
The Beginning
A talented girl from the provincial Russian town Pasha Stroganova dreams of becoming an actress. She plays the role of Baba Yaga in the amateur theatre — and does it so organically that the visiting filmmaker offers her the most difficult role in the historical drama about Joan of Arc. She was given not only great acting talent, but the talent of deep, selfless love. A dream comes true: she is invited to the main role, and she begins a completely different life, full of real creative torment, insights and true happiness.

Inna Churikova
Pasha Stroganova

Valentina Telichkina
Valya
Tatyana Stepanova
Katya

Leonid Kuravlyov
Arkadiy

Mikhail Kononov
Pavlik
Nina Skomorokhova
Zina

Tatyana Bedova
Toma

Yuri Klepikov
movie director
Gennadi Beglov
Odinokov

Yuri Vizbor
Stepan Ivanovich

Vyacheslav Vasilyev
Stepan Vitalyevich

Yevgeni Lebedev
Cauchon
Vsevolod Sobolev
Massieu
Gerasim Zhukovsky
Boriska

Lyudmila Arinina
an official on the selection of actors at the film studio (uncredited)

Irina Gubanova
assistant director (uncredited)

Efim Kopelyan
Cauchon (voice) (uncredited)