The film tells about the city of Yelets. The film includes the following filming: landscapes of a winter river, a general view of the city of Yelets, streets, old buildings, churches, a city cemetery, a house-museum of I. Bunin, museum exhibits, interiors of rooms. Manufacturing processes in a lace factory, women-lacemakers weave lace with bobbins. General view of the territory of the city tobacco factory. Classes of children in the children's Sunday school at the Ascension Cathedral. Priest Father Vasily talks about the school (synchronously), the service in the church. Director N.S. Mikhalkov at one of the destroyed temples in the city.