The Washing Machine (2020) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Yuri Petkov, a ruthless mob boss and Vida's ex-boyfriend, is killed after he and Vida break up. The exact killer remains ambiguous initially, Ludmilla claims a sexual tryst on the washing machine led to electrocution, while Maria says she walked in on a sexual encounter and stabbed him. What is clear is that the sisters had motive to eliminate him, and the washing machine becomes both the murder weapon and disposal method, though the body is later removed before police arrive.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Yuri leaves behind an engraved bracelet with Maria's nickname 'Sissy,' hinting at a connection between him and the sisters that predates the murder.

• yuri petkov murder
• dismembered body
• washing machine
• kolbas sisters

No. Yuri Petkov is revealed to be very much alive. His dismembered body in the washing machine was either staged or belonged to someone else. He orchestrates the entire plot from behind the scenes, killing Nikolai and later Stacev, ultimately revealing himself as the true villain who manipulated everyone, including the sisters, throughout the investigation.

Foreshadowing: Nikolai's hint that Yuri's criminal files have gone missing early on suggests Yuri has resources and reach beyond what the sisters claim.

• yuri alive twist
• fake death
• plot twist
• yuri petkov

Yuri Petkov kills both Nikolai and Inspector Stacev. After Nikolai steals a suitcase of jewels intended for the sisters, Yuri chokes him to death and dismembers his body in the washing machine, the same machine used in the earlier murder. Yuri then kills Stacev as well, completing his revenge against everyone who crossed him. Their remains are found in the washing machine, completing the dark循环 of violence.

Foreshadowing: Nikolai's error of omitting Stacev's fingerprints from the crime scene and his mysterious disappearance foreshadow his darker role in the theft and subsequent murder.

• nikolai killed
• stacev killed
• yuri murderer
• body in washing machine

Ludmilla reaches out to Stacev anonymously because she refuses to accept his dismissal of Yuri's murder as a drunken hallucination. Despite having no legitimate way to contact him, she obtains his number and calls, setting in motion the sisters' campaign to manipulate the investigation. Her call reveals her determination to keep the case alive, though her motivations are complicated by her jealousy and the sisters' overarching scheme.

Foreshadowing: Ludmilla's claim that she foresaw Yuri's murder in a dream establishes her as someone willing to blur reality and fantasy to achieve her goals.

• ludmilla anonymous call
• inspector stacev
• reaching out
• investigation

The Kolbas sisters manipulate Stacev to cover up Yuri's murder, protect themselves from his criminal empire, and ultimately gain control of his suitcase of jewels and cash. Each sister has her own method: Vida uses seduction and aggression, Ludmilla crafts false narratives and claimed clairvoyance, and Maria deploys blackmail with compromising photos. Their constantly shifting stories create confusion and keep Stacev from discovering the truth, or from realizing how deeply compromised he becomes.

Foreshadowing: The sisters' early conflicting accounts, Maria claiming the cat ate Yuri's hand, Ludmilla claiming a dream foresaw the murder, demonstrate their habit of weaving lies before the investigation even properly begins.

• kolbas sisters manipulate
• stacev manipulation
• sisters scheme
• cover up

Irina, Stacev's girlfriend and a lawyer, breaks down under the mounting pressure of his obsession with the Kolbas sisters case. The stress of his involvement with the manipulative sisters, combined with the toll the investigation takes on their relationship, leads her to use Stacev's service pistol to kill herself after a devastating confrontation. Her death marks a turning point that sends Stacev further into moral decay.

Foreshadowing: The earlier scene where Vida blurs accusation and arousal with Stacev hints at how the sisters' influence will damage his personal life.

• irina suicide
• stacev girlfriend
• death
• emotional breakdown

Maria kills Yuri in the final confrontation because he coerces her into joining his criminal 'family' or facing dire consequences. Rather than submit to his control, she waits until he's bathing and throws an iron into the water, electrocuting him to death. This act of revenge frees her from his threat and completes the sisters' liberation from his criminal influence, though it also cements their role as cold-blooded killers.

Foreshadowing: Maria's earlier attempt to pull Yuri into a 'family' pact with Ninya shows she tried survival through alliance before choosing violence.

• maria kills yuri
• electrocution
• revenge
• final confrontation

The suitcase contains jewels and cash that Yuri intended to give the sisters, likely as payment, leverage, or part of some criminal arrangement. Stacev discovers it and hides it at his apartment, planning to use it as evidence. When Nikolai steals it, Yuri kills him, and the suitcase becomes a symbol of how everyone, police and criminals alike, succumbs to greed and moral corruption.

Foreshadowing: Stacev's decision to hide the suitcase rather than turn it in immediately plants the seed for his own moral descent.

• suitcase jewels
• stolen cash
• evidence
• corruption

Vida persuades Stacev to break into Yuri's apartment under false pretenses, then cuffs him to a stairwell and sexually assaults him. This brutal act demonstrates the sisters' willingness to use any method, violence, seduction, or coercion, to maintain power over those who threaten them. The assault also further compromises Stacev's objectivity and creates leverage the sisters can exploit.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes establish Vida as the 'spoiled temptress' who uses her sexuality as a weapon, making this assault consistent with her character.

• vida assault
• sexual violence
• stacev attack
• power abuse

The sisters constantly change their stories about Yuri's death because each is trying to deflect blame, protect herself, and manipulate the investigation. Ludmilla claims a sexual tryst on the washing machine electrocuted Yuri, Maria claims she walked in on a sex act and stabbed him, and Vida produces a handwriting-verified letter. Their fabrications serve to keep Stacev confused and prevent any single narrative from pinning the murder definitively on any of them.

Foreshadowing: Maria's claim that her cat ate Yuri's hand on a plate is an early example of how far the sisters will go to construct absurd but diverting lies.

• conflicting stories
• sisters lie
• alibi
• fabrication

Stacev's tea is repeatedly drugged by the sisters, causing him to drift into disturbing visions where Vida and her sisters reenact the brutal disposal of Yuri's remains, laughing as they do so. These drugged sequences represent the sisters' psychological control over him and blur the line between reality and hallucination, making it impossible for Stacev, or the audience, to trust what they see.

Foreshadowing: The drug-induced dreams echo the earlier unreliable narration, reinforcing that the film presents a heavily subjective view of events.

• stacev drugged
• dream sequence
• hallucinations
• psychological control

Yuri's criminal files disappear because Yuri himself arranges their removal, part of his ongoing manipulation of the situation from the shadows. Nikolai mentions that the files have gone missing, which complicates the investigation and suggests Yuri has allies within the police force or simply has the resources to cover his tracks. The missing files also make it harder for Stacev to build a solid case against anyone.

Foreshadowing: This early mystery hints that Yuri's influence extends far beyond what the sisters claim, foreshadowing his later revelation as the puppet master.

• missing files
• criminal records
• yuri cover up
• police files

Niday, Maria's blind girlfriend, runs a seminar for blind students with Maria. During these sessions, Maria openly flirts with Stacev, using Niday's blindness as part of her manipulation act. Niday later reappears exposing Maria's attempt to pull Yuri into a 'family' pact for survival, revealing that even those closest to Maria are ultimately used as pawns in the sisters' complex schemes.

Foreshadowing: The seminar scene establishes Maria's comfort using vulnerability and trust as tools for manipulation.

• niday blind girlfriend
• maria partner
• seminar scene
• manipulation