The Gudov family lives in a small village near Moscow. Sergei is the head of a close—knit family, he has everything in order: a faithful wife, a marriageable daughter, a farm, a house. He considers his brother Semyon to be a rotten branch on the family tree. After all, Semyon is a disgrace to the Goodovs' honest name, instead of a normal business, he commands a cemetery, sauna and microloans.