The civil war has made its changes in the way of life and life of people. Residents of the Ukrainian village of Malinovka are beginning to get used to the constant change of power. But life goes on, and the whole village is waiting for the wedding of shepherd Andreyka and the local beauty Yarinka. At this time, the power in the village passed to the self-proclaimed ataman Gritsian Tavricheskiy. As a winner, he himself decides to marry a beautiful woman, but receives a waiver from a bold girl. Accustomed to receive everything by force, the chieftain begins to threaten her by violence. Yarinka managed to escape from the chieftain to the forest.