In early spring of 1834, the architect Iosif Ivanovich Charleman is visited by a wealthy client—the mother of a young officer who died in the infamous “bloodiest duel of the 19th century.” The elderly lady offers Charleman an advantageous and interesting commission. But the moment the architect begins his work, his measured life changes drastically. Charleman is being pursued by a mysterious and strange stranger—whose story the reader will soon learn. Photographs from the author’s diploma work were used as illustrations.