The Childhood of Maxim Gorky

They arrive by boat to live with Varvara's parents and brothers. The family celebrates Varvara's return with a lively gathering and Russian folk dances. The mood shifts when Grandfather Vasili arrives, and a fight erupts between Alexei's uncles over the dye shop, forcing Alexei to hide and watch.

Alexei's uncles resent him, fearing their inheritance will be jeopardized by Varvara's widowhood. They enlist their cousin Sacha to play tricks on Grandfather and Alexei. Amid this, Alexei forms a close bond with Vanya the gypsy, who shields him from his grandfather's temper.

Vanya dies unexpectedly while shielding Alexei from a beating, carrying a heavy stone cross up a hill. The loss shatters the boy's sense of safety and reinforces his bond with the grandfather figure he admired. He begins to understand the fragility of the life around him.

Varvara leaves to pursue a new life, leaving Alexei in the care of Grandma Akulina. The departure shifts the household's dynamics and places more responsibility on a young Alexei. He senses that the family will need to adapt to survive.

Dye shop burns down, forcing the family to move to another town. In the new town, Grandfather teaches Alexei to read, opening a doorway to books and stories. A chemist who rents a room from Grandfather encourages Alexei to write down his grandmother's tales.

Grandfather leaves town just before police arrive to arrest him for incitement against the czar. Alexei is left to grapple with his mentor's fate and continues to read and write as a lifeline. The memory of political trouble lingers over his early ambitions.

Alexei sees Grigori begging on the streets, and he recalls his grandfather's refusal to help a blind man who cannot work. This moment awakens his sense of injustice and fuels a growing empathy for the less fortunate. He begins to adopt a more compassionate worldview.

He befriends poorer kids in town and meets a paralyzed boy who keeps insects to maintain a window to the outside world. Alexei is moved by the boy's resilience and even gives him his pet mouse to share a fragile connection to life beyond the room. The encounters deepen his belief in helping others.

Varvara returns with a fiancé and tells Alexei that after her Moscow wedding she will bring him to live there so he can attend school. Alexei feels unhappy with this plan and understands he may need to work to support himself. Grandfather loses everything again and they are forced to move.

Alexei begins earning money by sifting through garbage dumps with his friends, collecting metal and rags to sell for food. He is disgusted by his grandfather's weakness and inspired by his grandmother's strength. The daily scavenging teaches him resilience and the value of hard work.

Grandfather pushes him out, telling him to make his own way in the world. He glimpses the chemist from earlier marching in a chain gang, a stark reminder of the cost of dissent. The chemist urges him to stay curious, learn, and write as much as he can.

The film ends with Grandfather begging for cake on the street as Alexei steps into an open field and waves farewell to friends. He leaves to start his own life, stepping into an uncertain but hopeful future. The scene marks the transition from boyhood to adulthood.