After the baby is born in secret, Nikita murders it at the urging of both his wife and mother, but he is consumed by guilt over his sins.

Their adaptation of Resurrection was the first film based on the works of Leo Tolstoy to play in Russian theaters, in October 1909.

They were intended for audiences already familiar with the adapted works, and presented only a selection of key scenes without any context or transitions.

[3][4] The Russian trade journal Cine-Phono [ru] gave the film a positive review.

[a][5] Most Russian films of this era, including all of Khanzhonkov's Tolstoy adaptations, are believed lost.