A Soviet cargo ship carrying medical opium gets attacked by pirates of an unknown nationality. The crew is left to die on a sinking ship but they manage to escape and now must fight the pirates for survival.

The film is about the period of large-scale construction of multi-story buildings in Vladikavkaz, the work of trusts, and their competition. On the construction sites, dynasties of craftsmen worked, and the youth learned from the experience of the older generations.