The characters of the picture are a large family of hereditary shipbuilders. Three generations of the Zhurbin live under one roof: grandfather Matvei, his son Ilya, three sons of Ilya — Aleksei, Anton and Viktor. In a short time, representatives of the fourth generation are born. The share of the youngest son of Aleksei fall the most severe life tests. The background for family conflicts is the reorganization of production. All Zhurbin's have to change their profession to move on.