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Under the reign of Catherine the Great, in the small town of Soligalitch in the Kostroma region,
a son Alexashka (pejorative for Alexander) was born into clerk Rizhov's family.
Soon afterwards clerk Rizhov died leaving Alexashka and his mother without a penny to live on.
But the widow was a strong woman, one of a kind, who "in a crisis would never surrender to grief,
in fact she would save everyone else. She could even stop a galloping horse, and she was not afraid to enter a burning house".
Alexashka, believing it was a sin to be dependent on his mother,
got his first job when he was only 14.
So, he became a postman who delivered mail in two nearby towns.
In addition to his postman's bag, he always carried on his broad back
a huge linen sack containing his Bible which had a great influence on him.
Alexashka knew many of the prophets' scriptures by heart;
however, he especially liked Isaiah.
...The ox knoweth his owner, and the *** his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider...
...A seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters...
To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me...
...Your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them...
And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear...
Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings...
Learn to do well...
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow...
Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards...
Therefore saith the Lord, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies...
The town of Soligalitch, where Alexashka lived had seven stone churches, two seminaries, one regular school, seven factories,
thirty seven shops, three taverns and two pubs, as well as 3,665 residents.
When the old police officer died, Alexashka was determined to take his post.
The chief of police appointed him, but said nothing about bribes.
Alexashka; however, having studied the Bible, lived in full accordance with the Holy Scriptures.
This is our new police officer, Alexashka Rizhov, the son of Matrona, a pastry cook.
He used to be Alexashka, now, he is Alexander Afanasyevitch.
Alexander Afanasyevitch, take anything you want, it's yours.
Everything I need I can buy with what is paid to me by the tsar; bribes are forbidden by God.
Don't be surprised, matushka (the usual way to address a married woman in 19th century Russia, derived from the word "mother").
Our new police officer, Alexander Afanasyevitch does not take bribes.
He has never taken or given one since his first day of work;
that's why, our chief of police does not like him and tries to find any misdeeds or flaws in his service.
A police officer who does not take bribes?! Is that possible?
Everyone takes bribes. The previous officer never left a single cart unturned: he either stole a log or a couple of beets or even a head of cabbage.
This one never takes bribes and never steals anything.
I have doubts about Rizhov. I cannot trust him. What if he has some anti-Orthodox heresy in his mind?
I'll tell you frankly, Ivan Kuzmitch, I don't see any heresy in him.
What I see is some pride that comes from the fact that his mother is helping him out by giving him pies.
I do advise that you put a stop to this commerce that is not suitable to her son's current position.
You'll then see how his enormous pride will disappear, and he will find himself in need of…
I'll put a stop to it! The law is like a horse: turn it whenever you need it
May God bless our police officer with good health! He is a very kind master. He neither puts himself above the people nor judges them.
It is true, matushka, very true! May God grant him good health!
What kind of officer is he? He does not even have a proper uniform.
Our former police officer wore a full dress uniform with a high collar, breeches and leather boots with tassels.
Look at this one - he continues to wear the same beshmet (Kazak coat) that he wore when he was delivering mail.
He is an orphan now; his mother has died.
May God grant Matrona her place in Heaven!
Rizhov did not love his mother. He gave her a very meager funeral - the clergy was paid a small sum,
there was no wake, he didn't even bake a pie nor did he arrange for the forty days of prayer for her. Heretic!
I don't care what you say!
He did not come to congratulate any of our prominent citizens on Easter Sunday;
he only celebrated with his family.
Why does no one like our Alexander Afanasyevitch? He does his service faithfully and lives only on his salary.
That is true, matushka.
People say, our chief of police does not trust him and our priest doubts him.
Well, both the chief of police's wife and the priest's wife support him. The chief of police's wife sent him 80 pounds of potatoes.
He brought them back and said that he thanked her for her kindness, but he could not accept gifts.
Good day, Alexander Afanasyevitch! I was searching for you…
What for?
