After his demobilisation, Anton heads for Moscow to see a girl from his hometown. He naively thinks that the photo Zina sent him while he was in the army was the start of something special. But the attractive university student sets the record straight. Anton discovers that the capital is just as unwelcoming, but he is determined to face the future that lies ahead – he refuses to give up on the city, even after a nasty run-in with the police. Its corruption and influence incite in him a desire for retaliation. The young man from the provinces, well drilled by the army, is convinced that unscrupulousness and injustice should be similarly punished. With this in mind, he decides to deal with his problems by joining the police force. For him, the police represent not only power and strength, but also an inviolable authority. Here, he will be able to live out his favourite maxim, “I’m tough, not dumb.” The young man with his simple way of thinking doesn’t realise that he is, in fact, subscribing to the philosophy of conformism as an unerring indicator of authoritarian attitudes. Yet the emotional indifference with which Anton comes to terms with the conflicting and amoral nature of his living environment makes him a symptomatic hero of his time.