Ilya stutters a lot, and this interferes with everything - his personal life, communication with the child, work. In desperation, he enrolls in the course of the famous doctor Cherkasova, a guru in his field, whom patients consider a magician and wizard. There he meets new friends and a new love - a young girl Vera. But it turns out that Cherkasova herself likes Ilya, and she intends to win him over.

A writer in 1930s Moscow has his work banned and is expelled from the official union, leaving him without income. He then writes a novel about a mysterious dark visitor and gradually starts confusing his real life with the story.

1945, Leningrad. World War II has devastated the city, demolishing its buildings and leaving its citizens in tatters, physically and mentally. Two young women, Iya and Masha, search for meaning and hope in the struggle to rebuild their lives amongst the ruins.