The novel takes place in a provincial city in early autumn. Events are narrated by the chronicler Mr., who is also a participant in the events described. His story begins with the story of Stepan Trofimovich Verkhovensky, an idealist of the forties, and a description of his complex platonic relationship with Varvara Petrovna Stavrogin, a noble provincial lady, whose patronage he enjoys.
Around Verkhovensky, who fell in love with the “civic role” and lives in the “embodied reproachful” homeland, local liberal-minded youth are grouped. It has a lot of “phrases” and poses, but mind and discernment are also enough. He was the tutor of many heroes of the novel. It used to be beautiful, now it is somewhat lowered, flabby, playing cards and does not deny itself champagne.
The arrival of Nikolai Stavrogin, an extremely "mysterious and romantic" person, about whom there are many rumors, is expected. He served in an elite guards regiment, fought in a duel, was demoted, and served himself well. Then it is known that he wrapped up, set off into the wildest unbridledness. Having been in his native city four years ago, he nouflaged a lot, provoking general indignation: he dragged the venerable man Gaganov by the nose, bit painfully at the then Governor’s ear, publicly kissed another man’s wife ... In the end, everything seemed to be explained by delirium tremens. Having recovered, Stavrogin went abroad.
His mother Varvara Petrovna Stavrogin, a decisive and powerful woman, concerned about the attention of her son to her pupil Daria Shatova and interested in his marriage with her friend’s daughter Lisa Tushina, decides to marry her ward Stepan Trofimovich to Daria. He, in some horror, although not without enthusiasm, is preparing to make an offer.
In the cathedral at the mass meeting, Varvara Petrovna unexpectedly approaches Marya Timofeevna Lebyadkina, she is also a Lame Knife, and kisses her hand. An intrigued lady who recently received an anonymous letter informing her that a lame woman would play a serious role in her fate, invites her to her, and Liza Tushina also goes with them. An excited Stepan Trofimovich is already waiting there, since it was on this day that his matchmaking to Daria was scheduled. Soon, Captain Lebyadkin, who arrived for his sister, also appears here, in foggy speeches of which, interspersed with verses of his own composition, some terrible secret is mentioned and alludes to some of his special rights.
Suddenly they announce the arrival of Nikolai Stavrogin, who was expected only a month later. First, the bustling Peter Verkhovensky appears, and behind him is the pale and romantic handsome Stavrogin himself. Varvara Petrovna immediately asked her son the question of whether Marya Timofeevna was his legal wife. Stavrogin silently kisses his mother’s hand, then grabiously grabs Lebyadkin’s arm and brings her out. In his absence, Verkhovensky tells a beautiful story about how Stavrogin inspired a clogged holy fool to make a beautiful dream, so she even imagined him as her fiancé. Then he strictly asked Lebyadkin if this was true, and the captain, trembling with fear, confirms everything.
Varvara Petrovna is delighted and when her son appears again, he asks for forgiveness. However, the unexpected happens: Shatov suddenly approaches Stavrogin and gives him a slap in the face. Fearless Stavrogin grabs him in anger, but then suddenly puts his hands behind his back. As it turns out later, this is yet another evidence of his tremendous strength, another test. Shatov goes out unhindered. Lisa Tushina, clearly not indifferent to "Prince Harry", as they call Stavrogin, faints.
It takes eight days. Stavrogin does not accept anyone, and when his retreat ends, Peter Verkhovensky immediately slips to him. He declares readiness for everything for Stavrogin and reports about a secret society, at the meeting of which they should appear together. Soon after his visit, Stavrogin goes to engineer Kirillov. An engineer for whom Stavrogin means a lot, says that he still professes his idea. Its essence is the need to get rid of God, who is nothing but the “pain of the fear of death”, and to express self-will, killing himself and thus becoming a human god.
Then Stavrogin rises to Shatov, who lives in the same house, who informs him that he actually officially married Lebyadkina some time ago in St. Petersburg, as well as his intention to publicly announce this in the near future. He generously warns Shatov that they are going to kill him. Shatov, whom Stavrogin had previously had a great influence, reveals to him his new idea of the God-bearing people, which the Russian people consider to be, advises him to give up his wealth and achieve God by peasant labor. True, to the counter question, but does he believe in God himself, Shatov answers somewhat uncertainly that he believes in Orthodoxy, in Russia, that he ... will believe in God.
