A Purely Russian Crime: The Most Notorious and Mysterious Criminal Cases of the 18th – 20th Centuries

In a new book by the famous human rights activist and journalist Eva Merkacheva, author of bestsellers "Loud Cases", "The City of the Doomed", and "Who Should Sit Well in Russia", intriguing criminal cases are discussed – from those that made headlines across Russia to secretive ones (until recently). It includes court proceedings from the tsarist era, including trials of witches and poisoners. Unique court materials related to Leo Tolstoy are published for the first time – a world judge, juror, and... accused of murder. You will learn about the trials of the executioner of Lieutenant Schmidt and the loud case of the inventor of the theremin, Teremin, read about justice in besieged and post-besieged Leningrad, as well as about notorious post-war court proceedings.

The author meticulously collected materials about the murders of Soviet citizens during peacetime that stirred the entire country – such as the Raskin case, the terrorist attack at Kotlyakovsky Cemetery, and the mysterious death of the expedition at the Dyatlov Pass. The book includes sensational cases of Joseph Brodsky about parasitism and the large family of Ovechkin who hijacked a plane in the 1980s.

The book is written in the genre of judicial essays and contains unique archival materials, including illustrative ones, many of which have not been published before.

Victor Hugo said: "For me, it does not matter whose side the power is on; what matters is whose side the law is on." However, at different times, the law appeared in different forms. There were periods when, in our country, people were prosecuted for things that seemed wild to even speak about in other times... I invite the reader to stroll through the judicial archives with me and immerse themselves in the atmosphere of ancient justice – however it may seem from today's perspective.