This is a Christian Orthodox story that opens a series of stories from the life of the sons of Nicephorus - a man from free peasants, who, however, has a spiritual origin. Nikifor Afanasyev himself is an ordinary rural clergyman for the beginning of the 19th century. He did not live a long life, but full of love and sorrow. Nikifor chose his path to the Kingdom of Heaven through the performance of simple good deeds. He had to endure considerable troubles and sometimes lost heart. But he found the courage to get out of the shackles of despondency, and stubbornly moved on. Ultimately, he started out simple and ended up complex. Perhaps the greatest possible.