The Government Inspector

The collection includes three important works by Nikolai Gogol: "The Government Inspector", "The Players", "Marriage".
«The Government Inspector»
The comedy tells about the officials of a provincial town who learn about the arrival of an inspector from the capital. Fearing an inspection... of their abuses and corruption, they mistake an ordinary person—a minor official named Khlestakov—for the inspector. The local authorities begin to curry favor with him, bribing him and trying to hide their violations. The work mocks human vices, the fear of authority, and societal hypocrisy.

«The Players»
A comedy about swindlers and card cheats who meet in an inn. The experienced conman Ikharev hopes to deceive other players using his clever schemes. However, he himself becomes a victim of more skilled swindlers. The play portrays the world of gambling, deceit, and greed, revealing the theme of human gullibility and the desire for quick gains.

«Marriage»
A comedy about the indecisive official Podkolesin, who intends to get married but cannot bring himself to take that step. His friend Kochkarev actively tries to arrange his marriage with a merchant's daughter, Agafya Tikhonovna. During the matchmaking, comical and absurd situations arise, and the groom runs away at the last moment. The work humorously illustrates the fear of responsibility and mocks societal marriage traditions.
 

These texts are about people who strive for greatness but often find themselves caught up in petty games and small passions. They explore the quests for power, love, and wealth, which turn into absurd conflicts and curiosities.
The events unfold rapidly, with a carnival lightness and refined irony. Characters speak more than they think and often become victims of their own illusions and vanity.
Gogol is a master of satire, an expert at revealing the hidden. He shows how the external obscures the real, and how overconfidence leads to mistakes that prove fatal. His works are a mirror reflecting our weaknesses, fears, and hopes.
These texts remain relevant. They are about people who seek and err, about power that does not always serve the people, and about love that can be both absurd and desired.