Second Chechen War. Private Anatoly Drozdov receives a letter from his mother. In it, she asks her to forgive her for not being able to get out of the army and save her only son from Chechnya. The mother shares with her son her negative experience of “communication” with the Caucasus, revealing a terrible family secret, in the hope that the son will become more careful and be able to save his life. But she did not take into account that her son was only 18 years old, and her letter first of all aroused in him a feeling of revenge.