This film tells the story of the early years of the famous Soviet commander, Grigoriy Kotovskiy, during the decline of tsarism in Russia. As a student at agricultural college in 1900, Kotovskiy meets a group of graduates who pledge eternal friendship and loyalty to one another even though their lives quickly take very different paths. While Oles becomes a politician, and Aleksey rises to the rank of Police Commander, Viktor turns to a life of crime together with his friend, Grigoriy Kotovskiy, who becomes leader of a gang of robbers. As a youth Kotovskiy is headstrong, romantic and impetuous. Robbing the rich to give to the poor, he becomes known as the Robin Hood of Bessarabia, held in awe by everyone throughout Southern Russia. With a price on his head, it is only a matter of time before he is captured and sent to prison. But he manages to escape and soon returns to his already legendary life of crime.