The story takes place in 19th century St. Petersburg, Russia, and follows the adventures of a detective named Erast Petrovich Fandorin. The novel is set against the backdrop of the rapid development of technology and industrialization, which has led to significant changes in society and the economy. As a result, there is a growing sense of unease and discontent among the population, and tensions between different groups of people are increasing. In this context, the main character, Erast Fandorin, is tasked with solving a series of complex and seemingly unrelated crimes that have been committed using new technologies such as photography and fingerprinting. Through his investigations, he comes to understand the need for a personal paradigm for perceiving the technological process of developing modern knowledge, and how it can be used to unify people in a warring state. As the story unfolds, Fandorin discovers that the crimes are connected to a larger conspiracy involving powerful forces seeking to control the direction of technological progress and exploit its benefits for their own gain.

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