The Cathedral Clergy

In the provincial Stargorod, three holy fathers serve: the energetic protodeacon Savely Tuberzov, the meek priest Zachariah Benefaktov, and the hulking deacon Achille Desnitsin. Due to his idealism, Father Savely becomes embroiled in a conflict first with the church authorities, and then with the local secular power…
The book led critics to view the author of "Nowhere" and "On Knives" differently — Leskov was finally recognized as a master of psychological realism, brilliantly understanding the mores and aspirations of the common people. The author himself wrote that this novel "may be the only one of my works that will find a place in the history of our literature".