A Profitable Position

Interesting Facts

• The play was written in 1856 and is one of Ostrovsky's most famous works critiquing corruption and bureaucracy in Russian society.
• The main character, Zhadov, faces a moral choice between honesty and material well-being, reflecting dilemmas still relevant in modern society.
• The play was banned from performance by censorship in 1857 but was later permitted and staged in 1863.
• Ostrovsky uses numerous satirical elements in the play to highlight societal vices such as bribery and hypocrisy.
• The characters in the play represent typical images of officials and employees of the time, making the work an important social document of the era.