Plot
Anna Khitrova, a Russian-British midwife who works at Trafalgar Hospital in London, finds a Russian language diary belonging to Tatiana, a 14-year-old drug-addicted prostitute who is pregnant. When Tatiana suffers a placental abruption, Anna performs a caesarian section and delivers a baby girl, but Tatiana dies in childbirth. Not wanting the baby to end up in foster care, Anna sets out to track down Tatiana's family. Though Anna's British mother, Helen, is open to the idea, Anna's Russian uncle, Stepan, a former KGB officer, urges caution. While reading Tatiana's diary, Anna finds a business card for the Trans-Siberian Restaurant and decides to meet with the owner, Semyon, who gives her a tour of the restaurant. Semyon is a seemingly kind older gentleman, but unbeknownst to Anna, he is a vor in the Russian mafia. When Anna tells Semyon about the diary, he offers to translate it, but she gives him a photocopy of the diary instead.
Semyon's driver, Nikolai Luzhin, serves as the family "cleaner" and bodyguard of Kirill, Semyon's son. Kirill, a hedonistic drunk who repeatedly disappoints Semyon, authorizes a hit on Soyka, a rival Chechen leader with the help of a Kurdish associate, Azim, without Semyon's approval. Upon finding Soyka's body stored in a freezer, Kirill spits on him, calling him a pederast, but Nikolai later tells Semyon that Soyka had been spreading rumours that Kirill is gay. Nikolai removes Soyka's wallet from his body and amputates his fingers to impede identification, which is then dumped in the Thames by Nikolai and Kirill. At a whorehouse, Kirill pressures Nikolai into having sex with one of the trafficked girls in order to prove that he's not gay. Nikolai chooses a Ukrainian girl referred to as Kirilenko, and the two have sex as Kirill watches. After Kirill leaves the room, Nikolai's personality subtly changes and he questions Kirilenko to reveal her full name and that she is from Irpin. Nikolai then gives her all of his cash and a religious icon card, telling her to live a little longer. Later, the UK police come and take her into custody.
When Anna learns from Helen that Stepan had translated the diary without her knowledge, they tell her that Semyon raped Tatiana after Kirill failed to do so, explaining that he would show Kirill how to "break" her. The diary also states that Semyon gave her pills to induce an abortion, and Anna realizes that the baby was fathered by Semyon. When Semyon realizes that Anna knows the truth, he makes a disconcerting appearance in her hospital ward, which is off limits to visitors. Frightened, Anna agrees to hand over the diary in exchange for the location of Tatiana's family. Anna, Stepan, and Helen meet with Nikolai at a fast-food restaurant, where he takes the diary but denies knowing about revealing the family's address. As Nikolai is leaving, Anna confronts him and accuses the mafia of murdering Tatiana. After Stepan spits in Nikolai's face, Semyon burns the diary and orders Nikolai to kill Stepan, who goes missing.
Semyon sponsors Nikolai as a full member due to his protection of Kirill and arranges a meeting with high-ranking members of the mafia. During the meeting, Nikolai, with his tattoos on display, reveals that he has no mother or father, was arrested at fifteen for stealing autoparts, and was sent to solitary confinement numerous times, earning the nickname "The Stump." Impressed, the mobsters promote Nikolai and he gets stars tattooed on his knees and chest. Meanwhile, Soyka's vengeful brothers arrive and kill Ekrem, Azim's mentally disabled nephew whom Azim had forced to kill Soyka. Azim confesses his role in the hit to Semyon, whom he forgives in exchange for participating in a plan to save Kirill. After Azim lures Nikolai into a meeting at a public baths, the brothers, who are deceived into believing he is Kirill, ambush Nikolai. A fight ensues and the brothers stab Nikolai multiple times, but he manages to kill both of them before losing consciousness.
Nikolai is rushed to Trafalgar for emergency surgery and survives as Anna waits for him to recover. Anna confronts Nikolai about Stepan's disappearance, threatening to go to the police if he refuses to speak. He tells her that Stepan is staying at the Caledonia, a five-star hotel in Edinburgh, for his protection. Yuri, a Scotland Yard officer investigating the Russian mafia, arrives at Trafalgar and asks the receptionist for Nikolai. It is revealed that Nikolai is actually an undercover FSB agent working under license from the British government. When Yuri tells Nikolai that the Russian embassy has requested to terminate the undercover operation, Nikolai shows Yuri his newly acquired star tattoos. Nikolai tells Yuri to have Semyon arrested and charged with statutory rape, using a paternity test of Tatiana's baby as evidence. With Semyon in prison, this will allow Nikolai to support Kirill's ascension to head of the organization.
As Anna finishes her shift, she spots Kirill entering an elevator with a large suitcase and finds that the baby is gone, replaced with a bouquet of roses. Assuming that Nikolai is involved, Anna confronts him and demands the baby's whereabouts, but he denies having knowledge about the kidnapping. The two rush to the spot on the Thames where Nikolai and Kirill had previously disposed of Soyka's body and find a tearful Kirill sitting by the river, having been ordered by his father to kill his baby sister. Nikolai and Anna persuade him to give the baby back and Nikolai embraces and consoles Kirill, telling him that Semyon is finished and that they will be taking control of the mafia. Anna and Nikolai share a kiss before he departs with Kirill to celebrate New Year's Day. Sometime later, Nikolai succeeds Semyon as head of the organization and Anna adopts Tatiana's baby, whom she names Christine.
.jpg?width=400){kind=small}
