The Night Before Christmas 1951

In the Ukrainian town of Dykanka, a gentle animated fable unfolds, weaving everyday life with a touch of the supernatural. In the sky, two figures drift out of the night: a witch riding a broom who gathers stars in her sleeve, and a sly devil who “hides” the moon in his pocket, hoping that the coming darkness will keep the homes of the wealthy Cossacks safe. This celestial mischief crosses into the town as the smith Vakula faces a string of challenges, while the beautiful Oksana begins to dream of a life beyond her doorstep.

A mysterious forelock paired with a shadowy godfather wanders into darkness and then away again, leaving the fate of the night unsettled. Meanwhile, Solokha, who is the town’s witch and also Vakula’s mother, is quietly implicated in the tale as she steals stars from the sky, a deed the townspeople hardly understand but feel the ripple effects of. Oksana, surrounded by friends, discovers a wish that quickens her heart: she notices a pair of gold-embroidered cherevichki—shoes coveted by many—and declares that she will marry Vakula if he can bring her those royal shoes, “the shoes the queen carries.”

As carolers wind through the streets, Oksana reiterates her demand, and Vakula’s sorrow grows heavier. In a burst of despair he tries to cast off his burdens, even considering drowning, and the town’s strange luck seems to lean toward the impossible being possible. The forelock, childlike and wary, moves to visit Vakula’s mother, Solokha, only to find the path complicated by the stormy weather and the devil’s lurking presence. The visit reveals Solokha’s complicity in the star-stealing mischief, casting a longer shadow over the lovers’ prospects.

Seeking a way to win Oksana, Vakula travels to the sly and portly Patsyuk, a Zaporozhets figure who sometimes behaves like a trickster or a devilish ally. From Patsyuk, the devil himself suddenly leaps from a bag and promises to deliver Oksana to Vakula that very night. The craftiness of Vakula comes to the fore as he holds the devil by the tail and, with a swift maneuver, orders the devil to transport them all to St. Petersburg, directly to the queen.

In the grand capital, the smith and his unearthly helper make a memorable entrance, and with the devil’s help they are ushered into the queen’s presence. The magnificent palace dazzles Vakula, and he boldly asks for imperial shoes. The empress Catherine the Great, moved by the naive hunger of Vakula and the oddities of this journey, takes notice—Denis Fonvizin, a celebrated writer, stands nearby as if to witness this surreal encounter. The queen, touched by such earnestness, grants Vakula the shoes he sought, a small miracle that changes the night’s course and the fortunes of the young lovers.

On their return to Dykanka, Vakula reveals a new cap and a belt hidden in a chest and brings them to the Forelock, hoping to secure Oksana’s hand. The Forelock, swayed by gifts and irritated by Solokha’s perceived treachery, agrees to consider the arrangement. In a final, quiet turn of fate, Oksana herself expresses her willingness to marry the smith—perhaps with or without the fabled cherevichki—closing the circle of longing, trickery, and dreamlike possibility that filled the town with wonder.