Sergei's beloved wife Yelena has passed away, and the bereaved husband is inconsolable. He remains obsessed with pictures of Yelena and with a braid of her hair that he has saved. One day, while walking in the street, he passes by a woman who bears a striking resemblance to Yelena. He follows her to a theater where the woman, an actress named Tina, is part of an opera. After the performance, Sergei goes back stage, and he soon strikes up a friendship with Tina. But it is not long before his obsessions create severe tensions in their relationship.