In the early spring of 1834, the architect Joseph Ivanovich Charlemagne is visited by a wealthy customer, the mother of a young officer who died in the notorious “bloodiest duel of the 19th century.” An elderly lady offers Charlemagne a profitable and interesting order. But as soon as the architect starts work, his measured life changes dramatically. Charlemagne is pursued by a mysterious and strange stranger, whose story the reader has to learn. Photographic materials for the author's thesis work were used as illustrations.