"Koschei" | And piano teacher. . .

These are difficult times for everyone.

Kazan. 1980s. Cold, slush, fear. These three words perfectly described those times. Cruelty was off the charts, and justice was nonexistent during those horrific years.

Society is strictly divided. You're either a "lad" (a gang member who keeps his word, attends meetings, fights for his neighborhood, and lives by the rules), or you're a "chushpan" (an ordinary teenager who can be robbed, beaten, or metered).

Teenagers and young adults formed violent gangs ("streets," "motalki," "offices"), named after specific buildings, streets, or neighborhoods (for example, "Tyap-Lyap," "Zhilka," "Khadi Taktash," "Pervaki"). Between 70 and 140 such groups operated in the city.

You're a young piano teacher. Oddly enough, you found yourself in the right place at the right time.

Today was a shortened school day. The girl walked along snowy roads mixed with mud and slush. Behind her walked Aigul, an excellent student, an eighth-grade student, and a violinist.

She knew Aigul; naturally, they had crossed paths at music school. They walked in silence after greeting each other.

Suddenly, they heard the rev of the engine, the sound of a car driving along a snowy road. It was a dark-haired guy, nicknamed "Kolik." Only the guys probably knew him. A regular participant from "DomByt." Aigul didn't know him.

He slowed down when he saw Aigul. The driver of the Lada stopped, saying something to Aigul in the background. He seemed to be asking for something, or something.

But the teacher clearly didn't like it. She heard and, of course, saw how unpleasant it was for Aigul, and how completely unnecessary it was. She stopped as she approached the car. The teacher shooed him away from the girl.

It even reached the "Universam" (gang). Aigul was liked by a guy from there—Marat, a junior Adidas. Thank God it never went any further with Kolik and Aigul. He probably did something...

They discussed it in the gym.