The protests in Donbas began in July 1989, with over a hundred mines ceasing operations. Within a week, the miners’ strike became the subject of a special television address by Mikhail Gorbachev. Representatives of the Strike Committee were invited to Moscow for negotiations, where all their demands were temporarily met. Alongside the unfolding strike and miners’ speeches in Donetsk’s square, the filmmakers observe the impoverished living conditions of the miners and the harsh working conditions at the Mine of Lidiievka.