Dmitri Matveyev

The events unfold on the cruiser "Svetlana", one of the Russian ships that participated in the fighting of the Russo-Japanese war. The cruiser is attacked. After the fire is over, the crew decides to flood the ship so that it does not get to the enemy. Only five sailors can survive. They arrive on Korean land and are sent to the Russian territory, on the way they face various dangers.

In an ordinary industrial Soviet town, notable only for presence of a radio-telescope, people start behaving strangely, in a robotic manner, while assuming geometry-inspired aliases and organizing into a new hierarchy. The phenomenon spreads via a device of alien origin, called “the mediator”, capable of implanting extraterrestrial minds into human bodies. The aliens are bound by limitations of the terrestrial technology, having to use the means at the disposal of humans to prepare the grounds for the full-scale invasion. With “the mediator" being unable to subdue minds of children, lunatics, geniuses, and rebels, a struggle over the fate of the town and the human civilization ensues.

Felix, a 12-year-old boy from outer space, during the summer holidays gets admitted into a summer children's sports camp. Few people know in the camp that Felix is not there by chance, and a few days ago he was created in a school laboratory because a space intellect sent him as an agent to planet earth to study humans. He is assisted by an ordinary boy Boris and a teacher who explains Felix local traditions and customs.

In the city, people disappear and die under mysterious circumstances. Commissioner Gard and Inspector Taratura believe that all these murders are the result of a war between two mafias. But journalist Chester has a different opinion. He is sure that the crimes are the result of the activities of "Adventure Firm" company. The company sells adventures to everyone who wants to tickle their nerves. The most expensive and interesting adventure is the “adventure without guarantee,” but in this case the company is not responsible for the possible death of the client. Wanting to understand the company's activities and write a report about it, journalist Chester buys himself the deadliest adventure....

Начало 80-х годов прошлого века, закат "эры Брежнева"... Сотрудник МУРа честный и неподкупный майор Корнеев расследует дела о разбойных грабежах квартир состоятельных советских граждан. Банда действует явно по чьей-то наводке. В ходе расследования майор неожиданно выходит на крупных милицейских начальников, давно ставших "кунаками" воротил преступного мира...

This story starts in 1980 in Paris as the memories of Andrei Borodin, a Soviet agent, take the action back to 1943 during the Teheran meetings of Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill. A high-ranking Nazi officer developed a plan to assassinate the three world leaders in order to undermine the Allied forces. He commissioned the German agent Max Richard to carry out his plan, but it failed miserably due to the quick action and thinking of Andrei. While in Teheran, Andrei met a French woman, Marie Louni, living in the city and they had a brief but intense affair. Nearly four decades later, the Nazi officer has been captured - but not for long. Freed by terrorists, the officer is hunting down the German agent who failed to carry out the planned assassinations. Max lives at Françoise, a young French woman, who hides him.

Andrey Pavlovich Buzykin, who makes a living by teaching at an institute and translating English literature, is cheating on his wife. Buzykin's main problem is that he's a kind man with a weak character. The lies he is telling his wife all the time are inconvincing, but he never has the courage to tell her the truth. His lover, Alla, is aware of his family life, but gets offended when, for example, he cannot meet her so that he doesn't come home late, or when he doesn't want to go home in a new jacket she gives him to avoid having to explain to his wife. Alla and Nina, Andrei's wife, both leave him, forgive him, and return to him at the same time, and Andrei continues with this kind of life, full of suffering and deceit. Finally, both women are so fed up with his lies that they don't believe him even when he is telling the truth...

About the heroism of the border guards who took upon themselves the full brunt of the blow of the Nazi hordes on the first day of the Great Patriotic War.