
Thestorytakesplaceinthe1950s.Konstantin“Kostik”Romin(OlegMenshikov)hascometoMoscowtostudyhistoryandisstayingwithkindlyauntAlisa(SofyaPilyavskaya),whorunsacommunalapartmentbuildingthere.Hislifesoonbecomesintertwinedwiththoseoftheotherresidents.AmongthemareMargaritaPavlovna(InnaUlyanova)andbothherformerhusbandLevKhobotov(AnatolyRavikovich),apublisherofforeignpoetry,andhernewbeau,engraver-turned-teacherSavvaIgnatevich(ViktorBortsov).<br/> ThemainplotrevolvesaroundthecongenialKhobotov’sattemptstofindhappinesswithnewfoundloveLyudochka(YelenaKoreneva),whileconstantlybeingthwartedbythecontrollingMargarita.AnothertenantismusicalcomedianArkadyVelyurov(LeonidBronevoy),whoistryingtorevivehisfalteringcareerandescapefromhisownloneliness.Hehasbecomeenamoredofayoungcompetitiveswimmer,Svetlana(TatyanaDogileva),whorebuffshisadvancesbuttakesafancytotheopportunisticKostik.<br/> Kostikfindshisownloveinterest,Rita(ValentinaVoilkova),forwhomhedecidestoforsakehisplayboylifestyle.IntheendhebecomesthecatalystforbothKhobotovandVelyurovtofindsomemeasureofhappiness:theformerelopeswithLyudochkawiththehelpofKostik'spalSavransky,andthelatteriselatedthatSvetlanaattendsoneofhisconcertsinresponsetoatelegramKostikhadurgedhimtosend.







