This was a follow on to Nury's book, The Death of Stalin, but would not be considered as nearly biographical as that work. There was a governor of Moscow named Sergei Alexandrovich and he was assassinated, but outside of that there is a lot of license taken here. To be fair, there is no disclaimer on this book as there was on the Stalin one so I do not believe it was meant to be taken as accurate. That said, as a social commentary of the time it pretty much hits the nail on the head and graphically illustrates why a revolution was in the offing.
The story revolves around this aristocrat who inadvertently orders his military to gun down a protesting group of men, women and children. (This did not actually happen. Alexandrovich was loosely associated with the Khodynka Tragedy, where over one thousand citizens were trampled to death in a poorly organized outdoor celebration, but thi was a tragedy that saw him invesigating and paying reparations to the affected families). As a result of these shootings, a disaffected revolutionary, who lives only to take out the target, sets his sights on the Governor, who for his part is first accepting of his life being forcibly taken, then begins taking steps to save it. There are some personal asides about the his sexual proclivities and loveless marriage that are either wildly inaccurate or based on loose evidence, although his adoption of his child is true. I will say the real Alexandrovich was not a particularly likeable fellow, and that is portrayed well.
The story is not as gut wrenching as Crime and Punishment, but it does take you inside the minds of both the Assassin and the victim. The story is told in two parts, one for each point of view, and Sergei's story ends in a manner I do not quite understand, however it is a good read and accurately depicts the excesses and depravations of the times. I am so glad to have discovered Nury and am looking forward to more of his work.