A young doctor Nikolai Alexandrovich Zaostrovtsev, a fourth generation medical professional, found himself in the Gladuny village directly after the Institute. Neither he himself, nor his father, a town surgeon, expected that he would linger long their. But having become a real doctor in this working village community, he remains true to his profession without any dreams of glory or city life…

Based on Russian fairy tales.

The characters remember their youth, which took place during the Civil War. The events of those years had a decisive impact on their lives - Kolobov became a career officer, and Svedomsky became a famous pianist.