Fjodor Protassow wants to divorce his wife, so that she can be happy with another man. But the church won't allow a divorce, so he fakes his own death, becoming a "living corpse".
A Russian crook steals a giant diamond from the Mafia, hides it, and suddenly runs into his unknown brothers; unexpected, absurd events with participation of mob, doctors, musicians, Americans, militia, and gypsies ensue.