Original subtitles

Dima.

Dima, don’t wet my hair... I’ve just dried it. Dima...

Dima?

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

Just a second.

Yes. Yes, Alla...

No, I’m not at work...

Listen, I’ll call you back later, ok?

Just a second.

Yes, Nastya.

OK. I’ll be there in an hour.

Why are you looking at me like that?

I’m just admiring you.

Oh, really?

Yes.

You are an adult man in your prime.

You owe nothing to nobody.

And you act like a boy.

You know, neither your family, nor your work could stop you yesterday.

What’s so special about this case that they engaged us?

It’s the third drowned body this week alone.

It could be a string of murders, so they called us right away.

I think they just want to hang another cold case on us.

Why a cold case?

Maybe it’s not.

Yeah, right...

So, the body had been in the water for a few days. Very disfigured.

No ID - nothing. Looks like a cold case...

The head is squashed. Like by a screw vice. Squashed, not broken.

Yes. Someone even carefully packed the skull pieces. Right, doc?

That’ll make a nice bone puzzle.

So, we take the body to you then?

Look at the right phalanx.

I see... as if hit by a reinforcement fitting. The clavicle is broken too...

A young male. Aged twenty seven or twenty eight.

He was hit by some patterned object.

Looks like a gear wheel.

Some kind of glistening tarnish.

Let Alex handle it.

Look, Zorina said there would be some work for me.

There will be.

Unless his fingerprints show that he’s just a plain

convict killed by his henchmen over a stolen common cash fund.

A con with manicure?

Who knows.

Ah, damn!..

What happened?

Nothing.

I’ll never get used to it.

Need sal-ammoniac?

No.

I just can’t understand it... We always find bones, corpses.

They were all just normal people, living and breathing, walking the Earth.

And this one may have been an OK guy...

A handsome and tender man. Great lover looking like Antonio Banderas...

Ed! Screw you!

You’re going to show us his face soon. But I’ll do my job first.

Nothing on fingerprints.

They’re not in the database.

As if anyone could doubt!

What can I say? A natural blond. His hair is all white, but dyed.

Manicure, dyed haid... It narrows the search, but not too much.

What if it was a lovers' falling-out?

They say things can get complicated between them.

By the way, has anyone seen Shurik? I’ve called him five times!

Maxim Petrovich, it is a high-security facility!

Virtually, a secret plant!

I know.

How did he get there anyway?

Tight security, barbed wire! They could have... shot him!

I know.

Please tell him... to never do it again!

I will.

Maxim Petrovich. Good bye.

Let him go!

Done playing commando?

Come on!

I was running late! I simply took a shortcut through the plant to save time.

And bumped right into the security. Simple, right! Like yourself.

If there was no dead end, they’d never catch me.

Next time take a shortcut through a prison, why don’t you?

Come on, grandpa!

Just you wait... they’ll knock some sense into you in the army.

Yeah, we’ll see about that...

Oh, look at that! You’re such a baby...

All right. I’m sorry, grandpa!

Put it away!

You’ll take the subway with me.

Right. I’ve taken everything – DNA, blood samples.

Ed is working with the contents of the bad.

Now we just need to put the skull together once we’ve stripped the bones of soft tissue.

Ed will do it.

Or, rather, his grave digger bugs will...

Maxim Petrovich! Hello!

Hello.

- Have a bun. - Thank you.

- Shurik, hi. - Hello.

What is it? Do we have fences on the roofs now?

We ended in a traffic jam, and then – a small car accident… nothing big...

I... I took care of it.

It’s not his fault. Almost.

And, you don’t have a phone?

You couldn’t call and couldn’t pick up, right?

We’re ready.

Now, about the bag contents.

Particleso’ friedn’ milled hempn’ sunflowern’ rape seeds.

- Ed. - Yes?

We don’t understand. Catch your breath first.

Right, sorry.

Ok, particles of fried and milled hemp, sunflower and rape seeds.

Also, particles of millet and animal fodder, and bits of rye bread!

That’s what was in the bag, aside from brains, mud and river microorganisms!

That’s a strange mush.

Maybe they stored it in that bag.

