Go There, Don't Know Where

Go There, Don't Know Where
Directed by	Ivan Ivanov-Vano Vladimir Danilevich
Written by	Nikolai Erdman
Narrated by	Georgy Vitsin Dmitriy Zhuravlyov
Edited by	Nina Mayorova
Music by	Anatoliy Aleksandrov
Release date	January 1, 1966 (1966-01-01) (USSR)
Running time	52 min. 21 sec.
Country	USSR
Language	Russian

Go There, Don't Know Where (Russian: Поди́ туда́, не зна́ю куда́, romanized: Podi tuda, ne znayu kuda) is a 1966 Soviet feature-length cutout-animated film. Produced at the Soyuzmultfilm studio, it was directed by Ivan Ivanov-Vano, widely regarded as the "Patriarch of Soviet animation." This film marked a rare venture into comedy for Ivanov-Vano.

The movie is a comedic adaptation based on motifs of Russian folk tales, particularly the story Go I Know Not Whither and Fetch I Know Not What. The screenplay, written by renowned Soviet screenwriter Nikolai Erdman, is preserved in the archives of the State Central Cinema Museum (collection 17, inventory 1, storage unit 20).

Plot

Cheerful skomorokhs (traditional Russian jesters) tell the tale of a certain kingdom where a tsar lived. The tsar always carried a scepter in one hand and an orb in the other, and everyone called him "Your Imperial Majesty." The tsar had countless servants, including cooks, coachmen, bakers, apothecaries, barbers, bath attendants, court poets, and even a servant solely responsible for his royal chamber pot. Among his servants, the lowest-ranked was Sergei, a hunter who provided the tsar with various delicacies.

One day, Sergei ventured into the forest to catch a "delicacy," but luck was not on his side—he found no elk, grouse, or hare. Instead, he saw a kite attacking a white dove in the sky. Sergei took careful aim, and with a single shot, the kite was reduced to feathers. To his amazement, the dove transformed into a beautiful maiden, who declared that their paths were now joined, leading them to the altar. Sergei and the maiden began a happy life together.

When the old tsar learned of Sergei's good fortune, he grew envious and decided to ruin the hunter. However, Sergei overcame all the challenges set before him, aided by an invisible friend named Naum, who could even prepare a grand feast for the people. Ultimately, the tsar's wicked actions led to his downfall, while Sergei lived on in happiness and triumph.

Creators

	English	Russian
Director	Ivan Ivanov-Vano	Иван Иванов-Вано
Second Director (First Assistant)	Vladimir Danilevich	Владимир Данилевич
Scenario	Nikalai Erdman	Николай Эрдман
Art Director	Marina Sokolova	Марина Соколова
Artists	Franchesca Yarbusova V. Rodzhero D. Naumov Aleksandr Gorbachyov G. Nevzorova Aleksandr Rozhkov M. Spasskaya	Франческа Ярбусова В. Роджеро Д. Наумов Александр Горбачёв Г. Невзорова Александр Рожков М. Спасская
Animators	Yuri Norstein N. Zubova Galina Zolotovskaya Vyacheslav Shilobreyev Joseph Douksha	Юрий Норштейн Н. Зубова Галина Золотовская Вячеслав Шилобреев Иосиф Доукша
Camera	Joseph Golomb	Иосиф Голомб
Executive Producer	Nathan Bitman	Натан Битман
Music	Anatoliy Aleksandrov	Анатолий Александров
Sound	Boris Filchikov	Борис Фильчиков
Script Editor	Natalya Abramova	Наталья Абрамова
Puppets and decorations	Y. Darikovich Pavel Lesin Valentin Ladygin N. Budylova V. Kuranov I. Maksimova Galina Gettinger T. Alhazova Marina Chesnokova Liliana Lyutinskaya Roman Gurov V. Kalashnikova	Е. Дарикович Павел Лесин Валентин Ладыгин Н. Будылова В. Куранов И. Максимова Галина Геттингер Т. Алхазова Марина Чеснокова Лилиана Лютинская Роман Гуров В. Калашникова
Narrators	Georgy Vitsin Dmitriy Zhuravlyov	Георгий Вицин Дмитрий Журавлёв
Editor	Nina Mayorova	Нина Майорова

See also

• History of Russian animation
• List of animated feature films
• List of stop-motion films

External links

• Go There, Don't Know Where at the Animator.ru (Russian and English)
• «Go There, Don't Know Where» on YouTube (Official Russian)
• Go There, Don't Know Where at myltik.ru (in Russian)
• Go There, Don't Know Where at IMDb