The Tavern on Pyatnitskaya

In the 1920s NEP Moscow, the Moscow Criminal Investigations Department (MUR) mobilizes its best men to dismantle the gang led by The Grey operating from a tavern on Pyatnitskaya. The gang's crimes—robbery, break-ins, and murder—prompt a high-stakes undercover effort. One victim, the old Bolshevik Alexander Falin, becomes an informant who helps the police.

Nikolai Panin, an employee of MUR, infiltrates the gang by going undercover as a waiter, adopting the alias The Red and introducing himself to the mistress as her lost half-brother. This undercover role launches the core investigation from within the gang. His cover becomes precarious as the operation progresses.

An escaped bandit from the camp appears with the same name Panin uses, creating confusion and risk of exposure for the undercover operation. The impostor complicates the web of who is who among the gang. The tension between real and false identities grows.

A romantic thread develops between Pashka-America, the famous bazaar pickpocket, and Alyona, a countryside girl Panin rescues. Their relationship adds a personal dimension to the crime drama, contrasting the brutal police work. The romance unfolds against the backroom politics of the tavern gang.

The gang is supervised by the restaurant hostess and The Grey, who grows anxious over leaks of information. His partner The Frenchman leverages sharp intelligence to hunt for the police informant. The circle of suspects widens to include The Red, Gramin, The Frenchman, and The Gypsy.

Klimov, head of Criminal Investigation, suspects his deputy Zaitsev of being the informer, but he lacks solid proof. The investigation advances while the true mole remains hidden. The tension between suspicion and evidence deepens the mystery.

As clues mount, Klimov realizes his deputy isn't the agent after all. The true informant is Vanya Shlyonov, a former Makhnovist and longtime ally of the restaurant hostess, making him a natural suspect and a dangerous insider. This revelation shifts the case's focus inside the gangster circle.

The Frenchman identifies The Red as the undercover agent, but Panin warns him in time and escapes. The trust within the operation fractures as loyalties shift and the danger increases. Panin's warning preserves the undercover role for now.

Police raids erupt at the restaurant on Pyatnitskaya, and The Gypsy is compromised as a suspect by The Frenchman. The raid marks a turning point, with the gang's internal cohesion starting to crumble. The Gypsy is taken as a hostage in the ensuing chaos.

The bandits attempt to flee, triggering a tense chase through the building. Meanwhile, Vanya Shlyonov suffers a nervous breakdown and commits suicide in the MUR building, shocking Klimov and the investigators. The loss shakes the police's confidence and clarity.

The basement siege ends with The Grey's refusal to surrender and his death in a shootout with Klimov. The remaining gang members are arrested as the police tighten their grip. Klimov, humbled by the tragedy, apologizes to Zaitsev, whose earlier accusations now seem ill-founded.

It is revealed that the criminal investigation agent is not Ryumin the Gypsy, but Lavrov the Frenchman. Lavrov, a former tsarist officer who joined the Bolsheviks, manipulated events to serve the police. The twist redefines who truly ran the gang’s downfall.

In the aftermath, Pashka-America and Alyona leave together for her village, closing the personal arc of the story. The characters find a quiet exit as Moscow returns to its uneasy stability after the crackdown. The final image emphasizes human connections amid political upheaval.