Sakhalinsky - Cахалинский

1876 in Saint Petersburg, Leonid Galkin - a well off Civil Councilor and father of 3- is reassigned to the island of Sakhalin to oversee the actions of the penal labor colony there.

His sons - Dmitri, Vasily, and Kolya have only recently been reunited. Dmitri returning from his military service due to an injury and Vasily coming home from schooling in Europe. Kolya had remained in St Petersburg with their parents.

Leonid and his wife, Anna, see this change as an opportunity for family bonding and encourage the boys to come with. The whole family sets off for a total change of lifestyle in the distant reaches of the Russian Empire.