THE LEAD

The old comrades Kadirov and Marlin, who once fought side by side in the Red Army, bump into each other in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in winter 1952–53. Marlin, a Russian, is now chief of police, while Uzbek-born Kadirov is a factory engineer. Unlike many Uzbeks, Kadirov fervently admires Stalin and believes in the goals of the communist regime. One day he is personally summoned to Moscow by Stalin, who makes him a colonel in the Ministry of State Security. The reasoning behind the appointment is simple: Kadirov’s familiarity with Uzbek mentality and culture will facilitate Marlin’s work in Tashkent, where either man is expected to root out and punish enemies of the people. Stalin’s secret police are feared, but not respected, by a population often terrorized for no particular reason. Although operating under great pressure, Marlin and Kadirovn in their different ways attempt to abide by their moral principles while exercising their duties. But when Kadirov finds himself expected to arrest his own brother, the tense situation escalates.