“Let the dead bury their dead.”
Chapter 1: The Seminary Student
The story begins with three seminary students—Khaliava, Khoma Brut, and Tiberiy Gorobets—traveling home for vacation. After losing their way in the countryside, they seek shelter at an old woman’s farmhouse. She reluctantly lets them in, but Khoma senses something eerie about her. That night, the old woman sneaks into Khoma’s room and leaps onto his back, forcing him to carry her like a horse through the night.
Chapter 2: The Witch’s Ride
Khoma realizes the old woman is a witch as she rides him through the sky. Terrified, he recites prayers, weakening her power. She collapses, and Khoma beats her with a log, only for her to transform into a beautiful young woman. Exhausted, he flees back to Kyiv.
Chapter 3: The Summons
Back at the seminary, Khoma is summoned by a wealthy Cossack chieftain. His daughter, the same young woman from the farmhouse, has died, and her last wish was for Khoma to pray over her corpse for three nights. Despite his fear, Khoma is pressured into accepting.
Chapter 4: The First Night
Khoma is locked inside the church with the girl’s corpse. As he reads prayers, she rises from her coffin, her eyes still closed. She tries to grab him, but he draws a protective circle with chalk and recites incantations, forcing her back into the coffin by dawn.
Chapter 5: The Second Night
The next night, the corpse rises again, now with open, lifeless eyes. Ghouls and demons claw at the church windows, but Khoma’s circle holds. The dead girl shrieks and flails, unable to break through. Exhausted, Khoma barely survives until morning.
Chapter 6: The Third Night
On the final night, the corpse summons Viy, a monstrous creature with eyelids reaching the ground. Though Khoma resists looking at Viy, he eventually gives in—and the moment their eyes meet, Khoma collapses dead. The demons scatter as morning arrives, leaving only Khoma’s lifeless body behind.
Chapter 7: Aftermath
The villagers find Khoma dead in the church. His friends, Khaliava and Tiberiy, later hear the story but dismiss it as superstition. The tale ends with them drinking in a tavern, oblivious to the horrors Khoma faced.
Key Ideas
- Supernatural horror rooted in Slavic folklore
- The struggle between faith and demonic forces
- Fate and inevitability of death
- Isolation and psychological terror
- The power of folkloric evil
Notable Adaptations
| Year | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Viy (Soviet film) | First Soviet horror film, directed by Konstantin Yershov and Georgi Kropachyov |
| 2014 | Viy (Russian film) | Loosely based on Gogol’s story, with added adventure elements |
| 2023 | The Devil’s Night (Ukrainian animation) | Modern retelling with gothic visuals |
Who should read this book?
- Fans of gothic and folk horror
- Readers interested in Slavic mythology
- Those who enjoy psychological terror
- Classic literature enthusiasts