Have you worked your way through the bulk of the US and UK rom-coms? All the way from Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn to Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks? And perhaps even further? If you are looking for something to fill that space that these fantastic films left, look no further! Here is a list of comedies, rom-coms, dramas, war films and even a few tragedies from Russia. Tragedy and comedy often walk hand in hand, after all! And some of the best love stories can often be found in films with a backdrop of war.
We’ve all heard mention of that ever-mysterious Russian soul. You can certainly get a peek at it and decide what makes it so mysterious for yourself if you’re curious. With fifty Russian films to choose from, you will have plenty of material to work with.
Five years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to share such a list with you. It used to be almost impossible to find Russian films translated into English. However, today most of the production studios have an official YouTube channel where more and more films are becoming available with English subtitles. The stars have finally aligned as people are taking more notice of the wonderful films that exist in other languages!
Related Post: The 100 Best Romantic Comedies of All Time (Part One)
The films are suitable for all ages (let’s say PG) unless I specify otherwise below. You can also visit the IMDB page for each film for more info by clicking on each of the film titles.
Russian Films – A List
(In no particular order)
#1 The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath (1975)
New Year’s Eve is a very big deal in Russia and is celebrated far more thoroughly than Christmas. A running joke in Russia is that if one turns on the TV at any point during the day on the 31st of December, one will stumble upon The Irony of Fate, no matter what channel one selects. It’s a classic of the highest order.
Zhenya and his friends have a yearly tradition of meeting the New Year thoroughly clean. For this, they meet up at a bathhouse in Moscow where they naturally get thoroughly wasted, as they are busy toasting to each other’s health and so forth. In this drunken state, they head off to the airport but manage to put the wrong person on the plane. So Zhenya heads off to Leningrad (Now St. Petersburg) without realising it. The taxi effortlessly takes him to his home address. The building looks identical, even the key fits in the door of what he thinks is his apartment. Then Nadya comes home, finds a stranger sleeping off a hangover in her bed, and all hell breaks loose.
Zhenya: “Where am I?”
Nadya: “3rd Builders’ Street, House number 25, Apartment 12!”
Zhenya: “That’s right, that’s my address, honestly! But, strangely, I have this feeling that I’m somehow not at home.”
Watch this film with hard subs on YouTube (PART 1 and PART 2) or on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE. It’s also available on Amazon Prime.
#2 Office Romance (1977)
This film feels like a wonderful celebration of women and love. I still watch it every year on the 8th of March (International Women’s Day) with my mother. It makes us cry happy tears every time!
Subordinate: “You wouldn’t dare to fling flowers in the face of any other employee but me. Could it really be that you are not indifferent towards me?”
Boss: “One more word from you and I will launch the decanter at your head!”
Subordinate: “If you use the decanter, then you must definitely … you know …”
As the title suggests, this is an office romance and it is between a seemingly unattractive female boss and one of her subordinates. The leads are so wonderfully awkward with each other as they try to suss each other out. It’s truly a joy to watch the man stutter his way through every conversation with his female boss. If possible, the stuttering seems to get even worse once he develops feelings for her and starts to woo her in earnest. Although, secretly giving flowers and then denying the fact may seem like a backward way to romance someone. He is quite hopeless at this wooing business so the object of this affection even has to help him out.
Watch this film with CC subs on YouTube (PART 1 and PART 2) or on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE. It’s also available on Amazon Prime.
#3 An Ordinary Miracle (1979)
“Long live the brave who have enough courage to love, knowing that everything will end! Long live those who dare to live as if they were immortal!”
Once upon a time, a wizard turned a bear cub into a young man. Now that young man has returned to be turned back into a bear. Since this wizard likes the occasional prank he makes up an entire story with lots of eccentric characters to make this happen. It wouldn’t be nearly as interesting to him otherwise! So he decides that the young man will turn into a bear only once a princess falls in love with him and kisses him.
You will laugh, cry, and swoon as you watch this wonderful tale play out. This film takes one on a journey of what it is to be a creator. A creator that occasionally allows his characters to make their own choices and see them play out for better or worse. It’s an incredibly funny and intensely romantic fantasy and fairy tale. Read our full review by clicking on the link below.
Content note: One very brief flash of a female upper chest when a servant gets out of bed. Otherwise, it’s suitable for all ages.
Watch it with CC subs on YouTube (PART 1 and PART 2) or on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
Related Post: An Ordinary Miracle – A Bear and a Princess Fall in Love in a Fairy Tale for All Ages
#4 That Very Same Munchhausen (1979)
“I’ve realised where your problem lies. You’re too serious. An intelligent face is not as yet an indication of intelligence. All silly things on Earth are done precisely with such a face. Smile, ladies and gentlemen, smile!”
Baron von Munchhausen is a fictional character of German origin. He is famous for telling tall tales that anyone would have trouble believing. You may have heard of his trip to the moon on a cannonball and of his other impossible adventures.
