Loosely based on Nikolai Strelnikov's operetta “Indentured Maiden”.
In the country estate of count Kutaisov, they are preparing for the arrival of Anastasiya Batmanova, a famous actress coming back home from Paris. Anastasiya is a former serf, but when she was a small child she was set free from bondage. At the same time, Andrei arrives at the estate. He is secretly in love with Anastasiya. Andrei is a stepbrother of the hussar, Nikita, who is his father's illegitimate son with one of Kutaisov's serfwomen. Andrei's papers certifying that he is a freed serf go missing. Loosing hope to win Anastasiya's affection, Kutaisov decides to marry Anastasiya off to his serf Andrei in order to have her in his full power.
Source : www.lenfilm.ru