Original subtitles

Anyway, I told dad I wouldn't go to his family's place.

Two weeks in Spain right after the wedding.

What? What dad?

My dad, who else?

Olezh. Olezh!

You're being weird today.

- To hell with these races, huh? - Yeah.

Let's go home.

You want everyone to bully me? No. I'm gonna collect myself now.

Great!

I'm gonna hustle this sucker, and we'll jet to my place.

Come on, beautiful.

Just put your seatbelt on.

I'm a lucky man.

OK, ready?!

Are you ready?

May I?

- Yeah. Go ahead, come on. - Thanks.

- Here. Take a look. - Uh-huh.

Just a car crash. What does it have to do with us?

Do you see the last name?

Bolshakov.

The media mogul?

His son...

Nastya, please, pay close attention to this case.

But if this is just a car crash...

Hold on.

Here.

Meet Raul Aliyev.

Head of Mr.Bolshakov's security service.

He is here upon the initiative of his boss's partners.

Raul, fill Anastasia in on the details.

Tell me, are you an atheist?

ACADEMIA

Galina Sumina

Maxim Bityukov

Yelizaveta Lotova, Alexander Konstantinov, Vladimir Yumatov

Alexander Yatsko, Igor Yurtaev, Eric Yaralov

Director of Photography - Dmitriy Konchev. Production designer - David Dadunashvili.

Music by Igor Krestovskiy

Written by Arkadiy Vysotskiy, Vasiliy Abdrashitov.

Directed by Vyacheslav Lavrov, Alexander Sozonov.

Creative producer - Valeriy Kochkin. Executive producer - Oksana Furtseva.

Co-producers - Nelli Yaralova, Roman Atanesyan.

Produced by Alexey Moiseev, Oleg Piganov, Yulia Razumovskaya

ACADEMIA

We met on the plane.

She seemed like a nice girl...

Funny.

We got to talking.

Turned out we live in the same neighborhood.

So we decided to rent a car for two...

Don't know what got into me...

So how did all of this happen?

We left the airport. We were driving...

Then bam...

I woke up here.

What about the girl?

And the taxi driver? How are they?

I don't know.

Right.

You know...

I was thinking, it's good that it ended like this.

Could've been worse.

Yeah.

Come in.

Thanks.

This is Raul, head of Anatoliy Bolshakov's security.

Raul, these are my colleagues.

- Hello. - Hello.

A week ago, a bunch of young people decided to street race.

Foolhardy guys get together and race around the city centre.

A dangerous sport.

Why dangerous? And why foolhardy?

Actually, I took part in races, and not without success, mind you.

Me too.

Most of them were under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Well, what's wrong with having a smoke before?..

Eduard! Are you going to comment on my every word?

Anyway. One of them died in a crash.

Oleg Bolshakov, the youngest son from the first marriage

of Anatoliy Bolshakov, a very influential businessman.

The examination comfirmed that he was under the influence of cocaine.

The original theory is that he lost control of the car.

And our task is to check this theory most thoroughly.

I'm sorry, are there reasons for that?

Did the boy have enemies? Did anyone threaten him?

We need to figure it out as well.

Because neither the investigators nor

Mr.Bolshakov's security found anything like that.

Wait. Can I make a comment anyway?

Why do we have to check it?

There are certain circumstances of death...

Raul, tell us, please.

Yes. It's the third death in the family.

Six months ago Nikita, the oldest son from his first marriage, drowned while rafting.

His death was considered an accident.

A couple of months later Alyona, Anatoliy Grigoryevich's

first wife, committed suicide.

She threw herself out of the window.

Her death was confirmed a suicide due to depression.

Oleg died in a car crash.

Now there's only his second wife and their twelve-year-old son left.

Yeah, awful. I can imagine how much he fears for them!

That's the thing.

He already believes his family was cursed.

When he was young, a gypsy told him he'd have whole mountains of gold

and great success, but in exchange for that his whole family would die.

He has major depression.

He thinks all of this is a punishment for his unrighteousness.

Now he's giving money to church and charity, ruining the business.

Our task is to determine the circumstances of these deaths.

And find out whether all of this is the result of someone's actions or an accident of fate.

Or a curse after all...

I can't believe you!

What? This is no laughing matter.

