The film tells about the tragic and transient fate of the actress of the Aleksandrinsky Theater of the mid-19th century, Varvara Nikolayevna Asenkova. Fate gave Varvara talent, but the young actress was harassed with theatrical gossip, fiction and intrigue. Her beloved man - an officer of the royal army - cannot officially marry her, because if she marries him, she will have to leave the stage.