In the remote Ukrainian village of Dykanka, handsome but poor Vakula loves the beautiful Oksana, but she's holding out for a wealthy prince, and her father doesn't think much of him either. On Christmas Eve she sends him on a ridiculous quest for dancing shoes that takes him all the way to the imperial palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia, with the help of some odd characters from the village and the Devil himself.

Evenings on a Farm Near Dykanka

The king struggles to find a wife for his son, who is solely interested in science. An astrologer advises the king to host a grand royal ball. Cinderella, eager to attend, is forced by her stepmother and stepsisters to make dresses for them. Once the dresses are ready, they leave her behind with additional chores. However, her fairy godmother appears and helps her get to the ball, with one condition: she must return by midnight. At the ball, Cinderella meets the prince, who instantly falls in love with her. They dance and enjoy the evening until the clock strikes twelve, and Cinderella flees, leaving behind a glass slipper.

Cinderella

The rich peasant Solopii Cherevyk goes to the Sorochyntsi fair to sell wheat. His quarrelsome wife Khivria and daughters Paraska, Horpyna and Motria go with him. At the fair, Paraska meets a guy named Hrytsko and falls in love with him. But her stepmother Khivria is against their wedding. In parallel, the events related to the mysterious story about the "red scroll" develop.