Ivan Lopatin, a Red Army soldier who has arrived in the village, convinces the peasants of the need to insure their livestock and buildings. But a kulak, on the advice of the priest, sets fire to Lopatin's yard. The fire destroys half of the village, and the priest, having quarreled with the kulak, tells the peasants the name of the arsonist. The kulak is arrested, and the peasants receive insurance money. The film ends with documentary footage of M.I. Kalinin's speech to the workers.