The Criminal Quartet

In May 1989, investigator Semyon Portnoy uncovers major fraud at a local shoe factory involving shipments of defective shoes and seals off the factory warehouse. The factory's management retaliates by kidnapping Portnoy's eight-year-old son Anton to force him to drop the investigation. With Anton's safety at stake, Portnoy gathers his old friends to coordinate a rescue.

Portnoy reaches out to his former partners—Mukhanov, Saraev, and Larin—asking them to join the rescue. Each brings a different skill: investigation, intimidation, and press exposure, planning a multi-pronged effort. Larin also prepares a public article to pressure the criminals and reveal their corruption.

Mukhanov engineers a tactical distraction by rerouting a train car carrying defective goods away from the factory, buying the team time to act. The maneuver complicates the criminals’ timetable and forces a faster resolution. This bold tactic shows the group using their old camaraderie to outmaneuver the mastermind behind Anton’s disappearance.

Saraev uses intimidation to coerce an inside accomplice into revealing crucial information about the factory bosses’ plans. The informant’s tips tighten the timeline and expose the corruption behind the plot. The information collection accelerates the rescue plan.

Larin’s exposé on the substandard shoes draws the criminals into the open and heightens the pressure on them to act. The heightened risk raises the stakes of the rescue operation for every participant. That same night, Larin is abducted by the criminals to prevent him from reporting further details, and he is released when the balance of power shifts.

While in captivity, Larin recalls Beatles songs that he heard during his detention, a clue that helps the team locate the criminals’ operations. The memory becomes a crucial hint that points to a specific hidden location. The team uses the musical memory to narrow down the safehouse and move toward the next phase.

Guided by the clue, the four friends converge on a municipal pool where the factory heads are hiding and prepare to confront them. They confront the criminals in a tense standoff, leveraging their combined skills to gain the upper hand. The pool scene marks the first major visible confrontation of the plan.

During the standoff, a criminal reveals that Anton is actually being held near the city’s water treatment plant, and gang members are en route to intercept the diverted train car. The revelation shifts the rescuers’ focus toward a second critical location. The team must balance saving Anton with preventing the criminals from escaping.

Mukhanov directs guards at the rail yard to hold their ground discreetly while the rest of the team assaults the treatment plant gang members. A brutal fight erupts among the pipes and tanks, testing everyone's resolve. Portnoy is injured, but the team presses on to gain the upper hand.

Mukhanov negotiates with Uncle Lyova, Anton’s captor, offering safe passage in exchange for Anton’s release. The tense bargaining unfolds under pressure, balancing justice with the safety of the boy. The negotiation ultimately yields Anton’s safe return and a path for the conspirators to be cornered.

Police move to the rail yard and detain the remaining gang members, cutting off their escape routes and ending the threat to Anton. The officers coordinate with the rescuers to secure the area and prevent further violence. The capture marks the collapse of the factory's criminal operation.

The film closes with mock-documentary titles revealing the fates of the four friends and the downfall of the corrupt shoe factory. It ties up loose threads and shows how ordinary citizens helped counteract systemic fraud. The final frames emphasize justice served and the enduring bond of the group.