Isäntä ja renki

A cold winter day after St. Nicholas’ feast finds the bustling village of Pitäjä alive with celebration. Wasili Andrejitsh Brehunov, a shrewd merchant and innkeeper, is already planning his next move: a risky deal over a forest that could boost his fortunes, but only if he beats rival traders to the bargain. His only servant, Nikita, a fifty‑year‑old former drunk now devoted to sobriety, prepares the horses and watches his master’s calculations with a mixture of loyalty and quiet resignation.

Nikita’s life has been shaped by endless service, modest pay, and a hard‑won reputation for honesty. At home his wife Martta struggles to keep their small family afloat, accepting whatever scraps the merchant offers. As the two men set out on their venture, the story probes the fragile balance between exploitation and dependence, the moral compromises of poverty, and the quiet dignity of those who endure it. Listeners will be drawn into a vivid portrait of 19th‑century Russian village life, where every transaction carries weight beyond its monetary value.