Based on a chapter of the famous novel “Story of One Town” by Saltikov-Shedrin. The novel, about the inane bureaucracy of the Russian government under the Czar during the mid 19th century, was banned during Stalin’s reign, as were all books by Saltikov-Shedrin. Irina Margolina (documentarian): The film was shelved in the same year it was made because it was considered to be a satire on social realism and collective farms; it showed peasants as poor. It was never shown again until perestroika. In his diaries Khodataev makes clear that he was so shocked by the fate of “Little Music Box” that he abandoned his career in animation after making just one more film. The original sound track was received in terrible condition, and was restored as much as possible.