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Gogol. A Terrible Vengeance (2018) movie poster

Plot Summary

Gogol. A Terrible Vengeance (2018) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2018 · 106 mins · Russian
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Directed by
Egor Baranov
Starring
Alexander Petrov, Evgeniy Stychkin, Marta Timofeeva, Anvar Libabov, Oleg Menshikov, Yan Tsapnik

Following Gogol’s death, accusations arise, blaming him for the deaths of Cossacks and young women caused by the mysterious Dark Horseman, who had been ordered to hide them. A post-mortem examination proves impossible, and Vakula’s daughter, Vasilina, who possesses hidden magical abilities, publicly denies Gogol’s death. Suspicion and supernatural elements intertwine as the circumstances surrounding his demise are questioned.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Gogol. A Terrible Vengeance
  6. 6 Every angle
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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in Gogol. A Terrible Vengeance: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of Gogol. A Terrible Vengeance (2018) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

The series begins with cutting frames from Gogol's films. Start and Gogol. Viy: the Arrival of the Dark Rider and killing the first victim of the Horseman, the conversation Yakov Petrovich Guro Gogol about the Rider, first acquaintance Guro Gogol, arrival in Dikanka and familiarity Yakov Petrovich and Guro with Binh, familiarity with Gogol Danishevsky, swinging on the swings at the Oak tree with Lisa, the first murder in Dikanka, the battle of Guro in a burning house with the Rider, opening the chest, Yakov Petrovich, ad special provisions in Dikanka, Vasilina meeting with the witch Uliana, the mavok leaving the pond, the battle with the Wii, the murder of women Rider, the fall of Gogol (lethargy).

Soon after Gogol’s death, Binh names him guilty for the deaths of the Cossacks and the young women at the hands of the Dark Horseman, since he was the one who ordered them to be hidden in the barn. Bomgart is unable to perform a post-mortem analysis on Gogol’s body, while Vakula’s daughter Vasilina (who secretly has magic abilities) proclaims denial about Gogol’s demise.

Gogol’s body is buried at Dikanka’s graveyard, with Binh, Vakula, Bomgart, and Lisa presiding. Gogol awakens in the afterlife, where he meets his father and a noseless and bandaged man. The man tells Gogol "Live, Dark One.", resurrecting him. Gogol manages to get out of the coffin while the appalled crowd looks on. Gogol is soon arrested by Binh, who presumes him as the Dark Horseman, and locked him up at the police headquarters. Yakim is also willingly locked up. He reveals to Gogol that the man who resurrected him was a man with ties to his family’s past; At the time of Gogol’s birth, his father was acquainted with the man. When Gogol’s mother gave birth to him, he was stillborn. However the man managed to resurrect the child, and the story was kept secret from Gogol. Meanwhile, Alexey meets Oksana (whom he is able to see) and offers her to keep Gogol away from Dikanka in exchange for bringing her back to life.

Villagers suddenly attack the headquarters, subduing Binh, Yakim and Binh’s assistant. They attempt to burn Gogol at the stake, but Vasilina uses her abilities to create rain, saving Gogol. The villagers then try to hang Gogol, when their leader is suddenly shot in the leg. The shooter reveals himself to be Yakov Petrovich Guro, who survived the Dark Horseman’s attack as seen in the first chapter. He tells the mob to disperse, threatening them with execution and exile to Siberia, which they do. Guro reveals to Gogol that he has been manipulating the events after his presumed death in his attempt to find the real Dark Horseman. Gogol reveals that he suspects Alexei as the Horseman. As a result, Gogol, Guro, and Binh decide to search Alexei’s estate. At first, they are unable to find anything, but Gogol uses his visions to find the handle which opens a passage behind the fireplace. They go through the passage, discovering a cave. Inside they find Oksana with water gushing out of her mouth, a sign that she is being resurrected. Alexei suddenly appears, and Binh shoots him dead in the chest, surprising everyone as the Dark Horseman could not be taken down easily. Oksana suddenly comes to life, only to be killed seconds later by the Horseman, who absorbs her blood, creating a vortex. When the vortex recedes, the trio are appalled to see Lisa, revealing her to be the Dark Horseman.

