Are You Kidding?

After being demobilized, Ivan Cheprasov came to work in the motorcade. The chief assigns Ivan an ancient wreck that no one has bothered to repair. 'Colombina'—as the drivers jokingly nicknamed the old car—became a 'touchstone' for Ivan, testing his resilience and skill. Additionally, Colombina serves as a highly humanized metaphor for metal in Ivan's life, continuing the tradition of Soviet social realism by portraying another archetype, in this case, the ideal chauffeur.

The casual acquaintance of the heroes did not portend any feelings. They are not very interested in each other and seem to want to quickly get rid of each other. But when she leaves for Truskavets, the hero does everything to meet her there at the station.