A summary of Nikolai Svechin’s "Warsaw Secrets" Automatic translate

This book is a detective novel published in 2016. Set in 1887, the story intertwines criminal investigation and the political intrigues of the Tsarist era. The author recreates the atmosphere of the Vistula region, immersing the reader in the complex Russian-Polish relations of the nineteenth century. The plot draws on historical realities, describing the customs, daily life, and difficult work of the detective agencies of that time. This book is an honest look at the daily life of an investigator, devoid of unnecessary romanticization.

Assassination and transfer

The novel begins with news of a brutal assassination attempt on State Councilor Blagovo. Alexei Lykov’s old mentor is recovering at a spa in Germany. An unknown terrorist shoots the elderly man right next to the healing pump room. Collegiate Assessor Lykov immediately goes to his wounded teacher. The experienced detective quickly uncovers the true mastermind behind the crime, who turns out to be the influential Privy Councilor Rimer. Lykov secretly enters Rimer’s luxurious St. Petersburg apartment, brutally assaults numerous guards, and murders the high-ranking scoundrel. Fleeing possible punishment, Alexei secures a temporary transfer to Poland. The temporary assignment is scheduled for six months. The official is tasked with investigating the long-ago murder of Powązki’s police officer Yemelyanov and the strange disappearance of the young Second Lieutenant Yashin. Chief of Police Tolstoy demands that his guest avoid unnecessary conflicts with the local population. The Warsaw leader is terrified of offending the illustrious lords. Chief of the Detective Police, Grinevetsky, and his senior assistant, Narbutt, greet the capital’s inspector with marked coldness.

Bloody discoveries

On his very first evening, the St. Petersburg official decides to explore beautiful Warsaw. During dinner at the expensive restaurant "U Vladek," Lykov defends a strange Polish couple. He harshly restrains three drunken Russian officers. The enraged soldiers loudly and profanely insult local women. The detective literally throws the rowdy soldiers out into the street, shattering their habitual military behavior patterns.

In the morning, the capital’s inspector is called in for another urgent investigation. Local law enforcement officers discover a mutilated body in a fetid garbage dump. One of yesterday’s troublemakers, Border Staff Captain Sergeyev, was left for dead with his stomach ripped open. The officer bled to death for several hours. Warsaw agents quickly identify a petty thief named Novets. The criminal picked the dead staff captain’s pockets. After being interrogated, the thief points to a notorious St. Petersburg thug. According to him, this is the notorious bandit Grishka Khudoy Roth. The dangerous criminal is hiding in Jan Kasier’s secret gambling den on the remote outskirts of the city.

Ambush at the brothel

The detectives plan a secret night raid on a gangster ring. Lykov recruits a young clerk, Yegor Ivanov, as his assistant. The only Russian in the department infiltrates the gambling house disguised as a local servant. A brutal assault ensues. Loud gunshots give way to panic and the sound of breaking glass. The criminals scatter through the dark corridors. Grishka "Khudoy Roth" manages to take Ivanov hostage. A bandit holds a long knife to the young man’s throat. Alexei fires without warning, killing the terrorist with a single, well-aimed shot to the eye. In the pocket of the murdered ringleader, the investigators find a silver watch belonging to the previously deceased bailiff Yemelyanov. The local leadership rejoices. The cases are closed, the criminals eliminated. The Warsaw officials advise their guest to pack his bags and return to St. Petersburg.

The auditor’s doubts

However, the stubborn auditor refuses to consider the case closed. This perfect combination of circumstances seems unnatural to Alexei. He suspects obvious deception. The watch was planted in the bandit’s pocket the day before the raid. Lykov and Ivanov return to the ransacked den for a second search. The detectives explore the cluttered basements and dark closets. Under the washstand, they find a cheap nickel-silver soap dish with Yashin’s initials scratched on it. Their Warsaw colleagues chalk the find up to a simple accident. Narbutt confidently asserts that a visiting Caucasian prince forgot the item. Lykov checks the district records and uncovers gross official forgery. The assistant chief of detective police deliberately falsified the house registers. Alexei organizes a secret excavation behind the laundry in the yard of the den. Deep in the ground, police officers unearth Yashin’s body. The unfortunate second lieutenant’s stomach has been horribly ripped open.

Cheating in the department

The terrified brothel owner reveals the secret. Narbutt personally ordered the body’s hiding. The real executioner of the Russian officers turned out to be the fanatical Polish insurgent Arkadiusz Młyna. In underground circles, this militant goes by the name Jerzy Pechur. Lykov rushes to the station chief and declares treason. His colleagues rush to Narbutt’s apartment, but the cunning Pole has disappeared. Later, the fugitive and his loyal agent, Stepkovsky, are found dead in hotel rooms on the Iron Gate. The deadly Jerzy Pechur had coldly strangled both experienced police officers with his bare hands. Grinevetsky gives Alexei his friend’s suicide letter. The text clarifies the motive for the crime. Narbutt knew about the murders but tried to eliminate the terrorist himself. The Warsaw elite feared a new uprising and wanted to eliminate the radical butcher quietly. Młyna proved faster and killed the veteran detectives.

Ghost Hunt

Lykov realizes the true scale of the threat. The elusive Pekhur is forming an underground "legion of death." Armed militants plan to commit massacres throughout the city. Chief of Police Tolstoy cowardly distances himself from the problem. Warsaw gendarmes brazenly ignore alarm signals. Alexei appeals to the army command for military support. Military intelligence confirms: Pekhur is wanted as an Austrian spy. The generals assign squads of army riflemen to the detectives. Lykov and Ivanov organize round-the-clock surveillance. They manage to track down a legion recruiter named Ryszard. A desperate chase through the narrow streets ensues. Fleeing capture, the young terrorist climbs a high tower. He shouts a national slogan and throws himself to his death.

Death trap

Having lost his comrade, Jerzy Pechur launches a retaliatory hunt for the St. Petersburg inspector. Several daring assassination attempts are made on Alexei right on the crowded streets. A shocking detail is revealed. The beautiful Mrs. Malgorzata, rescued by the detective in a restaurant, is also a member of the militant cell. The cruel aristocrat lured the staff captain to a dump and is now targeting Lykov. The collegiate assessor arrives at her apartment for a rendezvous. Four knife-wielding thugs await him. Malgorzata prepares to personally, with particular relish, rip open the detective’s stomach. Thanks to phenomenal animal reflexes, Alexei draws his pocket revolvers and takes aim at the stunned terrorists. Malgorzata flees. The captured militants hid plans for the upcoming attacks in their pockets. Army units cordon off the terrorists’ reserve base. The soldiers capture nearly thirty dangerous rebels without firing a shot.

Completion of the business trip

A mass armed terror in the capital has been averted. Warsaw Governor-General Gurko summons Lykov to the palace. The stern commander praises the actions of the St. Petersburg inspector and publicly reprimands the local police leadership. Jerzy Piechur is still at large. A tireless killer lies in wait for the detective on a back street. Mlyna holds the barrel of his gun to Alexei’s back, but suddenly lowers the weapon. The terrorist respects his courageous enemy and spares his life in exchange for his immediate departure from the Kingdom of Poland. Exhausted by the brutal war of nerves, Lykov agrees to the terms. He hands over his affairs to his assistant Ivanov and returns to his family. A month later, the Warsaw crime boss sends Alexei the confiscated revolver. The package contains a short note. Jerzy Pechur was found dead on the outskirts of the city with eight severe stab wounds. The local criminal underworld dealt with the brutal maniac once and for all, without any official police involvement.