This film is a masterpiece and work of pure genius. It took the short stories and expanded them into a magnificent tale of a man’s unwillingness to conform to the rules of society. He didn’t care if people called him crazy as long as he could live the way he wanted.
Watching this philosophical story with mind-blowing dialogue may just change the way you view life and make you a little bit happier in the process. It’s truly a life-changing film that I cannot recommend highly enough!
Watch it with CC subs on YouTube (PART 1 and PART 2) or on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#5 Formula of Love (1984)
Formula of Love is a brilliant film with satirical humour, comedy, and romance.
Count Cagliostro and his small group of helpers show extravagant magic tricks as they travel from town to town. The jewels on the audience promptly magically disappear as the performances draw to a close. Consequently, the police are hot on the heels of this band of crooks posing as psychics and whatnot.
In a small village, meanwhile, young Aleksei is in the throes of first love. The kind where he only reads poetry and bemoans the fact that no one understands him. The only problem is that his beloved is a marble statue. When Aleksei hears that Count Cagliostro is nearby, he invites him to stay and turn his beloved statue into a human being. When Count Cagliostro turns the statue into a woman all sorts of interesting things happen.
Content note: Very quick flash of a nude female upper chest at a distance. Otherwise, there is no nudity or profanity. There is just the occasional mild suggestive line.
Watch it on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE or with CC subs on YouTube. The subs are incorrectly synced to the video on YouTube. However, this may be fixed in the future.
#6 We’ll Live ‘Til Monday (1968)
“Happiness is to be understood”
Have you ever had a crush on your teacher or on someone significantly older and unattainable? If you have, this film will definitely strike a chord with you. Even if something like this never happened to you, it’s still an incredibly moving story. It’s about students, teachers, dreams, life, and love.
We follow a few days in the lives of a class and their teachers. You’ve Got Mail had bouquets of sharpened pencils, while this little gem has essays on happiness.
Watch it with CC subs on YouTube or on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#7 Wizards (1982)
Kovrov: “Has he gone completely insane?!”
Bryl: “Insane or in love, it makes no difference from a medical standpoint.”
This fantasy rom-com is loosely based on a book written by Russia’s most famous writers of sci-fi (The Strugatsky Brothers). They even wrote the screenplay. Until a scientific method is proven and explained it almost seems like magic to the average observer. So, taking this idea of science being like magic, these brothers thought of “The Scientific Research Institute of Sorcery and Wizardry.” The events of the novel and the film take place there. Think something along the lines of “The Ministry for Magic” from Harry Potter.
So, enter a world where wizards carry out magical experiments and write academic papers on them, try to get a cat to talk (since other similar institutions have their own talking animals), and spend their time like people in academia do. They even work with magical wood in an effort to make the ideal wand. The way the wand works is pretty great too: Everything that one conjured with it comes with a price tag! After all, there is no such thing as a free lunch in the world. There is also a cursed bride that needs saving before the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve. As well as a troika of white stallions (December, January, and February) who carry us swiftly onward into the distance towards spring. It’s a fantastic winter-holiday saga for all ages.
Watch it on Amazon (PART 1 and PART 2) or SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#8 The Diamond Arm (1968)
Considered the best Russian comedy by many (with awards to prove it), this is a film depicting the lives of several smugglers who get into all sorts of hijinks when their contraband takes an unexpected and unusual route.
On a world cruise, an unsuspecting family man slips and breaks his arm. By pure (but highly probable) chance he says the code words that the smugglers nearby were waiting for. So, they happily place a cast (and lots and lots of diamonds embedded within it) onto this arm and send him back to his ship. They realise their mistake when the real smuggler appears. But the diamonds are already with someone else. So the smugglers then attempt to get their contraband back from the man with the cast. Naturally, all these attempts are downright hilarious.
Watch it with on Youtube with HARDSUBS or with CC subs. It’s also available on Amazon Prime and SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#9 Girls (1961)
A girl sweeps into town like a tornado. She is a determined little thing as she starts her very first job as a cook at a tree-felling site. While she is busy defending her own pride, she manages to stomp all over the pride of the local ladies’ man and pack leader. So, when a fellow worker suggests a bet to this young man he jumps at the opportunity. We all know that men who bet that they will get a girl to fall in love with them invariably end up the ones to fall in love. Thus eating their words and getting a taste of their own medicine! This is a very sweet and funny story of young love.
Watch it with CC subs on YouTube or on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#10 One Hundred Days After Childhood (1975)
An indescribably beautiful film about the pangs of first love. The events take place at summer camp. No longer children but not yet adults, we follow the awakening of that innocent first love in a 14-year-old boy and others where everything is overwhelming and new.
“You see, a time will come. Usually, it happens entirely unexpectedly. You will suddenly see the river, the trees, and the girl and the way she is smiling. And even though you’ve seen it all a thousand times before, you will suddenly become dumbstruck with an unexpected realization of how unimaginably beautiful that girl, that tree, and that river and the way she is smiling are. This usually means that love has caught up with you.”