Actually, my great-grandmother was a shaman.

She was helping all the villagers. What, you don't believe me?

I do! I believe you.

I also believe in Santa Claus. And country lore!

Zombies and vampires too.

Actually, I'm kind of a zombie myself...

Shurik, you shouldn't be rude to Oksa.

Your great-grandma was a sorceress, you say?

Maybe you, like, inherited powers from her?

That's entirely possible.

Right! And you know what?

You put a love spell on one of us.

Well?

So you believe in country lore, huh?

Just don't, young man, save it.

Alright. We sweep aside all this mystical nonsense, obviously.

There are only two options left.

Either all those deaths were accidents, or someone plotted them.

Bolshakov had too many enemies.

Let's look for the proof that someone plotted all this.

If we don't find it, then it was an accident.

Dr.Lemke, please do a second autopsy of the deceased Oleg Bolshakov.

Got it. A second autopsy... Will do...

Ed, you'll do the blood tests and then help

Shurik disassemble and check the car he died in.

We'll ask Arkadiy to talk to the people from Bolshakov's inner circle about his enemies.

Maybe there were some threats we don't know about.

Oksa, please check the records on the

deaths of his elder son and his ex-wife.

Maybe we missed something.

Is everything clear?

Yes.

Then get to work.

Almost done.

I know this pathologist. Kolya Patrushev is a first-class expert.

I can only confirm his conclusions.

Well, probably, Ed will find something in the blood. But here...

He died from the injuries typical for a car crash.

If only the speed had been lower...

Sometimes five kilometers per hour decide whether a person lives or dies...

Ah.

By the way, Kirill, how's your wife?

Weak, wearing a cast, there's an IV...

She'll get better, of course.

Thank God, in this situation the speed was much lower...

And here we have a basilar skull fracture, multiple rib fractures...

Nastya...

Can I ask you a favor?

Could you use your sources to find out the details of

yesterday's accident... on the road to Sheremetyevo?

Why not? I don't think it will be difficult.

Thanks a lot.

Kirill, if you're done, maybe you'll keep me company?

I'm going to talk to Bolshakov.

Yes, sure.

Thanks.

Please.

Thanks.

- Hello. - Hello.

Tea, coffee, cookies, anything?

- No, thank you. - Thanks.

I asked you to be careful with the antibiotics! What's his temperature?..

Don't worry...

Oh.

I'm sorry, who is this?

This is boss's wife, Olesya, and their son Andrey.

He's always accompanied by a governess, a professional physician.

I see they created hothouse conditions for the boy.

Yes. She and my boys are always by his side.

In the light of recent events, he's not allowed to go anywhere at all.

So he's the only heir left?

And Olesya is his mother...

I know what you're saying.

She does benefit from the death of his first wife and her children.

But Olesya is a very simple person, you know? With a simple mindset.

She's not capable of three murders that everyone thought were accidents.

Anyway, everyone here, all the staff have been checked, even passed a polygraph test.

The person we're looking for is an outsider.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

See you at Sunday service.

Good afternoon.

- Hello. - Hello.

We need to talk to you. Is that alright?

Please.

Thank you.

Stay here.

They say the church doesn't believe in curses.

They say it's a sin and a superstition.

Well, as a scientist, I agree with the church on this matter.

But punishment for your sins... Punishment...

It does exist. You can't escape it.

Anatoliy Grigoryevich, do you have enemies?

I stopped at nothing.

I destroyed people.

And now this... Punishment for all of it.

A wife, two sons.

And that's not the end of it.

Marinka, Nikita's wife...

She miscarried after she found out that he had drowned.

God doesn't want my bloodline to continue.

And yet, maybe there are threats or enemies

your security doesn't know about?

Listen, what enemies?

I'm telling you, it's a punishment for my sins.

When can I take my son's body?

Whenever you want.

Anatoliy Grigoryevich, one more thing.

Raul said there was some gypsy woman who told you fortune...

I was on a business trip in Orenburg.

I told that gypsy to go to hell, almost hit her.

But look, she knew it would happen.

Do you really believe that?

A gypsy predicted Pushkin would die at the hand of a white man.

And Dantes was blond. That's a historical fact.

Listen, Ed. I'm sorry, for real, I was kinda out of line today.

Yeah...

