From a hobby to a craft to an art — this is the typical path an artist takes in pursuit of perfection. We call the things which give us esthetic pleasure masterpieces and admire the talent of their creators by calling them masters of their craft. One-hundred-and-fifty years ago Nuremberg flat pewter miniatures came from Germany to Russia, where they found both their craftsmen and collectors. This type of small figure was extremely popular among people from all social classes. During the Soviet Union these flat Nuremberg miniatures were preserved thanks to the tin soldiers which were cast by hand for schoolchildren to play with. Artist and engraver Vladimir Nuzhdin once did this. He tells the Russian Travel Guide some of the tricks of the trade and he and his friends share stories about the difficult path to international recognition.