Watch this film on YouTube or on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#11 You Couldn’t Even Dream It (1981)
This is a sweet love story of two teenagers who were faced with extreme opposition from their families. There is something Romeo and Juliet-esque about this story but with less death and tragedy. A great film for young adults and others, of course.
Watch it with CC subs on YouTube or on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#12 The Unbelievable Adventures of Italians in Russia (1974)
This is a ridiculously fun film of a treasure hunt taking place in Leningrad (now St Petersburg). A Russian grandmother, while on her deathbed, tells her Italian granddaughter that she “buried treasure under a lion” in her hometown. Seeing as this conversation took place in a very busy hospital ward, this granddaughter suddenly finds herself on a plane to Russia with lots of people she saw in that ward. All these innocent eavesdroppers suddenly decided to take a tour of Russia.
What follows is a lot of digging under statues of lions (of which there are a LOT in this city) and even a live lion. They also pick up a dashing Russian tour guide who joins in the treasure hunt. But he clearly has his eyes on a different kind of treasure. Namely, the aforementioned Italian woman. Watch as these treasure hunters run from each other, the police, a lion, and have all sorts of other unbelievable adventures on their trip to Russia.
This was a collaboration between Italy and Russia, so three of the main cast are Italians (whose dialogue was dubbed in Russian).
Watch it on Amazon Prime, YouTube or on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#13 Three Plus Two (1963)
“We solemnly swear not to shave, not to drink, not to smoke, and to remain as savages!”
A charming film guaranteed to put a smile on your face! Three men go on a camping holiday to a remote spot and vow off all the above including women. This male bonding trip is interrupted when two women arrive and claim the same spot as their own. What ensues is an adorable battle of the sexes as each group attempts to drive the other one off the coveted spot on the beach.
Watch it with CC subs on YouTube.
Related Post: Battle of the Sexes -Romantic Comedies of the Sixties
#14 Operation Y and Shurik’s Other Adventures (1965)
Films number 14-16 on this list follow the comical adventures of Shurik. Strange and unusual adventures have a tendency to find Shurik. He is sort of like MacGyver, but with the elements of Laurel & Hardy and Charlie Chaplin-esque humour thrown in for good measure.
This particular film consists of three extremely funny short stories: The Partner, Strange Impression, and Operation Y. And you can read our full review of all three films here.
Watch it on YouTube with HARDSUBS or with CC subs. Also available on Amazon Prime and SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
Related Post: The Comical Adventures of Shurik- An Introduction to a Timeless Soviet Classic
#15 Kidnapping, Caucassian Style (1967)
This is the second film about Shurik and his adventures. In this one, he heads off on an ethnographic expedition to the Caucasus Mountains. On his short stay there he gets roped into what is described as a beautiful local custom. Namely, the kidnapping of the bride. The prospective bride’s uncle (having sold his niece for 20 sheep and a fridge) manages to convince Shurik that this is a perfectly consensual kidnapping (who’s ever heard of such a crazy thing?!) and that the bride cannot wait to be kidnapped. Naturally, when Shurik finds out that he has been tricked, he is determined to save the girl he accidentally helped to kidnap. However, it turns out to be more difficult than he thought, especially since the groom is an influential personage in the area.
Watch it with HARDSUBS or with CC subs on YouTube. It’s also available on Amazon Prime as well as on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#16 Ivan Vassiliyevich Changes Occupation (1973)
“An experimental artistic association presents a non-science-fiction, not quite realistic, and not strictly historical film based on M. Bulgakov’s play Ivan Vassiliyevich.”
This may be the best of all of Shurik’s wonderful adventures! With musical numbers, satire, and time travel, it has everything!
While tinkering with his time machine, Shurik manages to open a door into the past: straight into the palaces of the infamous Ivan the Terrible. In the confusion that ensues, the tsar ends of trapped in the present with Shurik. Someone who happened to be in the middle of a burglary next door and Shurik’s stick-in-the-mud neighbour wind up in the tsar’s palaces. What follows are some laugh-out-loud moments set to great music as everyone waits for the time machine to be fixed so everyone can go back to where they belong. The visitors from the future dress us in local garbs and the conservative neighbour is forced to impersonate the tsar in order to survive, much to his vexation. In the meantime, the real tsar is agonizing that all his lands will be taken away while he is away from the throne.
Watch it with HARDSUBS or with CC subs on YouTube or on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE and Amazon Prime.
#17 Gentlemen of Fortune (1971)
This is a great comedy of crime and mistaken identities! A scary and notorious thief and a kind kindergarten teacher happen to look nearly identical (being played by the same actor also adds to the credibility of this point!). So, the police ask the teacher to pretend to be this thief in an attempt to get his accomplices to spill on the whereabouts of the artifact stolen and hidden by this crew. The police orchestrate a prison break for the teacher and the accomplices. Only this clumsy and awkward group manages to really escape prison via a different route. And so the teacher has to think quickly on his feet as the police can no longer help him. While carrying out the mission given to him by the police, he starts to slowly re-educate his group of petty thieves. If anyone can reform criminals, a kindergarten teacher is a pretty good choice!
