AllMovie

A classic Russian folk tale comes to the screen in this fantasy adventure for the whole family. A young princess, whose mother is the evil Baba Yaga (Liya Akhedzhakova), happens upon a magical stone; when she touches it, she's transformed into the wicked Countess of Stone (Irina Apeksimova), who must spend the rest of her days in her castle tower honing her magical skills. It is believed a master cutter could transform the magic stone into a living being capable of giving the Countess of Stone untold powers, and she searches for a man with the right abilities. Ivan (Maxin Loktionov) is an orphan with a gift for cutting stones; his talents earn him the enmity of Baba Yaga but also bring him to the attention of the Countess, who thinks he might be the man who can give her untold power. But Ivan's father ran afoul of the Countess and it cost him his life, and the youngster is more eager to avenge his father than help the Countess consolidate her power. Ivan also finds his heart is stolen by a lovely young woman Katia (Maria Andreeva), but can their love survive the fact she's the daughter of the Countess of Stone? Kniga Masterov (aka The Book of Masters) was the first Russian-language film produced by the Disney studios CIS branch, designed to cater to the growing market for international flavors in entertainment.