Plot

What is hidden behind the "Black Square," which was painted by the obsessive artist Kazymyr Malevych? For his rivals - "fraud", for the Soviet regime - secret code, for one woman - love letter. However for Ukrainians - prophecy.

Green Square 1922. East of Ukraine. Solomya, 20, is living in a village with her mother. She is happy as her boyfriend Sashko, 25, comes from the front line and spends a few days with her. As they play around with Sashko's night vision device Solomya notices that The Black Square, a reproduction of the famous painting by Malevych in her room, is shining in the darkness. Solomya is mystifying the story around the Black Square and doesn't know that the history of her family relates to the avant-grade artist.

Black Square 1915. Russian Empire. Kazimir Malevych, 32, ambitious artist, born and grown up in Ukraine, has moved to Moscow. He meets a constructivist Vladimir Tatlin, 21. They dream of saying a new word in art and become fierce rivals. They have common dream to get to Paris to meet Pablo Picasso. Malevich is trying to create his own style of painting Suprematism. The world-famous exhibition 0.10 in Petersburg becomes a decisive moment - Malevich presents his mysterious painting "The Black Square".

White Square 1925. USSR. Malevych and Tatlin both teach at the Vitjebsk Art School, directed by Marc Chagall, 35. While Tatlin and Malevych continue their rivalry, NKVD agent Stjepan, 55, is instructed to destroy the avant-grade and subdue the artists. As Malevych receives a permission for a long-awaited trip abroad, Stjepan gets an opportunity to accuse Malevych of spying and arrests him.

Red Square 1932. Malevych and Tatlin work in Kyiv. Malevych believes that art should be outside of politics, but visiting Ukrainian village, Malevich sees the "Holodomor" famine with his own eyes. He dares to portray the "Holodomor" in his works. Stjepan with NKVD officers come with a search to the Art Institute. Tatlin tries to avoid the confiscation of Malevich's paintings and starts a fight. NKVD officers arrest Tatlin. Malevych decides to use "Letatlin" - Tatlin's flying apparat to stop the NKVD. Free artists manage to fly at any times and under any regimes, so does Malevych!