After encountering the mysterious murder of an obscure writer, investigator Agafya Ignatova uncovers the other side of Moscow. What is the Black Kremlin? Who are the “tourists” (gastrollers)? And what ancient danger hangs over the capital?
In search of answers, she and her partner Dmitry Barchenko will have to understand the metropolis in all its horror and splendor.
In the second novel, the winner of the “Electronic Letter 2022” prize places ancient Rus’ folklore into the scenery of modern Moscow and generously sprinkles everything with city news, historical facts, cultural references, humor, and conspiracy theories—so that in the end it becomes unclear where the truth is and where fiction begins. This is a text about the capital without embellishment.