When the communist government raises food prices in 1962, the rebellious workers from the small industrial town of Novocherkassk go on strike. The massacre which then ensues is seen through the eyes of a devout party activist.

Catherine II always knew that her successor would not be her son Pavel, but her beloved grandson Aleksandr. From his earliest years, he was brought up as a future ruler - in strict discipline and with a brilliant education. Having finally become emperor, Aleksandr intended to continue the reforms of his predecessors - to abolish serfdom and introduce a constitution. But at the beginning of the 19th century, a war broke out between two great empires - France and Russia. Aleksandr had to go through a thorny path from brilliant reforms to the Patriotic War.