1993 - the story of one family suddenly turns out to be the history of the whole country. The relationship of painfully and inextricably linked husband and wife, emergency workers, and the growing up of their daughter against the backdrop of global change.
Moscow, 1902. The famous director Konstantin Stanislavsky, in search of inspiration for staging a new play, decides to get acquainted with the life of the city "bottom". He turns to Vladimir Gilyarovsky, a recognized expert on the Moscow slums, for help.