Going Inside a Storm

In 1952, at the University of Leningrad, Oleg Touline and Sergei Krylov pursue a dream of climate control. Sergei publicly challenges a professor who dismisses cybernetics as bourgeois pseudoscience, and he is expelled along with the loss of his scholarship. Oleg arranges meetings with university directors, urging Sergei to stay humble while continuing his work, but Sergei refuses to compromise his principles. The film frames a central question: should a scientist bend to institutions to keep working, or stay true to ideals?

After the expulsion, Sergei takes a factory job while studying at night. He prepares a presentation on gas discharge and presents it to Professor Dankevitch, a respected authority on electric fields, who identifies flaws in his results. Undeterred, Sergei decides to study under Dankevitch, even though the professor initially rejects him. He becomes a lab assistant in Professor Anikeiev's team through Anikeiev's endorsement, and Dankevitch eventually takes him on.

During his early work, Sergei meets Lena, a spirited woman who initially rebuffs his advances but gradually warms to him. Their relationship grows amid the pressures of research, giving Sergei a personal stake in the stormy science they pursue. Lena's support becomes a quiet counterpoint to the turmoil of the scientific struggle.

Dankevitch champions long-term inquiry, while the broader scientific community demands immediate practical gains, such as thunderstorm-derived agricultural benefits. The disagreement costs Dankevitch funding and credibility, and the project loses traction. Oleg advises Sergei to leave Dankevitch's group, but Sergei chooses to stay, torn between loyalty and principle.

As Dankevitch's health deteriorates, Sergei grows impatient and questions his mentor's pace. He joins a global expedition to collect data for his thesis, hoping to accelerate progress. On returning, he hears praise for Dankevitch abroad, which unsettles him and brings into focus the mentor's legacy.

Back in Leningrad, Sergei discovers that Lena has married someone else and that he has missed Dankevitch's funeral. Estranged from his colleagues, he drifts into administrative work in an attempt to stay connected to science. The personal losses compound the professional distance he feels from his old circle.

Sergei learns that Dankevitch had recommended him to Professor Galitsine, opening doors to new opportunities. Motivated by this support, he leaves for Moscow to continue his research on atmospheric electricity, seeking a more conducive environment for his ideas.

Oleg pursues a daring project to fly a plane into the center of a thunderstorm, despite opposition from Galitsine and a safety general. His persistence finally wins approval, but the mission ends in tragedy when colleague Richard dies in a crash caused by a sabotaged storm detector.

Following the tragedy, Sergei defends the project before an inquiry commission, arguing for continued exploration. Oleg, meanwhile, abandons his experiments, choosing to step away from the dangerous work he started.

To vindicate Oleg's ideas, Sergei uses Dankevitch's notes and Richard’s calculations to deliver a groundbreaking lecture at the university. The scientific committee unexpectedly supports his continued research, recognizing the merit of the new synthesis.

Sergei is reunited with Lena and is vindicated in his work, taking up the mantle of his late mentor. He resolves to push atmospheric electricity research further, with Lena by his side as a partner in both life and science.

With the mentor's legacy in hand, Sergei commits to advancing science beyond the known limits. The story closes on a note of ongoing exploration and resolve to continue the mission ahead, setting the stage for future breakthroughs.