[4] The film takes place in a large provincial city, centering on the turbulent family life of merchant Alexander Yegorovich Vanyushin, a respected member of the town council.
The drama escalates when Ludmila, Vanyushin's second daughter, unexpectedly returns home, fleeing her abusive husband, Stepan Krasavin, who drinks heavily, beats her, and blames her parents for not providing a dowry.
As tensions mount, Alexei is expelled from school for repeated absences, caused by his affair with a choir girl and financial troubles, leading him to steal from his mother.
Krasavin arrives demanding 15,000 rubles to restore Ludmila's honor and take her back, threatening to tarnish Vanyushin’s reputation and credit if unpaid.
Overwhelmed by his family’s betrayals and failures, Vanyushin ultimately takes his own life, leaving behind a household consumed by selfish ambitions and shattered dreams.