Katerina Izmailova is a filmization of Dmitry Shostakovich's long-suppressed 1936 opera. Galina Vishnevskaya stars as Katerina, a bored 19th century farm wife. At the behest of her grungy lover, Katerina murders her husband and her father-in-law. She and her new beau are both sent to Siberia, where the lover almost immediately takes up with a younger woman. Banned by Stalin for its bleak portrait of Soviet life, Katerina Izmailova was not given a Russian staging for over 40 years; its Metropolitan Opera debut did not occur until 1994. Dmitri Shostakovich also wrote the screenplay for the screen version of Katerina Izmailova.
A military detachment arrived in the village to the landowner Shpak and the young officer fell in love with the owner's daughter. Sly soldier Shelmenko helps lovers get married.
Alexey Severtsev, who came to enroll at Leningrad University from Siberia, is cleverly deceived by experienced criminals. At the station, they manage to lure Severtsev into a deserted place, beat him and rob him. A young police sergeant Nikolai Zakharov is assigned to investigate this incident. Zakharov will show resourcefulness and courage, and, of course, will detain repeat offenders.