Take this! It is my own needlework.
It is forbidden to accept gifts. I am used to being dressed modestly, and I find no pleasure in this extravagance.
That's the man who should be serving at the altar - not you robbers in cassocks.
Shut up, fool!
What a perverse idea!... Maybe I could use it to get a promotion and even go to St. Petersburg.
Forgive me, father Fyodor!
God forgives and I forgive!
Ivan Kuzmitch, send Rizhov to see me this week.
I'd like to discover what's inside his soul to know what to do with him as he keeps faltering in the Orthodox beliefs.
Do your best, father Fyodor, please! Or we won't have anything to keep him in check.
He doesn't take and doesn't give bribes! He is ruining my reputation.
I'll handle him just right, I'll scare him with God's anger and make him tell all of his secrets
and even the reason why he avoids everyone and does not accept gifts.
When he confesses, we will know how we should act next,
may God save our souls!
Alexander Afanasyevitch, both, you and I should set an example of piety for our people and demonstrate respect to the church.
I agree, Your Most Honourable Sir!
So, take some time to fast and confess.
Yes, sir.
And as long as both of us are public figures, we should do it publicly not secretly.
I usually confess to our priest as he is the most experienced in spiritual judgment, so I do recommend that you go and do the same.
I'll go and confess to our priest.
Very well, you'll go the first week of Lent, and I'll do it during the last week. Let's divide it like that.
I agree to it as well.
Are you sleeping, father Fyodor?
Come in, Ivan Kuzmitch.
Proshka, harness the horses in half an hour. How are you, father Fyodor? Are you doing well? How is God treating you?
Oh, God gives me two times what I am worth.
How is it going with Rizhov?
I had Rizhov confessing to me and even praised him; he confessed everything to me, but I did not find any deadly sin in him.
He repented this and that - he is definitely not a saint in everything, but all his sins are simple and human.
He does not plot anything evil against his superiors, and he is not willing to report on either me or you.
The fact that he does not accept gifts comes from a single delusion.
So he does have a delusion. What is it all about?
He read a lot of the Bible.
Only a fool would do such a thing!
He read it because he was bored and, now he cannot forget it.
What a fool! What are we supposed to do with him now?
Nothing can be done; he read too much of it.
Are you trying to say that he read about Christ already?
He read everything in it.
That means we are doomed?!
He should get married. For a married man, even if he has read about Christ, it is hard to remain honest.
His wife will start nagging him about this matter or that; she will pester him until he concedes.
He will forget about the Bible, start accepting gifts and become loyal to his superiors.
That is a very good idea, father Fyodor.
Whatever you say, my friend, you are doing well except for one thing.
What is that?
You are single.
What is so wrong with that?
Well, you can easily do something treacherous and escape to another province.
Nothing keeps you here, right? You can grab your Bible and disappear without a single trace.
Yes, that's true. I have nothing holding me here.
So, you see you are untrustworthy.
Will I be more trustworthy if I am married?
It goes without saying. I can do whatever I like with a married man
- he will put up with anything because he has to take care of his wife and kids;
while, a single man is like a bird - he flies wherever he wants, no one can trust him. Do what you want, but you should get married or leave.
Well, marriage is a good thing, granted to us by God. If you ask me to, I'll do it.
But you should choose a wife to your own liking.
I'll do it to my own liking.
Make it fast.
I have already chosen one. I just need to go and see if someone else hasn't taken her.
Look at him! What a sinner! No one could notice a sin in him… and he already has his eye on a girl!
I've got lots of sins! I am vile through and through! I have not proposed to anyone yet,
but I have an eye on one girl, and I ask for your permission to go and see her.
Where does she live? Here or over there?
She is neither from here nor from there: she lives at the brook near the swamps.
What are you waiting for? Go and see her now.
Rizhov was a humble man, shared his ideas and beliefs and never imposed them on others.
He only wrote his ideas in thick notebooks with the significant title "The man of one idea".
