A story about the life of a woman, two men of her life and her son, Janek Garbus, seen through the eyes of the latter - "conceived by an NKVD uncle on the night after the Soviet army entered".
During the main withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, a company of hardened paratroopers under the command of Major Bandura are joined by Steklov, the son of a high-ranking officer.
Ivan Khristoforov discovers the strange property of foreseeing explosions. Trying to understand the reason and meaning of this unusual ability, he turns to family history. The attention of the secret public service doesn't bode well for Khristoforov.
The imaginary journey of the hero in his past, bearing the imprint of a children's worldview, and the present, at times just like a dream.
Captain Alexander Blinov goes on vacation and has to give a package to Lena. Lena is freelance photo journalist who runs from job to job. She also has a long conflicting relationship with her retired neighbor who thinks that people like her shouldn't live. Somehow, Blinov get's involved in that conflict and all other Lena's crazy adventures, and falls in love.