The film takes place in late autumn and early winter of 1917 during the events of the
October Revolution and the beginning of the
Russian Civil War. A young Russian
doctor called Mikhail Polyakov (
Leonid Bichevin) arrives at a small
hospital in a remote
village in
Yaroslavl Governorate. Having freshly graduated from
medical school, with little experience, he is the only doctor in the rural district. He works hard, earning the respect of his small staff (one
paramedic and two
nurses). After an
allergic reaction to a
diphtheria vaccination, he has his nurse Anna give him
morphine to negate the effects. Gradually he slips into
addiction. ==Soundtrack==