A biopic based on the life of Russian scientist and doctor Nikolai Ivanovich Pirogov (1810-1881), famous for being the founder of field surgery.

Based on the play of the same name by Leo Tolstoy. The Russian nobleman Fyodor Vasilievich Protasov cannot put up with the hypocrisy of his environment, but is powerless to fight it. He begins to drink, leaves the house and gradually falls. The behavior of Protasov helps to bring his wife Liza closer to a longtime friend of the family, Viktor Karenin. Unable to endure the lies and humiliation associated with the upcoming divorce proceedings, Fedya pretends to commit suicide and seemed to forever leave his family. It is only due to the accident that it becomes known that Fedor Protasov is alive. Liza, reconciled with the death of her husband and became the wife of Karenin, is summoned to court on charges of duality. To stop the stupid and deceitful comedy of the court and rid the shame of innocent people, Protasov shoots himself.

Renowned scientist Dronov works in Novosibirsk on the creation of ultra-modern engine. He has a bad heart, he was afraid not to have time to finish the job, and test engine at a factory in Moscow, unfortunately, is not the first time passes unsuccessfully. Dronov abandons the rest of the work, even the leadership of the Institute entrusts to his disciple Morozov.