The main characters are three Zaporizhzhian Cossacks who are friends. To sort out the love life of one of the Cossacks, the friends set off for Moscow in search of the legendary ‘bubbly vodka’, which they must bring back to the girl’s father by New Year’s Eve. A host of adventures await them on the road: a glamorous bandit chieftain, valiant blacksmiths, border guards reminiscent of today’s customs officers, and more. What’s more, a trio of misfits sets off in pursuit of them. No less interesting characters await the Cossacks in the capital. An emancipated empress with a German mother, her favourite, a hussar, and Count Orlov.

In the end, the Cossacks’ efforts are crowned with success, and they return to the village with the promised ‘sparkling vodka’. The final scene shows a New Year’s celebration in the Cossack village, to which all the film’s characters have been invited.