Late 1930s. At one of the Kolyma mines, two prisoner friends find a huge nugget. They hand it over to warden Berg, who promises his protection and offers to organize illegal gold mining. The prisoners begin to develop the mine and stumble upon the underground temple of the ancestors of the Chukchi people. The old shaman warns them not to disturb the sleep of the ancient gods, but the matter is unexpectedly complicated by the appearance of a German intelligence agent at the mine who is trying to recruit Berg...