High Security Vacation

Viktor Sumarokov, nicknamed Sumrak, is an experienced thief who commands respect within the prison. His status as an authority among prisoners sets the stage for the tense dynamic inside the facility. He is quietly watched by guards and participates in the social order of the zone.

Yevgeny Koltsov, a former MIA officer acclaimed for his Chechen war heroism, has been imprisoned after an accidental injury to a corrupt colleague. Vyshkin, the penitentiary lieutenant colonel, comes to Sumrak with a request to protect Koltsov from other inmates' threats. The tension grows as authorities weigh the risks of keeping Koltsov safe inside the prison.

The ringleader's closest aide learns about the protection arrangement and schemes to undermine Vyshkin by creating a riot. He recruits Shaman, another inmate with influence, promising an early release to persuade him to join the plan. The goal is to destabilize Koltsov's position and neutralize Vyshkin's influence.

A confrontation erupts as planned, and the riot escalates in the facility. Koltsov is wounded during the chaos, and Sumrak sustains injuries as well. Both men are transported to the hospital for treatment, marking the first major turning point in their fates.

While recovering, Koltsov realizes he cannot survive the zone under Shaman's threats. He asks his ally, Sergey Gagarin, a commander of the special forces, to help him escape from the hospital. This decision seeds a risky plan that will propel the fugitives outside the prison's reach.

Gagarin takes charge of the escape plan and leads them toward safety. In the course of suppressing the riot elsewhere, Sumrak is wounded again, but Koltsov decides to trust him and take him along on the escape. Their bond deepens as they form an uneasy alliance.

Gagarin hides the runaway convicts in a pioneer camp named Shipboy, where male leadership is in short supply. The fugitives assume new identities as Victor Sergeevich Romashkin and Yevgeny Dmitrievich Ubegaev, leaving their old lives behind. The setting shifts from the penal system to the competitive environment of a youth camp.

Adopting their new roles, the two former convicts blend with the campers and experience the camp's pioneer traditions. The children mock their superiors as they test the newcomers, challenging them to prove their leadership. The camp becomes a testing ground for character and resolve.

To prove themselves, they focus on forming a strong squad and winning a trip to St. Petersburg. The pursuit of this goal pushes them to push their limits and rethink what it means to be in charge. The dynamics within the group begin to reveal leadership potential.

Through the challenges and camaraderie, the former criminals discover qualities they never suspected they had. They confront their past, adapt to the camp's expectations, and begin to envision a future beyond crime. The transformation is gradual but evident in their actions.

Sumrak and Koltsov, now allies in a new setting, rely on each other and the camp's structure to survive. Their experiences in the prison system still influence their decisions, but they start to exercise leadership within the group. The once solitary figures are slowly becoming mentors to younger campers.

The pageant of their transformation concludes with a clear shift from criminals to capable organizers. By embracing the pioneer ethos and working together, they reveal strengths they never imagined. Their journey hints at a future where they can redefine themselves beyond the prison walls.