During the Siege of Leningrad, a young Russian nurse finds Shurik, a near-starved orphan boy, in the rubble of a bombed-out apartment house. She saves him, cares for him, and submerges her feelings to protect him. Together, two victims of war create a family with enough love and sacrifice to endure seemingly endless hardships. Through lively, colorful characters and vivid details, Shurik unveils a WWII saga of unprecedented compassion and perserverance.