Film-play of the Central Academic Theatre of the Russian Army based on A.N. Ostrovsky's play. In a wealthy merchant's house, young beauty Vera Filippovna languishes like a bird in a cage. At the age of 15, she married the rich man Karkunov. Vera Filippovna never loved her husband, but, being a decent young woman, she was a faithful wife to him. Suddenly, the old man, her husband, is about to die and cannot decide whom to leave his fortune to — his wife, his nephew, or perhaps give it all to the poor. The action revolves around this money...