An early play by a modern classic of Russian absurdism, Lyudmila Petrushevskaya.
Two families live next door. One—the Kozlovs—is well-off, with carpets and crystal; the other—the Gavrilovs—is poor, with some Ivanov who has returned from prison, drunk and a bully… Looking at them, the audience feels pity for them—little people so awkward, so cruel to each other and to themselves, living their only lives so roughly and stupidly.