: A Jewish violinist playing in the port city’s brasserie survives the Russo-Japanese War and Jewish pogroms. He is crippled, but the violinist’s craving for music is great, and he continues to play the harmonica.
Gambrinus is a pub in the basement of the southern port city. Every evening, for many years in a row, the violinist Sashka-Jew plays here, a cheerful, always drunk man of indefinite years, looking like a monkey. Invariably at six o’clock in the evening he arrives at the pub with a violin and a small dog, Squirrel. Madame Ivanova, a plump woman, with a face colorless from her many years in the basement, works as a barmaid in the same pub.
Ships from many countries arrive at a major port, smugglers hunt at night, there are many coffee houses, brothels, and shelters near the port. Arriving in the city and the inhabitants of these places will certainly visit the Gambrinus. Sasha plays without a break the songs ordered by him from all nations and territories. By evening, his pockets are full of silver coins. Visitors borrow small amounts from him and never repay them.
The Russo-Japanese War begins. Sasha is taken to the soldiers. Visitors to the pub are horrified, one of them even volunteers to go instead of a violinist. Sasha gives her violin to one worker, and Madame Ivanova leaves the dog.Being an orphan, he sends the money earned to distant relatives. He leaves his last salary to the barmaid to send her to the violinist’s relatives after his departure.
Without Sasha and his violin, Gambrinus is empty. The owner invites various musicians, but they are bombarded with sausages. However, over time, Sasha is forgotten. A harmonist plays in the pub, and only Madame Ivanova and little dog Belochka remember the violinist.
A year later, Sasha returns. The accordion player is kicked out, despite the contract concluded with him, and Gambrinus comes to life again.
Soon a Jewish pogrom begins in the city, but Sasha calmly walks the streets, he is not touched. One of the pogromists, angry that he cannot touch Sasha, kills his dog Squirrel.
Detectives enter Gambrinus, one of which is Motka Gundosy, a baptized Jew. There is a quarrel between him and Sasha. Sashka breaks the violin about Gundosogo, and he wants to take him to the station, but the crowd hides the violinist. Arrest him in the evening on the way from the pub.
Three months later, Sasha returns. His left hand is twisted, “spaced with an elbow to the side” and does not bend, apparently, the tendon is damaged. "Nothing! A person can be crippled, but art will endure and conquer everything, ”says Sashka, takes his harmonica with his good hand and starts playing his favorite songs by visitors to Gambrinus.
