Dmitriy Shakhovskiy, a history professor, does not like detective stories. When Shakhovskiy is involved as a consultant in the case of the murder of the museum director, it seems like a small episode in his life. He doesn't even have time to do all this. However, the historical document found at the crime scene leads to the distant past - and there, in a hundred-year depth, Shakhovskiy discovers answers to those questions that he did not even ask.