Moskau - Shanghai (1936)

The widowed Olga Petrovna is traveling when the Tsarist Empire collapses in 1917–1918. Because of the October Revolution, she can no longer return to her little daughter, Maria. Her attempt to at least get a message to Maria’s nanny also fails. Desperately searching for her daughter aboard one of the trains that managed to get out of the revolutionary territory, she happens to meet Alexander Repin, an acquaintance of her old friend and admirer, Sergei Smirnov. Because of their mutual acquaintance, Repin is immediately willing to help her, especially since he has fallen in love with Olga too. The two try to escape with the help of a priest. But Alexander is arrested, and Olga remains free only because the priest claims she is his niece. Meanwhile, Alexander and Sergei meet again in prison. Sergei initially reveals his friend’s identity, prompting Alexander to denounce him as a traitor. To make amends for this betrayal, Smirnov then helps his friend escape by pretending that he has been executed and that his body was thrown into the river. A little later, Smirnov is released as well, and he flees with Olga, with whom he has long been in love, to Shanghai. In the years that follow, he continues to look after Olga, who is now completely alone and has to support herself as a singer. Despite all the hardships, she still hopes that one day she will see Alexander and her daughter Maria again. But the opportunity does not come until ten years after her escape: While attending the Russian Easter celebration, Olga is astonished to recognize Alexander Repin among the members of the Don Cossack choir performing there. She is so happy at this unexpected reunion that at first she does not even notice Alexander’s reserved manner toward her. But Sergei, who accompanied Olga to the Easter celebration, learns from Alexander that he is now engaged and that his fiancée, Maria, is expected the next day. He persuades his friend to tell his fiancée the truth about his relationship with Olga and ask her to end their engagement. But Maria refuses to let Alexander go and instead visits Olga to speak with her woman to woman. During their conversation, they discover that they are mother and daughter. To spare her daughter sorrow, Olga ultimately gives up Alexander. She has now found inner peace, even though she has lost the two people dearest to her, Maria and Alexander. She confides only in Sergei that Maria is the daughter she had lost for so long. In the end, Olga and Sergei decide to try to make a fresh start together.