Nick's ancestors perished in the Soviet purges and their estate was confiscated. Aft er the fall of the Soviet Union, Nick returns his former estate and opens a school for mentally disabled children, like his own daughter. The school based on kindness and love soon produces amazing results, but the peasants. who had lived in his estate, slaughter his cattle and demand the "diots" to be kicked out of the village. Nick is forced to take up weapons in order to defend the school and the children but dies in the fight.