- year - old ▁son ▁S anya ▁( M ish a ▁Philip ch uk ), ▁who , ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 2 , ▁meet ▁a ▁veter an ▁Soviet ▁officer ▁named ▁Tol yan ▁( V lad imir ▁M ash kov ). ▁Kat ya ▁falls ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁Tol yan , ▁who ▁turns ▁out ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁small ▁time ▁criminal , ▁but ▁who ▁also ▁becomes ▁a ▁father ▁figure ▁to ▁S anya . ▁ ▁Plot ▁ ▁Kat ya , ▁a ▁poor ▁and ▁des perate ▁wid ow , ▁and ▁her ▁young ▁son ▁S anya ▁try ▁to ▁surv ive ▁in ▁the ▁post - World ▁War ▁II ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁during ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 5 0 s . ▁While ▁on ▁a ▁train , ▁the ▁two ▁meet ▁a ▁hand some , ▁ra k ish ▁officer , ▁Tol yan , ▁who ▁s edu ces ▁the ▁mother . ▁Kat ya ▁stays ▁with ▁Tol yan , ▁who ▁pret ends ▁to ▁be ▁her ▁husband ▁and ▁acts ▁as ▁a ▁step father ▁to ▁S anya , ▁who ▁is ▁at ▁first ▁highly ▁dist rust ful ▁of ▁the ▁man , ▁res ent ing ▁his ▁presence ▁and ▁authority . ▁There ▁are ▁several ▁all us ions ▁to ▁Ham let . ▁ ▁Through ▁his ▁good ▁looks , ▁apparent ▁gener os ity , ▁and ▁his ▁status ▁as ▁a ▁war ▁veter an , ▁Tol yan ▁char ms ▁his ▁way ▁into ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁situations ▁that ▁enable ▁him ▁rob ▁people . ▁Kat ya ▁and ▁S anya ▁both ▁realize ▁the ▁har sh ▁and ▁increasing ly ▁ab us ive ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁head