A story of two delinquent boys at a boarding school, struggling to cope with fathers who abandoned them, and retreating into fantasy.

At a St. Petersburg boarding school, a new life began for the ten-year-old Alyosha, who was accustomed parental attention. Missing his home, Alyosha created an imaginary magic world of underground dwellers, with a king and his subjects who very much resembled the people surrounding the boy. Alyosha experienced many interesting adventures in this mysterious fairy tale...

A story about a group of Russian boys who have lost their fathers in the World War II.

The film consists of three short stories: 'The Unhappy Matryonka', 'Brother Fedos' and 'Vanka-Cain'.

An adult man is recalling his childhood years in North Russia during WWII.