The lady of the title is beautiful Anna (Iya Savvina), who is vacationing in turn-of-the-century Yalta. Each day, Anna walks her dog...and each day, she is worshipped from afar by Moscow banker Dmitri (Alexsei Batalov). Despite the fact that both are married, Anna and Dmitri embark upon an affair. The summer romance ends, but the memory lingers. When the lovers are reunited in Moscow, both realize that to make their ardor a matter of public record would be a major mistake. Their exquisite summer affair coarsens into a series of furtive clandestine meetings. Based on a story by Anton Chekhov, was originally released in the USSR as .