Ivan

The Dniproges dam project starts and the rapids will be buried under water to power a new plant. A village speech extols sending surplus labor to the cities. Ivan approves the plan while his father Stepan resists and says he does not want to go. The foreman stresses the need to lead by example.

The foreman meets with the party secretary at the construction site, his old friend whom he has not seen for 22 years. They share a brief, warm reunion amid the ongoing labor and ambition.

Ivan marvels at the Dnieper and eagerly works on the railway, full of energy and promise. His father Stepan is shown trying to avoid work and behaving dishonestly, which creates tension between them. The foreman warns that sloppy effort will bring trouble.

Ivan realizes his lack of education is hindering his progress. At night he studies engineering despite his father's contempt. This marks a turning point as he starts to pursue a skilled craft.

A bucket of cement falls at the construction site and the driver is killed. The accident triggers questions about safety practices and responsibility. The secretary explains that the death resulted from others safety violations.

A Komsomol council is convened to inspect all mechanisms on site after the accident. A team of top specialists arrives to take charge and introduce new methods. Stepan avoids work while the loudspeaker shames him for his laziness.

Ivan complains that his efforts go unappreciated and fears there is no place for him on the Dnieper project. The party secretary believes he has potential to become a leader for the workers. Ivan is soon accepted into the Communist Party as a leader.

Ivan speaks on the radio denouncing his father for laziness and absenteeism and even calls for distancing himself from him. The broadcast is intercut with a comic scene about a common man and his wife choosing Soviet radio over foreign signals.

Stepan bursts into a meeting and refuses such a son, trying to claim status for himself. The others laugh at him, highlighting the social shift. Ivan declares he is ashamed to be from the same village as his father and the working class accepts him.

The mother of the deceased worker calls for hard work to ensure her son's death was not in vain. Her plea inspires Ivan to prove the value of labor and solidarity.

Inspired by the collective, Ivan decides to pursue education at the robotics faculty and to become an engineer. This marks a concrete shift from pure manual labor to technical training.

The events illustrate how industrial progress and socialist ideals reshape individual destinies. Ivan moves toward a future as an educated engineer, symbolizing renewal for himself and his community.