Maybe it was in the victim’s mouth, before he was...

Lure.

What?

Lure, kids. Bait for fish.

That’s what most likely was in the bag.

Rape, sunflower, and what else – hemp?

Yes.

And every fisherman has their own unique recipe.

Hemp...

Cool.

You’re a wizard!

Come on, I’m just a scientist...

I’m pleased to hear that, though. Why are you still here, by the way?

Well, I’m... working off.

I came late today. And I don’t really feel like going home.

What’s the use in doing crossword puzzles with grandpa?

I like the way you think Alexander.

Hi.

If a man makes a mistake, he should make amends. Right, Kirill?

So, I... I’d better go. See you.

I know. I just came to thank you and to comfort you.

Last night and this morning… it was wonderful.

But don’t sweat it, as they say. You owe me nothing.

And, of course, I’m not going to stalk you.

I don’t sweat it. I just...

Good then!

Relax, as they say...relax.

I see, you’ve lost track of time here.

Maybe because you forgot something at my place…

This.

And it was the best birthday gift.

Kirill!

Good morning.

Good morning.

Dr. Lemke.

Your eyes are red.

Have you been putting it together all night?

Not the whole night through. Till five o’clock.

Why do you not care about yourself?

I need you. Alive and well.

- Is it so? - Yes.

I’ve found out something about the cemetery where my dad is buried.

And?

There will be a reburial.

It’s not an exhumation, of course. They will move the remains to other sites.

But I wanted to ask you...

I’ve had an experience when a graveyard was flooded and remains needed identification.

But this is not the case here.

No matter what, Olga and I will go...

I’m going with you.

I’ll make sure they do everything right.

Thank you.

Dr. Lemke! You had a sleepless night. How are you going to work?

As usual.

So, we’ll soon find out what our… poor Yorick looked like.

Wow! That is Aramis, Zorro and Byron all at once!

Now we know what Oksa’s idea of her perfect prince is!

Actually, Ed, it’s just a reconstruction, and not my fancy.

Right! What do you say, doc?

Obviously, a sophisticated person.

Most probably, he was busy doing some intellectual work.

Well-groomed. Reads a lot. Well-mannered.

I’d even say - honorable.

But he has one serious flaw...

Yeah? What is it?

He doesn’t make concessions and fights for his truth till the end.

U-huh. Does he like music?

Just a moment...

He does! He’s keen on jazz.

And not only jazz. I’d say, he also likes Schnittke.

Because he’s either a scientist,… or a teacher.

So, a teacher, jazz, Schnittke. Great.

I don’t understand why you are having such fun.

Actually, he’s lying in the next room right now, headless.

So, on the patterned bruises and wounds

of the body is a common paint – silver stain!

But what’s most important is that it’s not manicure on his nails.

And his hair is not dyed. It’s a result of chemical radiation.

Chemical radiation?

Yes. On the body I’ve found particles of compounds containing sulphur and nitrogen.

Here they are. Tiodiphenylamine, dibenzotiazine, paradibenzotiazine.

These are all phenothiazine derivatives!

Wait, what? What?

It’s a veterinary drug against worms and other parasites.

Yes. It’s a green flour-like powder.

And it emits a strong IR radiation.

Hair becomes chestnut-brown, and nails become dark red on exposure.

Hand on. I don’t get it. Is he a veterinarian?

No. He was exposed to the agent on a prolonged and regular basis.

In fact, our drowned guy was a worker

at a phenothiazine production plant!

A worker, you say!

Then it’s “Vladimirsky Central”, and not Schnittke, doc!

So, we can key out Byron and teacher.

Too bad.

Too bad. Right, Oksa?

Denis? Is it something important?

Well, if you care about your employees, then yes. It’s Oksa.

She’ll go to jail. She’ll do time, unless she stops lying!

What can I do? I’ve bailed her out of jail once already.

Talk to her. She respects you. She’ll listen to you.

Oksa? I doubt it.

Nastya, I agreed to help you because I know it’s important for you.

You know I’m a rather good lawyer.

And my time costs a lot.