Watch it with Amazon Prime, on YouTube or on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#18 Old, Old Tale (1968)
A young couple decides to elope at dawn and get married. As the puppeteer waits for dawn and his bride to arrive, he decides to tell one last story as a farewell to the puppets that helped him not to go hungry all this time. Of course, he tells an old, old tale of love in a far away fairy-tale kingdom.
So we meet a princess who only thinks of her own interests and does not want to marry. Her father, naturally, wants her to think only of his interests and get married to anyone with money. This is because he is tired of acting the part of not just the king, but every doorman, judge, prosecutor, and any other job you can think of in said kingdom. After all, his staff will not work for him without pay.
“You need to bear in mind that when I fall in love, it’s for life! So you’re simply going to have to fall in love with me too!”
Our male lead falls in love with the princess at first sight and becomes one of her many suitors. The Princess’s behaviour leaves something to be desired though. Not one to falter at the first sign of trouble, the lead decided to go about this in another way. As men vie for the hand of the princess, he does his best to win her heart. This charming story is based on the writings of Hans Christian Andersen.
Watch this fairy-tale on YouTube.
#19 Scarlet Sails (1961)
“Miracles are made with one’s own hands.”
Assol, as a little girl, was told was that one day her prince will come for her and take her away. She will know him by the scarlet sails of the boat he will arrive on. As she dreams of happy things and her prince, everyone makes fun of her, calling her crazy. Because sometimes, being a positive person surrounded by pessimists will lead to just such a result. But then a young man appears and falls in love with her. He decides to make her fairy-tale-like dream come true. Now that’s what I call a grand gesture!
Watch it on YouTube or on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#20 The Adventures of Buratino (1976)
“My young friend, always remain youthful. Don’t be in a hurry to grow up! Be cheerful, bold, and boisterous. Fight, if you need to! Laugh and cry to your heart’s content and never know peace! Three hundred years ago, I was once like you myself.”
Buratino is the Russian retelling of Pinocchio. The plot of this film is very different from the original, so I wouldn’t recommend looking for similarities. Rather, it’s a lovely musical, primarily for children (but we all have one of those hidden away deep inside ourselves), about a boy who was made to bring others happiness.
Watch this film on YouTube (PART 1 and PART 2).
#21 Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears (1979)
“I’ve waited for you for so long!“ – Read, she waited for him all her life, as we all wait for the one to appear in our lives.
This film won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1980. It’s something of a somber rom-com. It tells the story of a woman and her friends all the way from their Uni days to their late 30s/early 40s. So, it’s about growing as people, learning whom to trust, disillusionment, and finding happiness (sometimes much later than one expected to).
Watch it with CC subs on YouTube (PART 1 and PART 2) or on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE. Also available on Amazon Prime.
#22 In Love On His Own Initiative / In Love By Choice (1983)
A former professional athlete does everything to forget about how unhappy he currently is. By chance, he meets a librarian who introduces him to the idea of autosuggestion. The idea is to become happy by thinking that you already are. She claims that this works with everything from work to love. So the two decide to use the power of suggestion to fall in love with each other despite feeling zero romantic pull. As they struggle to find any positive or even likeable qualities in each other, they help each other achieve what they struggle to achieve on their own. And in the process may just find that they like each other after all and that life is not so miserable if one just changes one’s perception of it.
“We work on everything except on our own feelings. Feelings are like wayward children. They do whatever they like! … But where are you in all this? Where is your choice? You have to learn to control your feelings: If I want, I’ll be happy. If I want, I will love my job or fall in love.”
It’s a film about becoming a better version of oneself and becoming happier in the process. Such personal growth is not without its growing pains. Especially as the people closest to you try to pull you back down to the version of you that they are used to. This one is in my personal top 5. In the words of Matthew Macfadyen’s Mr. Darcy: I love, I love, I love it!
Watch it on YouTube or on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#23 Walking the Streets of Moscow (1963)
This film is all about the atmosphere and wonderfully good mood that stays with you long after it is over. We walk through Moscow with the two leads in the rain, in the sun, and through all the emotions that make us feel human. On the way, the two young men run into other people and have mini-adventures.
It’s both a collection of vignettes and one whole story, connected by the one who becomes a sort-of tour guide to us and to the second lead. We see Moscow through his eyes and that view is beautiful.
Watch it with CC subs on YouTube or on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#24 Three Poplars in Plyushcikha (1968)
A married woman visits Moscow for a very short stay. There, she takes her taxi driver off guard with her ease, warm manner, and charm. So, he offers to take her on a tour of Moscow in his taxi. Free of charge. As simple as the premise is, this is one of the most romantic films I have ever seen. It’s not exactly a tragedy and has something of a rom-com feel to it, but I rarely cry as hysterically as I did at the end of this wonderful film.
Watch it with CC subs on YouTube or on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE. Also available on Amazon Prime. Interestingly, Amazon Prime compared it to Casablanca. I never thought of it that way but I can see why they would draw such a comparison.
