Mikhail is fascinated by the ideas of the Decembrists about a Russia free from the tyranny of the Tsar. After graduating from military school, he goes abroad. Upon returning to Russia, a tragic life awaits him.

Summer of 1940. The architect returns from Bucharest to his native Bessarabia with a firm desire to live outside politics. However, life forces him to make a choice.

Old friends, former front—line soldiers, suddenly quarreled in earnest: Peter Sorbu, the head of the carpet factory construction, quite sincerely believes that the factory should be built first, and the town for workers is the second thing; architect Anton Grecu also sincerely does not understand how people will fulfill the plan if they have nowhere to live, and in the end defends the priority construction of the town.

Anna works as a telegram courier. Her personal life with her husband, Sergey, is falling apart. The only thing keeping them connected is their young son, Antoshka. Like something out of a fairy tale, Anna receives a telegram from Alyokhin, a former classmate who has always loved her. He invites her to move in with him to a new apartment he has just received. Will Anna be able to leave everything behind and start a new life with someone who truly loves her?