A clergyman from Vologda, Protodeacon Nikolai Tolstikov, masterfully describes the everyday life of his hometown and his native parish (the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Vladychnaya Sloboda), clearly telling about what life without God leads to. Tiny “arrivals” and full-fledged stories are funny and sad, full of worldly wisdom, evidence of how, after many years of unbelief, the spiritual life of people from the Russian hinterland is being revived. In all these works there is hope for the all-encompassing Providence of God, there is joy from contemplating the world, which the author sees through the eyes of a grateful artist. The book also includes two stories: “Brother in Christ” - a poignant love story of a middle-aged man who decided to become a priest, and a fascinating historical story “Lazarus Saturday”, written based on the life of St. Gregory, the events of which are intertwined with what is happening in our day. days.