In the 19th century, two Egyptian sphinxes, which previously adorned the mortuary temple of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, were installed in St. Petersburg. After this, frightening events began in the city - a maniac appeared on Vasilyevsky Island, who kills girls, hiding behind the mask of the god Anubis. Detective Aristarkh Venediktovich Svistunov and his faithful assistant Glafira are present at the opening of the sarcophagus of the priest at Princess Murotova. But instead of a five-thousand-year-old mummy, the murdered groom of Princess Arkhip turns out to be there. And on the sarcophagus is written a terrible curse of the Egyptian priest - everyone who disturbs his peace will die...