 Russia, 1910. Yegor, a dashing (as well as singing) bandit leader meets Princess Vera at a mountain inn. They end up falling in love, but the relationship is shattered when Yegor kills Vera s brother, Prince Serge, for raping his sister, Nadja, and driving her to suicide. Yegor kidnaps Vera, forcing her to live a life of lowly servitude among the bandits. Vera manages to outwit Yegor, who s captured by soldiers and flogged. Vera begs Yegor s forgiveness. Although still in love with each other, they realize they cannot be together, at least for the time being.