Katya, a young librarian, believes in love, but her ideals are crushed by reality. After a string of disappointing affairs, Katya finally finds tenderness and understanding in the arms of her colleague, a journalist called Tanya. But then the First Department interferes: the state security services see this relationship as unacceptable for a Soviet woman.
Alexey Trifonov
Chief of the General Department (1952–1960); Head of the Institute (1960–1966)
Ekaterina Yuspina
Librarian (1942-1947); Head of the library (1951-1953)
Tatiana Polozhy
Journalist; Literary editor of Izvestiya Instituta (The Institute News)
Alexander Efimov
Junior research scientist in the mathematical physics laboratory
Teodor Currentzis
Dau
Radmila Shegoleva
Nora
