Psychological drama based on the works of the Polish writer and ethnographer Wenceslas Seroszewski. End of the 19th century, Yakutsk region. Khabdzhiy and his wife Keremes live far from settlements. Having buried their second child, they continue to survive in the conditions of the Yakut taiga and prepare for a harsh and hungry winter. Once the local Prince imposes on them the Russian convict Kostya, who, according to the law, must live with them in the same house. It is impossible to find a common language from the very beginning, and the convict quickly decides to become the new master of the house.