#25 Spring on Zarechnaya Street (1956)
A newly qualified young teacher travels to a different city where she takes up her post of Russian language and literature teacher. Only it turns out that she will be teaching adults who work at a local factory rather than children. One of the students, who is perceived to be a troublemaker, instantly falls in love with the new headstrong teacher. However, the teacher only sees this student as an uneducated troublemaker and as being beneath her. It’s a film about learning to see past one’s prejudices and preconceptions and adjusting to life in a brand new place.
After WWII, Russia was lacking qualified specialists. Many people left school at 14, then went to work at factories after a few years of specialized training. Education was something of a luxury, so many people had to go into the workforce straight away. But the factory workers were later encouraged to continue their education in special evening schools for adults so that they could progress further at work. This should give you a better idea of why grown-ups are studying school subjects here.
This one is available on Amazon Video, YouTube with CC subs and HARDSUBS, as well as on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#26 Different Fortunes (1956)
Four youths finish school and each chooses their own path in life. We follow them as they struggle to come to terms with their chosen careers, loves, and adulthood in general. The ones they love do not always love them back and some only know how to love themselves and drive the people who love them to distraction.
Watch this film on YouTube or on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#27 Striped Voyage (1961)
A ship carrying circus animals gets a stowaway in the form of a cheeky monkey. This monkey is very adept at opening cages. So, the previously caged animals (tigers, and lions included) start gallivanting across the deck much to the surprise (and horror) of the passengers and crew. With the monkey taking the helm (captain’s hat et al) and the animals roaming about freely, there is great panic among the human passengers. A fearless young woman with a great love for animals seems to the only hope for the human passengers to extricate themselves from this unusual dilemma.
This is a laugh-out-loud funny film with striped passengers and even some romance thrown in for good measure.
This film is available on YouTube and on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#28 Carnival Night (1956)
“If you find yourself feeling down; and the sunny day brings you no joy; allow a passing stranger to warmly smile at you. And a smile will, without a doubt, suddenly light up your eyes; and the good mood will never leave you again!”
It’s the night before the New Year and preparations for the carnival and Yuletide celebrations ahead are in full swing. The film follows a group of performers and technical crew as they prep for the night ahead. They run through the numbers and try to sneak in fun acts without the far-too-responsible and serious director prohibiting it for not being serious enough. It’s a classic Russian film and musical celebrating the New Year.
Watch it on Amazon Prime (as Carnival in Moscow), on YouTube, or on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#29 D’Artagnan and the Three Musketeers (1979)
I’ve yet to find a better adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’s epic novel. However, I may be biased and nostalgic since it’s the first one I ever watched. This story has been adapted for the screen again and again, but I strongly recommend that you still watch this version. Apart from being a story about friendship and love of epic proportions, it’s also a musical. This version is both funny and sad, glorious and tragic. Some of the songs and scenes will make you laugh like crazy. While others will feel like a knife twisting inside. That’s how painful and to the point some dialogues and songs are. This is a surprisingly philosophical swashbuckler that will appeal to a large and varied audience.
Get a feel for a couple of the tongue-in-cheek songs by watching Aramis’s song about dueling and the now-classic song of the four musketeers.
So, check out this fabulous adaptation on YouTube (PART 1, PART 2, PART 3) or on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#30 Three Men in a Boat to Say Nothing of the Dog (1979)
“Dear friends, we are all terminally ill!”
Because when one reads an Encyclopaedia of Medicine, one suddenly identifies with every single symptom and illness in it. Why, it’s only natural!
Three incorrigible hypochondriacs (and a dog called Montmorency!) head off on a trip down the river Thames in a boat. To say that they happen upon some unusual adventures is an understatement!
This is a film VERY loosely based on the hilarious semi-autobiographical writings of Jerome K. Jerome. If you have not read this book, you don’t know what you are missing! It’s genius of enormous proportions with Oscar Wilde and P. G. Wodehouse-like humour. There’s even an audiobook available. Which is read by Hugh Laurie, no less! A must read and a very enjoyable watch where the characters often break the fourth wall.
Watch this film on YouTube (PART 1 and PART TWO).
#31 The Hussar Ballad (1962)
A hussar has been forced to visit a girl he has been betrothed to since childhood. They have never met, but he happens upon a young cornet at her house and tells him all sorts of honesties about what he thinks of his betrothed and marriage in general. Only, unbeknownst to him, this cornet is, in fact, his betrothed, Alexandra. Having heard all the nonsense that the hussar has spouted, she decides to have some fun with him.
What follows is an amusing story where she becomes the hussar’s trusted friend in the guise of a cornet. The cornet also shares what the betrothed, his cousin, thinks of this hussar. It’s hard to tell what drives the hussar up the wall more: the strange affected manners and behaviour of his betrothed or the way her cousin claims she thinks of him. It’s a really fun gender-bender set during the Napoleonic war!
