When Nazi invaders destroy his Russian village and kill his family, 12-year-old Ivan (Kolya Burlyayev) is placed in a German prison camp. Ivan escapes from the camp and crosses back over to Russia, and comes under the care of Capt. Kholin (Valentin Zubkov), who wants to send Ivan to military school. Ivan refuses, requesting that he be allowed to use his powers of stealth to return to Germany to spy on the Nazis and avenge the killing of his family.