The story continues the journey of Nikolai Gogol (portrayed by Alexander Petrov), a young scribe from Saint Petersburg plagued by epileptic seizures that induce macabre visions. Assigned to investigate a series of gruesome murders in the village of Dikanka, where eleven young women have been slain, Gogol confronts rumors of a Dark Horseman responsible for the killings.
As Gogol delves deeper into the mystery, he uncovers a connection between the murders and specific church holidays, suggesting a ritualistic pattern. His investigation leads him to encounter various supernatural entities, including a foreign sorcerer named Basavryuk, feared for hunting Christian souls, and a water nymph named Oksana, who offers to help him harness his visions in exchange for his devotion.
The narrative intensifies when Gogol discovers a secret about his own birth: his father made a pact with a mysterious stranger to save his stillborn son, hinting at a dark destiny intertwined with the very evil he seeks to defeat. The climax unfolds as Gogol confronts the demon Viy in a church, attempting to banish the entity using a Latin incantation. Despite his efforts, the film concludes with Gogol's apparent death and the Dark Horseman's continued reign of terror, setting the stage for the trilogy's final chapter.
