Part 2: Chapter 15 Conclusion Summary

Yuri drifts back to Moscow during the Soviet NEP (New Economic Policy) period. He loses his skills as a doctor and hangs around with a young man named Vasia. They keep away from conversations and society. If unavoidably among friends, they stay in a corner and do not speak a word.

Yuri makes money writing books. Vasia studies book binding and design. Yuri petitions the government to allow his family's return to Moscow and to obtain a passport to France, but his efforts are half-hearted. He sinks into depression and starts neglecting himself. While being made fun of, a woman named Marina comes to his defense. They become friends, and she decides to live and care for Yuri as his common-law wife. When he learns that Tonia has discovered his situation, Yuri disappears. He sends money to Marina that...