The story is set in the aftermath of the
Decembrist revolt against
Tsar Nicholas I in 1825. The revolt is suppressed, the investigation proceeds, and five Decembrists are executed. Other military officers involved are sentenced to exile in
Siberia, leaving their wives, known as the
Decembrists' women (
Dekabristki), to decide whether to follow them. In the center of the plot is the fate of Decembrist Ivan Annenkov and his beloved, French seamstress Polina Gueble, whose exile to Siberia unexpectedly provides a chance for them to find happiness together. Polina, without title or wealth, works in a fashionable shop in Moscow, and their marriage would have been impossible before the uprising. After Annenkov’s arrest, trial, and sentence to exile, Polina relentlessly pursues permission to join him, ultimately overcoming resistance from Annenkov’s proud mother and the emperor himself. Alongside Polina are Ekaterina Trubetskaya, who fights for the right to join her husband, Sergei Trubetskoy, out of deep mutual love, and Maria Volkonskaya, who follows her husband to Siberia despite having married him under family pressure. Through flashbacks, the film recounts moments of the Decembrists' lives, including the uprising, trial, and consequences, all while highlighting the sacrifices and resolve of these remarkable women. ==Cast==