But you must understand – I can’t help someone who keeps saying they’ll go to jail!

We can lose the case.

Are you afraid to lose and stain your reputation?

Yes, actually.

I’m sorry, Denis.

I shouldn’t have said that.

I’ve been on edge lately. OK. I’ll talk to Oksa. I promise.

But, you do understand that to earn forgiveness,

You first need to go to the restaurant with me.

Ah...

- That’s one. - U-huh.

And then we’re going to karaoke.

U-huh.

And that’s just the beginning of the forgiveness algorithm.

- And then... - Denis.

Then...

Can we discuss all your demands later? M-m?

And now I really have to go...

What about your conscience?

I don’t have it.

So, the body was found here.

And the nearest phenothiazine production plant is here.

By this river.

And nearby there’s this urban settlement - Abrashino.

U-huh.

There’s about thirty kilometers from there to the plant.

It seems he was murdered nearby the plant.

Then they threw him in the river. And the current brought him here.

Right. But the river flows to another direction.

So, where we are then? A dead end again!

Why would it be? I recall, a body once arrived at our morgue.

A pedestrian got hit by a minibus, and then bounced back to a heavy hauler.

The victim got stuck between trailers and was dragged a hundred kilometers.

They couldn’t figure out how a dead guy got into their garage.

I mean, he could be caught by a cutter boat.

Yes, a cutter or a barge. This explains the crushed head.

The only hitch is that plant.

I don’t recognize him.

Actually, the phenothiazine plant has long been abandoned. Went under.

There are no workers here at all.

Anything else?

Yes. Before coming here, I made some research on the plant.

There is a company associated with the plant, named KhimProm.

And the owner, by chance, is also the director of the plant.

A large sum of money has recently been transferred to the company account.

Payment for the product... phenothiazine.

What were you selling disguised as phenothiazine, if you don’t produce it?

All right then, I will call the Economic Crime Department then.

Let them sort it out.

It is all legal!

Phenothiazine is real.

It’s just not new.

There’s a supply of the old phenothiazine left in the storage.

We just put it from old bags to new, export bags.

We put together a team of workers to do this, for a month.

The work was done quickly.

And not quite officially? I see.

May I?

Oh, I just remembered.

This blond guy of yours was there.

He and his workmate were arguing about the pay.

He even fought, I think.

I don’t know the workmate’s name. He’s one of them former...

Prisoner chemists. They rusticate here, in the village by the plant.

Can you describe that workmate?

Wake up! Wake up!

Hold it!

O! I think I came right on time.

And you told me to sit in the car.

- Easy, pal. - Don’t make me do this.

Put the knife down or I’ll shoot.

Oleg Nikolaevich Boyko. Sentenced to 12 years in jail for double murder.

Served the sentence in the high security prison “Twenty two” in Mordovia.

Go on, just hang everything on the former convict...

I know your cop tricks...

Did you fight with this man over your pay?

I won’t tell you anything.

But I didn’t kill him.

Why were you running then?

Because nothing good can come from you cops.

It’s his blood. I’ll verify it at the lab.

But there’s seventy percent of our drowned man’s blood on this shirt.

How come there’s his blood on your shirt?

We got drunk and had a fight over the cash! He punched me, so did I.

Then we made peace, had another drink... Gena was an OK guy!

He used to teach kids. And I, I respected him!

Gena, you say?

So, his name was Gennady?

Hang on. You say he used to teach kids, right?

He was a teacher from Abrashino!

He got drunk and cried, complained that he had to carry bags for a living.

He told me much interesting stuff about history.

About emperors, about Stalin.

I called Gena.

The next day after the fight. I got drunk and forgot!

I spoke with him, alive.

When he got back to Abrashino!

I wanted to borrow money from him!

Check the calls.

Use your cop trinkets and check!

One can describe him in a couple of words.

He came from Moscow a year ago.

Started teaching history at our school.

As a young specialist, he was granted this house.

He lived alone.

This is a small town.

Nothing major happened. Everyone knows each other and all goings-on.

Yes, most probably, our drowned guy.

Yes... here is Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Rakhmaninov...

Doc, Doc, there’s no jazz!

