Federal Agency for Culture and Cinematography
Pilot animation studio
Present
We live in Russia.
Our coat of arms is a two-headed eagle.
It holds a scepter and an orb in his paws.
The flag of Russia is white, blue and red.
The capital of our country is Moscow.
There are over a thousand towns in Russia,
...and each is special.
One of them is Nizhniy Novgorod, founded by...
...the Suzdal prince Yuriy Vsevolodovich in 1221.
Many years ago, during the Time of Troubles,
...when Moscow was occupied by enemies,
...militia men came from Nizhniy Novgorod...
...to help the capital and kicked out the invaders.
To the leaders of those brave fighters,
...Minin and Pozharskiy, there are similar monuments...
...in Moscow and in Nizhniy Novgorod.
In Nizhniy Novgorod the first cars in our country were made:
..."GAS",
..."POBEDA",
..."VOLGA",
..."CHAIKA".
Around here is the famous village of KHOKHLOMA,
...where wooden things are painted...
...in bright beautiful design.
Many interesting tales are told here,
...and each one is like a precious gem.
Mountain of Gems
"Nikita the Tanner"
In the old times on the banks of a nice river,
...on high hills, stood a great Russian town.
Prettier than any other, richer than any other.
Good people lived there:
...skillful craftsmen,
...bearded merchants, noble boyars...
and also the town was known for its beautiful girls.
It was ruled by the great prince.
People lived happily and knew no sorrow.
But sorrow come, black as a storm!
The horrible dragon Zmey-Gorinych started to come around.
He started to ravage and rob people.
- There will be no town. I'll burn everybody!
- I'll trample everything to dust!
- But if you want to stay alive, treat me well!
- Every time I come, I'll eat a pretty girl!
- Oh!
And Zmey-Gorinych took away the young princess.
- Oh. Wow!!!
And she was so beautiful that he didn't eat her...
...right away, but decided to marry!
He lived in a cave with his aunt Baba-Yaga.
- A-a! Oh! Blast you!
- Look, old bat, what a beauty I brought!
- She was the wife of the prince himself.
...And now she'll be mine!
...Lay the table, Yaga! I'll have a feast!
...Hurry up, you old bat!
- Ha!
- A-a-a-a!!!
- Wine!
- There flew ducks...
- There flew ducks and two geese...
- Darn you! - Ok, going to bed!
Back in the palace, the prince is crying...
...over his young wife and the little dog is sad,
...looking for its mistress.
The prince thought the little dog wanted to pee.
- Let me out, dear old lady! Please!
- And why would I do that???...
...Don't you know who I am? I'm Baba-Yaga!...
...Mean and foul!... But I've gotten old.
- Not what I used to be! Those were the fun times!
- Me and Zmey didn't sleep or eat for weeks!...
...Played mean tricks on each other!...
...Oh, getting old is no fun.
...I can't rival Zmey any more!
- Now he flies around the world on his own, showing his fury.
...And when he returns, I, the old woman, get some too.
- Does he really hurt his own aunt?
- He does.
- Is there really no one who could tame Zmey?
- There's only one man.
...His name's Nikita the Tanner!
- He's a robust man. A really strong one!...
...He tumbles leathers out in the village.
- What if I send a letter to the prince?...
...Let him order Nikita to get rid of Zmey!
- Well, maybe not get rid of him!...
...But beat him up a little! Still good.
SEND NIKITA THE TANNER AGAINST ZMEY
- Nikita, the great prince himself is coming to see you!
When Nikita saw the prince,
...he tore all his twelve leathers to pieces,
...as he was very shy.
- Nikita, go fight Zmey-Gorinych!...
...Free our land from the fierce beast!...
And save my lovely wife.
- Ha, god bless you, prince!...
...I'm a working man and I am very shy.
- When I saw you, I tore all my leathers,
...that's how scared I got!...
...Messed everything up.
- So... you won't go?
- Nah, I can't.
The prince waited a little,
...and went home, to write a letter to the princess
saying: Nikita doesn't want to fight Zmey, he's scared.
- Isn't there another man to fight Zmey?
