son’s death for many years, despite being the victim of a cruel deception. Alexander Ostrovsky reveals the underbelly of the theater and high society, where sincere feelings coexist with cold calculation.

The play has been adapted for the silver screen numerous times. The most famous adaptation was released in 1945 under director Vladimir Petrov. The film was a resounding success at the Soviet box office. Later, in 2008, Gleb Panfilov created a television film version, which won the Golden Eagle Award.

Murov’s betrayal

The events begin in a modest apartment in a provincial town. A young woman of noble birth, Lyubov Ivanovna Otradina, is sewing a collar. Her maid, Annushka, works nearby. The women are actively discussing Otradina’s former friend, Taisa Ilyinishna Shelavina. She has unexpectedly come into a vast fortune and is getting married. Annushka shares the town gossip about Shelavina secretly getting married in a village 53 kilometers by train and another 21 kilometers away. Lyubov Ivanovna asks the maid not to judge people unnecessarily.

Grigory Lvovich Murov soon appears. Grigory Lvovich is Otradina’s secret lover and the father of her young son, Grisha. Murov is cold and distant. He claims his domineering mother is demanding a marriage with a wealthy bride. Murov complains of his pitiful situation, completely dependent on his mother’s money. Lyubov Ivanovna is shocked by his weakness. She reminds him of her son. The boy has been given to the greedy townswoman Arina Arkhipovna Galchikha to raise. Murov refuses to accept responsibility. He merely frightens Lyubov Ivanovna with thoughts of his possible death on the trip.

Murov announces his immediate departure for St. Petersburg. Lyubov Ivanovna gives him all her small savings. She places a commemorative medallion around Murov’s neck. Inside is a blond locket of little Grisha’s hair. Otradina believes the amulet will protect him on his journey. Shelavina’s carriage unexpectedly pulls up to the house. The frightened Murov hides in the next room.

Taisa Ilyinishna enters the apartment with a box. She’s bringing a wedding dress to show. Shelavina openly talks about her fiancé. He turns out to be a poor official who will manage her affairs and capital. Taisa takes a photograph of her future husband from her pocket and hands it to Lyubov Ivanovna. Otradina looks at the photo and nearly faints. Murov stares back at her from the photograph. Shelavina leaves. Grigory Lvovich emerges from hiding. Otradina firmly shows the traitor the door.

At that moment, Galchikha runs into the room. She delivers terrible news. Little Grisha has fallen ill with severe diphtheria. The district doctor believes the boy won’t live another hour. Otradina grabs a handkerchief and, together with Murov, rushes to the dying child.

Returning to my hometown

Seventeen long years pass. Lyubov Ivanovna returns to her hometown under the new name of Elena Ivanovna Kruchinina. She has achieved fame and become a renowned provincial actress. A local philanthropist and wealthy nobleman, Nil Stratonych Dudukin, visits her in her hotel room. He showers Kruchinina with compliments and gifts. The actress relives painful memories. Exactly 17 years ago, she ran to Galchikha and saw her son’s blue corpse. Otradina fainted and fell gravely ill. Relatives took her to another city. Later, she received a letter from Murov about the boy’s death and funeral. Elena Ivanovna wept. She constantly hallucinated the dead child.

Meanwhile, local actress Nina Pavlovna Korinkina is plotting against Kruchinina. Korinkina hates her talented rival. She complains to Dudukin about the young actor Grigory Neznamov. The day before, Neznamov had beaten up a local wealthy man, Mukhoboev, in a cafeteria. The governor wanted to expel the actor, but Kruchinina stood up for the young man.

Neznamov and his constant companion, the comedian Shmaga, arrive at Kruchinina’s room. Neznamov is rude and defiant. He recounts the story of his ruined life. He grew up without parents. As a child, mean people would shout at him, "Hey, you bastard!" This traumatized him forever. He lives without a passport, traveling with traveling troupes. Kruchinina listens to this story with tears in her eyes. Neznamov demands that he be left alone and not shown any favors. Elena Ivanovna pays the actors’ debts at the buffet. She gives Shmaga money for a new coat. Kruchinina tenderly kisses Neznamov on the head. The young man, embarrassed, leaves.

