A summary of Tatyana Korsakova’s "Ashes of the Phoenix"

This mystical novel was published in 2011. It tells the story of the intertwined destinies of people from different eras, united by the terrible secret of an ancient ritual and the search for the elixir of eternal life. The most remarkable detail of this story is the close connection between the tragic events of the late 19th century and the mystical happenings in modern-day Russia.

Plot lines of the novel

The main character, young biology teacher Anna Alyushina, loses her job due to a conflict with the school principal. Her close friend, the practical Lyubov Zima, finds a lucrative offer for Anna: tutor Dimochka, a troubled teenager from a wealthy family. The young man, who calls himself by the gothic name Demos, turns out to be the seventeen-year-old son of wealthy parents. He is fascinated by mysticism and cemeteries and considers himself special. His family hopes to get him into a prestigious medical school, despite his obvious reluctance to study and his strange behavior.

At the same time, the reader is introduced to the past. At the end of the 19th century, horrific crimes occur in the provincial town of N-sk. Someone is burning young and attractive girls alive at the stake. The flames cause panic and fear among the locals, who are afraid to go outside after dark. Local journalist Andrei Vasilyevich Sotnikov tries to understand what is happening. He becomes close to the wealthy Austrian baron Maximilian von Wied, who has come to town. The baron is known as an eccentric and an adventurer, and his servants are only mute, dark-skinned servants — Moors.

The attack on Anna and the appearance of the tattoo

Her first biology lesson with Demos is tense. Anna puts an insolent teenager in his place, accidentally cutting her palm on his chain. Returning home late one evening, she gets off at her stop. In a dark park, she is attacked. An unknown person presses a cloth containing a sleeping substance to her face. Anna loses consciousness and completely forgets the events of that night.

In the morning, a disgruntled janitor awakens the girl. She finds herself lying on a bench in the park. Anna is wearing oversized men’s slippers, a strange warm jacket is draped over her shoulders, and her skirt is torn at the seam. All her clothes are stained with mud, and thick cobwebs are tangled in her hair. Running home, Anna washes off the mud and feels a sharp pain in her left shoulder. In the mirror, she sees an elegant tattoo of a phoenix, drawn in black and red.

Lyubasha, visiting her friend, examines the drawing. She is struck by the beauty of the work, but Anna senses mortal danger from the tattoo. The drawing healed suspiciously quickly. Soon, Anna begins to be haunted by nightmares in which she burns alive. In reality, her left shoulder begins to burn intensely and pulse with a red light when an invisible icy entity appears nearby. The girl realizes she is being hunted by a ghost.

A Find in the Past: A Cache in a Globe

Events unfold rapidly in the 19th century. Matryona, the daughter of merchant Malyutin, becomes the first victim of a mysterious arsonist. Police led by Fedot Antipovich Kosorukov arrest Nikifor Veselov, but the murders continue. Soon, Elena, the daughter of merchant Makar Stepashin, dies at the stake. Andrei Sotnikov notes that the crimes are theatrical and ritualistic.

Sotnikov often visits Baron von Wied’s estate. One day, in the baron’s study, he accidentally opens a secret compartment inside a huge floor globe. The journalist finds six crystal flasks filled with the gray ashes of cremated girls. The baron reveals to the journalist the story of his travels, during which he tried to escape his sins and find peace of mind. Andrei Vasilyevich realizes that the hospitable baron is a dangerous madman and murderer. The baron shares a secret with him. He confesses that long ago in Persia, he fell in love with a merchant’s daughter, Olga, but betrayed her for adventure, stealing a family heirloom — the ashes of a phoenix, which grants immortality.

The Baron claims he is being haunted by the aging Olga, now Countess Pichuzhkina. To recapture the power of the ashes, Maximilian burns the girls. His third victim is Mademoiselle Morel, a theater actress whose real name was Anna. During her execution in the garden, Sotnikov shoots the Baron straight in the heart. The dying Maximilian throws the crystal flask into the fire. Olga Pichuzhkina takes the remaining ashes to prolong her fading life.