That same night, Stavrogin headed for Lebyadkin and on the way he met the fugitive Fedka Katorzhny, sent to him by Peter Verkhovensky. He expresses his readiness to fulfill any will of the master, for a fee, but Stavrogin drives him. He reports to Lebyadkin that he is going to announce his marriage to Marya Timofeevna, whom he married “... after a drunken dinner, because of a bet on wine ...”. Marya Timofeevna meets Stavrogin with a tale of an ominous dream. He asks her if she is ready to go with him to Switzerland and live the rest of her life in solitude. The indignant Lamefoot shouts that Stavrogin is not a prince, that her prince, a clear falcon, has been replaced, and he is an impostor, he has a knife in his pocket. Accompanied by her screech and laughter, the furious Stavrogin retreats. On the way back, he throws Fedka Katorzhny money.
The next day, there is a duel between Stavrogin and the local nobleman Artemy Gaganov, who provoked him for insulting his father. Gaganov, seething with anger, shoots and misses three times. Stavrogin, however, declares that he does not want to kill anyone else, and three times pointedly shoots in the air. This story greatly raises Stavrogin in the eyes of society.
Meanwhile, frivolous moods and a penchant for blasphemous amusements of various kinds were outlined: mockery of the newlyweds, desecration of the icon, etc. , the workers of the Shtigulins closed factory show dissatisfaction, a certain second lieutenant, not having taken out the reprimand of the commander, rushes at him and bites his shoulder, and before that he had chopped up two images and lit church candles before the works of Focht, Moleshott and Buchner ... In this atmosphere, a holiday by subscription in favor of governesses, started by the wife of the governor Julia Mikhailovna.
Varvara Petrovna, offended by Stepan Trofimovich’s overly explicit desire to marry and his too frank letters to his son Petr complaining that they say they want to marry him “for other sins,” appoints him a pension, but at the same time announces the breakup.
The younger Verkhovensky at this time develops a vibrant activity. He is admitted to the governor's house and enjoys the patronage of his wife, Yulia Mikhailovna. She believes that he is associated with the revolutionary movement, and wants to reveal with his help a state conspiracy. At a meeting with Governor von Lembke, extremely concerned about what is happening, Verkhovensky skillfully gives him several names, in particular Shatov and Kirillov, but he asks him for six days to reveal the whole organization. Then he runs to Kirillov and Shatov, notifying them of the meeting of “ours” and asking them to be, after which he calls on Stavrogin, who has just been visited by Mavriky Nikolaevich, Liza Tushina’s fiancé, with the proposal that Nikolai Vsevolodovich marry her, since she’s at least and hates him, but at the same time loves him. Stavrogin admits to him that he cannot do this in any way, since he is already married. Together with Verkhovensky they are sent to a secret meeting.
At the meeting, gloomy Shigalev speaks with his program of "final resolution of the issue." Its essence is the division of humanity into two unequal parts, of which one tenth receives freedom and unlimited right over the remaining nine tenths, turned into a herd. Verkhovensky then offers a provocative question: would the participants in the meeting have informed if they had learned about the impending political murder. Unexpectedly, Shatov rises and, calling Verkhovensky a scoundrel and a spy, leaves the meeting. This is what Peter Stepanovich needs, who has already outlined Shatov as a victim in order to seal the blood of the formed five-member revolutionary group. Verkhovensky is tied up with Stavrogin, who went along with Kirillov, and in a fever devotes them to his crazy plans. His goal is to cause great confusion. “Such a buildup will go as the world has not yet seen ... Russia will be fogged up, the earth will cry for the old gods ...” Then he will be needed, Stavrogin. Handsome man and aristocrat. Ivan Tsarevich.
Events are growing like a snowball. Stepan Trofimovich is "described" - officials come and pick up papers. Workers from the Shpigulinsky factory send petitioners to the governor, which causes von Lembke to have a fit of rage and is almost a riot. It falls under the hot hand of the mayor and Stepan Trofimovich. Immediately after this, the announcement of Stavrogin that Lebyadkina is his wife also takes place in the governor’s house.
The long-awaited holiday day is coming. The highlight of the first part is the reading by the famous writer Karmazinov of his farewell essay “Merci”, and then the accusatory speech of Stepan Trofimovich. He passionately defends against the nihilists Raphael and Shakespeare. He is booed, and cursing everyone, he proudly leaves the stage. It becomes known that Lisa Tushina suddenly in broad daylight moved from her carriage, leaving Mavrikiy Nikolayevich there, to Stavrogin’s carriage and drove Skvoreshniki to his estate. The highlight of the second part of the holiday is the “quadrille of literature”, an ugly caricature allegorical action. The governor and his wife are beside themselves with indignation. It was then that they reported that the Zarechye, which was allegedly set on fire by the Shpigulinsky burns, later became aware of the murder of Captain Lebyadkin, his sister and servant. The governor goes on fire, where a log falls on him.