The events of the present time and 163 years ago are shown in parallel.

163 years before the principal events of the film, the Cossack ataman is sent to repulse the Polish invaders led by sorcerer Kazimierz. Only one Cossack comes back from the whole army, saying that the Poles have broken them, the ataman was killed, and they will soon attack. The daughters of the ataman, Liza and Maria, turn to the sorceress-hermit, and she says that the Polish sorcerer can be defeated by wearing a tongued hoop: then Kazimir will lose his power and become mortal, but the price for his murder will be terrible. Nevertheless, Lisa and Maria, having crept into Casimir's tent, seize him and take him away to be surrendered. Along the way Kazimir says that his curse ends only when he loves someone, and asks Maria to let him go: if she answers him in return, he will be able to renounce witchcraft and become a man. Lisa decides to finish off the sorcerer on the spot, and enters with Maria in battle, until she falls, stumbling into the abyss. In anger, Liza beheads the Kazimir. However, his still living head tells her that she is now under the same curse and that every thirty years she needs to sacrifice twelve girls and one resurrected, not knowing death, until she falls in love herself. Maria is met in the next world by a fiery voice, telling her to go back: if she kills her sister, she can live, and until then she will wander in the guise of an old woman.

In the present day, Guro fetters Lisa with the same conjured hoop, and during the interrogation confesses that he is not going to bring her to court: on the orders of the secret society, he must deliver the immortal Horseman to St. Petersburg so that he shares the secret of eternal life with the Russian Empire. In case of refusal, he threatens to kill Gogol. After listening to the conversation, Nikolai and Binh rush to stop Yakov Petrovich, and Binh, in order not to let him carry out his plans, shoots at Lisa. Hearing from her that Gogol himself was to be the thirteenth victim, but for his love Lisa spared him and instead killed Oksana - also resurrected - Gogol removes the bewitched hoop, and Liza again becomes an immortal Horseman.

Hardly having coped with Guro, Liza, Gogol and Binh see on the threshold old woman Kristina from the village, which suddenly turns to Maria. She kills Binh and mortally wounds Gogol, and forces Liza to give her immortality to Nicholas, before decapitating her, like her sister did to Casimir. Vasilina, who sensed Gogol being in trouble, manages to save Gogol and Guro by distracting Maria long enough for Gogol to put the hoop around Maria's neck, making her mortal. Impressed, Guro offers membership in a secret society, since his mission was crowned with success, because the immortal is captured. After receiving a refusal, he returns to St. Petersburg. Gogol, along with Bogmart, Valkula and Binh's assistant, bury Binh at Dikanka's graveyard, promising to keep the events that happened here a secret, before departing. Gogol returns home, and inspired by Liza's praise of his work, begins to write a new novel based on his adventures.

In St. Petersburg, Gogol presents his work, titled "Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka" and receives a standing ovation. He then encounters a witch trying to kill him, but is saved by Pushkin and Lermontov. Having introduced themselves as members of a brotherhood which is at odds with Guro's society, they invite Gogol to join their ranks, and he agrees.

Last updated: October 11, 2026 at 15:54

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Plot questions answered

Gogol. A Terrible Vengeance Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about Gogol. A Terrible Vengeance (2018): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why was Gogol blamed for the murders after his apparent death?

After Gogol collapsed into a deathly lethargy, Binh named him guilty for the deaths of the Cossacks and young women because Gogol had been the one who ordered the victims' bodies hidden in the barn. This made him the convenient scapegoat for the Dark Horseman's crimes, and the accusation turned the villagers against him. The blame set the stage for the mob's attempts to burn and hang Gogol at the police headquarters.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Gogol's decision to hide the bodies in the barn rather than report the supernatural attacks was already viewed as suspicious, laying the groundwork for Binh's accusation.

