 Based on the eponymous book by Boris Vasilyev, the film is set in Karelia (North-West of Russia, near Finland) in 1941 during WWII. In a beautiful and quiet wilderness far from the front-line there is an anti-aircraft artillery point, where corporal Vaskov is stationed with a group of five young women in training. Suddenly they are surrounded by 16 Nazi paratroopers, who have penetrated deep beyond the front-line. The five women have to stop the enemy in an unequal fight.