During a trip on the Trans-Siberia Express, an older abbot and his companion, a young physicist, discover love, each in his own way. They travel from Moscow to Vladivostok, calling in on some eighteen cities along the way. In each city the abbot answers questions from the local congregation. These penetrating lessons of life are enhanced by private conversations between the abbot and his companion -- and other people they meet. The humanistic, 'enlightenment nature of the Lessons, increasingly brings the abbot in conflict with the Church'. His companion gradually realises that real life is much more interesting than his scientific occupations. The long trip through the vast Siberian emptiness leads both of them to a fierce inner struggle, which culminates in a dramatic ending.