In Imperial Russia a lad named Povilas, aka Pavel, struggles to find significance to his life.

Averse to farming and conscription into the military, he aspires to succeed on his intellect. At eighteen, he goes to St. Petersburg to work as a metallurgist at the Putilov factory. He learns his co-workers are a group of anti-Czar proletariats. Seeking happiness, he travels to work at a factory that produces cannonballs. He finds the love of his life and they start a family. Soon he is sought out by the government because of his knowledge in metallurgy. They send him to serve in the Russo-Japanese War half a world away. After Russia's defeat, Povilas anticipates a revolution and escapes on the Trans-Siberian express. How will he protect his family?