A pretty woman, divorced mother of a child works as a secretary at a research institute. She is taking an external degree. It all looks quite normal. In fact, she experiences serious difficulties: she has a problem with her ex-husband, her child is going through difficult age, a sycophant at the institute is exerting pressure on her, and the jealous wife of her boss makes malicious reports against her. She is forced to fight for each breath and to violate even her own principles in order to survive.
Young Nikolay is a national boxing champion. On a picnic, he meets Vanya and falls in love with her. They have a lunch in the restaurant and when a brawl erupts there, Vanya leaves. Nikolay tries to catch up with her in a car, but has an accident. The uncle of his friend offers to pay for repairs of a car if he will agree to act as a courier in foreign currency smuggling deal. Nikolay agrees to take along a box of matches. The uncle tells him that he will receive as many dollars as there are matchsticks in the box. Nikolay is due to leave for Paris to compete in the world championships. During the journey, his coach confiscates the box, thinking that the athlete is smoking. Nikolay has to explain everything.