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
as Chief of the General Department (1952–1960); Head of the Institute (1960–1966)
Ekaterina Yuspina
as Librarian (1942-1947); Head of the library (1951-1953)
Tatiana Polozhy
as Journalist; Literary editor of Izvestiya Instituta (The Institute News)
Alexander Efimov
as Junior research scientist in the mathematical physics laboratory
Teodor Currentzis
as Dau
Radmila Shegoleva
as Nora
