The story began in 1994 on the bank of the River Ob amidst the endless expanses of the Siberian taiga.

The well-known Siberian entrepreneur Vladimir Megre met with two elderly gentlemen who told him about the amazing properties of the Siberian cedar (also known in the West as the Siberian pine). At first he didn't pay much attention to what they told him, but as he continued to reflect on it, Vladimir began to discover, in the historical and scientific literature he examined, more and more evidence supporting their words. Finally he decided to organize an expedition with a fleet of river steamers. The expedition was ostensibly for commercial purposes, but in actual fact his overriding motivation was to find the elders again and learn more about the secrets of the cedar.

Many people ask if Anastasia is "real". Leonid answers simply, that it doesn't really matter whether there is a human being called Anastasia somewhere in the Siberian Taiga, as long as the information connects with the part of all of us that is all-knowing. Once you read the books, you will "know". . .