The first half of the XIX century. The fictional town of Volga Kalinov. Community garden on the bank of the Volga. Local self-taught mechanic Kuligin talking to young people - Kudryashov, a clerk of a wealthy merchant of the Wild, and philistine Shapkin - of gross antics and tyranny of the Wild. Then there is Boris, a nephew of the Wild, which is in response to inquiries Kuligina says that his parents lived in Moscow, gave him an education in the Commercial Academy and both died during the epidemic. He came to the Wild, leaving his sister in maternal relatives to get a share of the inheritance grandmother that Savage should give him according to his will, if Boris will be respectful to him. All of his claim: in such circumstances the Wild never give him money. Boris Kuligin complains that can not get used to life in the house of the Wild, Kuligin tells Kalinove and ends his speech by saying: "The brutal manners, sir, in our city, cruel!" Kalinouski diverge. Together with another woman appears wanderer Feklusha praising the city for the "blah-to-lepie" and Kabanov house for particularly generous to strangers. "Kabanov?" - Boris asks: "Hypocrite, sir, the poor apportion and home quite devoured" - explains Kuligin. Kabanov goes accompanied by his daughter Barbara and son Tikhon with his wife Catherine. She growls at them, but finally leaves, allowing the children to walk on the boulevard. Varvara releases Tikhon secret from the mother to drink at a party, and, left alone with Catherine, talking to her about domestic relationships, Tikhon. Katherine tells of a happy childhood in the family home, on their fervent prayers, that she is going through the temple, imagining angels in a sunbeam, falling from the dome, dreams to stretch his arms and fly, and finally admits that it is "wrong something ". Varvara realizes that Katerina someone fell in love, and promises to arrange a meeting out Tikhon. This proposal leads Katerina horrified. There is a crazy lady, threatening that "the beauty of something in the maelstrom of the most leads," and predicts the torments of hell. Katerina terribly frightened, and then there's "storm comes," she hurries home to images of Barbara pray.
Kalinouski diverge. Together with another woman appears wanderer Feklusha praising the city for the "blah-to-lepie" and Kabanov house for particularly generous to strangers. "Kabanov?" - Boris asks: "Hypocrite, sir, the poor apportion and home quite devoured" - explains Kuligin. Kabanov goes accompanied by his daughter Barbara and son Tikhon with his wife Catherine. She growls at them, but finally leaves, allowing the children to walk on the boulevard. Varvara releases Tikhon secret from the mother to drink at a party, and, left alone with Catherine, talking to her about domestic relationships, Tikhon. Katherine tells of a happy childhood in the family home, on their fervent prayers, that she is going through the temple, imagining angels in a sunbeam, falling from the dome, dreams to stretch his arms and fly, and finally admits that it is "wrong something ". Varvara realizes that Katerina someone fell in love, and promises to arrange a meeting out Tikhon. This proposal leads Katerina horrified. There is a crazy lady, threatening that "the beauty of something in the maelstrom of the most leads," and predicts the torments of hell. Katerina terribly frightened, and then there's "storm comes," she hurries home to images of Barbara pray.