[2] A journalist’s trip to a small town to cover a Pushkin festival spirals into a crisis of identity and jealousy when a provocative stranger pushes him to confront his deepest insecurities, culminating in a tense, psychological showdown.

Journalist Alexei Dmitriev and his wife Tatyana visit Boldino to cover the annual celebrations honoring Alexander Pushkin.

They stay with their friend Dmitry, the museum director, and Alexei interviews various guests, including artists and scholars, to capture the event’s atmosphere.

Alexei dismisses the idea, asserting Pushkin’s moral strength, and continues debating Klimov about the poet’s legacy and character.

The episode leaves Alexei to grapple with his own vulnerabilities, stirred by Klimov’s provocations, leading him to confront deeper insecurities about his own values and identity.