Nikitich and The Dragon (Добрыня Никитич и Змей Горыныч)

with support from Russia's Federal Agency of Culture and Cinema

Melnitsa Animation Studio and STV Movie Company present

Do it. It's so easy!

- But I've never tried it. - I'll teach you right now!

Make your lips into a circle.

- Do I need to close my eyes? - Well, you can close them.

To not be distracted...

- See! And you were scared. - I wasn't scared! I'm not scared of anything!

Then let's run away together? Tomorrow we run away, agreed?

- Agreed? - Agreed!

What?!!

- Agreed. Only... - What?

- Let's test our feelings some more. - What for?

What's there to test? I'll go to the end of the world for you!

In words you are all heroes. Prove it with your actions!

No, this crosses the line!

The girl's gone mad. That's it!

This guy must be sent to far off lands. And Zabava must be married off!

Immediately!

Glory to Russian heroes

for their warrior service.

And eternal gratitude to them from the people.

Where a courageous warrior stands guard,

no dark army can trespass,

no bird can fly by unseen,

no beast can slip unnoticed.

Messenger from Knyaz!

A letter from Knyaz!

I said a letter from Knyaz.

Warrior!

Who are you?

Message from Knyaz.

Why did you not wake me up right away then?

State affairs require your immediate assistance.

I order you to go exact tribute from Beket, Khan of Crimea.

Regards, your Knyaz.

Sorry for the spoiled weekend.

Important: take the messenger with you, let him help you.

Long ago, though not that long...

There lived in Russia a great warrior.

He was handsome and tall.

Learned in grammar of all sorts.

Courageous he was in battle and jolly at a banquet.

His enemies would tremble at the sound of his glorious name...

Dobrynya Nikitich!

DOBRYNYA NIKITICH AND DRAGON GORYNYCH

Zabava! Zabavushka!

Hello, uncle!

I've been thinking here... It's time for you to get married.

- To whom? - Plenty of good candidates.

Take a look.

Here's one. Quite a good candidate!

Good looking. All dressed in gold!

Wealthy!

What good looks? He is cross-eyed!

Cross-eyed? Where?

Besides, if you look from this angle, he's not cross-eyed at all.

To the contrary, actually!

And this one looks so important! A foreigner. Wealthy too!

Too thin! Too fat!

This one looks stupid! This one's out of question!

This one's really old and his nose is like a potato!

Oops, sorry, uncle.

It's alright.

Look and choose.

Don't take too long. That's an order from your parent.

That's all!

By the way, that picture of me just came out badly.

Right there we'll spend the night. In the morning we'll seize the fortress.

Seize a fortress? Wow!

Listen, Dobrynya, I thought...

- Look here, messenger... - I'm Elisei.

Whatever. Since I'm going to be stuck with you,

remember a couple of ground rules: first, do what I tell you to

and, second, be silent while doing it.

- Am I clear enough? - Yes.

Only, you know, Dobrynya...

There's this one girl who thinks that I cannot become a hero.

- And you think you can? - Well, yes!

You'll show me a couple of your hero moves.

Heroic words I know myself already.

Look, for example...

Never will you stand, enemy, on the land of mother Russia!

Never will you burn Russian towns!

Or here's another one...

Don't boast, evil foe, of your dark powers or else...

Are you nuts or what?

No, why? I even thought of a heroic name for myself.

Elisei the Mighty!

So, this is how it's gonna be...

I don't take just anybody into my apprenticeship.

What if I'm not "just anybody"?

- Anybody who? - You said "not just anybody"...

Look here, messenger...

Chatter less and listen more. Maybe then you'll learn something.

You won't ever burn or ransack Russian cities!

Don't you boast, evil foe, of your dark powers!

Your dark powers or else I'll...

There lived in those days one well-known merchant

by the name of Kolyvan, son of Berendey.

Frankly speaking, he was a difficult man.

Either spoiled by his wealth or by something else...

But a lot of harm came from him that good people witnessed.

Also he was said to have a secret power,

when it came to different games.

77 - axes

22 - geese

Hello, great Knyaz!

I'm gonna play three cards!

No-no-no! We're already finished.

Dear boyars, today's session is over, thank you all.

The date of the next meeting will be announced later.

Well okay.

Have a cookie, Knyaz.

Don't want to spoil my appetite before dinner.

And you don't want to win back what you've lost?

Oh, like that's ever possible with you...

One or two?

Well, maybe just one.

Hey, messenger!

Elisei!

That Elisei the Mighty.

Trouble, great Khan!

What happened?

- Russians are coming for the tribute! - That is bad.

Let us prepare for a siege.

- How many of them? - One.

One?

- Dobrynya!!! - Dobrynya!!!

Hey, guards... Are you asleep over there?

Dobrynya!

Open up!

They never open up.

Alright...

Since they don't want to do this the nice way...

Hello, Dobrynya Nikitich! I was told there's someone at the door knocking...

Knock-knock and that's you!

So, what are you here for?

I came to remind you about your debt.

Times are tough right now, you'll have to wait.

Times are tough for everyone.

Take me for example. I'm so well-off, but still have no wife to look after the house.

In short, I've decided to marry.

That is right. A man without a wife is like a tree without a caterpillar!

If so, Knyaz, then give me your niece in marriage.

Zabava?! A girl of noble birth?! To you?

Don't think badly of me, Knyaz. Here is what I think:

You will give me Zabava, and I will forget about your debt.

You want me to sell Zabava like an object?

By the way, what's my debt now?

Probably around 40,000...

O-o-oh! Yeah, quite a large debt!

And the treasury is empty!

I wouldn't mind having you as my son-in-law, Kolyvan, seriously!

- But will Zabava agree to it? - Why ask her at all? Make her do it.

Against her will! My own flesh and blood!

40,000!

You are right there...

And also I have a plan...

Don't be angry at me, Dobrynya Nikitich.

Think yourself, a khan paying tribute to a Russian knyaz - that's unheard of!

All my neighbors are laughing at me!

Yes... one more thing!

What, Dobrynya?

I've lost a messenger. A young boy named Elisei.

He is not with you, by any chance?

Am I clear enough?

A-a-a, so that was your messenger? Why didn't you tell us right away?

We thought, he's a spy or something.

We ask him: "Tell us now, you son of a shaitan, who sent you?"

And know what? He kept silent, said nothing!

If he had said that, you know, I'm a messenger of Dobrynya Nikitich,

he'd have been our welcome guest!

Bye-bye! Good luck on your way, Dobrynya! Goodbye!

Having won a great victory and having completed Knyaz's assignment,

the Russian hero headed for the capital city of Kiev.

Oh, my... What disaster! How do I pay out my debt to Kolyvan now?!

Good day to you, Knyaz of Kiev, and greetings to you, court noblemen!

Hello, my dear friend!

Oh, such grief!

My dear Zabava Putyatishna has been kidnapped!

- Got the tribute? - Got it alright.

That blasted viper stole from me my darling niece!

Calm down, Knyaz! What viper is that?

Gorynych the Dragon - that cursed evil-doer!

Wait a minute, Knyaz! Why Gorynych?

Why do you think it's him?

This is why! Here is the ring of the evil-doer!

See the size?!

She will perish in his dark claws, in his evil fangs!

Whoever kills the Dragon and rescues my niece from his claws will become her husband!

Listen, Knyaz, let me settle this with Gorynych myself.

Everyone, get out of here!

Dobrynya, you stay.

You must be tired of service.

Go take a break, dear friend. I'm giving you a week off.

But how?! Shall we leave Zabava in trouble?

Dobrynya, don't you worry.

I can't risk the health and lives of my most loyal servants!

Go get some rest.