Two unique comedies by the classic dramatist Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol—*The Government Inspector* and *Marriage*—are witty mirrors reflecting human weaknesses, fears, and contradictions. Can the Mayor (Gorodnichy) cope with the arrival of the mysterious inspector and avoid humiliation before the guest from the capital? Will the indecisive Ivan find happiness when everyone around is talking only about marriage? The answer is almost certainly obvious, because the characters in Gogol's plays are always right before our eyes, and that only makes it funnier. This work is a vivid satire on the Russian society of that era, exposing various human vices and social problems through a gallery of colorful landowners (Manilov, Korobochka, Nozdryov, Sobakevich, Plyushkin) and officials. Gogol masterfully combines the comic and the tragic, creating a multifaceted portrait of Russia.