With a storyline based on Russian folk tales, 'Fedot' is a social and political satire on contemporary realities of life in Russia.
The storyline is based on the folk tale Go I Know Not Whither and Fetch I Know Not What Fedot, a strelets, serves at Tsar's court as the royal hunter.
When he tried to shoot at least a dove, it turned into a beautiful maid, Marusya (Mary), which Fedot adopted as his wife.
The Tsar engages in diplomatic negotiations with an English noble, aiming to arrange a marriage with his daughter, the Princess, who lacks the beauty to attract suitors.
The Princess and her nanny, an elderly and irritable woman, strongly oppose the match and argue against it, particularly with an ambassador they view as greedy and foolish.
The young woman refuses to betray Fedot for old and vile Tsar, she turns into a dove and flies away.
Its only master is a Voice, a bodyless yet powerful spirit, who is living a boring life: he can summon himself any good he wants, but the only thing he longs for is human company.
Fedot, realizing he has found his goal, persuades the spirit to join him on his way back to the Russian Tsar.