Valentina Kalinina

Eight-year-old Kirill has big problems: he struggles at school, his parents are boring, and he has nowhere to put his lame stray dog. In short, he is at odds with the whole world. Then he meets journalist Vadim, who is easy to get along with and interesting. Vadim's interest is genuine — after all, Kirill is named after his deceased friend.

On falling in love with Sergey, Natasha gives up studies at a pedagogical institute and accompanies him to a construction site. In a course of time she realizes that her husband is interested only in his work. She leaves him, graduates from the institute and works as a teacher. But Sergey is fired for authoritative style of work and Natasha realizes that she must be near to him in his hour of need.

Returning to an empty apartment after work, Kurochkin remembers that today is his birthday. Pyotr Ivanovich pours wine into glasses and remembers his youth, the friends with whom he fought, his wife who could not get along with him, his daughter.