The Captain's Daughter

His father, a retired officer, fundamentally refused to let his son’s military career go on without troubles—so instead of being appointed an officer in the Semenovsky Regiment in St. Petersburg, Peter was assigned to service at one of the fortresses near Orenburg.

On the way to the fortress, barely avoiding getting lost in a snowstorm, Peter and his faithful servant Savelich were led to lodging by an unknown man whom Grinev had given a rabbit fur coat for their help. At first glance, this episode seems insignificant—but later it proved decisive in the fate of the young officer, because the guide turned out to be none other than Emelyan Pugachev…

The atmosphere in the fortress hardly resembles a military assignment for this place: the only cannon serves for children’s games; lessons with the soldiers of the commandant’s staff are conducted rarely; and in general, command of the fortress mostly rests on the commandant’s wife, Vasilisa Yegorovna. Grinev spends his days mainly on literary experiments. Gradually, he begins to feel attached to the commandant’s daughter—the quiet and timid Masha. At the same time, he makes an enemy of officer Shvabrin, who has the audacity to make slanderous remarks about the commandant’s daughter.
Events in Grinev’s personal life begin to unfold rapidly: he is wounded in a duel with Shvabrin; he confesses his love to Masha; he asks his father for a blessing to marry Masha—but receives a sharp refusal…

Meanwhile, a wave of peasant war led by Pugachev disrupts the peaceful life of the fortress where Grinev serves. The fortress is taken; the commandant and his wife die at the hands of the rebels. Pugachev spares Grinev’s life, recognizing him as his “acquaintance” and remembering the fur coat that had been given. Later, he offers Peter a position with his troops. In response, Grinev declares his duty as an officer and a nobleman and refuses to make a bargain with his own honor—thereby eliciting the reluctant respect of the “villain” Pugachev, who lets him go to Orenburg.

However, in the fortress, now commanded by the traitor Shvabrin, Masha Mironova remains—meaning Grinev will have to return there too…