A dramatized account of a great Russian naval mutiny and a resultant public demonstration, showing support, which brought on a police massacre.

A poor but honest fisherman Pepo opposes a cunning trader Zimzimov, who tries to rob him by trickery refusing to pay a lost bill. Pepo choses prison to paying-off his honour.

Ershi's sister, Marussia, a sailor of the Black Sea Squadron, was seduced by Baron von Vogel. Coincidentally, he is assigned to the same ship where he serves the nation. The situation on the ship is tense. The arbitrariness of the officers causes discontent among the sailors. Only the ship's mechanic, Menshevik Avalov, weakly defends the interests of the sailors.

The film is set in France during World War I. Bachelet's father and son are members of the French army . After the death of Bachelet Jr., he is called a national hero, actively using the fact of his death in the election campaign to fight communism. At the time of the opening of the monument in his honor, the hero himself appears, having returned to his homeland. It turns out that Bashlet Jr. was actually only shell-shocked, not killed. He uses the current situation to call on the audience to stop the imperialist war. This is followed by his arrest and charges of imposture.

About the fate of a former prisoner of war, who returns to his homeland, to the Soviet Union.

Archive footage from Potemkin (1925), with English dialogue dubbed in by American actors, is combined with new footage to tie together the brave stand of Odessa Russian guerrilla bands of the 1940's against German forces with the similar situation of 1905 when Odessa citizens aided in the revolt against the Czar as depicted in Eisenstein's classic Potemkin (1925).

Kulak Walter's successor, Robert, calls his fellow villagers to form a collective farm. The poor peasantry of the village actively supports his call. The first collective farm of German colonists "Rote Fane" (Red Flag) is created. Local kulaks begin to fight against him. Under the influence of the kulaks' agitation, part of the middle-class colonists went to Germany. The collective farm grows and becomes stronger, and the kulaks weaken. Walter bribes his watchman, old Shakir, and incites him to kill Robert. But Shakir can't beat Robert. He exposes Walter's nefarious intentions and joins the collective farm. A letter comes from the departed colonists, reporting that there is an economic crisis and unemployment in Germany, and expressing regret for following the provocation and leaving the Soviet Union.