The Rescuer

A story about how excessive greed turns into the death of hundreds of people. In a southern Russian city, an earthquake occurs. According to the official version, the epicenter was supposedly right on the newest residential complex “Heaven,” although residents felt the strongest shocks in other parts of the city. There everything survived, while in “Heaven” all the buildings were completely destroyed. Huge numbers of the dead and the injured. When the first tremors began, the lawyer Artem Pavlov happened to be checking how the social program was being carried out precisely in that district. After finding himself among the ruins, he immediately joined the rescue efforts together with an EMERCOM doctor Veronika, her friend the violinist Skripach, and volunteers. And the surprise was staggering when Pavlov pulled a nearly undressed man out from under the rubble—who turned out to be… the mayor of the city. The man had not lived in the house that collapsed. Very soon, an escort vehicle arrived for the official, and the police quickly cordoned off the wreckage. At the mayor’s request, the rescuers began to search for something. No, not people—some very valuable item…