Russian Empire, 19th century. Poor Nykanor leaves his village and becomes a miner in the Donbas. His son Ostap also becomes a miner and works in the mine for thirty years, but after his father's sudden dismissal, he realizes that the state system needs radical changes.

The film was set in Russia during World War II and is about a 5 year old girl searching for her partisan leader father while escaping from the Nazis. Nazis, trying to catch 5 years old girl to make her their hostage, because her father is the Soviet partisan commander, and young boy trying to save her. For some time, when little baby was lost in the forest alone or when Nazis finally caught two children your hope is almost broken.

The film tells the story of a bitter, hard life of laborers in Ukraine during the second half of the XIX century.

In order not to hand over grain to the state at fixed prices, a rich peasant (kulak) buries 600 pounds of grain in the ground. Meanwhile, a communist worker arrives in the village of Gorbani to organize grain procurements. In the fight against kulaks, he manages to win over the poor villagers to his side.

A story of the adventures of two young boys during WWII.