Early XIX century. Gloomy home lender Gobseck in a suburb of Paris — a silent witness of human tragedy and ruined lives. The power of money equalizes people of different classes and positions, forcing the usurer to ask humbly for a loan. But mountains of rotting goods, gold and silver scrap do not bring happiness to Gobseck. From his own greed he loses his mind and dies..

Hermann is an officer of the engineers in the Imperial Russian Army. He constantly watches the other officers gamble, but never plays himself. One night, Tomsky tells a story about his grandmother, an elderly countess. Many years ago, in France, she lost a fortune at cards, and then won it back with the secret of the three winning cards, which she learned from the notorious Count of St. Germain. Hermann becomes obsessed with obtaining the secret.

The story unfolds in a post-war town in Western Ukraine. The enemy agents are trying to subvert communist writer Aleksandr Garmash using ideological diversions. In parallel, a story is told about student Rostislav Danchenko who is being recruited by enemy agents. The story is pertinent due to resurgence of ultra-nationalist underground activity in Western Ukraine after World War II.

The monotonous life of a provincial town Verhopoli violates the arrival of the railway builders - engineers Cherkun and Tsyganov.

Teleplay based on the novel of the same name by M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, staged at the USSR State Academic Maly Theater.

In 18th-century London, a love story unfolds amidst the intrigues of the palace. A common officer and a beautiful duchess find themselves entangled in a web of passion, chess games, and political manipulation.