The former owner, a German, shows up on a farm belonging to the Poles settled there.

Following the emotions associated with entrance examinations to the faculty of pedagogy, Catherine Solska returns to his native village. And here she will surprise - the family without their knowledge to begin preparations for engagement with a rich neighbor Kolasa. Girl falls into despair, tries to oppose the decision of the parents, but is closed in his room. On visits to her fiance and flees out the window calling mail to the university. Receives misleading information and is convinced that was not accepted to college. Resigned returns home and agrees to the wedding. Meanwhile, on the eve of the wedding the postman brings the notice of acceptance to the university.

Matylda reflects on her life on her 30th birthday.

Agnieszka and Marcin's love is blooming, just like Kasia and professor Wolanski. Grandma Solska only dreams of the wedding of her only grandchild - However, his former lover, Bozenka, stands in the way of the happiness of young Zawada. Mrs. Wolanska decides to radically change her life and disappears in mysterious circumstances. Peace of Piotr and Marlenka is disturbed by the unexpected visit of his mother from overseas – And some very compromising photos trigger an avalanche of events. The real end of the world is underway.

September 13, 1944. On the right bank of the Vistula, a group of young people is getting ready to cross to help the fighting Warsaw. Tadeusz, a young poet with amputated legs meets Katarzyna. Two officers of the Home Army and the AL, Polish and Soviet soldiers come here. A fight ensues with the Nazis trying to get out of the encirclement. Katarzyna is raped by one of them in front of the powerless Tadeusz. . . Two boats are sinking crossing the Vistula. Tadeusz falls into the river with a wheelchair ...

After getting a university degree, Marek Grzyb comes back to his village and does his best to convince the people to modernize.

Kasia and Pawel, having got married, live in the village of Brzozki, 10 kilometres from Grabow. Kasia wants to return to her pedagogical studies, so she does not want to have children yet. Pawel announces that he wants to break away from the traditional village farm and focus on specialised sheep breeding, which causes a family argument. Kasia's parents anxiously await the birth of their grandchildren. Things get even more complicated when the Wolanskis arrive in Grabow. They offer to help Kasia go back to university, but in return Kasia has to look after little Piotr as the docent is leaving for London where he has received a month-long study grant.

Nikodem Dyzma is a poor dancer who comes to Warsaw to find a job. The problem is that nobody wants to hire him. One day he finds an invitation to the party with very important people and decides to attend. A small accident at the party makes him the hero of the night and becomes the beginning of his career.

Polish-born Russian subject Cezary Baryka comes of age during a tumultous period of ten years from 1914 to 1924, during which he witnesses revolution, rebirth of Poland, war with the Soviets and communist plots.

On August 1, 1944, Warsaw holds its breath as Home Army couriers spread word that “W-hour” is at 17:00. A platoon under “Czarny” must assault German barracks without the expected backup—an order they follow at the risk of collective suicide.