In July 1942, in the Second World War, the rearguard of the Russian army protects the bridgehead of the Don River against the German army while the retreating Russian troops cross the bridge. While they move back to the Russian territory through the countryside, the soldiers show their companionship, sentiments, fears and heroism to defend their motherland.
Василий Шукшин
as Piotr Lopakhin
Вячеслав Тихонов
as pvt. Nikolay Strel'tsov
Сергей Бондарчук
as pvt. Ivan Zvyagintsev
Юрий Никулин
as pvt. Nekrasov
Георгий Бурков
as pvt. Alexander Kopytovsky
Иван Лапиков
as sergeant Poprischenko
Николай Губенко
as lieutenant Goloschyokov
Николай Волков
as pvt. Nikiforov
Нонна Мордюкова
as Natalya Stepanovna
Иннокентий Смоктуновский
as surgeon
Лидия Федосеева-Шукшина
as Glasha
Andrei Rostotsky
as corporal Kochetygov
