When Miron's beloved wife Tanya passes away, he asks his best friend Aist to help him say goodbye to her according to the rituals of the Merya culture, an ancient Finno-Ugric tribe from Lake Nero, a picturesque region in West-Central Russia. Although the Merya people blended with the Russians in the 17th century, their myths and traditions live on in the modern life of their descendants. The two men set out on a road trip thousands of miles across the boundless landscape. With them are two small birds in a cage. Along the way, as is the custom of Merya people, Miron shares intimate memories of his conjugal life. But as they reach the banks of the sacred lake where they will forever part with the body, he realises he wasn't the only one in love with Tanya...
