A summary of Elvira Baryakina’s "A Gentle Pull on the Ears"

Written in 2000, this work seamlessly combines elements of an ironic detective story with a detailed description of legal practice in post-Soviet Russia. The book’s key feature is its seamless interweaving of the professional jargon of lawyers and investigators into a lively story full of curious situations, where bureaucratic routine becomes the backdrop for the development of a romantic relationship and the investigation of a complex crime.

The main character, law school graduate Mashunya Igolina, enthusiastically embarks on a career as a lawyer. She sincerely dreams of high-profile trials and intricate investigations, but harsh reality quickly dampens her enthusiasm. Yegor Yegorovich, head of the legal clinic, assigns the young specialist to his experienced colleague, Vasilisa. As a result, Mashunya’s daily life is filled with endless divorce proceedings, property divisions, and the tears of aggrieved spouses in a cramped office.

Her quiet life ends when Mashunya accidentally ends up at someone else’s wedding, where she arrives with a team of pyrotechnicians. During the celebratory fireworks display, the groom is murdered. The heroine is detained by police, and for the first time, she encounters the harsh legal system. Outraged by this violation of her rights, she categorically denies knowing the murdered man.

She is being questioned by investigator Ivan Fedorchuk. During the interrogation, the stern law enforcement officer unexpectedly develops a liking for the emotional witness. Instead of clarifying the details of the incident, he begins asking personal questions, trying to get her phone number. Mashunya reacts to this behavior with hostility and complains to Vasilisa about the investigator’s unprofessionalism. Her experienced colleague immediately notices the signs of a budding romance.

Despite the initial conflict, Mashunya and Fedorchuk’s paths continually cross. Mashunya actively intervenes in the investigation, seeking to apply her legal knowledge. She is forced to visit the pretrial detention center for the first time, where she encounters strict access control and interacts with suspects, including Mayevskaya, a defendant in the case.

The investigation leads the characters to Polet Bank employees, specifically Oksana Burtseva. Alongside the investigation, Mashunya and Ivan’s relationship develops. They spend time together, but their romance is beset by constant arguments and misunderstandings. In one episode, Mashunya even has a surreal dream in which a dog named Hercules eats her wedding veil.

Gradually, the investigator and a young lawyer unravel a complex financial scheme. It turns out that the wedding murder was connected to a large-scale fraud. The criminals registered shell companies in the names of elderly Communist Party members. The gullible pensioners, Sinitsyna, Gontsova, Shvakher, and Nepoiko, signed the documents, believing they were participating in political protests.

The mastermind behind this criminal scheme turned out to be the director of a local museum, known by the nickname "Afrikanych." Using his authority as the chairman of the party cell, he manipulated elderly people into creating phantom companies. Fedorchuk sarcastically calls the uncovered scam the greatest dispossession of the kulaks of the century.

At the end of the book, the investigation is successfully concluded. Against the backdrop of the Day of Reconciliation and Reconciliation celebrations, when the deceived pensioners gather around the table, Mashunya and Ivan finally resolve their personal differences. The heroine realizes that her dreams of real detective adventures have come true, and her relationship with Fedorchuk has reached a new level of trust and understanding.