Geroi proizvedeniy Chingiza Aytmatova (1928-2008) - silnye, besstrashnye, samootverzhennye lyudi, gluboko chuvstvuyuschie lyubov i druzhbu, krasotu prirody i rodnyh traditsiy. Molodoy krasnoarmeets Dyuyshen - geroy povesti «Pervyy uchitel» (1962) - priezzhaet v kirgizskiy ail i nachinaet obuchat detey, oborudovav pod shkolu staruyu konyushnyu. Kak slozhitsya sudba ego uchenitsy Altynay - devochki-siroty, prodannoy v zheny v sosedniy ail?..