After the defeat in the Civil War, the whites flee the country for their lives. Among the refugees, the main character is Sergei Neratov, a broken colonel who lost not only his army in the war, but also his wife and children. Arriving in Constantinople, the principled officer is confronted with a completely alien and often hostile world, like hundreds of other refugees. In order to defend the right of compatriots to a decent life from the local government and the occupation authorities of the Entente, Neratov has to confront first the local bandits, and then the entire occupation authorities of the city.