In 1953, the year Stalin died, many prisoners (some political, but mostly common criminals) were released from the Soviet Gulags. This is the story of a remote settlement which was under attack by a bunch of these recently-released blood-thirsty thugs in the summer of 1953, and the townspeople, along with a two political prisoners, who try to stop them.

Valeriy Priyomykhov
as Sergei «Luzga» Basargin

Anatoliy Papanov
as Nikolai «Kopalych» Starobogatov

Viktor Stepanov
as Mankov

Nina Usatova
as Lidia Matveevna

Zoya Buryak
as Lidia Matveevna's daughter

Yuriy Kuznetsov
as Ivan Zotov

Vladimir Kashpur
as Fadeich

Sergey Vlasov
as Vityok

Vladimir Golovin
as «Baron»

Andrey Dudarenko
as Mikhalych