He sees children playing with the Dragon who has shapeshifted from a dark and cynical warlord to a good-natured bearded man.

[4] In the film, shot in the genre of a philosophical fairy tale, the world of the Dragon appears, according to the director’s idea, as a parody of the USSR, and in the scenery, stylized as the Middle Ages, elements from Soviet everyday life can be traced.

Representatives of the intelligentsia (primarily the archivist) demonstrate agreement with the ideas of the Dragon, referring viewers to the servile practices of Soviet intellectuals.

[6] The ethical dilemmas of the archivist Charlemagne demonstrate what members of the Soviet intelligentsia experienced when they were forced to publicly agree with the dictates of the authorities.

[5] The era of stagnation is defined as a natural legacy of mass violence, unsuccessful attempts at reform, demoralization, disappointment, fatigue, which were covered with lofty words.