The mayor and the other officials take bribes, embezzle public money, drink and play cards, while idly discussing the latest town gossip.

Exactly at the time when the privy council is taking place which the mayor hurriedly organizes along with other rulers of the city, the news comes that Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov is residing at a hotel – a young man who is not paying the bills and behaves very suspiciously.

When the rulers of the city are beginning to cautiously deal with the "formidable auditor", by trying to find out something from him, Khlestakov gradually realizes that he has been mistaken for a "significant person" and that this circumstance can be very beneficial for him.

Always keeping the mayor and his minions afraid with tales of his high position in Petersburg, Khlestakov begins to "borrow" from everyone, and in fact - to extort the duped and intimidated city officials of money.

And a famous "silent scene" follows: with bulging eyes, the burned embezzlers who were deceived by the petty crook with brilliant simplicity, stare at each other in shocked silence... Incognito from St. Petersburg at IMDb