Pelagia and the White Bulldog (with transcription)

The new edition of the novel «Pelagia and the White Bulldog» with an additional chapter «Transcription».
In it, Boris Akunin tells how the novel was created, what served as the basis for the plot, and how its characters came to be.
The... action takes place in 19th century Russia, in the Zavolzhskaya province.
The synodal inspector Buben tsov arrives in the provincial center, the city of Zavolzhsk, from the capital with the task of investigating the appearance of manifestations of paganism in the province and suppressing them, converting apostates to true Orthodoxy. In the course of his investigation, he comes across the Zytyaks — a local people who, although they have accepted Christianity, still retain many pagan beliefs and customs. The locals, including the supreme authorities, the governor and the archbishop-lord, do not go out of their way to assist the inspector in his work — they have lived side by side with the Zytyaks for many years, have become accustomed to their presence, and do not wish to initiate any repressions on religious grounds. However, Buben tsov, in his intention to ingratiate himself with the capital's Attorney General Konstantin Petrovich Pobedin, is not going to retreat from his plans at all.