Look at you though, why are you acting like a teenager?

What do you mean?

What do I mean? I don't know, you could've hit on Oksa long ago.

Like, ask her out or something?

Don't teach fish how to swim! It's all settled.

Really? What are you thinking? Come on, spit it out.

OK, look.

Women love successful guys, right?

Well, yeah.

Anyway, I have a plan.

A plan? What kind of plan?

Curiosity killed a cat.

Come on, Ed, spit it out already, what's on your mind?

Anyway, what do you think that thing from Oleg Bolshakov's car is?

I don't even...

- Huh? - No idea.

Some weird shit.

Some bones.

So, the eldest son, as we know, died while rafting.

The canoe capsized in white water.

He died, the rest of the crew survived.

Even if someone was trying to kill him, they were risking their

own life, dragging him to the bottom.

Well, theoretically, that's possible...

Go on.

Bolshakov's first wife jumped from a balcony during a party.

The guests say she had been depressed all night.

But she was alone on the balcony, the guards and the witnesses confirmed it.

So it's unclear who could've pushed her in such a mysterious way.

And now the third mysterious death.

Also mystical?

Alright! Let's forget all this mystical stuff.

Bolshakov's son. OK, we know he was drunk, stoned.

He was driving. But suddenly the car flipped over, for no obvious reasons.

Another mystery. Shurik, what about the car?

The car?

It's fine. The running gear is okay.

So is the steering gear.

Maybe he actually crashed his car because he was high?

And not just on cocaine.

I found a phytogenic hallucinogen in his blood.

Magic mushrooms.

They didn't put any of this in the report. Apparently, Bolshakov

didn't want his son's proclivities to get leaked to the press.

A nuclear mix.

Maybe someone put it in his drink?

You know, the boy was such a hoodlum that I'm pretty

sure he could've tried anything.

But it's something.

Not much.

Anything else?

Well, I guess, it seems like...

Do you guess or do you have something?

Here.

Found it under the driver's seat.

Damn! It's a hex bag!

A what?

This is, what do you call it, witchcraft! A magic bomb!

To bring trouble on a person.

That's great! We now have real evidence!

Now what, do we have to find the sourcerer and give them

a fine for dropping litter?

Or maybe just burn them at the stake?! For witchcraft?

"Oleg.

Have you heard of a thing called karmic curse,

and do you know that I mastered it?"

"You'll walk the path of a famished spirit to one of the eight hells while still alive."

Doc! Are you messing with me?

Not at all. I'm carrying out the instruction you gave me.

You told me to study the threat letters to Bolshakov. I got carried away.

This letter interested me more than the others.

The author is one Viktor Kharchenko, the owner of an esoteric publishing house.

Told ya.

He can't see you right now.

- What do you mean he can't? - He's busy!

Viktor Ivanovich, I told them you were busy, they won't listen...

That's okay, Lenochka, calm down. I'll handle it.

Come in, please.

Zorina Anastasia Vladimirovna.

- Have a seat. - The investigative committee.

Have a seat.

Let's seat...

Did you write this letter?

What is this?

Yes, I did. But it was, you know, a burst of anger.

Now I pray for forgiveness.

You and Bolshakov were competitors back then.

Yes. I was a fool. Conditional worldly values.

Money, wealth... On a high spiritual level...

Tell me what happened next.

Actually, Tolya pushed me out of the business.

So you got angry and decided to take revenge.

Actually, I wanted to reduce him to dust.

But then I went to India, the Himalayas.

You know, we live our lives wrong.

I found my path. I forgave him. Though it took me some time.

Then I felt sorry for him.

- You feel sorry for him? - Nastya.

Yes! What happened is so horrible!

I empathize with him and pray for him.

So you even pray for him?

Yes, twice a day.

I was praying when you came...

If you don't have any more questions, I'd like to get on with my prayer.

I...

Nastya, let's leave the man alone.

Let's go... Take care. Goodbye.

Take care.

Take care.

Goodbye.

We have nothing on him.

I'm sick of this case! Witchers, curses!

I need facts and evidence!

My gut tells me there's something going on with Bolshakov.

Well, guts and feelings aren't scientific categories either.

Actually, I think you shouldn't ignore the mystical aspect.

Fine, Kirill. What are you suggesting?

