In the village of Kirillovo of the C… gubernia, two friends serve in a cuirassier regiment. Staff-riding captain Avdey Ivanovich Luchkov is a passionate brawler: uneducated, hot-tempered, and rude. And the young cornet Fyodor Fedorovich Kister is a clever, refined, educated, and well-read nobleman. It would seem that a whole abyss lies between these people and they could never find common ground—yet, strangely enough, they grow closer and even begin to be friends. But as Cicero said: “Friendship can unite only worthy people,” and the two friends will have to confirm the truth of that statement rather quickly.