The performance is based on the novel of the same title, written by Alexey Ivanov while he was studying at Ural State University; at the time, the author was only 21 years old.
At the center of the story are five friends—Igor, Vanya, Lelya, Nelya, and the Straight-A Student. Due to an unfair twist of fate, the group of students is expelled from their dormitory and forced to go "underground," living illegally. In their attempts to stay afloat, they must sacrifice a great deal and confront the question of how far one can go without betraying oneself and one’s friends.