Georgy Demidov is unmatched in his ability to write about the powerlessness of the individual in the face of an arbitrary state machine – with brilliantly sharp observations, deep humanity, and unforgettable characters. A terrifyingly topical novel.
1937: The young prosecutor Kornev receives an anonymous letter, written in blood on a piece of cardboard: a prisoner pleading for his case to be investigated. Baffled, the prosecutor decides to visit the prison unannounced. After considerable resistance, he gains access to the prisoner. During their conversation, he realizes that the NKVD is an organization that destroys not only enemies of the state but also its friends – including even the most ardent supporters of the Soviet idea.
He learns that Kornev’s letter was one of hundreds – letters from prisoners to their families and to the public prosecutor’s office that never made it out of the prison but instead went straight into the furnace. Shaken, Kornev is convinced that the NKVD’s activities constitute a conspiracy against Soviet power. Impulsively, he decides to travel to Moscow to visit the Chief Prosecutor General of the USSR – thereby setting in motion a powerful mechanism.