The Magic Salon and the First Seance

In the present day, Lyubasha persuades Anna to see a psychic. They find a shop with a sign that says "Tattoo Parlor," where Vasily Galyano, a master of black and white magic, practices. His partner is Stas Gromov, a reserved and abrupt tattoo artist. Anna immediately recognizes Gromov — he was a street hooligan in her childhood, and once frightened her with a cruel kiss in a dark alley.

Galliano agrees to conduct a séance. He lays out tarot cards and sees death, fire, and a haunting from a dead man. The Master draws a protective circle with chalk, lights thirteen candles, and casts a spell. The séance spirals out of control. The candles go out, filling the room with an icy chill. The black shadow of the deceased baron emerges from the wall. The shadow grabs Galliano by the throat and attempts to suck the life out of Anna. Gromov bursts in with a pistol, breaking contact, and the apparition vanishes. Gromov acts quickly and decisively, leading the frightened girls out of the dangerous basement.

Revealing secrets and kidnapping

Gromov walks Anna home and stays with her overnight to protect her from the ghost. A romance blossoms between the young people. Stas apologizes for his childish pranks and confesses that he has long been in love with Anna. That night, the baron’s ghost enters the apartment again, leaving real burns on Anna’s legs.

Gromov contacts Galliano, who tells him he saw Anna in the cemetery on the night of her abduction. Stas goes to the city archives, where he studies old police reports from the 19th century. He realizes that the mysterious Helga, for whom he worked for many years, is Olga Pichuzhkina, who survived thanks to her ashes. Helga hired Gromov to tattoo Anna with ink mixed with the ashes of Mademoiselle Morel. Anna served as bait, a living magnet to summon the Baron’s ghost.

At this time, Demos comes to Anna. He brings old photographs and the personal diary of his ancestor, Sotnikov. The teenager confesses that Helga deceived him. She forced Demos to tranquilize Anna and bring her to the baron’s crypt in the old cemetery. There, Demos spilled Anna’s blood on the sarcophagus to open the door between worlds. Demos repents and wants to protect Anna. However, Helga and her servant Alex tranquilize the girl and Demos, taking them to the old Izotov estate. Helga uses an ancient legend to complete the ritual begun many years ago.

A tragic ending in an old estate

Gromov and Galliano locate Helga. Stas finds Anna tied to a pole above dry brushwood soaked in gasoline. Helga holds a torch and demands that the Baron’s ghost appear and give her the remaining phoenix ashes in exchange for Anna’s life.

Demos appears, possessed by the ghost of Baron von Wied. He takes a crystal vial of ashes from his backpack and gives it to Helga. Stas disarms Alex, but Helga manages to set the brush on fire. The fire erupts, blocking the path to Anna. The Baron’s ghost emerges from Demos’s body, covers Anna with his black wings, and saves her from the flames.

Helga triumphs, clutching the vial to her, but the Baron touches her face. Under his ghostly hands, Helga rapidly rejuvenates, transforming into the young Olga he once loved. Embracing, they burst into a bright, purifying flame and vanish forever into oblivion, taking with them a centuries-old curse.

Finding Peace and Three Months Later

Gromov takes the vial of phoenix ash and uses it to treat the severe burns on Anna’s legs and Demos’s head wound. The ash instantly heals the wounds, leaving no scars. Alex remains unconscious, and Galliano takes Demos to the hospital, fabricating a story about a street robbery for the police. Gromov calls the police and takes full responsibility for the incident.

Three months pass. The characters’ lives are improving. Vasily Galyano abandons his magic studies, confirms his diplomas, and opens a successful psychology practice. He is happy with Lyubasha. Demos is no longer interested in Gothic literature, has started socializing with his peers, and has established a normal relationship with a girl.

Stas Gromov and Anna go on a vacation together to the Côte d’Azur. On the beach, Anna notices that her phoenix tattoo is fading with each passing day and is gradually disappearing. Stas arranges a romantic evening for his beloved in a hotel room. He strews the bed with rose petals and lights numerous candles, fulfilling his promise to do everything right. Nightmares no longer plague Anna, and the ashes of the ancient bird finally bring them long-awaited peace and happiness.