  • gogol
  • blame
  • bikh
  • arson
  • dikanka
  • dark horseman
Q2

How did Lisa become the Dark Horseman?

Lisa became the Dark Horseman because of a curse placed on her 163 years earlier, when she beheaded the Polish sorcerer Kazimierz in a rage after her sister was lost. His dying head cursed her: every thirty years she must sacrifice twelve girls and one resurrected being who knows no death, until she herself falls in love. This curse transformed her into the immortal Dark Horseman who terrorized Dikanka and manipulated events to collect her ritual victims.

Foreshadowing: The first film's events already showed Lisa's supernatural nature, with her eerie swings at the oak tree and her quiet presence at Gogol's burial hinting at her hidden role as the Rider.

  • lisa
  • dark horseman
  • curse
  • kazimir
  • immortal
  • dikanka
Q3

Why was Gogol supposed to be the thirteenth victim?

Gogol was meant to be the thirteenth sacrifice because the curse required one resurrected being who "knows no death" as part of the ritual, and Gogol had been resurrected twice, once at birth and again from his coffin. Lisa, who had fallen in love with Gogol through his writing, chose to spare him and instead sacrificed the resurrected Oksana in his place. This act of love is what ultimately moved Gogol to free her from the bewitched hoop.

Foreshadowing: Lisa's tender moment with Gogol on the swings and her quiet praise of his literary talent foreshadowed her emotional attachment that would save his life.

  • gogol
  • thirteenth victim
  • sacrifice
  • oksi
  • lisa
  • love
  • curse
Q4

What was the curse of Kazimir and why did it affect Lisa?

The curse originated 163 years before the main events of Gogol. A Terrible Vengeance, when the daughters of a Cossack ataman, Liza and Maria, captured the Polish sorcerer Kazimierz during an invasion. During the struggle, Maria fell into a chasm, and an enraged Liza beheaded Kazimierz. His still-living head cursed her: every thirty years she must sacrifice twelve girls and one resurrected being, until she herself falls in love. This transformed Liza into the immortal Dark Horseman.

Foreshadowing: The flashback reveals that Lisa's supernatural nature was forged in a moment of grief and rage over her sister Maria's apparent death, setting the stage for centuries of tragedy.

  • kazimir
  • curse
  • lisa
  • maria
  • sacrifice
  • flashback
  • poland
Q5

Why did Gogol remove the bewitched hoop from Lisa?

Gogol removed the hoop after learning that Lisa had spared his life out of love by killing the resurrected Oksana in his place as the thirteenth victim. Moved by her sacrifice and the realization that she genuinely cared for him, he chose to free her from the binding. This decision had tragic consequences, as it restored Lisa as the unbound immortal Horseman and set up Maria's devastating attack moments later.

Foreshadowing: Lisa's earlier praise of Gogol's writing and their tender connection at the oak tree hinted that her feelings for him ran deeper than mere curiosity.

  • gogol
  • lisa
  • bewitched hoop
  • love
  • sacrifice
  • freedom
Q6

Who resurrected Gogol from his coffin?

A mysterious noseless and bandaged man encountered by Gogol in the afterlife resurrected him with the words "Live, Dark One." Yakim later revealed that this same figure had ties to Gogol's family and had originally resurrected him at birth when he was stillborn. The bandaged figure appears to be a recurring supernatural entity whose interventions have shaped Gogol's cursed existence from infancy.

Foreshadowing: Yakim's revelation that a man connected to Gogol's family had resurrected him as a stillborn baby hinted that supernatural intervention in Gogol's life was a pattern, not a one-time event.

  • gogol
  • resurrection
  • afterlife
  • noseless man
  • dark one
  • yakim
Q7

Why did Guro manipulate events after his supposed death?

Guro survived his battle with the Dark Horseman in the burning house but let everyone believe he was dead. He was secretly working to capture the real Dark Horseman and deliver the immortal being to St. Petersburg, where his secret society could extract the secret of eternal life for the Russian Empire. By allowing the mob to attack Gogol, Guro used the chaos as cover to flush out the true identity of the Rider.

