While detained in one of the Soviet Gulags (prison work camps), Maria fell in love with and had a child by one of the camp guards. However, in order to save her baby, she was manipulated into a situation where she had to betray her lover. The main attraction of this film is the clear depiction it gives of the harsh conditions of life in these infamous camps.
Nina, a young girl from Moscow, suddenly decides to accompany her new friend Anton to Siberia in order to participate in the building of the railroad...