1899, the Christmas-time St.Petersburg. Ice-covered rivers and canals of the capital seethe with festive activities. On the eve of the new century those who should not be destined to meet, come together. They are people from different worlds: Matvey, the son of a lamplighter, whose only treasure is his silver-plated skates; Alice is the daughter of a high-ranking official dreaming of science. Each of them has his own difficult life-story, but having accidentally met they rush forward together in pursuit of their dreams.
Kristina lives with Vitaly in a quiet family life, but her sarcastic world view does not coincide with Vitaly’s ideals. While she is engaged in household chores, he spends more and more time at work, and Kristina begins to suspect that this is somehow connected with the appearance of his young assistant Sonya in the office.
Successful banker Vladimir Orlov is forced to flee from justice abroad. He quickly realizes that he will not leave alive. Trying to hide from criminal prosecution and reprisals from former partners, the hero finds himself in a small town on the border with Finland. By the will of fate, he assumes the identity of a police major. Now Orlov lives a double life: he understands local incidents as an ordinary investigator and at the same time hides from the metropolitan police and hired killers. He is looking for an opportunity to illegally cross the border, but every day it becomes more and more difficult to leave.