Look, a hereditary fortune teller.

Let's go see her, maybe she'll tell us who the killer is.

Pay attention to one specific piece of evidence.

Which one?

The hex bag.

At the very least, it suggests that someone wished harm to Bolshakov's son.

Maybe this someone is trying to make the curse come to pass?

Again, the mushrooms, someone could've given them to Oleg, just to be sure.

Fine.

Curse helps those who help themselves.

What exactly are you suggesting?

To check Oleg Bolshakov's circle thoroughly.

Maybe the one we're looking for is close.

Raul, this is Zorina, I need your consult.

And Larisa Kudryashova, 40 years old.

Born in Saratov, higher medical education.

She was hired four years ago.

Of the ten people who took the test, she turned out an ideal candidate for governess.

That's it.

You can find all the details in their files.

Everything up to DNA samples.

Is there anything else I can help you with?

Yes, there is.

Help us with the inspection of Mr.Bolshakov's house.

No problem.

But what are you hoping to find?

Hex bags.

Magic signs, astral.

I'll take a pistol with silver bullets.

Shurik.

I'm sorry.

It's okay.

Hi.

Hi.

Never throw everything away too soon!

Do you even know what it is?

Well, a witch's bomb, is it?

These are crow bones. And this is...

Thanks to Mr.Aliyev for the DNA samples.

Ed, come on.

This is the hair of Bolshakov's first wife and her son.

The black raven, the bird of death, take the son to the place where his mother has gone!

- Oksa... - What?

Dr.Lemke. You were absolutely right.

If this someone managed to get the hair of Bolshakov's ex-wife and her

eldest son, it means they are very close to Bolshakov.

Good job. Good job.

You look like you won a million.

Oksa, let me get straight to the point.

What do you mean?

I'd like to invite you someplace.

Um... Where?

I'm having an exhibition soon.

I'd like to invite you to the opening.

You're having an exhibition?

You mean, pictures, paintings or...

Well, you know I'm not an artist or a photographer.

I'm an entomologist. Insects are the foundation of my creativity.

Hold on. You think I'm gonna like cockroaches, beetles and all this crap?

Eww!

Well, successful guy?

Fine. Let's go to Bolshakov's, to look for magical evidence.

Come on, let's go!

Um, and...

Dear colleague, what do you think distinguishes one successful man from another?

A hint: one successful entomologist is having an exhibition soon.

An interesting one, mind you.

And the other doesn't know shit about science, but has a small fleet of cars...

Who will the woman choose?

Exactly! Why don't you invite her to a glamorous exhibition of tapeworms.

You know what!

I think this is it.

Hello.

So you're the daughter?

Great timing!

Like a bolt from the blue!

The family is in mourning, and we have to deal with you.

Liuba!

Take the suitcase.

Hello.

Hello, Yana. Let's go.

I'm sorry. Who is this girl?

Boss's daughter.

We didn't know he had another daughter.

No one did.

Interesting!

And I gave the order to find you.

Now you know everything.

Yana, you don't have to call me dad...

You know, after mum died, I lived in an orphanage almost my entire life.

Yes, I know.

I'm so sorry for what I did to you and your mum.

I used to think I was an orphan.

That I have no one in my life.

And now I have a father.

It makes me happy.

Really?

You accept?

Lord, thank you...

Well. Yana, come on, I'll introduce you to my family.

Come on.

- Olesya. - Yes.

Meet my daughter Yana.

- I told you about her. - Yes.

She is now part of our family.

Is it clear, Liuba? Or not?

It's clear...

Olesya, maybe you'll introduce her to Andrushka?

Well, show her around the house?

- Of course. - Okay?

- Let's go. - Yana, come on.

Well...

Do you want tea?

I don't want tea...

She lives in Orenburg, her mother died when she was six years old.

It must've happened during boss's business trip. Even I didn't know about it.

Judging by her age, he was already married.

So he wants to acknowledge her. I see.

I took her DNA. Just in case.

Number two.

It was in Bolshakov's car. Crow bones, as usual.

And the hair of the late Oleg and Bolshakov himself.

They killed his first family and now they want to kill him.

And where did the witcher get Bolshakov's hair? Who cuts his hair?

Damn...

Olesya, his wife, she's a stylist.

