First action
Former rich mansion, which is located in the Revkom. The Reds receive a message that the Zheglovsky Bridge is already with White. While the commanders are gathering for a meeting, the sailor Shvandya tells the typist Pavel Petrovna Panova about how he saw Marx: he stands on the cruiser and calls on the sailors in French to fight against the bourgeoisie and the "guards." Panova tells him that Marx has long died, but Shvandya does not believe. At this time, the assistant commissar of Grozny in chamber trousers approaches them and begins to flirt with the typist Panova. Offers her jewelry, but she refuses.
The spouses of the Gornostaevs come in and complain that their tenant has cut all the chickens. Grozny arrests Professor Gornostaev as a representative of the counter. Shvandya notes that Gornostaev is very similar to Marx. Logist Elisatov frees Gornostaev, a prominent European professor. Koshkin is about to appoint a professor as interim commissioner of public education.
Peasant Mary complains to Schwanda that her sons left her alone. Teacher Lyubov Yarovaya comes in and informs that the whites were seven miles away yesterday. Love argues with Panova. Panova says her husband, an architect, died from a bite of a louse, and the same louse ate the culture of Russia. Spring argues that there are parasites worse than lice, they ate her husband and children, and a new culture can be created
Love notices a ermine towel in which she finds out what she gave to her husband on the road. Commissioner Roman Koshkin decides to blow up the Zheglovsky bridge that night. Officer Mikhail Yarovoy (Vikhor) called out. With him, he took the assistants to Commissioner Khrushch and Mazukhin. In a conversation with Koshkin, Panova blurted out that Professor Gornostaev had gold. Koshkin finds the stolen gold from Groznov and shoots him.
Action two
Hastily ends the evacuation. There is a battle under the city. The bridge was not blown up, and the Whirlwind with people did not return. Koshkin decides to stay here with Shwandei and try to blow up the bridge. He intends to keep in touch through Yarovaya. Gornostaeva notices Yarovoy and recognizes in him his tenant, Whirlwind. Love meets her husband, whom she considered dead. To the surprise of Gornostaeva, he appears to be Lieutenant Yarov. Love does not want to believe that her husband has turned white. Captives of Khrushchev, Mazukhin and other zheglovets are introduced. Schwanda manages to persuade one escort to kill another and flee to the Reds together.
Action Three
Love and electrical engineer Ivan Kolosov want to find out when they will execute zheglovtsev. Spring insists on the destruction of the Koshkin gang. Gornostaev asks Yarovoy to release her husband, who had just been arrested, mistaking him for Koshkin. The professors are free. Kolosov asked Panov to tell the time of the execution, but Panova refused to help him. Commissioner Koshkin, disguised in a woman’s dress and threatening Panova with a revolver, demands that she say where the paper with the order for execution is. Yarovoy’s appearance frightened Koshkin.
The typist Panova flirts with the officers. Yarovaya asks Panova for help in freeing the Zheglovites. Panova says she would be happy to strangle them. Colonel Malinin enters. Spring is impersonating a white supporter. Spring wants to be with his wife, but Love cannot forgive his betrayal of the revolution. Logist Elisatov runs in and reports that there was an attack on Colonel Kutov. The criminal took the briefcase with the papers.
Action four
Yarovaya asks Colonel Malinin to be more careful, as he is sure that Koshkin is here. Peasant Mary recognizes in the White Guard her son Semyon. He informs his mother that his brother Grishka serves with the Reds. Semyon is going to find him and kill him.
Gornostaev, for all, calls Elisatov a swindler and a landowner. The liberal who came, Folgin, asked the professor to help him with advice: Folgin was bitten by a louse, and now he will die in two weeks. Ivan Kolosov offers Folgin to save five people who should be hanged today, but the bitten one does not want to save the Bolsheviks.
Panova asked Lyubov if she had found order paper from Colonel Kutov. Panova decides to take revenge on Yarovaya, but at that very moment Elisatov takes Panova to dance. Watchman Chir, overhearing the conversation of Panova and Yarovoy, reports about it to Yarovoy.
Love agitates the population to rescue zheglovets. Electrical engineer Kolosov warns the commissioner that Yarovoy is hunting him. Commissar Koshkin leaves, reporting that an hour is at Yarovaya’s meeting. Sailor Shvandya intends to raise the masses, but citizens want to beat the sailor. Shvandya asks “Marx” (Gornostaev) to help explain to the people what Bolshevism is. While people are talking with Professor Gornostaev, Shvandya is hiding.
Gornostaev calls on Yarovoy to abolish the execution. Spring does not agree. Gornostaeva is driven away from Yarovoy by a former maid, the speculator Dunk, in whom the professor now works as a watchman. Spring tells Colonel Malinin that the front is broken, the army is rapidly retreating, evacuation is scheduled for tomorrow. Spring wants to find out from Panova who she serves and who harms. Panova replies that she does not serve anyone, but harms everyone whom she considers harmful. Panova hints that Yarovoy is waiting for his wife. Having established surveillance for Panova, Spring runs to Love. He swears to his wife in love. Love agrees to forgive him on the condition that he will save the Zheglovites. After that, she meets in the wasteland with Commissioner Koshkin. Spring orders to surround the wasteland and lock his wife at school. There is a clash between Yarovy and Koshkin, Semyon and Gregory. The Bolsheviks are being arrested.
Action five
The courtyard of the headquarters of the white army. The sudden evacuation of whites. Archpriest Zakatov, Gornostaeva and the Baroness are cursing over the places in the car. Spring accuses Panova of betraying the Bolsheviks. Elisatov takes Panova with him.
Spring requires her husband to free the prisoners, he refuses. She blames herself for not having lost her love for her husband and thereby betraying her comrades. Love threatens her husband with a revolver, then directs the barrel at herself, but Yarovoy takes away her weapon. Love is placed under guard. Spring requests Ivan Kolosov to take Love out of the city. Sailor Shvandya cunningly frees Spring.
A crowd gathers at the prison. Spring agitates people. Spring orders Semyon to shoot the Zheglovites, but the people take the prison by storm. Shvandya runs into the headquarters and intends to arrest Yarovoy, but the white officer manages to escape. The patrol runs after him. Kolosov, disguised as Yarovoy, decides to surrender to the patrol instead, but Love betrays his husband. Gregory kills his brother Semyon. Spring arrested. Love with a groan turns away from him. Commissar Koshkin calls Yarovaya a faithful companion. Love answers: "I am only a faithful comrade from today."
