Ancient Rus: The Village of Vertushka (1175)

The village stretches along a single street along the steep right bank of the Vertushka River. The houses are densely packed, their yards enclosed by high log fences and wattle fences. A large watermill with a dam hums on the river. In the very center of the village, on a hill, rises the log church of St. Nicholas with a small churchyard (pogost) behind it. Nearby stands the village elder's spacious hut, consisting of two residential rows, with a large cattle yard. Wells have been dug everywhere, and bathhouses stand right at the water's edge. Vertushka is completely enclosed by a wall of dense pine forest. The forest is deep, windfallen, teeming with game, fur-bearing animals, and dense swamps. The only connection to the outside world is a narrow, rutted cart track that runs south through forest clearings toward a distant trade route.

The second half of the 12th century, with chronicles dating back to 1175. It's a period of feudal fragmentation in Rus', the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality. There's no centralized authority, the world is harsh, completely realistic, without magic or fantasy. Everything revolves around hard physical labor, survival, the changing seasons, and a strict class hierarchy.

The action takes place in the village of Vertushka. It is located on the northeastern edge of the Vladimir-Suzdal lands, on the right bank of the Vertushka River. The village is surrounded on all sides by dense pine forest and marshy swamps. There are exactly 32 households in the village. The huts are log cabins, surrounded by wooden fences. Most of the huts are heated "smokily"—smoke from the stove goes directly into the living space and escapes through drag windows under the ceiling or a slightly open door, causing the walls inside to be covered with a thick layer of soot. Only the huts of the village elder, the priest, and the three wealthiest households have chimneys. The current time of year is late autumn, mid-October. The harvest is fully gathered, the cattle are locked in barns, the first hard frosts begin at night, the ground is covered with frost, and the river is covered with thin ice. The village is preparing for a long and harsh winter.

Dual faith is deeply ingrained throughout the world. In the center of Vertushka stands a small wooden Christian church dedicated to St. Nicholas, where Father Mikhail serves as priest. All villagers are baptized, attend Sunday services, and know the basic prayers. However, in their daily lives, the peasants are completely guided by pagan superstitions. They believe in wood spirits, mermaids, house spirits, and banniks, practice warding off illnesses, and wear pectoral crosses along with copper, clanking amulets and lunnitsas. Any misfortune—cattle loss, drought, or the early death of loved ones—is attributed to hexes, the evil eye, or the machinations of evil spirits. A person who stands out in appearance or fate immediately becomes the prime suspect of witchcraft.

All village residents are personally free peasants (smerds). They pay a fixed annual tribute to Prince Mikhalka Yuryevich, which is collected each autumn by the prince's tiun with an armed detachment of warriors. The internal life of Vertushka is governed by a village elder named Nekras (an elected official from among wealthy peasants), along with a council of elders and the local priest, Mikhail. The opinion of the community (vervi) has the force of law; to go against it is to become an outcast. Living alone outside the community is impossible, especially in winter.

The lifespan of a person in this era is short; the average life expectancy for a peasant is 50-60 years. Children from the age of seven are considered fully functional. Boys are taught to plow, hunt, and gather firewood, while girls from this age nurse infants, cook, and learn to spin. Girls are married between the ages of 14 and 16. If a girl turns 18 and is still unmarried, the community views her as an anomaly, a "vekovukha" with a heavy burden or a bad omen.

The village is dominated by a subsistence economy. Peasants rarely see silver coins (grivnas, kunas, nogatas), mostly when paying tribute collectors or passing merchants. All internal trade is based on the direct exchange of goods. Grain, flour, honey, wax, furs, and homespun cloth are exchanged for salt, iron tools (knives, axeheads, sickles), and livestock. All life is governed by a strict agrarian calendar.

A large, prosperous family. The eldest son is already married and lives here, helping run the vast farm. Nekras (54 years old) is the headman of Vertushka. Calculating, strict, and authoritative. Maria (49 years old) is his wife. She is bossy and rules over all the women in the house. Tverdislav (24 years old) is the eldest son, a plowman. Silent and diligent. Miroslava (21 years old) is Tverdislav's wife, who came from a neighboring village. She is hardworking and quiet. Menshak (3 years old) is the son of Tverdislav and Miroslava, the firstborn, his grandfather’s favorite. Mikula (19 years old) is Nekras's youngest son, a hunter. Hot-tempered and quarrelsome. Lyubava (15 years old) is Nekras's eldest daughter. She's cheerful and preparing for marriage. Malusha (11 years old) is Nekras's youngest daughter. She is a nanny and looks after her three-year-old nephew. Grisha (7 years old) is Nekras's youngest son. He's already learning to plow and herd geese.

The priest is an outsider, recently exiled to the outskirts of the principality. They are distinguished by their small number of children, as they are only just beginning their life together. Father Mikhail (29) is the parish priest. In public, he's a gentle, easygoing man. At home, he's domineering and jealous. Anna (19) is a priest's wife, seven months pregnant with her first child. Originally from the city, she is deeply lonely. Tikhon (12 years old) is an orphan sexton who lives at the church, helps the priest with the housework, and acts as a servant. He is cunning and a gossipmonger.

A strong, noisy courtyard, where all the men from childhood are busy at the forge or preparing coal. Dobrynya (40 years old) is a blacksmith. Strong, sullen, fair. Miloslava (36) is his wife. A quiet woman, she gives birth almost every year, which often leaves her in poor health. Ratibor (16) – the eldest son, chief assistant at the forge. Stubborn, dreams of a squad. Bogdashka (13 years old) is the second son. He carries coal, blows bellows, and is constantly covered in soot. Nezhdana (10 years old) is the eldest daughter. She helps her mother around the house and cooks for the whole gang. Trofim (6 years old) is my son. He runs around the yard, collecting scraps of metal. Two twins: Bazhena and Goluba (2 years old) are the youngest girls, who have no one to look after them except their older sister.

A wealthy but unloved household in the village due to the stinginess of its owner and the bad character of his children. Bogdan (46 years old) is a miller. Gloomy, superstitious, and wealthy. Rada (42 years old) is his wife. The main gossip of the village. Zhdan (21 years old) is the eldest son, an impudent, self-confident assistant at the mill. Milava (14 years old) is the daughter. She has adopted her mother's personality: arrogant and fond of making sarcastic remarks to her friends. Putilo (11 years old) is the son. He helps his father carry bags. He is a quiet boy, intimidated by his father. Vlaska (5 years old) is the son. He constantly spins at the mill, risking getting crushed. Baby (6 months) is a baby daughter whom Rada often takes with her to the well, wrapped in rags.