In 1957, Pierre Duran, who graduated from the é cole Normale Sup é rieure in Paris, came to Moscow for university exchange. Here, he met Kira Galkina, a ballet dancer from the Moscow Grand Theatre, and Valeri Uspensky, a photographer. Thanks to these acquaintances, Pierre gained a deep understanding of Moscow's cultural life, not only official culture but also underground culture. He started having an affair with Kira. But his learning and familiarity with Soviet life were not Pierre's only goals. He is searching for his father, white military officer Tatyshev, who was arrested in the late 1930s.