It’s quite around here, you say. Who killed Gennady then?

For what? Did he have enemies?

On the contrary. Everyone loved him.

Kids at school… his colleagues. They are almost all women...

Do you know why he moved here from Moscow?

Who knows.

You should ask around at school.

All I know is that he used to teach at some fancy lyceum in Moscow.

Go!

Yana, ready! Go!

Semyonova!

Enough chit-chat? Semyonova!

Should I give you an “F”?

Kolya, you’re next!

Go.

Go!

- All right, good. - What happened?

- Have you been living under the rock? - Why?

The whole town knows: our history teacher was killed, his body was found in the river.

The investigative committee are here, looking into it.

All right, the lesson is over. You are free to go!

Ten minutes left.

No big deal. We’ll wrap up earlier today.

I can’t believe...

I just can’t... Such a nice boy...

He was a beacon... like no one else...

Hello.

And this is our most trusted person. Galina Vasilyevna, Deputy Head Teacher.

Galya, should we declare mourning?

You know, flowers, photos...

Maria Petrovna, I took care of it. Lenya.

I apologize. This is just a formality.

Could you please show us your ID?

Yes. Of course.

He came from Moscow.

He was like a XIX century county teacher… To teach and enlighten…so dedicated!

Oh, God... why...

Excuse me, do you have any specific questions?

We have everything in order: license, certificates...

Did Gennady Alekseyevich tell you why he moved here from Moscow?

No. He didn’t.

He never told us anything about Moscow.

We tried asking a few times.

But he always laughed it off and changed the subject.

Your district police officer, Leonid, told us that

Gennady Alekseyevich worked at a lyceum previously.

Yes. It was a very good school in Moscow.

And he had excellent recommendations.

Show them the file.

Yes. There’s everything in his personal file: recommendations, and all documentation.

Here. It says that Gennady worked at Lyceum No. 1282.

What does it have to do with our case?

It appears Gennady was everyone’s favorite. Everyone speaks highly of him.

Of course. An experienced teacher. Good recommendations.

The question is: why did he leave a good and prestigious work and move here?

Do you think there’s a reason why he left Moscow?

I don’t know. But it looks odd to me.

Maybe, he was running from someone.

Maybe. But whoever was after him, would have found him anyway.

We need to know more of his past.

Let do this: we will send Arkadiy and Shurik to the lyceum.

Let them talk to the teachers.

And you and I will continue our research here.

Poor Gena.

He was a good person. But unlucky.

How long did he work here?

Three years.

The students... adored him. But he quit a year ago.

It was a shame to lose such a good teacher.

Why did he quit? Did something happen?

The Kryukovs happened.

What do you mean?

Two years ago, Gennady became the form master of 10B form.

And there was that boy there, Pashka Kryukov.

A terrible bully!

His father’s a thug, and the boy’s just like him.

It’s inappropriate to speak about children like this, of course.

But a more suitable place for Pavel would be the cadet school.

OK, carry on. What happened there? May I?

Sure.

He and Gennady didn’t see eye to eye.

Pavel got “F”’s from him all the time.

Then his father would come yelling: “What the hell is this”?

“He’s dragging my son down on purpose”.

One night, Gena was attacked by three guys in hoods.

They beat him with baseball bats.

Gena, of course, defended himself.

He put one of them on the ground.

And that guy bumped his head against the pavement and didn’t stand up.

Gena took his hood of and saw that it was Pavel.

Is he dead?

He’s in coma. The doctors say he isn’t going to make it.

Well, I think that his thug father didn’t just let it slide, right?

He swore he would kill Gena.

Maybe, Gena just got scared...

Or maybe, he couldn’t withstand the public pressure.

Anyway, he just came for a resignation, took his documents and left.

Couldn’t withstand public pressure, you say.

Yes. Other parents supported Kryukov.

I think he even greased someone’s palm.

He wouldn’t simply let Gena go. He wasn’t going to.

I see.

Hello. Excuse me, are you Yaroslav Kryukov?

Yes. Who is asking?

My name is Arkadiy Rotkin, and this is my colleague Alexander Mukhin.

