Artem lives in the sleepy city of Stalingrad, which has mostly been cut off from war with Nazi Germany—until the summer of 1942. That July, martial law is declared as the Nazis begin their unprecedented march toward the city. Artem's older brother is a soldier in Stalin's Red Army, so Artem is worried for his brother's safety once he and his family have evacuated the city.

Then the announcement comes. Stalin has ordered that no civilians be allowed to leave Stalingrad. The city which bears his name is an important symbol, and the Red Army believe that the soldiers defending it will fight all the harder if their families' lives are at stake.

Artem and his new friend Yuna are put to work shoring up the city's defenses, digging trenches and building fortifications. Then, on August 23rd, the bombing begins. A massive German air raid reduces most of the city to rubble. With Stalingrad blockaded by both the Germans and their own government, escape from the coming battle seems all but impossible . . .