 Film is based on the eponymous play by Mikhail Bulgakov, about defeat of the "White Army" in the Russian Civil War of 1918-21, that caused massive emigration of the upper classes and nobility, called "White Russians". Set in Crimea, Constantinopol and Paris. The Russian Civil War and emigration is shown through the eyes of the defeated Tsarist Generals - Vrangel (Freindlikh), Khludov (Dvorzhetsky), Charnota (Ulyanov), as well as intellectuals and aristocracy. Amidst the chaos of emigration rough generals Khludov and Charnota become involved in the unfolding love story of professor Golubkov (Batalov) and Serafima (Saveleva). While General Khludov is having hallucinations about the Civil War, General Charnota is more tough and practical. He goes to Paris to frame a wealthy Russian tycoon Korzukhin (Evstigneev) to support his former wife Serafima and other suffering Russian emigrants.