Russian horse breeder Krasin arrives to 30s Kyrgyzstan to open the first Soviet stud farm here and breed a new breed of horses by crossing Don Argamaks and local Karabairs.

To avoid severe punishment for desertion, a man hides in the mountains near his native village.

Kalman, released from the colony under an amnesty, turns out to be the only one who comes to the aid of a woman whose child was kidnapped...

To build a house and feed his family, Deles went to the mountain camps as a shepherd. With all sorts of promises and temptations, local businessmen gradually connected Deles to their machinations — and the young shepherd very soon built a huge house, bought a car, found prosperity and lost his family.

A village boy awaits his father's return from the front. Though he doesn't yet know the alphabet, he begins composing letters and enrolls in school early to learn to write. He believes the Moon Witch — a figure from a fairytale — is behind all the misfortunes of war. In his dreams, he battles her on the moon as she casts black letters — death notices — down to Earth...

The boy Nurdin spent his summer holidays in the mountains with his grandfather, a herdsman. He learned to ride a horse, took part in horse races, showed courage by going with local children to a cave to get mumiyo to cure a sick comrade.