Moscow, 一九0二 The famous director Konstantin Stanislavsky, in search of inspiration for staging a new play, decides to get acquainted with the life of the city quot bottom quot He turns to Vladimir Gilyarovsky, a recognized expert on the Moscow slums, for help Together they go to the legendary bandit Khitrovka and find themselves embroiled in the investigation of the murder of a mysterious local resident - an Indian Sikh with a dark past