At the end of September 1941, Soviet artillery troops in besieged Leningrad realize that pretty soon they will fire their last shot, and after that the defense of the city will be doomed. The film is based on a true event: a small group of fearless soldiers transported a large supply of gunpowder through enemy lines to Leningrad.
By a twist of fate, Prince Olensky, a scholar of art history and the director of the Hermitage, is entrusted with the mission of preserving the museum's collection for Russia during the October days of 1917.