Vassa

In 1913, Vassa Borisovna Zheleznova watches as her one-year-old passenger steamer, Fyodor, burns and sinks into the Volga on a garbage dump outskirts of Nizhny Novgorod. The ship’s destruction is valued at 300,000 rubles and is caused by the drunken negligence of the sailor Shalamov, a man hired years earlier to rescue Fyodor. The disaster sets the plot in motion and shatters Vassa’s sense of control over her family’s status and finances.

Frustrated by her chauffeur Alexei Pyatorkin delaying departure to tinker with the car engine, Vassa decides to return to the city on foot. The reversal of plans underscores her determination to face the consequences of the disaster and protect her family's reputation. The moment also foreshadows the tensions that will ripple through the household.

Back home, Vassa meets Yuri Melnikov, the district court official she hired to shield her husband. Melnikov presents photos and testimony of Sergei with underage girls, making a conviction for hard labor seem likely despite bribes. The disclosure forces Vassa to confront the depth of the family's scandal.

Determined to protect her daughters and grandson, Vassa resolves to cover up the scandal at any cost. She weighs the social ruin and the estate's future, choosing secrecy over transparency. Her decision anchors the ensuing concealment strategy within the family.

Vassa confronts Sergei in a tense exchange, imploring him to safeguard their family by avoiding a public trial. She even offers him poison to hasten his demise and silence the case. Their heated argument is overheard by Prokhor and the maid Lisa, signaling the couple’s precarious web of secrets.

The maid Lisa is secretly pregnant with Prokhor's child, adding a dangerous layer of personal entanglement to the already volatile family dynamic. The news amplifies the stakes for everyone involved and deepens loyalties and threats. It is a detail that intensifies the fear of exposure should the scandal spill out.

Natalia learns from Melnikov's son that her father faces impending prosecution and questions her mother's choices regarding her marriage to the much older captain. She discreetly informs her uncle, signaling the friction and suspicion rippling through the family. The revelation accelerates the collapse of public facades.

During a family discussion, a scream cuts through the house when Lisa discovers Sergei dead in his room. The death immediately reframes the situation from a looming legal battle to a likely murder or suicide mystery. The incident dramatizes the high-stakes atmosphere surrounding the family.

Shortly after Sergei's death, a new family steamer is christened in Nikolai’s name, accompanied by a grand celebration. The ceremony projects continuity and prestige as the family tries to maintain outward appearances. The timing suggests a calculated display of loyalty to legacy amid growing tensions.

Rachel Moiseyevna Topaz, Vassa’s revolutionary daughter-in-law from Switzerland, arrives and demands custody of her son Nikolai. Vassa refuses the demand and warns that involvement with authorities could unfold further trouble. The confrontation inserts political peril into the personal crisis.

Prokhor hosts a wild evening that descends into debauchery, provoking Vassa’s anger when she returns. She moves to discipline the family by exiling Prokhor to a tar distillery, reinforcing her authority in the wake of scandal. The tensions around Prokhor deepen the family's fragility.

The next morning, Anna recounts the chaos that erupts whenever Vassa is absent, prompting Vassa to instruct Anna to report Rachel’s presence to the authorities. The day also includes Natalia’s resistance to travel to Switzerland and support Fyodor in his final days.

The morning after the turmoil, Anna finds Vassa lifeless in her chair. Prokhor attempts to seize the estate, but Alexei arrives with a will naming Anna as the sisters' guardian; Prokhor’s efforts to destroy the will fail. Rachel, uninterested in the estate, asks only for her son’s location.

With Vassa dead and the will secured, Anna assumes Vassa’s seat of authority while Lyudmila collapses in shock. The family legacy is left in tumult, and the power dynamics shift decisively to the next generation. The estate’s future hangs in the balance as new leadership emerges.