Early 1970s. Zinaida, the most beautiful bride in the village of Solnechnoye, rejects a marriage proposal from the most eligible bachelor in the area—the second secretary of the district Party committee, Boris Gorbatov. Instead, Zina, who is in love, plans to marry the headstrong and handsome gypsy Oleko. During the wedding, the happy groom is taken away by the police on charges of horse theft. Gorbatov, unwilling to yield to his rival, is behind the arrest, but his criminal intrigues will not bring him happiness. To secure Oleko’s release, the desperate Zina agrees to a marriage of convenience with Boris, and a few months later gives birth to a son by her former fiancé. Her jealous husband separates her from the child and breaks his pre-wedding promise, but he cannot keep his longing wife by his side.