Foreshadowing: Guro's precisely timed shot that saved Gogol at the exact right moment hinted that his actions were calculated and that his seeming death was a deliberate ploy.

  • guro
  • manipulation
  • secret society
  • immortal
  • dark horseman
  • mob
Q8

What was Guro's true plan with the immortal Horseman?

Guro's true plan was to deliver the immortal Dark Horseman to St. Petersburg so his secret society could extract the secret of eternal life for the Russian Empire. He threatened to kill Gogol if Lisa refused to cooperate and revealed that the society had ordered the capture rather than bringing her to court. Gogol's decision to remove the bewitched hoop from Lisa directly thwarted this plan, since an unbound immortal Horseman could not be easily transported or controlled.

Foreshadowing: Guro's earlier offer of a place in his secret society hinted at the organization's interest in recruiting those with knowledge of the supernatural.

  • guro
  • immortal
  • secret society
  • st petersburg
  • russian empire
  • plan
Q9

How did Maria become the old woman Kristina?

After falling into the abyss during the fight with Kazimierz, Maria was met by a fiery voice in the next world who told her she could live again only if she killed her sister Lisa. Until she fulfilled that condition, she was condemned to wander the earth disguised as an old woman. This disguise allowed her to spend 163 years searching for an opportunity to take her revenge on Lisa and claim her immortality.

Foreshadowing: The fiery voice's warning that Maria could only live if she killed her sister foreshadowed her inevitable return at the moment Lisa was most vulnerable.

  • maria
  • kristina
  • curse
  • lisa
  • revenge
  • disguise
  • fiery voice
Q10

Why was Alexey killed so easily if he was suspected of being the Dark Horseman?

Alexey was killed easily because he was never the true Dark Horseman, he was simply a mortal accomplice working with the resurrected Oksana, with whom he had struck a deal to keep Gogol away from Dikanka. The real Dark Horseman was Lisa, who had been hiding in plain sight the entire time. Binh's shot killed Alexey instantly because he was a pawn in the resurrection ritual, not the immortal being they were hunting.

Foreshadowing: The deal Alexey struck with Oksana and his role in the resurrection ritual hinted that he was subordinate to a greater supernatural power, not its source.

  • alexey
  • dark horseman
  • lisa
  • oksi
  • twist
  • bikh
Q11

Why did Vasilina deny Gogol's death publicly?

Vasilina publicly denied Gogol's death because she secretly possessed magical abilities that allowed her to sense the truth about his condition. While Bomgart's post-mortem proved impossible, Vasilina's supernatural intuition told her that Gogol had not truly perished. Her denial was vindicated moments later when Gogol climbed out of his coffin, and she later used her powers to summon rain and save him from being burned at the stake.

Foreshadowing: Her earlier secret meeting with the witch Uliana had already hinted at Vasilina's hidden magical abilities and her connection to the supernatural forces at work in Dikanka.

  • vasilina
  • magical abilities
  • gogol
  • death
  • denial
  • uliana
Q12

Why couldn't Bomgart perform a post-mortem on Gogol's body?

Bomgart was unable to perform a post-mortem analysis on Gogol's body because the examination proved impossible under the circumstances. Gogol's body displayed unnatural signs that defied conventional medical analysis, likely because he had already been resurrected twice, once at birth by the noseless man and again from the afterlife. This impossibility fueled Vasilina's public denial and set the stage for Gogol's dramatic resurrection from the coffin.

Foreshadowing: The mysterious circumstances of Gogol's collapse into lethargy and his body's resistance to examination foreshadowed that his condition was not a normal death.

  • bomgart
  • post-mortem
  • gogol
  • resurrection
  • body
  • examination
Q13

Why was Binh killed by Maria at the end?