- Maybe there is, but I don't know of him.
...And while you're looking for him,
...Zmey will steal all the beauties from your town!...
...We need to persuade Nikita.
- Let all the people go to him.
And the people gathered to beg Nikita to fight Zmey,
...or there would be trouble.
- Mister Nikita please take pity on us.
- In another year or two, we'll grow up.
...And Zmey will steal us.
- Alright! I'll go!...
...The darn dragon has to stop spoiling our life!
Nikita put on some hempen ropes.
Got covered in tar.
He took a hundred-pound mace.
And followed the dog to Zmey's den.
- Hey!...
...Zmey-Gorinych, come out here, into the open field!...
...Or I'll tear your den apart!
- What's that noise!?...
...I can't sleep! What do you want?!
- Get out of our land while you're still alive!
- You get out, while you're alive!
- Come out to fight, you rascal!
- Ok, let's have some fun! Do a little exercise!
And they started to fight.
Everywhere a great rumbling was heard.
Nikita and Zmey fought for three days and three nights.
On the fourth day, they got tired.
And sat down to rest.
- I'm hungry.
- Yeah, I'd like to eat. Hey, old bat, bring us some food!
- There's nothing left!...
...Only death caps. But those are for winter!
- You eat mushrooms?
- No! I won't!...
...Well, since there's nothing to eat,
...let's play cards then.
- Ok, you deal!
- And what will we play for?
- Oh! If I win, I'll eat you!
- Ok! Well, if I win, I'll eat you!
- You?! Eat me?!
- You, of course. Who else?
Zmey got scared.
- Nikita is so huge!
...What if he really eats me?
- Listen, Nikita,
...we're both stronger than anyone else in the world,
...let's divide the land in two,
you'll live in one half,
...and I'll live in the other.
- Ok, let's divide it. Let's plough a border!
The master blacksmiths made a huge plough,
and Nikita put Zmey into the plough.
They started dividing the land.
They worked day and night.
They went through fields,
...and forests, and mountains, and deserts.
And ploughed the border right up to the Caspian Sea.
- Well, Nikita, we've divided the land.
...Choose your half.
- We're done with the land.
...Now let's divide the sea!
- Oh?! But why divide the sea?
- Well, if you don't need half of the sea,
...I'll take the whole thing.
- Oh, no! Ok, let's divide it! To make it fair!
Zmey pulled the plough...
and went down into the sea waters.
Deeper and deeper.
No one has seen him since.
Nikita didn't take any money for the job he'd done.
...He went home to tumble leathers.
The young princess came back to her husband,
...and they began to live even better than they had before!
And Baba-Yaga is still alive.
Sometimes, she comes to the sea...
...and sighs over Zmey-Gorinych!
- Whatever one may say, he's still my nephew!...
...What a rascal relative, damn it!
Directed and written by Zoya Trofimova
Director Yuriy Cherenkov
Art director Zoya Trofimova
Composer Boris Yefremov
Sound producer Yelena Nikolayeva
Read by Yuriy Kovalenko
Music performed by Ivan Bokarev Andrey Chapkovskiy Anastasiya Platonova Anastasiya Yefimova Marina Kryukova Boris Yefremov
Animators Yuriy Cherenkov Polina Novikova
Assistant director Olga Antonenkova
Assistant director Mariya Kullanda
Director of Photography, special effects A. Puchnin S. Vasilenko
Special thanks to Andrey Vernidub Mihail Aldashin Andy Blasdale
Production Manager Igor Gelashvili
Introduction created by A. Tatarskiy V. Telegin S. Merinov L. Zemlinskiy Y. Dashinskaya S. Vasilenko A. Levizkaya L. Pochivalov
Art council E. Nazarov V. Telegin G. Zakolodyazhnyy Ye. Chernova S. Merinov
Head Producer I.Gelashvili Producer I.Kaplichnaya
Project Manager Aleksandr Tatarskiy
Film sponsored by the Federal Agency of Culture and Cinematography
The End
© "Pilot" Animation Studio © "Pilot" Animation films support fund © Federal Culture and Cinematography Agency 2008