On the face of the flood

In a remote forest village where timber and rafts keep the river alive, a shy boy named Sergey carries a heavy secret. After his uncle Abram’s baffling nightly habits culminate in a mysterious ring rolling away from a drunken stumble, Sergey confides in Matvey, the village foreman whose steady mind and devout faith have earned the trust of all. Matvey and his wife Christina open their modest pine‑log home to hear the boy’s troubling tale, setting a quiet but urgent quest into motion.

The story unfolds against the stark beauty of snow‑melted currents and the hard‑working rhythm of the woodcutters, drawing listeners into a world where loyalty, superstition, and hidden danger clash. As the ring’s disappearance hints at deeper trouble, the first act builds a tense, intimate portrait of family, duty, and the whispered threats that linger in the pine shadows.