The Dobroudzha region in the 1920s. Peace and quiet in the idyllic patriarchal life at Saydarov's vast and well-kept homestead. The land means all to him, he feels one with the earth and spares no effort to work the soil, feeling powerful and invincible. Robbers pose no threat to him, he ends up defeating a gang and saving the life of one of them called Atara, making him a manager to his homestead. He also helps out poor Ivan by hiring him but he falls in love with Elena - one of the servant's daughter, whom Saydarov also fancies. Saydarov rapes the girl and then marries her, giving her a fortune to make up for her lost love. Ivan, though, wants revenge and steals Elena from him. In the chase that follows Saydarov gets killed by Atara - his most loyal man, who turns out to have lived through the same drama and been hurt, so he cannot help taking action.