Post WWII Soviet Union. Yury, a war-wounded KGB agent who is disillusioned with his life and the Soviet state, is assigned to go undercover in Ukraine to investigate a group of spiritualists led by factory worker, Ilya Groban. Groban and his gang claim to communicate with the dead. Yury travels to Ukraine with his KGB partner, Osip, a Tadjik who is convinced he is in line for a promotion despite the fact that he's not an ethnic Russian. In Ukraine, Yury meets Groban's sister Vera, who makes him realize he can live and dispite his war injuries. His desire to delay the arrests puts him at odds with his partner's desire to score a big victory and get his promotion.