This series chronicles the life of Ivan Chonkin, a simple, good-hearted soldier whose life takes an unexpected turn during World War II. Despite his military service, Chonkin finds himself in absurd and comical situations stemming from his naivety and inability to fit into the military machine. The stories humorously and with a touch of irony depict daily life, human relationships, and the senselessness of war from the perspective of an ordinary man.
Ivan Chonkin is a simple, bumbling peasant who has been drafted into the Red Army. Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, he is sent to an obscure village with one week's ration of canned meat and orders to guard a downed plane. Apparently forgotten by his unit, Chonkin resumes his life as a peasant and passes the war peacefully tending the village postmistress's garden.