The novel begins with Dostoyevsky arriving in Saint Petersburg to collect the belongings of his recently deceased stepson Pavel. Arriving at the flat where Pavel lodged with a widow named Anna Sergeyevna Kolenkina and her young daughter, Matryona, Dostoyevsky discovers that his stepson's personal belongings have been confiscated by the police. Informed by the police that his stepson was an associate of the notorious political agitator Sergey Nechayev, Dostoyevsky finds himself under secret police surveillance.
Dostoyevsky begins his novel by traveling to Saint Petersburg to collect his late stepson Pavel's belongings. He finds himself at the flat where Pavel lived with a widow named Anna Sergeyevna Kolenkina and her young daughter, Matryona. The police have confiscated Pavel's items, and they inform Dostoyevsky that his stepson was connected to the notorious political agitator Sergey Nechayev. As a result, Dostoyevsky is placed under secret police monitoring.