Arkady Vysotsky

The main character Vorobei is a professional grave digger and alcohol addict, who runs away from hospital to dig graves instead of treating his head broken by his brother. He comes to cemetery and keeps on working, instead of his friends' advice to stay in the hospital. The world of death turns out to be surrounded by corruption, satanic money-making, cemetery mafia and lots of vodka.

The story develops in a couple of years before the collapse of the USSR. Masha is a young, energetic girl, who has decided to make an adventurous journey across mountain Crimea. On the road she meets a funny man in a bowler hat and vest, who is trying to start his old car with a sledgehammer. Masha decided to become a fellow traveler of the mysterious mustachioed character.