A farcical drama in five acts. The play, sometimes translated as The Inspector General, mercilessly lampoons the corrupt officials of an obscure provincial town that is portrayed as a microcosm of the Russian state. A well-dressed windbag named Ivan Khlestakov, who has been mistaken for the dreaded government inspector, is bribed and fêted by village officials in the hope of turning his attention away from their maladministration. As they celebrate their apparent success following Khlestakov’s departure, however, the arrival of the real inspector is announced—to their consternation.