Watch it on YouTube in High Definition or Low Definition. Also available on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#32 The Star of Captivating Happiness (1975)
On the 26th of December 1825, circa 3000 soldiers of the Imperial Russian army revolted against the rule of Tsar Nikolai I in what came to be called the Decembrist Uprising. They failed to achieve their goal, so the surviving leaders were either hanged or exiled.
This film follows the lives and loves of the leaders of these Decembrists. From their lives as noble men before the uprising to their exile to Siberia. The film focuses on telling the stories of the women who loved and were married to the Decembrists. It depicts their struggle as they are cast away from society and denounced by their families when they decide to follow their loved ones to Siberia.
Watch it with CC subs on YouTube (PART 1 and PART 2) or on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE. You may also want to check out The Barber of Siberia if you enjoyed this one. That one can be purchased on DVD.
#33 Only “Old Men” Are Going To Battle (1974)
“You don’t have to be a pilot. We’ll teach you how to fly regardless, but you have to be a musician! Wars come and go, but music is forever.”
A tragicomedy about WWII. For a film about war, it is filled with an enormous amount of joy and humour. Because a war is a temporary disruption while music, love, and friendships last forever. They will be here long after another war finishes even if not everyone who partook in the war will still be here to see it.
We follow a group of fighter pilots. The new pilots for the second squadron are selected based on their musical prowess. Adorably, when asking for past experience, all that the squadron leader wants to know is their musical experience rather than battle experience. So the “old men” train the newcomers in the fighter-pilot-craft while putting emphasis on the little things that bring people joy rather than the fact that they are at battle and that not everyone will make it back from their flights.
Watch it on Amazon Prime, Youtube, or SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#34 Eugene, Eugenia, and “Katyusha” (1967)
Follow the adventures of a young soldier (Eugene/ Zhenya) and the female soldier (Eugenia/ Zhenechka) that he is madly in love with. His entire platoon (“Katyusha” – the name of a type of rocket launcher) is head over heels for her too. So he is not without competition.
I call the events his adventures because Eugene has a wonderful way of narrating all the things that happen during the war as if they are in a regular fairy-tale. In reality, the events around him are far from fairy-tale-like. But he is utterly charming and has a wild imagination that both gets him into and out of trouble.
Watch it on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#35 Officers (1971)
A breathtaking masterpiece following the lives of two officers and the woman they both love. The events span the Russian Civil War and WWII and the times in between and after these events. It’s an excellent depiction of war, friendship, and love. You’ve never seen a bouquet of flowers delivered in such an unusual fashion! I guarantee that you will cry, but it’s worth it!
Watch it on Amazon Prime, YouTube, or SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#36 Wedding in Malinovka (1967)
This is a famous comedic musical set during the Russian Civil War. Infinitely quotable, there are dance scenes and declarations of love that take place in a small Ukrainian village. And, yes, that’s a windmill in the photo!
Watch it on YouTube or SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#37 The Cranes are Flying (1957)
The poster pretty much says it all! It’s a gorgeous film that starts off with two lovers sneaking off on innocent dates. Suddenly, the man throws a curve-ball by stating that he has enlisted to be a soldier in the war. Voluntarily! We then follow the events during the war from both of their respective perspectives and experiences to culminate with the return of the soldiers from the front at the end of the war. The scene where an entire town sends their young men to war and the closing scene where the surviving soldiers return to joyous music and tears in the streets are particularly powerful!
Available on YouTube, SOVIETMOVIESONLINE, and to buy on DVD.
#38 A Cruel Romance (1984)
“Like a moth to a flame, I yearned for that faraway place called love. Love, that magical land where I will be called dearest.
Where every day is incomparable and where I would not fear the stormy weather. That wonderful land called love: Only there can one find happiness.”
A famous tragedy about a beautiful young woman and the four men who partook of her ruin in their fervent desire to have her for themselves. Despite being of noble birth, she was very poor. Without a dowry, these men didn’t see her as a prospective bride but rather as a plaything. She was their object of desire and they saw her as nothing more than that. They took advantage of her love for one of them with tragic consequences.
Watch it on YouTube (PART 1 and PART 2) or on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#39 My Tender and Affectionate Beast (1978)
Sometimes, this film is called A Hunting Accident or Shooting Party and it’s most definitely another tragedy. It’s a period drama set to the beautiful music of composer Eugene Doga. His Viennese waltz was composed specifically for this film and is now world-famous. It’s better to go into this film blind and experience the turn of events for yourselves.
Watch it on YouTube or on SOVIEMOVIESONLINE. Also available to buy on DVD. The subtitles on YouTube are several minutes ahead of the events on the screen, so try watching it on the other website or DVD, if possible.
#40 Seventeen Moments of Spring (1973)
“Don’t look down on seconds with disdain. The time will come when you will likely understand that, those moments, they whistle past your temple like bullets.
Each moment has its reason. It has its own bells and leaves its own mark.
Those moments, to some they hand out shame or disgrace while giving immortality to others … And such is life that you often spend at least half a lifetime just waiting for your moment to arrive.”
