The film shows the deciding fightings at the Wolga, the fightings for Stalingrad in WWII. It deals with Sinzow, the reporter from the front, and Tanja, the doctor.

New Year's Eve 1942/43: Since three month the soldiers are fighting for Stalingrad and since six weeks the red armee has surrounded the enemy. 22 german divisions are trapped and have to wait for the attack, that will start in this night. Tanja the doctor and Sinzow the reporter are leaded by general Serpilin, who had hard years befor the war because of his critics about the military politics of Stalin. Later, in the summer of 1941, he could fend off the fascist tanks. Now they are waiting for the biggest fight ever. On their way the soldiers of the sowjet armee see a lot of cruelty. New problems in the own rows of the red armee arise. The leaders make decisions according to their political line, without thinking about the people behind it. Serpilin can't understand that. In the meantime the fate of the german soldiers under field marshal Paulus is sealed. On February 2nd 1943 the change in war starts, after the strike of the troops of the Don-Front over the fascists.

The russian author Konstantin Simonow (1915 - 1979) calls the depiction of war the topic of his life. But his books, on that many films are based, are no typical war books. Simonow concentrates on the impact of war on the individual. Director Stolper, a good friend of Simonow, has the same intention and tries to show indiviuals and not just cruel war scenes.