Pelagia and the White Bulldog (with decoding)

The new edition of the novel «Pelagia and the White Bulldog» with an additional chapter «Decoding».
In it, Boris Akunin tells about how the novel was created, what laid the foundation for the plot, and how its characters appeared.
The action takes... place in 19th century Russia, in the Zavolzhsk province.
The provincial center, the city of Zavolzhsk, is visited by the synodal inspector Bubentcov, tasked with investigating the manifestations of paganism in the province and suppressing them, converting deviants back to true Orthodoxy. During his investigation, he encounters the Zytyaks — a local people who, despite having adopted Christianity, still hold many pagan beliefs and customs. The local inhabitants, including the highest authorities, the governor and archbishop-lord, are not at all cooperative with the inspector in his mission — they have lived side by side with the Zytyaks for many years, have grown accustomed to their presence, and do not wish to initiate any religious repression. However, Bubentcov, intending to curry favor with the capital's attorney general Konstantin Petrovich Pobedin, is not at all willing to back down from his plans.