Leonid Sergeyevich Fyodorov, a modest and intellectual professor, and Nikolai Nikolayevich Gurov, a resourceful cobbler employed by "Moskooppromsoyuza" (referred to later in the film as "Moskunstkozhemobuv"), leave their wives behind in Moscow and travel to the resort town of Yessentuki.
Their wives head to the post office to send the passports, but the postal worker, distracted by a phone conversation about a date, accidentally switches the packages.
The passport mix-up sparks a cascade of comedic misunderstandings as the two men navigate life at the resort under false identities.
Fyodorov, a reserved academic, finds himself mistaken for a charming cobbler, while Gurov, a crafty ladies' man, is perceived as a dignified professor.
With their help, the passport mix-up is clarified, and the two men must confront the absurdity of the roles they inadvertently played during their time at Yessentuki.