The film is dedicated to the participation of military personnel in the liquidation efforts at the Chornobyl power station. The bravery of these individuals is captured not only in scenes at the “frontline” at the station, but also in “behind the scenes” episodes, showing the efforts of those who helped by baking bread and providing sustenance for the liquidators. Numerous parallels to the Second World War (the road to Chornobyl/the frontline road, the liquidators/war heroes) are stressed by the leading song in the film by famous Soviet bard, Vladimir Vysotskiy. Bread in the film is not just food, but a symbol which expresses the theme of overripe wheat, referencing the situation when a farmer goes to war, leaving his land. The smiling military bakers, coming from all the different republics of the Soviet Union, realize the idea of a common goal with calm and confidence. Against the background of panic in society, these individuals are shown as the dependable link in the great chain of general mobilization that was carried out in response to the accident. The director of the film, Oleksandr Kosinov, at the time of shooting was already a famous and honored filmmaker of the USSR – his films had won awards at festivals in Armenia, Finland, Germany and Vietnam.