Yeah. The motive is solid - inheritance.

She got rid of everyone she'd have to share it with.

But she didn't expect that Yana would show up.

Well, now Yana has to stock up on protective charms.

Maybe you're right, but...

Anyone can pick up hair after a haircut.

So maybe Olesya is not the one we're looking for.

Wait. Enough! We're not looking for anyone anymore!

Witchcraft isn't prohibited by he Criminal Code.

I'll go to Lobanov and return this case to him.

There are no elements of the crime in these deaths.

- These are all accidents. - Yeah.

What?

I'm on my way. Andrey is dying!

God! Please, somebody!

Give him a shot!

I already have! It's not helping.

He's choking!

Where's the ambulance?!

I already called!

God, Andrushechka, hang on. Hang on, sweetie.

How did it happen?

I don't even know what caused the allergic reaction!

I gave him an injection, but somehow it didn't help!

Where's the injector?

There are several.

Here's one of them.

Bring the others, we'll need them.

Okay.

The shock was caused by the paper wasp.

Apparently, it stung the boy, he managed to swat it but didn't have time to tell.

Because of the allergic reaction.

The paper wasp? What do you mean?

Well, they exude peculiar substance,

something like paper, to build their nests.

They chew it and moisten wood fibres with sticky saliva.

Strange.

Where did wasps come from? We got rid of them long ago.

I'll go take a look around.

Uh-huh.

Nearly lost his last son. Poor guy...

Yeah. Just look at him.

There's no sign of wasps here.

What is it?

The paper wasp's net. Pass me the evidence bag, please.

Let's see if our wasps are related.

Wait. Wasp relations?

Like, DNA?

Yes.

Just get this digusting stuff away from me.

Don't worry. Wasps left their home long ago. There are only dead ones.

You know, it looks more like... papier-mache.

You know, like what we used to make in kindergarten.

Hold on. Is this a cobweb?

I think so...

Wasps often build their hives inside houses.

In the attic, under the roof.

Wait. This is an elite neighborhood.

There are so many employees here!

If they had found this thing, they would've immediately removed it.

So we should look for an abandoned building, something like that shed...

I could use a drink right now...

Cognac, five stars.

Damn...

Maybe he is a scumbag...

But he was sitting there alone, on the floor... Maybe he still is.

And we're here, and there's nothing we can do!

Nastya. Stop. You can't get like this.

Just a second.

Never mind. It's just nerves. It's about to pass.

Collect yourself...

This time the boy survived.

But you know it can happen again.

Now his daughter is another target.

It's very important to make the right decision now.

If you make the right decision, you will save them all.

Uh-huh.

You know what I was thinking?

Yes?

Have you heard of the placebo effect?

Of course you have.

A person can be cured with empty pills with no medicine inside.

Well, it's self-suggestion or something else, I don't know for sure.

But you can also regard a curse as a placebo,

but with a negative effect.

If a person believes in a curse, you can kill them with it.

So witchcraft can kill if you believe in it?

Yes.

It's not the witchcraft that kills, but the thought that the witchcraft is real.

"There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy..."

Do you know it? Shakespeare.

Colleagues! Come here please!

What are you allergic to?

What makes you think I'm allergic?

Well, your nose is red.

Ed, go ahead, tell us what you've got.

We found this on Bolshakov's premises.

I'm pretty sure the nest was put there on purpose.

Yes, everyone knew the boy was allergic.

There were several dead wasps inside.

I took our wasp's DNA... and compared it with the DNA of the wasp from this hive.

They have the same alleles.

I see.

Now the injectors.

There was saline instead of medicine.

Here. See?

They let a wasp in and neutralized the injector.

This is elementary, my dear colleague! They thought the boy was weak and wouldn't survive.

Fortunately, that didn't happen.

Olesya isn't capable of killing her own son. That leaves the governess.

Though I don't understand what her motive is.

I'll explain everything. That's not all.

Do I smell alcohol?

You don't.

Did you have a drink? Could've invited me.

Cut it out, will you?

Anyway.

I ran a DNA test on Yana.

Raul provided me with the material. She really is Bolshakov's daughter.

But as you remember, Raul provided us with DNA samples of all the staff.

Yes.

So I took the trouble to run a comparative test.

Anyway, there was another match.

