The Bear and the Nightingale

Ivan meets with his advisor, Aleksei, the Metropolitan of Moscow. Ivan’s daughter, Anna, is haunted by visions of what she thinks are demons, and he views her presence in the city as a potential scandal due to her “madness.” Aleksei warns Ivan of a possible challenger to his son Dmitrii’s succession: the young Prince Vladimir of Serpukhov, Ivan’s nephew.

To deal with Anna and Vladimir’s issues, Aleksei proposes marriages for both. Anna would be married to Pyotr, whose wealth, rank, and remote northern estate would effectively remove her from the public eye while building political alliances. Vladimir, in turn, should be married to Pyotr’s daughter Olga, thereby binding Vladimir closer to Ivan’s family. Ivan agrees, but Anna is terrified at the thought of leaving the relative safety of Moscow for the remote northern wilderness, which she imagines is teeming with demons. She pleads with her father to allow her to join a convent, but Ivan dismisses her, telling her that Pyotr is a good man who will make a good husband for her.

Unaware of Ivan’s plans, Pyotr searches the Moscow market for gifts for his children, especially something for Vasya. Amid the bustling crowd, he notices an unusually regal, dark-haired stranger. Rumors swirl among the merchants that the man is a demon, but Pyotr dismisses the gossip to focus on his errands. Meanwhile, the strange man confronts a thief attempting to steal his white mare. As he departs from the city, the stranger reflects on his search for “the witch’s daughter” (61)—the child he believes holds the key to his plans.

At the feast that evening, Pyotr notices the stranger at Ivan’s table but is distracted by Ivan’s proposal of the double marriage alliance of Olga to Vladimir and Ivan’s daughter, Anna, to Pyotr himself. While Anna’s reputation as a devout but troubled young woman unsettles Pyotr, he is too pragmatic to refuse an otherwise advantageous match. When Pyotr returns to his seat, the stranger is gone.

Pyotr marries Anna after a rushed negotiation. At the wedding feast, Anna’s subdued presence and constant clutching of her cross unsettle Pyotr, who cannot reconcile her behavior with the fiery spirit of his late wife, Marina.

Six weeks later, Pyotr’s retinue prepares to return to Lesnaya Zemlya. Though quiet and obedient, Anna mutters to unseen entities and cries in private. Pyotr hopes that the clean air of the north will soothe her, though he remains preoccupied with preparing for the journey.

As they prepare to depart, Pyotr finds the stranger with his uncharacteristically calm stallion, Buran. Kolya, driven by drunken bravado, confronts the stranger, only to be effortlessly disarmed. Pyotr begs the stranger to spare his son, and the man agrees only if he swears to give a necklace with a sapphire pendant to Vasya and never speak of their encounter. With his son’s life at stake, Pyotr reluctantly agrees.

Afterward, Pyotr is unnerved to find that neither his men nor his son has any memory of the incident. However, Kolya does have five frostbite marks on his neck where the stranger touched him.

Pyotr travels home with his new wife, his sons, and the rest of his entourage. As the group travels through the snow-laden wilderness, Anna’s increasing distress slows their progress, and Pyotr, eager to return to Lesnaya Zemlya, becomes frustrated by her. At night, he’s haunted by dreams of Kolya’s near death and the strange sapphire necklace he needs to give to Vasya.

When Pyotr and Kolya finally arrive at Lesnaya Zemlya ahead of the main party, they are greeted by Vasya and the villagers. When Anna arrives later, she is overwhelmed by the open stares of the villagers and retreats to the house, clinging to Olga for support. Vasya, initially hopeful that her new stepmother might be a playmate, is disappointed by Anna’s coldness toward her. The family holds a modest feast, during which Pyotr announces Olga’s engagement to Prince Vladimir. The news delights the family, though Vasya is saddened at the thought of losing her older sister.

Later, Pyotr gives the necklace to Dunya and tells her to give it to Vasya when she is older. Dunya agrees but later dreams of the stranger. He chastises her for taking the necklace for herself, but the woman promises to give it to Vasya when she is an adult.

Anna, meanwhile, struggles with her visions. Unlike in Moscow, where the creatures ignored her, the chyerti in Lesnaya Zemlya actively watch her. The only place she feels safe is the small wooden church, which is free of the spirits that haunt her everywhere else. Her fear and isolation alienate her further from her new family, who are bewildered by her strange behavior.

Kolya is married to a neighboring boyar’s daughter, and preparations are being made for Olga’s grand wedding to Vladimir. The prince will travel north to marry her in her own home, under the watchful eye of the monk Sergei Radonezhsky. The village bustles with excitement as the prince and his entourage arrive, bringing gifts, hawks, and hounds. Though nervous about leaving her home, Olga is delighted by Vladimir’s kindness and the promise of Sasha accompanying her back to Moscow. Vasya, however, clings to her sister and begs her not to leave. Olga reassures Vasya that she, too, will come to Moscow one day and that they will be together again.

Pyotr is angry that Sasha has committed to leaving his family for the monastery. Still, his resentment is tempered by Sergei’s argument that Sasha’s dedication to God will serve both his family and his country. Sasha offers Vasya one last ride with him on horseback. As they gallop through the dusk, Vasya imagines grand adventures in far-off lands, but Sasha reminds her of her duties at home.

After Sasha and Olga’s departure, Anna has a baby named Irina. Vasya spends more time exploring the woods alone. She tells Dunya about her meeting with the vodianoy, the river spirit, which unsettles her nurse. Later, when she joins her brother Kolya at the river, she confronts the spirit when it steals her brother’s fish. Kolya, unnerved, withdraws, leaving Vasya confused but triumphant.

At home, Vasya finds companionship with the domovoi, the house spirit. Anna catches Vasya speaking to the domovoi and screams at her. Vasya flees to the stable and questions if she is seeing the chyerti or imagining them. Her spiral is interrupted by the arrival of the vazila, the spirit of horses, who teaches her how to communicate with the horses. As she creates a bond with the spirit, she becomes more cautious about concealing her interactions with him from others, especially Anna.