Alexander Afanasyevitch, you are invited to come to city hall.
You have been appointed to temporarily replace Ivan Kuzmitch in the post of chief of police.
Sergey Stepanovitch Lanskoy fired all the lazybones in the provincial offices. He had great respect for honesty and a sense of justice in people.
He was a very kind man and loved Russia and the Russian people;
however, his understanding was that of a true aristocrat who saw everything from the point of view of a foreigner from the west.
Alexander Afanasyevitch, would you like to sit in the chief's chair?
I cannot, my clothing is inappropriate; I am not dressed for a wedding feast.
So, stay there in your striped beshmet!
Alexander Afanasyevitch, you might not know, but our governor is coming to inspect different parts of our province.
He will come to visit us soon. We will have to meet him with the outmost reverence.
The sentries and soldiers should dye their hair and moustache. More people should be discharged from hospitals.
Only the best horses should be kept at the stations to meet the governor.
We will need lime, soot and ochre to paint the town.
We should not make our residents pay for it and create debts. The governor is not a devastator,is he?
Alexander Afanasyevitch, have mercy on us! How should we present our town to the governor?
Let us at least paint the town gates and change your uniform.
The governor will be outraged to see such a wonder as the chief of police dressed in beshmet.
My income does not allow me to have new clothing. What I have is what I wear;
when God calls me, I will appear naked in front of Him. Clothing plays a tiny role;
it is more important to be honest and have a clear conscience. You know that people say: clothes count for the first impression only.
We will split the cost of buying you a new uniform and painting our gates.
I have nothing against painting the gates, but a new uniform is a gift, and I don't accept gifts.
There is no need to split the cost. Let the tax collector pay; he is most at fault.
He shall paint the gates out of the goodness of his heart.
I'll mention this fact to the governor and pray for you in the sanctuary.
Give the judge a triple portion of rum, a bit of cognac and some grape ***.
He will report that he is sick and stay at home, and drink all this alcohol.
Meanwhile, you will wear his dress uniform. Thus, we'll keep the wolves sated and the sheep intact.
Have you been to the church, matushka Maria Antonovna? What happened there? Why is everyone so agitated?
Yes, I've been there and seen everything with my own eyes.
What have you seen? Don't keep me waiting, tell me!
I saw how our police officer made the governor swallow his pride.
That is impossible!
The governor entered the church in an arrogant fashion without blessing himself with the cross or bowing to everyone around -
he bowed neither to the people nor to the altar.
He was striding along with his proud posture right to the pulpit
when Alexander Afanasyevitch could not bear this lack of reverence anymore.
Could not bear the governor's irreverence?
When the governor approached the solea (the area immideately before the holy doors), Alexander Afanasyevitch came up to him from the back,
grabbed his hand and told him that he was a servant of God like anyone else there,
and he should enter the temple of God modestly not arrogantly as he was a most sinful.
Then, he put his hand on the governor's back and made him bow to the ground.
He corrected our governor in public and called him an awful sinner?
Did anyone try to stop him?
Nobody dared to stand up for the governor - neither the people nor our officials.
I guess we'll never see our Alexander Afanasyevitch again.
Come in!
Did you call me, Your Excellency?
What kind of man did I meet today in the church? How can he be tolerated by the public?
He is our police officer Rizhov.
Does he suffer from some sort of insanity?
No, sir, he is always like that.
Really? Why then do you keep him in service?
He is very good at it, that's why.
But he is very rude.
No, sir, he is the most humble man: if a senior officer takes advantage of him, he will never question it, and that is the way it should be.
He will never complain about it. The only odd thing about him is that he has read a lot of the Bible and, thus, became a bit mad.
You are talking nonsense; the Bible is a divine book.
That is very true, sir, but for some people, it may be of no good use: when a teenager reads the Bible,
it may arouse dark passions; when a lay man reads it, it may drive him insane.
What nonsense! What about accepting bribes; does he expect much?
