Maksim, a promising young ethnographer and postgraduate student, arrives in the village of Rusalino to collect a lot of old folklore items for his research papers in 1993. It was Lyuba, a student from Maksim's college, who had persuaded him to come to the village, because her aunt, Varvara lives there, and the area is famous for having preserved many old folk songs, stories and local folk customs. More importantly, the girl believes that their scientific journey will bring them closer together, because she is deeply in love with Maksim. But alas, Lyuba had not anticipated that here, in Rusalino, Maksim will meet Rada, a beautiful gypsy girl, who will steal his heart forever.