Alyona, a provincial from Salsk, drives into Stalinka inside the Garden Ring. Alyona has just divorced her ex-husband Serega, rented an apartment (with Serega's money) and found herself in an unfamiliar world for herself - the world of the Moscow intelligentsia. There are three apartments in the stairwell, besides Alyona, Fedor Sadovsky, the son of a Soviet cosmonaut, the owner of a cleaning company, and Aunt Shura, the widow of a diplomat who has known Fedya since childhood, have lived there for decades.

Early in the morning, Alain is woken up by a call from alcoholic parents - he needs money - 40,000 rubles. Alyona doesn't have them. Alyona tries to borrow money from Varya. Varya gives Alyona invaluable advice instead of money - to ask Serega for money (but he does not just give it) and Fedya.