Skarpeia of the Baskakov Family

The story “Scarapey Baskakovs”—1888. The main hero is Anisiy Tul’panov, assistant to Erast Fandorin. The plot of Conan Doyle’s “The Hound of the Baskervilles” is transferred to Russian soil. No wonder the initial letters “S” and “B” in the titles of the books match.

In the remote Moscow region district of Parihino, the ancient Baskakov line ended. Local residents connect what happened with the family magical creature of the Baskakovs— a snake named Scarapeya. There are also those who claim to have seen a gigantic snake in the local swamps. Panic spreads throughout the district.

The zemstvo authorities complain to Moscow about the clergy who indulge superstition; the clergy, in turn, complain to the godless zemstvo leadership. To clarify the circumstances, by Fandorin’s order his assistant, the gubernial secretary Anisiy Tul’panov, travels to the village…