The two historical novels included in this book are connected by the invisible thread of time. Ataman Platov, who in his youth led the legendary campaign to India, interrupted due to the death of Emperor Paul I, went down in history as a hero of the Patriotic War of 1812. The name of the chieftain, courage, military skill and luck terrified his opponents. The hero of the novel by Vasily Nikolaevich Birkin - a veteran of the Russo-Japanese War - is not looking for a quiet life, but enrolls as a volunteer in the 2nd Caucasian sapper regiment and goes to serve in Tiflis, seething with passions, where The bloody flywheel of the revolution is gaining momentum.