Garpastum is a Latin word meaning ball game. Set in 1914 in St. Petersburg, the brothers Andrey and Nikolai are passionate about the matches they play on the streets. They hatch a scheme to buy a playing field. But World War I has already begun and soon their lives and dreams will be shattered.

In 1961, a Soviet medical officer is conflicted about his position overseeing the health of future cosmonauts.

Set in 2002, an abandoned 5-year-old boy living in a rundown orphanage in a small Russian village is adopted by an Italian family.

When a beautiful new student, Angelina Aistova joins Liosha Agafonov's group at college, he feels an instant attraction to her. However, after several unsuccessful attempts at catching her attention, he decides the best way forward is to arrange a small collision with their cars. As a result Liosha finds himself at Angelina's house reporting the 'accident' to her father. Very soon Liosha realises that he has fallen in love with the daughter of an oligarch - Angelina's father is a business magnate but whose company has been suffering because of a long-standing feud with an old rival. In order to somehow hush up the car accident, Liosha is hired as a gardener at the Aistovs' house. In his line of duties he is required to make a number of visits to a florist's shop where he befriends Katia the sales girl.

The story unfolds in St. Petersburg during the season of White Nights, when night becomes curiously indistinguishable from day. Masha has struck it lucky: she is about to wed an American, Tim, eager to bring home a beautiful Russian wife. This marriage can take her light-years beyond her simple provincial roots, but for now Masha has a family to take care of, and she dutifully sends all the wages she earns to them. To save money she even dupes her fiancée by returning the expensive wedding dress he has bought for her to the boutique and sawing an identical one for herself. The night before the wedding Masha hastens to meet Tim, but fails to make it to the other side of the River Neva before the drawbridge is raised. The betrothed find themselves standing on the pavement with the mighty river between them...