He neither takes bribes nor accepts gifts.
There is no way I can believe that.
It is true, sir. He does not take anything.
Well, how does he live then? What is his source of income?
He lives on his salary, that's how.
You are talking nonsense again. There is no one who can live like that anywhere in Russia.
Surely, sir, no one, but we have one here.
What is his monthly salary?
Ten rubles a month.
But this money wouldn't be enough to feed a sheep.
I agree it is hard to live on this sum.
Why then is it hard for everyone except him?
He has read the Bible, you see…
Well, I understand that he read a lot of the Bible, but what does he eat and drink?
Bread and water.
What an amazing man! I really need to talk to him. Call him to my office, please.
Your behavior is very odd.
I don't think so. The way I do things seems strange to you because you are not used to them.
Are you a member of some sect?
There is no sect here: I go to our church.
Do you confess?
I do repent to God in the presence of our priest.
Do you have a family?
Yes, a wife and a son.
Do you have a small salary?
I get ten rubles a month and still don't know if it is a small or a big sum.
It is a small sum.
You could report to the tsar that it is a small sum for a sly servant.
What about a faithful servant?
For the faithful, it is enough.
People say you don't use your position for your own benefit.
Tell me frankly: how is it possible?
Why isn't it possible?
You get very little money.
If one can keep oneself under strict control, one can survive on little money.
Why don't you ask for a promotion?
Who is then going to hold this post?
Someone else.
Will he be able to do any better than I do now?
Listen, you are an unusual man! Please sit down.
You are said to know the Bible very well, right?
I read it when time permits, and I do advise you to do the same.
Good, but… may I assure you that you can talk to me honestly and in all fairness.
Lying is forbidden by one of the commandments. I will not lie.
Very well. Do you respect the authorities?
No, I don't.
Why is that?
They are lazy, greedy and two-faced in front of the Holy Table.
You are quite sincere. Thank you. Do you prophesy too?
No, I just conclude by the Bible what could happen as follows from it.
Could you show me at least one of your conclusions?
Surely.
Can you give me an example of something that you predicted that has already happened and come true?
The Empress in her letter to Voltaire called him "The second John Chrysostom".
I predicted that for this inappropriate comparison, the life of our tsarina wouldn't have a quiet end.
It came true when her son, Pavel Petrovitch, made a distressing proposal of marriage.
Show me something else.
The logging tax law was issued. It will become colder in poor cabins. One should expect a special punishment.
It came true with the death of a young daughter of Emperor Alexander the First.
Now, tell me one last thing: How come you are not scared of what you are writing and what you did to me in the church?
What I write - I write for myself, and what I did in the church had to be done to protect the tsar's authority.
Why the tsar's authority?
So that everyone should see that the tsar's servants respect the people's faith.
But I could have treated you differently from how I am treating you right now.
What kind of evil could be done to a person who can survive on ten rubles a month?
I could have ordered your arrest.
People are fed better in prison.
You could have been sentenced to exile.
Is there any place where I could be exiled and feel worse than now… where my God could leave me?
He is with me everywhere, and apart from Him, I am afraid of no one.
Your character deserves respect. You may leave now.
What can you tell me about Rizhov? What kind of person is he?
He is not like anyone else… he is different…
I will not forget you and follow your advice: read the Bible.
Good. But that is not enough. Try to live on ten rubles a month.
What an odd man! A very odd man!
Alexander Afanasyevitch? Sergey Stepanovitch Lanskoy has nominated
the police officer Rizhov to be awarded the St. Vladimir Cross medal with the right of hereditary nobility.
This medal is to be worn and in the appropriate manner.
What an odd man! A very odd man!
It was the first St. Vladimir Cross awarded to a police officer.
Rizhov, however, had no appropriate clothing to wear it on.
And in his notebook entitled "The man of one idea", opposite the name of Lanskoy,
he wrote: "He will become a count", - and it came true, as we all know.