Wild Happiness

Project “Russia, Once Again.”
A stage production based on the works of D. N. Mamin-Sibiryak.
One day, Gordey Bragin—a steady, practical man from the steppe—managed to save an escaped convict from robbers. And before the end, not by his own will, the convict revealed to Gordey a golden vein.
It would all be fine. But this is a terrible thing—a duel between a person and sudden luck falling on his head. For many, gold becomes a test that only a few pass. The shine of the golden idol blinds and steals reason; alongside wealth, loyalty, honor, love, and faith become worthless. Gordey Bragin goes through all the circles of hell, loses his family, betrays his friends, and undermines the centuries-old foundations of his community. But payment is inevitable, and the glitter of gold is deceptive.
In the people’s saying, this is called wild happiness, because it is not happiness at all—it’s hysteria in the place where happiness should be… Wild happiness—according to the historian-writer Alexey Ivanov—“is a sign of the Ural mentality, and it doesn’t stay limited to a fortune from panning for gold; it spreads to everyone and to all times”…