This historic drama is set in an Ossetian village in the 17th century. The film’s main hero is Chermen. An illegitimate son, Chermen is striving to assert his dignity. He is opposed by Dacco, the elder of the Aldar clan, in whose village Chermen lives. Guided by mercenary motives, Dacco strikes a deal with Prince Tsarai. Together, they rob people and then divide the loot between themselves. By some chance, Chermen learns of the deal and informs his friends about it. At first, he thinks that no one in the Aldar village would believe him, the bastard, and that the plot would remain unexposed. But the friends accept the challenge.

During the holidays, Aslan meets an old geologist Petrovich, who lived and worked in these places before the war. Here he left a bag with the only photo of his family, who died during the war. Aslan helps Petrovich find the people who have been carefully storing the bag with the photo all this time.

The great Ossetian poet, Kosta Khetagurov, returns from exile to his native village of Nar. Yet the joy of coming back to his homeland is short-lived: Nar is even poorer than it was before. The Aldars, princes who rule the villages with an iron fist, continue to act with impunity.

About the miners of the Sadon lead-zinc combine. About three generations of miners.

The film is about the period of large-scale construction of multi-story buildings in Vladikavkaz, the work of trusts, and their competition. On the construction sites, dynasties of craftsmen worked, and the youth learned from the experience of the older generations.