The action takes place in the town of Kalinov, on the banks of the Volga, in summertime. There is an interval of ten days between the 3rd and 4th acts. All the characters except Boris are dressed in old Russian national dress.
ACT I
SCENE I
A public garden on the steep bank of the Volga; beyond the Volga, a view of the country. On the stage two benches and a few bushes.
KULIGIN (sitting on a bench, looking towards the river).
KUDRIASH and SHAPKIN (walking up and down).