The Theme

Popular playwright Kim Yesenin (Mikhail Ulyanov) with his mistress (Natalya Seleznyova) and friend (Yevgeni Vesnik) arrives in Suzdal on his GAZ Volga, in the search of historical themes for his new play, inwardly tormented by his own bias and experiencing a spiritual crisis. In Suzdal, he runs into a family of an old teacher Maria Alexandrovna (Yevgeniya Nechayeva) with venerable, traditional notions of morality and honor. Kim tries to woo the art historian and local museum guide Sasha (Inna Churikova), a pupil of Maria Alexandrovna, but she just plainly imparts to him about how mediocre and immoral his plays are.