During WWII, a Belorussian boy is thrust into the atrocities of war, fighting with a hopelessly unequipped Soviet resistance movement against ruthless German forces. Witnessing scenes of abject terror and surviving horrifying situations, he loses his innocence and then his mind.

The beginning of XI century in Russia or Rus. Kievan Rus is composed of the principalities that are governed by the sons of Grand Prince Vladimir of Kiev. Princes with their men collect tribute then sending it to their father in Kiev. In the north-east of Russia is the most distant principality of Kiev - Rostov. Prince Vladimir sends his son Yaroslav to rule in Rostov, when he turns 11 years old. Jaroslav grows under the tutelage of the boyars, who run the principality, while he is small. Growing up, Jaroslav takes power into their own hands, expanding the principality, and attaches the new lands. But this is not an easy task. Bandit gangs keep ruling in the woods, along the roads and rivers . Their main occupation is the slave trade. Gangs sell people to the Bulgars and the Khazars, and they send the slaves for resale to the lower reaches of the Volga. More and more often the Jaroslav's squad...