At a St. Petersburg boarding school, a new life began for the ten-year-old Alyosha, who was accustomed parental attention. Missing his home, Alyosha created an imaginary magic world of underground dwellers, with a king and his subjects who very much resembled the people surrounding the boy. Alyosha experienced many interesting adventures in this mysterious fairy tale...

A man in his 30s visits a Soviet school to try to hook up with a young teacher there, and meets one of her students, whom he enlists to help introduce him to his romantic interest. While he waits for the student to free up, he observes the absurd Soviet culture, most evident within the school system, especially among the younger children.