Arinka, a young girl who lives near the railroad, discovers a ring of spies who are preparing the terror act.
In 1916, a new Russian governor is sent to the Kazakhstan steppes by the Tsar and tries to impose mandatory military service upon the native Kazakhs. A popular uprising begins against the Tsarist empire. A Kazakh hero, Amangeldy Imanov, leads the revolt and allies with the Bolsheviks against the Kazakh clans loyal to the Tsar.
During the "Winter War" between Finland and the USSR, Galya's father goes to the front and she's left behind to take care of grandma and the house. Despite toeing the party line, the film was still banned by censors for being insufficiently patriotic.
