1829년, 작가를 꿈꾸던 비밀경찰 소속 서기관 니콜라이 고골은 오직 살인사건 현장에서만 발작을 일으키고 환영을 본다. 유명한 수사관 야고프 구로는 그런 고골의 발작에서 사건을 해결하는데 필요한 단서가 있다는 사실을 깨닫게 된다. 고골과 구로 수사관은 여자 3명이 죽은 미스터리한 사건을 해결하러 '디칸카'지역으로 떠나게 되는데...
The mongrel Lyolik becomes a witness to the arguments between his young owners, and attempts to reconcile them. Lyolik is a very unusual dog: he talks (ruminates, to be more precise) offscreen, in the tones of a street hoodlum to boot, which is no surprise since he spent his early childhood on the streets. Lyolik is not indifferent to his owners, and tries with all his power to help them with their problems. But alas, all that people hear is a dog’s barking…
In the near future, writer Victor Banev gets himself on a UN commission to investigate what's going on in the remote town of Tashlinsk, where reports tell of a virus-created race of brainiac mutants. Banev's tween daughter Ira is enrolled at a school for gifted children which has been taken over by the mutants, who have grown to despise ordinary humanity.