We are from the investigative committee.

Good afternoon.

What did you want to talk about?

Just a few questions.

Do you know one Gennady Volkov?

Yes. Only too well.

Volkov was murdered several days ago.

Sorry to hear that.

Sorry for Volkov?

I’m sorry I was too late.

Where were you all last week?

In a business trip to Munich.

I had a meeting with my German partners.

And, I assume, you have witnesses who can confirm this.

Call my company. They will confirm.

He was a good guy! A man of principle!

He was the best!

Yes. Had a beef with the Deputy Head Teacher over the paid State Exam scores!

She and her husband decided to arrange the “State Exam Tourism” to make money.

Haven’t you heard about it? It’s been all over the TV.

Yes, Gennady Alekseyevich had a beef with them over it.

Her husband threatened to break his bones.

And who is her husband?

Who? Fisherman!

Served as a paratrooper. He’s a master in combat sambo!

He could snap someone’s neck with two fingers.

Fisherman - is it his nickname?

Yes. It’s our PE teacher. That’s what we call him. Because he enjoys fishing.

I see. Thank you, kids.

Leonid, hello. Yes. This is Zorina.

I’m think, I need your help.

What are you doing, Lenya? Right in front of the whole town!

We’ve known each other since we were kids... Just had a drink yesterday...

We will simply proceed to the precinct to talk. That’s it.

U-huh... That all because of this fancy pants from Moscow who poked his nose here and there...

Is this fish lure yours? Did you make it?

Yes. Why?

I’ll take it for lab testing.

Be my guest.

Reporting.

The PE teacher’s lure does not match the mix in the bag that was on Gennady’s head.

The teacher’s lure contains no animal fodder. Congratulations. We’re stuck again.

Yes, Arkadiy. What have you got?

I see. We’ll try to verify this version.

Yes, thanks. We’re headed your way.

Nastya. Here you go.

Thanks, Kirill.

Well, Ed, maybe we aren’t stuck.

Here. Let’s go.

Oksa found some articles...

Kryukov made up one hell of a story.

He set everything up for his son to look like an angel.

And Gennady – a hoodlum and a villain of the universe scale.

But Gennady was exonerated after all.

Yes. Even Kryukov and his millions couldn’t buy him a ticket to jail.

It’s no surprise that Gennady escaped.

But Kryukov seems to have found him eventually.

It was only a matter of time, given his connections and means.

And he had an opportunity.

We called Kryukov’s company and talked to

the employees who were with him on the trip.

They confirmed that Kryukov was in Germany last week.

But he left two days earlier than planned.

He said he heeded some peace and quiet.

So he went to a small village near Munich.

I take it, he went there alone?

And there’s no one to confirm that he was there.

Yes. That is right.

So, you cannot find an alibi for the presumed date of murder?

I was in Germany!

Yes. But you went to a quite village

Where, as you say, no one saw you.

That was the point. I didn’t want to be bothered.

How did you find Gennady Volkov?

I have no idea what happened to Volkov.

Maybe he just beat another student, and they dealt with him.

What do you want from me anyway?

I want to hear one of the following two things from you:

either a confession,

or an alibi.

The choice is yours.

I was...

Well...

Please, don’t tell my wife.

She’s worried enough about our son as it is.

And if she finds out...

About what?

Would you like a coffee?

Yes, please. Thanks.

So, you know Yaroslav, don’t you?

Mama...

Mama, do we have guests?

Yes.

Dad!

Yes, baby. That’s our dad.

Why don’t you go and play.

OK.

How often do you see him?

Several times a month.

But there has been nothing between us for a long time.

He only visits us because of the girl.

And supports us with money.

Did he come last week?

Yes. He even returned earlier from his business trip.

How long did he spend here?

Two days.

I hope, you won’t tell his wife anything, will you?

Poor woman. She’s been through much over the year. That tragedy with Pasha…

All in all, if she finds out... I’ve no idea what will happen to her.

Don’t worry. Of course, we will not tell her anything.

Thank you.

You know, Vyacheslav, he’s a good person.

He had problems with law. But it’s all in the past.

