Egor Polushkin (Stanislav Lyubshin) is a kind-hearted, nature loving, artistic family man who is living in a small village. To his neighbors and even his wife (Nina Ruslanova) he is a walking disaster, so they frown at him and call him Bedonosec (engl. misfortune bearer). Only Egors son (Viktor Anisimov) shares his enthusiasm for the beautiful things of live.

As Egor becomes the new forest ranger, this new position brings him not only joy, but it is also the source of great suffering to come, as his fondness for the living nature and especially the newly acquired white swans is in conflict with the interests of others...