Bribery is an ancient Russian pastime that flourishes to this day. And in the 19th century, it had its own "heroes." Officer Khotinsky was a colorful character and extremely fond of profit. In his office, he sat at a large desk covered with a cloth that reached all the way to the floor. When a thief was brought before him, the thief had to approach the desk, while the escort stayed behind, near the door. The criminal would then fall to his knees, and Khotinsky would scold him harshly. When the officer’s tirade came to an end, the detainee, pleading desperately, would bang his head on the floor and slide gifts under the tablecloth: gold watches, money, or some jewelry. After this ritual, the thief would stand up and beg for mercy, while Khotinsky, as if deep in thought, adjusted the tablecloth, evaluating the gifts, and then decided what to do with the offender. If the gifts were not commensurate with the offense, the officer would turn as red as a tomato, stomp his feet, and shout: – Mercy?! Absolutely not! I’ve had enough of you! – he would yell, slapping his thick neck. When it came to that, the clever thief would fall to his knees again, bow to the ground, and discreetly slide more gifts under the tablecloth. Sometimes, it took two or three rounds of bowing before the officer “relented”!