Based on the novel of the same name by Oleksandr Dovzhenko. About the childhood of the famous Ukrainian film director Oleksandr Dovzhenko, who was born on the ancient lands of Chernihiv, along the banks the Desna. The film consists of two parts. The first is the world shown through the impressions of the six-year-old Sashko. The second is the recollections and reasoning of Sashko, now an elderly colonel who liberates his native village during the war.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
 Evgeniy SamoylovWriter | Writer |
| VVova GoncharovSashko | Sashko |
 Yevhen BondarenkoFather | Father |
 Zinaida KirienkoMother | Mother |
 Boris AndreyevPlaton | Platon |
 Ivan Pereverzevconstruction manager | construction manager |
 Iya Marksprobaba | probaba |
| GGrigori ZaslavetsSavka | Savka |
 Vladimir GusevKolodub | Kolodub |
| AAnatoli YushkoDrobot | Drobot |
 Vyacheslav VoroninTroyanda | Troyanda |
 Ivan Zhevagofather Kirill | father Kirill |
 Boris Yurchenkodyak Luka | dyak Luka |
| VVladimir Perepelyukbandura player | bandura player |
| MMikhail GladyshMakar | Makar |
| OOleksandr RomanenkoSamoylo | Samoylo |