The film recounts the troubling events surrounding the demonstration of workers in Novocherkassk during 1962. It focuses on Lyudmila 'Lyuda' Danilovna Semina, played by Yuliya Vysotskaya, who serves as a dedicated member of the local city committee and a committed communist. As tensions rise at the Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Plant due to escalating food prices and wage cuts, a significant workers' strike erupts. In a tragic turn of events, Lyudmila is a witness to the horrific mass shooting ordered by the Government Commission, which is determined to suppress news of the strike and its violent repercussions from the rest of the USSR.
In the chaos of the protest and ensuing slaughter, Lyudmila faces her worst nightmare: her 18-year-old daughter, Svetka, portrayed by Yuliya Burova, has gone missing. Desperate and frantic, Lyudmila embarks on a secret search for her daughter while the KGB intensifies its grip on the town, arresting suspects, disposing of bodies in clandestine graves, and enforcing a strict code of silence among the citizens regarding the atrocity.
Through the turmoil, Lyudmila grapples with the grim reality of government actions while clinging to her belief in the eventual triumph of communism. With a sense of longing for the past under Stalin's rule, she also pleads with God, hoping for her daughter's safety. A sympathetic KGB agent discreetly offers help, leading her to investigate a rural cemetery where some of the deceased have been buried.
Their search takes a heartbreaking turn when a policeman reluctantly reveals information about Svetka. He confirms that he has buried a girl whose description matches that of Lyudmila's daughter. Overwhelmed with grief, Lyudmila learns that her daughter was found with her toes protruding from a hole in a stocking, a detail that painfully reminds her of a recent conversation they had regarding the need to mend it.
The journey back to town is bleak for Lyudmila as she succumbs to her sorrow, drowning her pain in alcohol. Confusion envelops her as she reflects on the implications of what has transpired for both communism and her future. Upon returning to her apartment that night, she discovers her own father packing Svetka's suitcase. But in a twist of fate, he reveals that Svetka is actually on the roof.
Rushing up the stairs, Lyudmila looks out of a window and spots her daughter hiding up top. The moment is filled with overwhelming joy and disbelief as she praises God for Svetka's survival. In a fervent embrace, she vows to protect her daughter from the KGB. As their reunion reaches its emotional peak, Lyudmila whispers to Svetka, “We’ll do better,” encapsulating her fervent hope for a brighter future amid the darkness that surrounds them.