This story depicts the events of 17 days in the last spring before the end of WWII. It’s a masterpiece through and through. Arguably, there is only one romantic scene, but it’s a powerful one! Based on a best-selling series of books, this is a very well thought-out tale with a spot-on script.
Do not go into this expecting high action, speed chases, and gun fights. This mini-series has a quiet and contemplative mood about it. True espionage was a much quieter affair than most spy films suggest. One had to tread very carefully, and only fire that gun when absolutely necessary.
The quiet strength of Stirlitz is truly something to behold. I was surprised to find a few articles on this mini-series on the BBC website. They call Stirlitz, the Soviet James Bond. Check out the article here and another here, if you are curious. I’ve always considered this to be an excellent example of plain good storytelling, but one can always find other messages in stories if one chooses to.
It will appeal to many people, but as a comparison, you will probably enjoy this if you liked Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy (2011).
Watch it on YouTube. Also available on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#41 Lady into Lassie (1995)
This film is based on one of Pushkin’s short stories and takes us to the beautiful Russian countryside.
Elizabeth is a young woman who is bored to death in this countryside and fresh air. Her father is careful not to let her spend her time with anyone beneath her station, so she finds herself very lonely. The young man from next door, just back from University, has no such problems. He chases the local young servants around and kisses them whenever he feels like it. The fathers of these two youths have fallen out with each other decades ago, so Elizabeth (unable to curb her curiosity) dresses up as a servant girl to have a look at this dashing young man that everyone speaks of.
They soon fall in love and we have the pleasure of watching their secret rendezvous and innocent flirtations. It’s a lovely and sweet tale of first love.
Content note: There is one scene where there is some nude swimming at the beginning (9mins40sec-10mins30sec). However, if you skip that scene, it’s a film that anyone can watch.
Watch it on YouTube.
#42 Nastya (1993)
This is a story about a regular girl who lives an unremarkable and somewhat lonely life. One day she is given the opportunity to make a wish. She wishes to become beautiful. The kind of beautiful that people seem to pay attention to while they ignore her quiet kind of inner beauty and kindness.
Suddenly, Nastya wakes up as a “beauty” and experiences a completely different world. People start treating her differently and pay more attention to her. However, there is a reason why people say to be careful what we wish for. Nastya finds that life as a beautiful woman is not without its difficulties and may just lose her chance at true love in the process. After all, it can be just as difficult (maybe even more so) to deal with unwanted attention as it is to deal with not getting enough attention to begin with.
Watch Nastya on YouTube.
#43 The Pokrovsky Gates (1982)
Follows the lives of several people who live in a communal apartment. They share a kitchen and become an important part of each other’s lives. This one is full of eccentric characters and unusual situations. Such as a separated couple live who live together with the new fiancé of the wife. The husband isn’t even against his wife’s new union. What drives him crazy is that she thinks she still has a say in his own love life. Consequently, he has to secretly slip out of the house like a rebellious teenager to meet up with his own new girlfriend because his ex disapproves of her.
Another troublemaker is the young man who flirts so much that he can’t keep the names of the girls he meets straight. Of course, that all changes when he suddenly finds himself head over heels in love at first sight. This one is full of memorable scenes.
Watch it with CC subs on YouTube (PART 1 and PART 2) or on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#44 Station For Two (1983)
“Nowadays, we seem to live without excitement: Monotonously, as if in paradise. Don’t be afraid to gamble everything on one card and turn your life upside down!
We are no longer who we were at the start. We’ve lost our drive. Go ahead and take the risk! Don’t be afraid to change your life.”
A man is taking a long train trip to visit his father. He gets off the train for a quick snack during its 20-minute-stop. Certain unforeseen circumstances make him miss his train. As he waits for the next train, he gets to know the waitress that he had taken an instant dislike to. His short stay at this station leads to an unexpected romance with her that could turn his entire life upside down and for the better.
Watch this film on YouTube or on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.
#45 Twelve Chairs (1971)
This is a famous satirical comedy. It’s another treasure hunt for items hidden during the times of war. This time the treasure was hidden in one of a set of 12 chairs. Ostap Bender, a charming swindler, and his partner in crime are on the hunt for this chair. Of course, they have to hunt down the many owners and have humorous encounters each time they come upon the next chair. Will they ever find the right chair? That is the question!
Watch Twelve Chairs on Amazon Prime, YouTube (PART 1 and PART 2), or SOVIETMOVIESONLINE. There is also a musical version of this story, which I prefer. In many ways, the two films complement each other. However, there are no subtitles available for that one. You can still watch it raw if you wish to practice your Russian. You can also check out the slightly less popular Golden Calf which follows the same main character of Ostap Bender.
#46 Piter FM/ Radio Wave (2006)
“I trust my phone is in good hands?”
Piter FM is a modern story about seeking human connections.
Masha is planning her wedding. Frankly, her fiancé is doing all the planning and she is just going along with everything. Meanwhile, Maxim won a prize in architecture and is preparing to move to Germany. People envy them and you’d think that they would be happier. They are not exactly unhappy, but something is missing from their lives and they can’t quite put their finger on it.
