Libretto
Act 1
Scene 1: Katerina's room
Katerina is unhappily married to Zinovy, a provincial merchant. She complains to herself of her loneliness. Her father-in-law Boris says it is her fault for not producing an heir, but she says that Zinovy cannot make her love him. Zinovy is called away on business, and Boris makes Katerina swear to be faithful. A servant, Aksinya, tells Katerina about the womanising new farm hand, Sergei.
Scene 2: The Ismailovs' yard
Sergei and his comrades are sexually harrassing Aksinya. Katerina intervenes. She berates him for his machismo and asserts that women are a brave as men. Sergei is willing to prove her wrong and they wrestle; she is thrown down and Sergei falls on top of her. Boris appears. She says that she tripped and Sergei in trying to help her, fell down also. The other peasants back her up. Boris, is suspicious and tells the peasants to get back to work.
Scene 3: Katerina's room
Katerina prepares to go to bed. Sergei knocks on her door with the excuse that he wants to borrow a book because he cannot sleep, but Katerina has none; she cannot read. As she is about to close the door he continues chatting her up by remembering their wrestling match earlier that day. He gets into the room and tries to force himself on her. She does not offer much resistance, and they make love. Boris knocks on the door and confirms that Katerina is in bed and locks her in. Sergei is trapped in the room, and the two resume their love-making.
Act 2
Scene 4: The yard
One night a week later. Boris is considering seducing Katerina himself. He spots Sergei climbing out of Katerina's window. He catches him and whips him as a burglar, then has him locked up. Katerina witnesses this but cannot stop him because she remains locked in her room. When finally she manages to climb down the window the other servants restrain her. After being exhausted by beating Sergei, Boris demands some dinner, saying that he will whip Sergei again the next day and tell Zinovy all about Katerina's behaviour; Katerina adds rat-poison to some mushrooms and gives them to Boris. As he is dying, calling for a priest, she retrieves the keys to free Sergei. The priest arrives and says a prayer over Boris. Katerina convinces him that Boris has accidentally eaten poisonous mushrooms.
Scene 5: Katerina's room
Katerina and Sergei are together. After he falls asleep, she is tormented by Boris' ghost and cannot sleep. Later she hears Zinovy returning. He has been called back by one of the servants with the news of his father's death. Although Sergei hides, Zinovy sees clothes and guesses the truth. Zinovy makes Katerina undress and whips her bared backside with a belt. Sergei emerges and confronts him. Katerina and Sergei choke Zinovy to death with the belt.
Act 3
Scene 6: Near the cellar
Following Zinovy's disappearance he has been presumed dead. Katerina and Sergei prepare to get married, but she is tormented by the fact that Zinovy's corpse is hidden in the wine cellar. Sergei reassures her and they leave for the wedding ceremony. A drunken peasant breaks into the cellar, finds Zinovy's body and goes to fetch the police.
Scene 7: The police station
The police are complaining about not being invited to the wedding when the peasant arrives and gives them the opportunity for revenge.
Scene 8: The Ismailov garden
Everyone is drunk at the wedding. Katerina sees that the cellar door is open, but the police arrive as she and Sergei are trying to escape.
Act 4
Scene 9. A temporary convict camp near a bridge
On the way to Siberia, Katerina bribes a guard to allow her to meet Sergei. He blames her for everything. After she leaves, Sergei tries to seduce another convict, Sonyetka. She demands a pair of stockings as her price. Sergei tricks Katerina into giving him hers, whereupon he gives them to Sonyetka. Sonyetka and the other convicts taunt Katerina, who pushes Sonyetka into an icy river falling in herself. They are swept away and the convict train moves on.