Viktor Letaev, a cynical Perm official, supervises road construction and is used to always getting his way. He knows and loves his job, but is not interested in anything else. His credo: "I used to chop wood, I didn't care about your Chekhovs and Pasternaks, because everyone needs wood, and you can't warm your house with art. But the cynical outlook changes when culture and art become the new vector of the region's development. Now, in order to stay in the official's chair, he has to study the cultural heritage of the Perm Territory. To help himself, he takes lessons from Marina Nikolaevna, a teacher of art history. Will she be able to ennoble the cultureless official?