Aside from Bolshakov, Yana has another close relative in the house.

It's aunt Liuba.

She is Yana's grandmother! Her mother's mother.

Ed, you're a genius!

They're hiding their relation though, Shurik and I witnessed it.

They put on a show when Yana arrived, pretended to fight.

Now we're talking.

Anatoliy Grigoryevich...

Anatoliy Grigoryevich, come on...

You can't sit here all the time.

Leave me alone!

I don't need anything.

All I want is my boy to be okay.

I'll stay here until they hear me and forgive me.

Grandma, how much longer do we have to pretend that we don't know each other?

What's with this performance?

It has to be like this. Do as I tell you.

What are you doing?

I'm doing everything for you.

Take him.

Call him.

His body, his mind.

Where are we going? Where's Liubov Ivanovna?

In her room, upstairs.

Grandma, are you crazy? Stop!

Back off!

- Grandma, stop! Stop! - Back off!

Ouch!

- Just a little longer. - Grandma...

Let the darkness fill your soul.

Let the grave become your home.

Take him!

Take him!

Open up! The investigative committee.

You're under arrest until further investigation!

Too late, girl.

Here are the mushrooms.

Hello.

Hello.

Andriusha?

Hi, dad. I'm feeling better. They said they'd let me go home soon.

How's mum?

We're good.

Good... Good...

Thank God!

You were sure Bolshakov's first wife and her

eldest son died of your sorcery.

I destroyed his daughter-in-law's fetus too.

What now, you'll put me in jail for witchcraft?

Though your sorcery stopped working for some reason.

And you decided to back up black magic.

First you planted the psilocybin mushrooms, the same we

found in your room, on the youngest son before the race. Isn't that right?

You were the one who let in wasps and neutralized the injectors.

We found your fingerprints on one of them.

And you pulled this off for your granddaughter.

He knocked up my daughter and left!

She wrote to him, and he took to the woods – not my problem, not my kid!

After that she didn't even want to hear about getting any help from him.

I watched my granddaughter grow up in poverty with a living millionaire father.

Then my girl was dying in the hospital for three months.

And then there were two of us, me and Yanka.

She was the only reason I didn't hang myself!

I was thinking about writing him again, asking for help.

Then I thought - no! He'd lie his way out of it!

So I did it my way.

I came to Moscow, got a job at his house.

Got to know him really well.

He deserves eternal torture.

Who are you to decide who to torture, who lives, and who dies?

It's likely that you'll need a professional therapist.

You can contact me.

I...

I'll deal with it on my own.

How are you?

Well... Didn't get much sleep.

Can't seem to recover from this... sorcery.

I see.

I don't understand the connection between the first three deaths and this psycho granny's magic.

Only the last two have elements of the crime.

"There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio..." Take a series of deaths in the Kennedy family.

Maybe a shaman did some vodoo back then?

Ah, to hell with all this...

How's your wife?

They'll release her from the hospital soon.

I found out some details about the accident...

And?

The car Alla was in is a company car of one Lev Granin.

His chauffeur was behind the wheel.

Unlike Alla, they weren't badly injured.

Thank you.

Oh, the guys.

Hey.

Hello everyone.

- Hey. - Hi.

Hi.

Where's Oksa?

Oksa? "Beetles? Eww, disgusting!"

I see.

Thank you for coming. Well, let me show you my humble masterpiece.

Huh?

- Hi. - Hi.

What are you doing here? What happened to "disgusting"?

Beetles?

I decided to drop by for a second, I was in the neighborhood anyway.

Ed, good job.

Congratulations!

Let me tell you which insects I used for the picture.

Okay.

Doc, do you think our colleague has a chance?

Definitely. A very high chance to become rich and famous.

I saw such an awesome thing over there! Let me show you.

Who's the blue one?

It's from the buttercup family...

Can I touch it?

Just be careful.

Can I ask you a question?

Yes.

You don't seem to be surprised by the details of the accident.

When I took Alla's stuff from the hospital, I found

a bill for a hotel room among the travel documents.

Alla and Granin were living in the same room.

But it doesn't mean anything.

Kirill, you and I also lived in the same... Sorry.

No. It doesn't.

As our magic friends say, everyone will be judged according to their deeds...

Let's go join the benefit event?