The story of four criminals: a thief with the experience of Nimble, Alphonse the swindler Koshchei, an avid bully-a brawler with a Sledgehammer and a naive and stupid pet thief Sprat. They all met in prison and now, before they give up their criminal lives, they decide on a final grand robbery so that they have enough money for the rest of their lives. Former prisoners rent a restaurant next to the bank and intend to secretly dig into the vault, but suddenly their institution with a prison kitchen and boorish service becomes a hit with visitors. Now the guys have to decide whether to succumb to the romance of thieves and carry out a robbery or choose a quiet life with a new business for them.

The play is set in the second half of the 18th century during the reign of Catherine the Great. Count Alexey Orlov, who had once contributed to Catherine the Great’s rise to power, falls out of favor and is sent away in disgrace to lead the navy in Italy. While there, he meets a beautiful young woman named Elizabeth who has aspirations for the Russian crown. She claims to be the granddaughter of Peter the Great. In an attempt to win back Catherine's affection by uncovering Elizabeth's plans, Orlov begins an affair. However, what starts off as an innocent fling soon turns into something far more serious.