Time, Forward!

In May 1930, at the Magnitogorsk construction site in the Ural Mountains, news breaks that Kharkiv workers have set a record for concrete batches in a single shift. Two teams, led by Ishchenko and Khanumov, are eager to beat it, while Margulies, the site manager, must balance ambition with strict planning and quality controls. The stage is set for a day of intense labor under the Five-Year Plan's pressures.

Margulies gives the go-ahead for Ishchenko to try beating the Kharkiv record, while issuing cautions about maintaining quality. The visit of writer Ogniyev to the site introduces a fresh observer who seeks inspiration from the monumental project. The decision sets the day’s competitive energy in motion.

With the challenge accepted, Ishchenko's team intensifies work and chases higher outputs. Khanumov's squad stays ready to challenge the record as well, heightening the competitive atmosphere on the site. The day unfolds under the weight of a national-scale effort to demonstrate progress.

During the push of the shift, Ishchenko learns his wife has gone into labor and must rush her to the hospital. The personal crisis adds emotional weight to the day's labors and tests his focus. He must balance urgent family needs with the ongoing drive to meet the record.

Two members of Ishchenko’s team are expelled for shirking their duties, removing a source of friction as the remaining crew girds for the push to beat the record. The decision reinforces discipline as a prerequisite for progress. Margulies and foremen stress that reliability is essential to the project’s success.

Stormy weather disrupts the workflow and a sudden cement shortage threatens the day’s schedule. Foreman Korenev takes drastic measures to secure supplies by any means necessary. The crew improvises and presses on, driven by the goal of the record.

As Ishchenko’s team nears the Kharkiv record, news arrives that the Kuznetsk construction site has lifted its target to 402 batches. The increasing benchmarks intensify the race, but the workers stay focused on their own shift. The day’s competition grows beyond a single locality.

Despite initial rivalry, Khanumov comes to assist by automating part of the process, demonstrating how collaboration and innovation can lift output. The shift gains momentum as efficiency improves and the team coordinates more effectively. The blend of competition and teamwork pushes the project forward.

A commission arrives to test the concrete’s quality, introducing bureaucratic scrutiny that could validate or invalidate the day's achievements. Margulies and the workers brace themselves as the evaluation looms over the celebrations. The outcome remains uncertain as the test proceeds.

The shift closes with a claim of a world-record 415 batches, an achievement that would dwarf Kharkiv’s record and astonish the industry. Yet the officials’ inspection of quality hangs as a potential gatekeeper to official recognition. Pride and doubt mingle as the data is submitted for verification.

With the commission still evaluating, Margulies, exhausted but persistent, continues working through the night alongside the team. The tension of whether the record will be validated weighs on everyone. The barometer of success shifts from counting batches to securing verification.

As night falls, Margulies and Shura Soldatova, the energetic worker behind the motivational posters, walk together after hours. The relationship is romantic, and Shura impulsively proposes marriage. Margulies responds with a quiet, heartfelt acknowledgment of their bond.

The day ends with a sense of resolution: the partnership between Margulies and Shura, and the workers' dedication to balancing quality with achievement. The day closes on a note of hope amid a massive industrial landscape. The ultimate validation of the record remains in question, but the spirit of endurance endures.