Can lying be justified by love? And what about pity and compassion – are these also acceptable reasons for untruths? The sixteen dramatic years, from 1939 to 1955, affected not only the USSR as a whole, but also the lives of the four heroes of this powerful and searching drama series. The lives of Sergey, Viktor, Polina and Lyubov have become so intertwined over the years to reveal the best – and worst – excesses of human behaviour.
Sergey, the son of the director of a large state industrial plant; Viktor, a man raised in an orphanage; Polina, a modest saleswoman and Lyubov, a bright and lively actress.
One man survived a Nazi concentration camp but now has to live under a false name, the other became a war hero but has to lie to his wife in order not to lose her. Both women have to hide their past loves in order to establish their places in the present. Will our heroes be able to pass through the endless labyrinths of fate with dignity and self-respect?