Post-WWII Russia, industrial city of Sverdlovsk. Former opera singer and mother to four children, Nina Levitskaya knows nothing about the fate of her husband. Communist party functionary Alexander disappeared almost a year ago and is now rumored to be in Moscow. With life becoming increasingly hard for the family, Nina decides to risk it all in hope of a reunion. She hastily sells everything she can, gathers her children, and sets out for the capital.

The journey by freight car - with bags of remaining household belongings, the family’s milk cow and a piano - is fraught with danger. Along the way Nina and her children encounter all sorts of people. Some are outright dangerous while others offer the travelers genuine warmth and faith in a brighter future. The mutual support, genuine love and sincerity between the mother and her children make the journey a success and bring the story to a happy end.

The film, set in the challenging time of rebuilding a country ravaged by war, is based on a real-life story.