In Skvoreshniki, meanwhile, Stavrogin and Lisa Tushina meet morning together. Lisa intends to leave and tries her best to hurt Stavrogin, who, on the contrary, is in a sentimental mood uncharacteristic for him. He asks why Lisa came to him and why there was “so much happiness”. He offers her to leave together, which she perceives with a mockery, although at some moment her eyes suddenly light up. Indirectly, in their conversation, the topic of murder emerges - so far only a hint. At that moment, the omnipresent Peter Verkhovensky appears. He tells Stavrogin the details of the murder and the fire in Zarechye. Lise Stavrogin says that he did not kill and was against, but he knew about the impending murder and did not stop. In hysterics, she leaves the Stavrogin house, nearby she is waiting for the devotee Mavriky Nikolaevich who sat all night in the rain. They head to the place of murder and meet on the way Stepan Trofimovich, running, according to him, “out of delirium, fever sleep, <...> look for Russia” In the crowd near the conflagration, they recognize Liza as “Stavrogin’s”, because a rumor has already rushed that the case was started Stavrogin to get rid of his wife and take another. Someone from the crowd hits her, she falls. The backward Mavriky Nikolaevich manages too late. Lisa is carried away still alive, but unconscious.
And Pyotr Verkhovensky continues to bother. He collects the top five and announces that a denunciation is being prepared. The scammer is Shatov, he must be removed. After some doubts, it is agreed that the common cause is most important. Verkhovensky, accompanied by Liputin, goes to Kirillov to recall the arrangement by which he must, before committing suicide in accordance with his idea, take on himself and other people's blood. Kirillov is sitting in the kitchen, drinking and eating Fedka Katorzhny. Verkhovensky snatches up a revolver in anger: how could he disobey and appear here? Fedka suddenly beats Verkhovensky, he falls unconscious, Fedka runs away. Verkhovensky claims to witness to this scene Liputin that Fedka drank vodka for the last time. In the morning, it really becomes known that Fedka was found with a broken head seven miles from the city. Liputin, already about to run away, now no longer doubts the secret power of Peter Verkhovensky and remains.
Shatov’s wife, Marya, arrives that same evening who left him after two weeks of marriage. She is pregnant and asks for a temporary shelter. A little later, a young officer Erkel from "ours" comes to him and informs about tomorrow's meeting. At night, Shatov’s wife begins giving birth. He runs after the midwife Virginia and then helps her. He is happy and enjoys a new working life with his wife and child. Exhausted, Shatov falls asleep in the morning and wakes up already in the dark. Erkel comes behind him, together they go to the Stavrogin park. Verkhovensky, Virgininsky, Liputin, Lyamshin, Tolkachenko and Shigalev are already waiting there, who suddenly categorically refuses to take part in the murder, because this contradicts his program.
Shatov is being attacked. Verkhovensky shot from a revolver point blank kills him. Two large stones are tied to the body and thrown into a pond. Verkhovensky hurries to Kirillov. Although he is indignant, he fulfills the promise - he writes a note under dictation and takes the blame for the murder of Shatov, and then shoots. Verkhovensky collects his things and leaves for Petersburg, from there abroad.
Having set off on his last pilgrimage, Stepan Trofimovich dies in a peasant's hut in the arms of Varvara Petrovna, who rushed after him. Before his death, an accidental fellow traveler, whom he tells his whole life, reads the gospel to him, and he compares the possessed, from whom Christ expelled the demons that entered the pigs, with Russia. This passage from the Gospel is taken by the chronicler as one of the epigraphs to the novel.
All participants in the crime, except Verkhovensky, were soon arrested, issued by Lyamshin. Daria Shatova receives a letter of confession from Stavrogin, which admits that "one negation spilled out of him, without any generosity and without any strength." He calls Daria with him to Switzerland, where he bought a small house in the canton of Uri to settle there forever. Daria makes it possible to read the letter to Varvara Petrovna, but then both will find out that Stavrogin unexpectedly appeared in Skvoreshniki. They rush there and find the “citizen of the canton of Uri” hanging from the mezzanine.
