Other People’s Letters

Zina confesses her feelings to Zhenya Pryakhin, a more mature man. He reacts with discomfort and rejects her, culminating in him pushing her into a river during the confrontation. The moment leaves Zina devastated and questioning her path forward.

After the river incident, Zina appears at Vera Ivanovna's window, soaking wet and distressed. Vera decides to take her in, offering warmth and safety. This marks the start of a mentorship that quickly blurs boundaries.

Vera welcomes Zina into her home and tries to guide her through her pain. She pursues a compassionate, mentor-like relationship, hoping to cultivate empathy and trust. The arrangement, however, quietly sows the seeds of dependency.

Zina secretly reads Vera's private letters to Igor, gaining intimate access to Vera's feelings and life. Enchanted by the emotional content, she rewrites one letter to seem as if Pryakhin wrote it to herself. She intends to share it with a friend, testing Vera's personal boundaries.

Zina's rewritten letter is circulated and read aloud at school, including by several teachers. Vera and the students realize the handwriting belongs to Zina, exposing the manipulation. The class responds with laughter and mockery, shattering Vera's sense of safety and trust.

Vera is shaken when the class and staff confront the cruel undercurrents within the school community. She recognizes that her students are capable of cruelty, not simply innocent mischief. The discovery undermines her authority and complicates her relationship with Zina.

Zina grows outraged that no one believes her version of events. Her sense of control over Vera deepens as she sees how easily she can provoke reactions. The dynamic between teacher and pupil becomes increasingly dangerous.

Despite the breach, Vera decides to forgive the invasion of privacy and prevents Zina from leaving the house. This act reinforces Zina's sense of power and dependence rather than resolving the tension. The relationship shifts from mentorship toward manipulation.

When Zina tries to lock Vera inside the apartment to stop her from going out on a date, Vera reacts by slapping her. The confrontation marks a brutal turning point and reveals the limits of Vera's tolerance. The power struggle leaves both women emotionally raw.

In the film's closing moments, Zina steps forward to direct her classmates during a school cleanup, exuding confidence and arrogance. The teacher is absent, and the scene invites reflection on who guides whom. The ending remains open, leaving Vera's future and the girls' futures uncertain.

The events expose the fragility of boundaries between teacher and student. Vera contemplates the consequences of mentorship without limits and whether compassion can coexist with professional distance. The film leaves viewers pondering ethical lines in caregiving relationships.

Vera's relationship with Igor, a painter she occasionally dates, is reflected in the letters that Zina reads and edits. The letters become a focal point for jealousy, desire, and miscommunication. The episode reveals how a private life can become weaponized in a fragile mentor–mentee dynamic.