Binh was killed by Maria immediately after she decapitated Lisa, as part of her centuries-old vengeance and her mission to either destroy her sister or claim her immortality. Maria's attack on the trio was sudden and overwhelming, and Binh died trying to protect Gogol during the assault. His death made him one of the tragic casualties of the curse between the two sisters, leaving Gogol without one of his closest allies.

Foreshadowing: Maria's warning to Liza in the flashback that she could only live if she killed her sister foreshadowed the inevitable confrontation that would claim multiple lives.

  • bikh
  • maria
  • death
  • vengeance
  • dikanka
  • curse
Q14

Why does Gogol join Pushkin and Lermontov's brotherhood at the end?

Gogol joins the brotherhood of Pushkin and Lermontov because they represent a faction opposed to Guro's secret society, which sought to exploit immortality for imperial power. After surviving the supernatural horrors of Dikanka and losing allies like Binh, Gogol aligns with the writers' brotherhood as a way to continue fighting supernatural threats through shared purpose. This choice also signals his transformation from a hunted writer into an active participant in the hidden war between secret societies.

Foreshadowing: The very title of Gogol's celebrated work, "Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka," was born from his supernatural experiences, foreshadowing that his adventures would directly shape his literary legacy.

  • gogol
  • pushkin
  • lermontov
  • brotherhood
  • secret society
  • ending

Movie threads

More Movies Like Gogol. A Terrible Vengeance, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Gogol. A Terrible Vengeance tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Dark folklore horror like Gogol. A Terrible Vengeance

Old rituals, malevolent spirits, and curses passed down through blood and silence. If you loved the gothic atmosphere and cursed folklore of Gogol. A Terrible Vengeance, explore more movies like this one. These supernatural horror and mystery thrillers are rooted in regional legends, ritual sacrifice, ancient vengeance, and witchcraft, weaving dread and atmosphere into a haunting, heavy experience.

  • gothic
  • folklore horror
  • supernatural
  • cursed
  • ritualistic
  • oppressive
  • Tone: dark, eerie, oppressive
  • Pacing: variable, dread-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative typically centers on a curse tied to an ancient wrong, where present-day characters must uncover buried secrets to break the cycle. Supernatural entities enforce the curse through ritualistic violence and impossible resurrections, and the heroes face agonizing choices between survival, sacrifice, and confronting dark bargains made long ago. Every revelation deepens the dread and no character feels truly safe.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped by their reliance on folklore-rooted supernatural horror, gothic visual atmosphere, ritualistic violence, and the interplay between mortal investigators and otherworldly forces. The emphasis is on oppressive dread over action, with curses, dark horsemen, secret societies, and haunted histories driving the plot. Emotional weight runs heavy and the endings often arrive as bittersweet rather than triumphant.

Dual timeline supernatural mysteries like Gogol. A Terrible Vengeance

Two eras collide as buried secrets and restless forces demand to be unearthed. Looking for movies like Gogol. A Terrible Vengeance with its complex dual timeline structure? These supernatural mystery thrillers weave past and present together, blending gothic horror, resurrection, and hidden truths into very complex narratives that demand your full attention and reward patient viewers.

  • dual timeline
  • supernatural
  • haunting
  • complex
  • gothic
  • revelation
  • Tone: dark, haunting, melancholic
  • Pacing: variable, layered reveals
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Two storylines unfold in parallel, one contemporary and one historical, each slowly revealing pieces of a shared supernatural mystery. Forces from the past reach forward into the present, and characters discover that the consequences of old actions still ripple forward through centuries. The dual structure layers reveals over reveals, ending in a bittersweet resolution where survival comes at a real cost.

Why they belong together: These movies share a structurally complex narrative with two intertwined timelines, supernatural stakes, and heavy emotional weight. Pacing shifts between intense action or chase sequences and slower revelatory beats where characters piece together family secrets and conspiracies. Endings tend toward bittersweet or tragic resolutions rather than clean victories, and the tonal palette stays firmly dark and haunting throughout.

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Every angle

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