After appearing in Russia, the railway has long been a miracle for the people. And here the author offers us the usual scene for that time: the peasants came to look at the technical marvel. The main characters crowded in front of the path, they were struck by what they saw.
A group of peasants can be divided into two parts: a pair of men in the foreground, delighted with the seen device for clearing the rail in the form of a usual and familiar broom, two women and a peasant, who in silent admiration consider the locomotive with some fear.
Particular attention should be paid to a woman in a red scarf and uniform jacket. Most likely this is the pregnant wife of the trackman, who performs the duties of her husband. At the feet of the “attendant” a girl, most likely a daughter, wrapped in a black saloon. The master brilliantly managed to convey the emotions of the scene’s characters.
The viewer’s attention is riveted on the heroes, so the details and the background of the picture are made quite formally so as not to distract from the main thing. Behind each of the heroes you can feel your own story, your own biography. It’s amazing how this artist managed to fill his seemingly uncomplicated works with deep meaning and a special atmosphere revealing the master’s plan.