Strong, handsome Ivan is used to get his way easily, especially with girls, even overpowers robber single-handed. Venturing deep into the enchanted forest, he incurs the anger of a vanishing dwarf who magically gives him a bear's head and later tells him only kind deeds can redeem his human form. Ivan still falls in mutual seduction with Nadia 'Nastenka', a goody two-shoe abused like her father by mean stepmother Marfushka in favor of the spoiled-rotten, ugly, lazy stepsister, supposedly destined for a princely marriage. Good magic is represented in the forest by father frost, who wants to help.
—KGF Vissers