In 1905, in Nizhny Novgorod, Vlassov and his son Pavel are workers in a large factory, where they, like many others, are exploited. Vlassov succumbs to alcoholism, leaving Pavel to confront the harsh realities of their lives. Pavel becomes aware of the widespread misery and begins to organize workers, encouraging them to rise up against their oppressors.
Initially submissive and hesitant, Pavel's mother gradually adopts her son's revolutionary ideals. She struggles internally but learns to read to better understand the movement. She becomes actively involved, distributing revolutionary pamphlets during the preparation of a strike.
Despite Pavel's repeated arrests, imprisonments, and eventual sentencing to forced labor and exile in Siberia, his mother continues his work. Her transformation leads her to realize that only revolution can bring justice to the oppressed.