The struggle of an ordinary girl who was tragically orphaned at the age of seven. Although not responsible for her parents' death, Stesha blames herself and carries the pain and guilt with her into adulthood – She is forced to endure many ordeals: she marries a man she does not love, she is driven to abandon one son while having to take care of the other and she has to plot her escape from her own 'cage' of a loveless marriage. Finally, she has to clear her father's name by searching for a valuable religious icon, which her father was accused of stealing. Gentle, sweet and self-sacrificing, she is transformed, by the end of the film, into a strong, independent woman, capable of returning love and ready to do anything to ensure the happiness of her children.