Based on the novel of the same name by I.A. Goncharov, staged by the Moscow Drama Theater named after A.S. Pushkin.

The newly elected secretary of the city Komsomol committee, Andrei Kolobov, introduces the slogan of spiritual mentorship and strives to implement it in practice. He helps a talented young man, Petya Gorokhov, find the right path in life, directly participating in atheist propaganda. In the work of the Komsomol committee, Kolobov promotes a creative approach to working with the youth. He wins the love and trust of the city's Komsomol members, and at the report conference, the youth elect him as the first secretary once again.

Fascist Italy's prime-minister Mussolini is arrested following the Allies landing in Sicily. Meanwhile, Soviet troops plan their offense towards Kyiv. Lt. Col. Lukin's regiment crosses the Dnieper river as the division's vanguard. Unbeknownst to them, they're merely a ploy to mislead the Germans so the rest of the army can catch them off guard.