It is 1873, and the war in the Caucasus is far from over. A young officer named Grigory Pechorin is sent down to the army as punishment for fighting a duel. Here, in the Caucasus, Pechorin is swept up by a string of audacious events - battles against contrabandists, the kidnapping of a young Chechen princess, and yet another duel. After Pechorin kills his close friend in the duel and everyone turns against him, he continues his chosen path alone - a desolate hero who personifies his time.