When Paul Runge, a soldier of the Red Army, returns home to Koordi after the war, he sees that, despite the new regime, life in Koordi hasn't changed. It's still a abandoned, uncultured Estonian village, where rich landlords still oppress the population. Runge starts talking about founding a kolkhoze.

Professor August Miilas has succeeded in hiding in his private house from the war. He thinks this is mainly caused by his complete devotion to science. As August is not interested in anything that is going on outside his citadel, his family members avoid disturbing him. However, the political situation disrupt August's quietude. Right in the middle of his domestic citadel, the professor finds out about dangerous secrets so that he must give up this apolitical attitude and open up for the new reality.