Early 20th century. Two village boys, brothers Semyon and Pavel, work as servants for a Moscow merchant. They face harsh exploitation and hard labor. The brothers' paths diverge. Unable to endure the merchant's abuse, Pavel leaves for a factory, becomes a worker, and later a revolutionary. Semyon remains in service. In the post-revolutionary period, Semyon, having served at the front and returned to the village, joins the kulaks and brutally cracks down on representatives of the Soviet government, becoming the leader of a gang of "badgers" hiding in the forests. A Red Army detachment led by Pavel is sent to fight the bandits.
