本片改编自当今俄罗斯最畅销的通俗作家鲍里斯·阿库宁的同名小说，是一部混合了史诗、侦探、浪漫等元素的大片，背景是在1877—88年的土俄战争时期。范多林是阿库宁笔下的福尔摩斯，这个有点口吃的家伙，有着天生的侦探触觉。为了逃避伤心的爱情，他加入了俄国军队。很不幸的是，在战争开始的时候，范多林被掳。通过与敌军玩一盘西洋棋，他赢了棋局也赢了自由，赶忙逃回国。路上，他遇上了一个叫瓦维拉的女子。她身无分文，却要去俄国找她的未婚夫。在俄军总部，他们找到了她的未婚夫，但是同时发现，在军队内部谍影重重，包括这个女子还有她的未婚夫，一时之间都变得神秘莫测起来，范多林如何凭他的智慧找出真正的间谍？The film is based on the second book from the Adventures of Erast Petrovich Fandorin series of novels written by the Russian author Boris Akunin. The film takes place in 1877 during the Russian-Turkish war. Erast Fandorin has just escaped from Turkish prison and is trying to get on the Russian side as soon as possible to give important information about the upcoming attack of the enemy. On his way he meets Varvara Suvorova, a young lady who is going to see her fiancée - a soldier of the Russian army. Erast also knows that there is a spy somewhere in the Russian army, everyone is under suspicion...