Post-WWII Russia, industrial city of Sverdlovsk. Former opera singer and mother to four children, Nina Levitskaya knows nothing about the fate of her husband. Communist party functionary Alexander disappeared almost a year ago and is now rumored to be in Moscow. With life becoming increasingly hard for the family, Nina decides to risk it all in hope of a reunion. She hastily sells everything she can, gathers her children, and sets out for the capital.