Russia in the mid-19th century. The famous actress Elena Kruchinina arrives from the capital to a provincial town. She once lived here and was abandoned by her lover after her baby was born. After recovering from the great emotional shock she suffered, she learned of the death of her child. Later she became a famous actress. In her hometown she gives several performances and actively intervenes in the fate of a young actor, Grigory Neznamov. On her way she meets the father of her child, Murov, again. She learns that her son is alive. After a series of dramatic events she learns that Neznamov is her son.
Based on the play by Alexander Ostrovsky (1881).
