The action takes place in revolutionary Petrograd in the winter of 1917/18. Petrograd, however, appears both as a concrete city, and as the center of the Universe, a place of cosmic cataclysms.

The first of the twelve chapters of the poem describes the cold, snowy streets of Petrograd, tormented by wars and revolutions. People make their way along slippery paths, examining slogans, cursing the Bolsheviks. At spontaneous rallies, someone - “a writer must be a whit” - speaks of a devoted Russia. Among the passers-by - “a sad companion pop”, a bourgeois, a lady in a karakul, a frightened old woman. There are fragmentary screams from some nearby meetings. It is getting dark, the wind is getting stronger. The state of the poet himself or someone from passers-by is described as "malice", "sad malice", "black malice, holy malice."

The second chapter: a detachment of twelve people is walking in the night city. Cold is accompanied by a feeling of complete freedom; people are ready for anything in order to protect the new world from the old - "with a bullet in Holy Russia - in the condo, in the hut, in the thick-handed." On the way, the fighters discuss their friend - Vanka, who has met the "rich" girl Katka, scold him "bourgeois": instead of defending the revolution, Vanka spends time in taverns.

Chapter Three - a dashing song, performed, obviously, by a detachment of twelve. The song is about how, after the war, in torn little coats and with Austrian rifles, the "guys" serve in the Red Guard. The last verse of the song is the promise of a world fire in which all the “bourgeois” will perish. The blessing of the fire is also asked, however, from God.

The fourth chapter describes the same Vanka: with Katka on a dashing day they rush along Petrograd. A handsome soldier hugs his girlfriend, says something to her; the one laughing happily laughs.

The next chapter is the words of Vanka, addressed to Katka. He reminds her of her past - a prostitute who has switched from officers and junkers to soldiers. Katka’s rampant life was reflected in her beautiful body - scars and scratches from knife stabs of abandoned lovers. In rather rude terms (“Al, I didn’t remember cholera?”), The soldier reminds the walking young lady of the murder of an officer to whom she clearly had a relationship. Now the soldier demands his - “dance!”, “Wander!”, “Put to sleep with you!”, “Sin!”

The sixth chapter: the scorcher, carrying lovers, is faced with a detachment of twelve. Armed people attack the sled, shoot at those sitting there, threatening Vanka with reprisal for appropriation of the “alien girl”. The dashing driver, however, takes Vanka out from under the shots; Katka with a shot head remains lying on the snow.

A detachment of twelve people moves on, as vigorously as before the skirmish with the cab, the "revolutionary step." Only the killer - Petruha - is sad about Katka, who was once his mistress.The comrades condemn him - "this is not the time to nurse with you." Petruha, really cheerful, is ready to move on. The mood in the detachment is the most militant: “Lock the floor, now there will be robberies. "Unlock the cellar - now a walk is walking!"

The eighth chapter is the confused thoughts of Petruha, who is very sad about her shot friend; he prays for the repose of her soul; He is going to disperse his anguish with new murders - “you fly, bourgeois, sparrow! I’ll drink a krovushka for a little sister, for a black-browed bird ...

Chapter Nine is a romance dedicated to the death of the old world. Instead of the city one, a freezing bourgeois stands at the crossroads, behind it - a lousy dog ​​- very well combined with this hunched figure.

Twelve go further - through a blizzard night. Petya remembers the Lord, marveling at the power of the blizzard. The comrades blame him for his unconsciousness, remind him that Petka has already been smeared with Katya’s blood, which means that there will be no help from God.

So, “without the name of the saint,” twelve people under the red flag firmly move on, ready at any moment to respond to the enemy’s blow. Their procession becomes eternal - "and the blizzard dusts them in the eyes of day and night ...".

Chapter Twelve, Last. Behind the detachment, a husky dog ​​is tied up - the old world. The soldiers threaten him with bayonets, trying to drive away from themselves. Ahead, in the darkness, they see someone; trying to figure it out, people start shooting. The figure nevertheless does not disappear, it stubbornly goes ahead. "So they go with a sovereign step - behind - a hungry dog, ahead - with a bloody flag [...] Jesus Christ."