If you think he has done something bad, I assure you that you’re wrong.

He spends all the time working.

He provides for two families.

M-m. I see.

Well, Yaroslav’s alibi has been confirmed.

And we’re stuck again.

What if it was just a regular stick-up?

Right! And they needed money for the booze.

Well, then every other resident of Abrashino is a suspect.

We have another hitch.

Gennady gave private lessons to some girl, a student.

Maybe she knows something?

That’s a good idea.

U-huh.

Maria Haritonova?

Yes.

Zorina Anastasia Vladimirovna - investigative committee.

May I ask you a few questions?

Yes. Sure. Come in.

Thank you.

My leg was broken.

So, Gennady Alekseyevich helped me and taught me at home.

He brought me school books.

And I was heading and learning very hard, like mad.

Do you know why?

Because I want to pass the State Exam with 100 points.

And finally get out of this hellhole to Moscow!

That’s it!

What sex are you talking about?

Gennady Alekseyevich, he is really such a good person.

That idiot Nina has been gossiping about him.

Because she fell in love with him! She’s been slobbering over him.

She came to me recently. Made a scene.

What scene?

Masha, tell me all about it.

What is there to tell?.. She came here and called me his frat mat.

Then she grabbed me.

I tore her dress.

I used to add animal fodder to the lure,

when I caught crucians at the Patriarshiye.

No. You shouldn’t add fodder to the lure!

This will start fermentation in the water body.

Millet porridge is what you need!

And those Vasyutins keep adding the fodder. I’ve told them many times – you’ll ruin the pond!

What Vasyutins?

Petr and his father, they live in the house over there.

- Which one, that one? - That one over there!

Sit, Petya, sit. Going fishing, are you?

I see, you’re adding animal fodder to the lure, right?

Oh, and the bag looks just like the one we’ve found on Gennady’s head.

Stop! Cease him!

Stop!

Stop!

Found it!

Yes… your lure is exactly the same, Petya.

We know that you dragged one of your lure bags on Gennady’s head.

Tell us everything.

Your confession will commute the sentence.

Now I see where these patterned wounds on the body come from.

You even painted it silver. Fancy.

You’re in for 20 years, at least.

How old are you now?

It means that when you get out, you’ll be abound 40.

Do you want that?

I just don’t understand - why?

He raped Nina.

When I went fishing with the guys…

We say him approach her.

And when we were at the lake…

We say her, all in tears…

Her dress was all torn, she was crying.

And he was the one with all that fancy talk about justice, you hear?

So we decided... to punish him.

And the young blood boiled.

Nina, I suggest you tell us the truth.

There’s no point denying.

OK.

If you don’t want to talk, then let me.

And if I get something wrong...

Then you just correct me, ok?

That night, Gennady Alekseyevich came to you…

And asked you not to write him any more love letters.

He said he was tired of your feelings.

And he explained that nothing can be between the two of you.

And it hurt you, of course.

You felt rejected.

And, most likely, he mention Maria as an example.

You felt hatred towards Maria, and came to her.

You had a falling out with her, and you two had a fight.

And this is where you had the bruise on your lip and torn dress.

Am I right so far?

Good... let’s go on then.

Immediately after the fight…

You met the boys.

Gennady Alekseyevich…

- What happened? - He raped me.

- Who is he, who? I’ll kill him. - He raped Masha as well.

You weren’t thinking straight, so you blurted about the rape.

We’ll get him, and kill him!

Of course, they wanted to stand up for you.

Nina, am I right?

He didn’t actually rape you, did he?

Nina…

Look at me.

He didn’t, did he?

Why did you take the picture, colleague?

I want to show it to Oksa.

She’ll probably be interested to look at the original.

So she knows that she did a great job.

Ah. So you want to make it right with her. Got scared?

Very scared, my good colleague, indeed.

You said it. I’m going to be wary of women for the rest of my life.

I’m not sure if Oksa will forgive you.

Well, I’ll be asking for her forgiveness on my bended knees.

I’ll be begging.

That’s right. You never know how it might end. You know what women can be like…

That’ll be a lesson for you.

Never wrong a woman.