Piotr Stasik's film gives an insight into contemporary Russia by focusing on the young students and their everyday life at cadet school in Penza, 700 kilometers from Moscow. The director follows young boys of different ages, showing how the school shapes their lives, how their personalities change, and discovering their hopes and dreams. We observe the process of growing up – from a 7-year-old who is learning how to read to a 17-year old who is finishing school and has to decide about his future. This film is a journey to the times of childhood and a story about the difficulties of entering the world of adults.