A woman goes into labor and her husband is not able to leave work. She gives birth to a baby boy. Before the husband arrives, she takes a baby girl under her wing, after her mother died in labor. Their older daughter tries to win the love of an older man, Ignat. The oldest son moves off to study medicine. There is a scary accident, leaving someone unable to walk.

The youngest son starts being able to walk again, however, becomes bullied leading him to fight another boy. Alenka learns some heartbreaking news, leading her to do something crazy. Alesha falls for a woman while studying at school and goes to meet her, but is met with bad news. Ten years later, the children have grown. Something develops between Varvara and Stepka.

Alenka continues to pursue acting. With Alesha's wedding coming up, she learns she must head back to the village. Alesha takes in a young boy and helps his family. Stepka gets in a brutal fight with the man that Varvara is seeing. The whole family is back together for for Alesha's wedding. Alenka comes face to face with the man she used to love, Ignat, but he is married.

Alenka is met with heartbreak again by the same man of when she was young. On her way home she catches Varvara and Stepka. The mother admits that Varvara is not actually related to Stepka. All of this craziness leads to someone killing themself, as predicted by the grandmother in her dream. Stepka has disappeared. The relationship between the father and Varvara is ruined.

Stepka begins to associate with a group of robbers. Alenka threatens to leave her man if he does not cast her in the play. Ignat's wife dies while giving birth. The actress whose spot is taken by Alenka gets her killed. Once she is dead, Stepka is ordered to rob her, but he realizes it is his sister. He rushes her to the hospital, the doctor turns out to be Alenka.

Vavara is beaten by her new husband. He sends her to the city to sell meet, where Stepka spots her. They have an emotional reunion, where Varvara tells him how they are really not blood related. Varvara's husband comes home severely beaten, unsure of by who. Stepka meets with the woman who organized the attempt to murder Alenka. Alenka agrees to adopt the young boy.

Varvara sends her husband off to war. The boy that Alesha and his wife want to adopt has run away, or so it seems. There is another death in the family. Stepka also is sent off to war, with an emotional goodbye. Then, while he is on the train, there is an attack. Varvara reveals that she is pregnant. The episode ends with an emotional meeting between Varvara and her grandfather.

It is time for Alesha's wife to send him off for the war, but he is met with a surprise she is coming with him. Stepka is staying with his grandfather when an unexpected attack occurs. Alesha's wife becomes extremely ill and they must get off the train. Varvara goes to live with her older sister, since she no longer has family in the village, but makes her the maid. Varvara goes into labor.

Alenka learns that Ignat's wife has died, and goes to see Ignat's daughter. She brings some terrible news home to Varvara. Alenka believes that Varvara is seducing her husband and kicks her out forcing her to find a new home, however, it is actually him who is going after her. Stepka reminisces of his days with Varvara. Alesha's wife struggles during battle.

Stepka has an emotional reunion with his father, for the first time since he ran away, however, the meeting ends abruptly. Lilya, Alesha's wife, watches her officer die, after taking a lot of time to care for him. Varvara gets to know the people that took her in. Lilya is terribly beaten, and Alesha has a premonition that she is in need. A man looks to make Varvara his wife.

Stepka is put in a Nazi prison camp and is fighting severe starvation. An old woman is sheltering Lilya. Alenka continues to read poetry to wound victims in the hospital, in hopes to see Ignat. While at the hospital, she runs into Varvara, who is cleaning. Lily is sent off with soldiers, and parts ways with the elderly woman. Stepka and his friend plot how to escape the prison camp.

Lilya is in the hospital and continues to have terrible tremors. Stepka and his friend discover a home, and the woman who lives there takes them in. However, they are caught by soldiers. Lilya and Varvara have an emotional reunion, as Lilya also is reunited with the boy she wanted to adopt. Stepka is brutally beaten. News that the war has ended spreads, and Alenka goes to see Ignat.

Alesha finds his way home to Lilya, and discovers the news of their son. Alenka is finally together with Ignat, however, her husband suspects that she has been seeing someone. Ignat asks her to help raise his daughter. Egor, Varvara's son, continues to ask questions about his father. The elderly gentlemen is still trying to win over Varvara.

Lilya finally opens up to Alesha about the brutal treatment she got from the Germans. The priest is murdered in the middle of the night, by a man that Stepka used to work with before the war. Stepka then sets fire to their barrack. Alenka tells Ignat she has left her husband for good. Varvara ensures to Egor that his father will return, after her admirer spends time with Egor.

Lilya must undergo emergency surgery, even though she has previously refused. Stepka learns that he is being released early. Alenka goes to collect her things from her old house and runs into her ex husband, leading her to return to him. Stepka searches for a job Varvara gets news that she must move out and searches for a new place, and while doing so, sees Stepka.

Lily finally acknowledges that she is seriously ill, and agrees to Alesha's requests for surgeries, however, it ends tragically. Alenka's husband is caught and arrested for his illegal jewelry deals. Varvara introduces Stepka to her son, as his father. Ignat comes home to find that Alenka has returned. Varvara and Alenka make amends, now the whole family is back living in the village.