Andrey is an ordinary prospective student from the provinces. His goal is simple: to enroll in a polytechnic institute and start a new life. But temporary housing in a communal apartment becomes the main test. Here, each neighbor has their own truth, their own interests, and their own ways of surviving.
Speculator Ninka returns from Turkey with contraband and offers quick money for one favor. Alcoholic Kolya asks to go get vodka, hinting that refusal will be costly. Actress Larisa invites him to a midnight cemetery for a "ritual." An old friend, Kostyan, offers to drive his car, supposedly legally. A stranger asks to be escorted through a dark archway. And Kostya, nicknamed Turnip, the neighbor's son, returns from prison. He believes he is the only one in charge in this apartment. Every day, Andrei makes a choice: agree and receive money, connections, and support—but risk his freedom and life. Or refuse and be left alone to face hostility, suspicion, and threats. One agreement can lead to prison, the hospital, or the grave. One refusal can make him an outcast, but leave a chance to pass his exams.
The story branches into dozens of endings: from successful admission to a maximum-security prison colony. The atmosphere of 1990s communal life, the criminal underworld, moral dilemmas, and the cost of every decision—all of this determines the protagonist's fate.
Will Andrei be able to overcome these trials and preserve himself?