The life of Countess Sophia Vladimirovna Stroganova, reflected in her correspondence with her mother, Princess Natalya Petrovna Golitsyna, who was not a harsh mentor in her daughter's life, but a wise friend and adviser. The central theme of the film is the construction of the Maryino estate, to which Countess Stroganova retired after the death of her husband and son, and lived there for 27 years.