A beggar woman sneaks into the inn. Kruchinina recognizes her as Arina Arkhipovna Galchikha. The actress frantically interrogates the old woman about her son’s grave. Blinded by the offered money, Galchikha confesses to her old crime. It turns out that little Grisha survived. When the boy recovered from his illness, Galchikha sold him to a wealthy childless couple. Murov approved of this inhumane act and gave the old woman some money in exchange for her silence. Kruchinina, horrified, realizes the scale of the crime. Her child is alive, and she has mourned him for so many years.

Korinkina’s envy

Korinkina is furious over Kruchinina’s enormous success with the local public. She plans a cruel revenge. In the theater dressing room, Korinkina persuades actor Pyotr Milovzorov to help her. They plan to get Neznamov drunk and pit him against Kruchinina. Korinkina asks Dudukin to organize an evening reception for the actors. She wants to gather a distinguished group and cause a public scandal.

Kruchinina is sitting in the dressing room after a rehearsal. Mr. Murov enters. He recognizes his former lover. Murov attempts to make small talk, but Kruchinina demands the truth about her son. Murov admits his deception. He claims to have given the boy to a merchant family and placed Otradina’s gold medallion around the child’s neck. Murov claims the merchants have long since moved to Taganrog. Grigory Lvovich tries to regain Elena Ivanovna’s love. He promises her wealth and legal marriage. Kruchinina rejects his words with disgust. She says there will be no contact between them until she meets her son.

Shmaga and Neznamov are chatting with Korinkina. Korinkina suddenly changes her tone and begins flirting with Grigory. She kisses him tenderly and asks him to go with her to Dudukin’s for the evening. Neznamov is surprised but agrees. Milovzorov is left alone with Grigory. He carries out Korinkina’s plan. Milovzorov tells Neznamov disgusting gossip. He claims that Kruchinina abandoned her child in her youth for a nobleman and went abroad. Grigory is shocked by this lie. For the first time in his life, he felt the warmth of a mother’s affection from Kruchinina, and now she is called a heartless cuckoo. The young man decides to severely punish the actress for her hypocrisy.

Meeting in the garden

The evening is taking place in Nil Stratonich Dudukin’s beautiful garden. The guests are drinking tea and strolling among the trees. Neznamov and Shmaga are keeping to themselves. Shmaga complains about the lack of snacks and vodka. Neznamov is in a gloomy mood. Korinkina adds fuel to the fire. She calls the actors to the table and asks for wine. Korinkina and Dudukin ask the actors not to mention the abandoned children in front of Kruchinina. This strange prohibition finally convinces Neznamov of the truth of the rumors.

Murov approaches Elena Ivanovna again. He imparts new fabricated facts. The merchant Prostokvashin, who adopted the boy, allegedly left for Astrakhan. There, the adoptive father and child fell ill and died suddenly. Murov advises the actress to forget the past and leave the city. Local gossip could damage his career. Murov plans to run for an important position. Kruchinina promises to finish the performances and leave at her own discretion. She is not afraid of the influential official’s threats.

The guests are served champagne. Dudukin offers a beautiful toast to Elena Ivanovna’s talent and purity of soul. The actress thanks the audience and raises her glass to all those who serve the theatrical arts. At this point, Neznamov takes the floor, attracting the attention of everyone present.

Grigory loudly proposes a toast to the mothers who abandon their children to their fate. The crowd falls silent. Kruchinina is shocked, but asks the young man to continue. Neznamov describes the fate of foundlings with growing bitterness. He speaks of mothers who leave their infants a gold trinket. Grigory describes how the unfortunate orphan, beaten and humiliated, weeps over this maternal gift. To prove his point, he beats his chest.

Kruchinina rushes to the young man. She pulls an old locket from under his shirt. Elena Ivanovna recognizes her own piece of Grisha’s hair. The actress loses consciousness and collapses on the sofa. Dudukin accuses Neznamov of murdering his own mother. Grigory is shocked. He realizes he’s been searching for his birth mother all this time.

Kruchinina comes to her senses. She recognizes the impudent youth as her unfortunate son. Neznamov falls to his knees before her. For the first time in his life, he addresses her directly: "Mama!" Elena Ivanovna strokes his head. Neznamov quietly asks about his father. Kruchinina looks with disdain at Murov, who shamefacedly turns away from them. She tells her son that his father isn’t worth searching for. Elena Ivanovna decides to give Grigory her maiden name, Otradinykh, and takes him with her.