The action takes place in 1920 during the Civil War. Crimea on the eve of complete liberation from the White Guards. Returning from patrol, the four brave “elusive” knocked down an airplane. In the field bag of the captured pilot, they find a secret report, which speaks of the existence of defensive fortifications around the coastal city, which the Reds have yet to take. Young heroes get the task to get a map of fortifications and go to the city...

Danka's and Ksanka's childhood in the village brutally ends when their father is killed by a White Guard officer in front of their eyes. Seeking revenge, they join forces with Valerka, an intellectual from big city, and the gipsy Yashka, but before they can get close to their enemy they have to help their village and the advancing Red Army.

Using an elaborate system of denunciation, the chief of the Zone keeps his prisoners in check. A new inmate, allegedly imprisoned for speculating on postage stamps, tries to rebel against the system.

A huge hit when it was released, the movie is set in 1953, when after the death of Stalin, Beria pronounced an amnesty which put out of work camps an enormous amount of inmates, causing an increase in criminality.
At a small village by a lake, live two political exiles spending there few years after camp sentence as "enemy of the people". They don't benefit from the amnesty. The older one works and is integrated in the small community, the younger, a former WWII officer survives doing nothing and is kept on the side. Yet the daughter of a mute woman enjoys to have some talk with him.
The police officer tells the main administrative clerck about the recent removal of Beria, the massive amnesties and a group of six wanted men wandering near the place after a murder.
The bandits are in fact hiding in a barn, and the next day they attack and take control of the villagers. Not presents at the moment, the two political prisoners can choose: leave the place, but they decide instead to take action against the bandits. Paradox: the so-called "enemies of the people" are in fact the ones who rescue the people, from the real criminals.
Historically, the movie is fantastic, because produced in 1987, it was the first mainstream feature dealing directly with a critic of political prisoners and exiles. Khrushchov's destalinization ended the stalinian Terror but didn't allow a level of artistic freedom of expression making possible a movie like this one.
History of politics aside, the action and tension are good. Some have labelled it a "russian western" , as few outsiders fight a bunch of nasty and violent bad guys and save the town's good people.
The filming location is in central Karelia, not far from Petrozavodsk, north-western Russia. A very beautiful nature.
Valeri Priyomykhov received a state prize for his portrayal of the main character.

A satirical comedy about the excessive restrictions that children face during their vacation in a Young Pioneer camp.