VIII -The Witchand Other Stories

In Zhukovo, a village devoid of mystery and rich conversation from fifteen to twenty years ago, life has become transparent, with peasants openly discussing their struggles with poverty rather than tales of lands and treasures. Osip attributes their hardships to the Zemstvo. Religious practices in the village are minimal and primarily routine, with attendance at the parish church reserved for significant rites of passage and holiday services. The villagers display a nominal belief in the supernatural, largely considering it a concern for women, with men like the old father showing indifference. Granny, divided between her faith and the immediate demands of poverty, as well as Marya and Fyokla, participate in religious customs without true understanding. However, the reverence for scripture and holy figures like Olga, who occasionally reads the gospel, is universal, elevating her status in the community.

Olga, more pious and reflective, embarks on pilgrimages that offer temporary respite from her day-to-day life, only to return with renewed appreciation for her family. Yet, the village’s reality is far from spiritual, with drunken festivities marking religious holidays and leading to instances of violence and regret. A rare moment of collective religious fervor sweeps through Zhukovo with the arrival of a sacred ikon, sparking a brief but potent sense of hope and divine protection against the village’s desolation.

Following the ikon’s departure, life reverts to its dismal norm, with only the affluent showing fear of death as they seek to secure their afterlife with rituals, contrasting with the poorer peasants’ indifference or even longing for death due to their hardships. The villagers harbor a disproportionate fear of illness, treating minor ailments as death sentences, highlighting their fatalistic acceptance of mortality but profound anxiety over suffering and disease. This glimpse into Zhukovo presents a bleak tableau of rural life, where fleeting moments of faith and hope are smothered by the grim realities of poverty, apathy, and despair.