At the beginning of the story, walking along an incline, some of Tolstoy’s characters lie, commit robberies and even killings. The author allows his heroes to experience feelings of satisfaction and complete impunity, after they have committed terrible atrocities. Pelageyushkin, going to the massacres, is content with one own impunity. Tolstoy conducts his heroes in hellish circles: all terrible crimes are uncovered. The punishment for the crime hangs with a „Damocles sword” over the heads of Tolstoy literary characters. It is also interesting that the writer selects his heroes from each social group.