Tiflis at the end of the nineteenth century, a multicultural city of the Russian Empire. Patrikyan, a young teacher and aspiring writer, has been left without work or a steady income. His daily life reveals the difficulties faced by an impoverished educated man, the limited value placed on literary work, and the contrast between different levels of urban society. His encounters with a landlord, newspaper workers, and other residents reflect both his uncertain position and the social atmosphere of the period.