The Foundling

The mother departs for the countryside to rent a summer house, leaving Natasha in Yura's care. Yura half jokes that he will tear her head off if she does not fall asleep before Arisha arrives. While the pioneers discuss social matters in the next room, Natasha quietly slips out to begin her first independent walk around the city.

Natasha starts exploring the city on her own, moving from one place to another and encountering small adventures along the way. Her independence grows as she continues to wander without adult supervision. The day unfolds with a mix of curiosity and uncertainty.

She ends up in a kindergarten where a caregiver tries unsuccessfully to learn her last name and address. The staff cannot identify her, and Natasha remains unclaimed for the moment. The confusion about her identity continues to build.

The childless geologist Yevgeny Semyonovich takes Natasha in, believing she was abandoned. He engages in a dispute with a neighbor who also claims the girl, highlighting the fragility of guardianship in such a case. Natasha becomes a focal point of competing expectations from adults nearby.

Amid the argument between the neighbors, Natasha slips away and vanishes from the apartment. The search for her begins almost immediately, weaving through the apartment building and surrounding streets. The little girl's disappearance triggers a city-wide concern.

The childless couple Lya and Muli decide that they would like to adopt Natasha after her disappearance comes to their attention. Their decision reflects the compassion sparked by the day's turmoil and unsettled fate for the girl. The choice also raises questions about Natasha’s future and where she belongs.

Before any formal adoption, Natasha narrowly escapes being run over by a car, a dramatic moment that underscores how precarious her day has been. The near-accident intensifies the urgency of finding her and settling her future.

In the crowd at a bustling train station, Natasha is swept along by the excitement of football fans. She ends up handing flowers to the athletes, a small act of interaction that marks her detour from any fixed home. The city continues to move around her as search efforts go on.

Yura, his classmate Nina, and a missing persons investigator named Sergeev search for Natasha across the city. The search weaves through streets, apartments, and public spaces as more people join the effort. The day grows longer as hope remains alive for a reunion.

Sergeev, the missing persons investigator, finally finds Natasha and returns her to her family. The moment marks the reversal of the day’s uncertainty as the child returns to the safety of home.

Lying in her crib, Natasha tells her brother that she has been found. Her mother sings a lullaby while holding her, a quiet, intimate testament to family bonds after a long day of wandering.

The mother finishes the lullaby as the film closes with Natasha's suggestion that they get lost together tomorrow. The mood blends relief with a hint of future adventures for the young girl and her family.