A Yakut shaman and a Muscovite violinist escape a Soviet gulag on horseback. The shaman, Anatolia, promises to guide Dimitri, but Tolia is shot during the escape and dies. His spirit seems to guide Dimitri as the musician begins the arduous journey home across the snowbound taiga. In towns and settlements, Tolia's name seems magic, securing help for Dimitri. The horse, too, becomes savior and companion. When Dimitri finally reaches Irkutsk, he sells the horse to a Gypsy for train fare. While waiting overnight for the train, he meets a woman and they go dancing. After sex, in the dark of a freezing night, Dimitri makes a decision. The music of Tolia's trump is in his soul.