Two Italian friends, an artist and a scientist, travel to the north-eastern regions of Russia. The only things they were able to find out from books about the area was that people there have huge fangs and eat pine needles. The travelers don’t believe in such notions but still have no idea what is waiting for them in the village with the scary name of Big Fire! In the welcoming family of a young lady named Masha they are introduced to the life in a northern wooden house; to traditions, craft arts, celebrations and tasty Russian dishes. And Masha breaks the Italian artist’s heart.Each chapter is accompanied with pictures you can color, drawn by the talented artist Sofia Molchanova, a member of Russian Artists Society. These pictures were drawn from real life, as Sofia actually lives in the village Big Fire and knows very well the local traditions and ways of life.

All photographs that illustrate the text were taken by Sofia right where the love story of the Italian artist and Masha unfold.
For those who are studying the Russian language, a page of the original Russian text is attached to the English translation. The drawings are all on aquarelle paper.