The Lower Depths (Russian: На дне, romanized: Na dne, literally: At the bottom) is a play by Russian dramatist Maxim Gorky written in 1902 and produced by the Moscow Arts Theatre on December 18, 1902, under the direction of Konstantin Stanislavski.

The presentation of the lower classes was viewed as overly dark and unredemptive, and Gorky was clearly more interested in creating memorable characters than in advancing a formal plot.

The theme of harsh truth versus the comforting lie pervades the play from start to finish, as most of the characters choose to deceive themselves over the bleak reality of their condition.

In the kitchen live Kvashnya (Dough), a vendor of meat pies, the decrepit Baron, and the streetwalker Nastya.

Satin rises from his bunk, knowing only that he took a beating the night before, and the others tell him he had been caught cheating at cards.

The Actor claims a doctor has told him he has an organ poisoned by alcohol, and sweeping the floor would be bad for his health.

Anna, who is dying of consumption, lies in her bunk while her husband, Kleshtch (Tick), works at his bench, fitting old keys and locks.

He looks around the dirty cellar and tells Kleshtch that he is taking up too much room and that henceforth the rent will be increased.

The thief comes out of his room and denounces the landlord for not paying his debts, saying that Kostylyov still owes seven roubles for a watch he had bought.

In the backyard that night, as Natasha is telling romantic stories to the crowd, Kostylyov comes out and orders her back to work.

When the actors of the Moscow Arts Theatre were preparing the play for its first run in 1902, Maxim Gorky supplied them with photographs of the Nizhny Novgorod underclass taken by the famous local photographer, Maxim Dmitriev, to help with the realism of the acting and costumes.

[2] Gorky's play has been recognized as an important influence on Eugene O'Neill's 1946 drama The Iceman Cometh.