One day, Masha drops her phone and Maxim picks it up. As they try to find a suitable time and place to meet up so that Maxim can give the phone back, they start having conversations on this phone and there is an undeniable connection between them.
Watch it on YouTube.
#47 The Stroll (2003)
This film was successfully shown at several international film festivals. It’s effectively a walk through St. Petersburg.
A young man approaches a young woman on the streets of St. Petersburg. He claims that he has fallen in love with her at first sight and simply tags along wherever she goes. He even calls up his best friend to make the girl feel more at ease. She, in turn, flirts shamelessly with both men as they take a non-stop tour of the city. It doesn’t take long for this to become a love triangle, which starts causing rifts between the two men. The camera keeps following them as feelings of love, jealousy, and envy develop.
Content note: Rated 15+ for occasional strong language and themes. However, there is nothing explicit here.
Watch The Stroll on Amazon Prime. It’s also available on DVD.
#48 Yolki (2010)
The name of this film literally translates to fir trees/Christmas trees. It is also occasionally used as another way of saying “damn it.”
Think of this as a Russian take on Love Actually. It’s not as good as the British film but is very amusing and enjoyable nonetheless.
In an orphanage, a proud little girl announces that she is the secret daughter of the president of Russia. Naturally, the other children see through her lies and ask her to prove it, all the while knowing it’s impossible. They promise to believe her if the president says a certain phrase during the official New Year speech. A little boy decides to become her knight in shining armour. Armed with the rule of Six Degrees of Separation, he sets off a chain of events that allow us to follow stories in several cities across the vast Russia.
Available on Amazon Prime (as Six Degrees of Celebration). There are also several sequels. These too are available on Amazon Prime.
Lastly, here are two films for fans of Danila Kozlovsky!
#49 Five Brides (2011)
“Marriage is a powerful thing. I’ve never even laid eyes on my husband and yet I miss him already!”
Related Post: I Was a Male War Bride (1949) – A Saucy Romantic Comedy with Slapstick
After WWII ended in 1945, some soldiers had to remain stationed at their posts in Germany as a precaution. Aleksei, one of the soldiers, is sent on a short vacation to Russia. Afraid that all the prettiest girls will be taken by the time they get back home, the boys ask Aleksei to bring them back brides. All of them exclaim that they trust his judgement, thrust wedding bands, and passports at him and send him on his way. Having had his friendship doubted, Aleksei grudgingly agrees and heads off on a bride hunt armed with four rings and passports, not to mention his own. We have a full review of this comedy. Just follow the link below.
Watch this film on YouTube.
Related Post: Five Brides (One Groom)- A Comedy About Love and Friendship
#50 We Are From The Future (2008)
Four modern young men make their money selling on medals and other trinkets from the war. They come by most of these by disturbing the graves of war heroes and making fun of them in the process.
So, it is no surprise when they are suddenly thrust into the past. Straight into the middle of WWII. They are in for a rude awakening! Consequently, they are made to fight alongside the other soldiers and learn about the sacrifices their forefathers made to make way for the world we all live in today. They are shown that war is no laughing matter the hard way. It’s a powerful film about not taking the past for granted. All present and future is built on the past and if one forgets it, one is that much more likely to repeat the mistakes of the past.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
George Santayana
The first part of the film is a tad difficult to get through. The filmmakers went out of their way to show how rough, rude and disrespectful the leads are. It is all in the vein of showing as stark a contrast to their more matured selves after their return from their trip to WWII. It works, but the film is only really enjoyable once they end up in the past. From then on it’s a fantastic film about war, love and growing as people.
Content note: Some strong language (especially in the beginning), violence and some brief partial nudity. Although no official rating, think of it as 15+ content. Maybe even borderline R for the realities of war.
Available to stream on Amazon Prime.
Featured Image: That Very Same Munchhausen (1979). Other Photo credits: Mosfilm, Lenfilm, Odessa Film Studios, Gosteleradio, Star Media, Central Partnership
This is only the tip of the iceberg. There are many other fantastic films I would have loved to share with you. I will, however, keep an eye out in case any other favourites become available with English subtitles. In the meantime, happy watching! And let me know what you think of the films you watch down below. Have any of the stories made your new favourites list?
Oh my goodness, what a fabulous list. I feel like Christmas came early and will be adding many of these to my list of movies to watch.
Happy Early Christmas 😉
Wonderful list – thank you! I’ve watched a couple of these (Operation Y, The Diamond Arm) and The Irony of Fate has been on my to-watch list. Looking forward to these new recommendations, especially Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears, Three Poplars, A Cruel Romance, The Cranes are Flying..and others! Also, I know it’s not a movie, but I love the Russian Sherlock Holmes! Do you have some particular favorites, if you had to choose? 🙂
To be honest, all these films are great, otherwise they wouldn’t have made the list 😉 But, my absolute favourites (which have been re-watched countless times!) are probably:
Office Romance (no.2 on above list)
An Ordinary Miracle (no.3)
That Very Same Munchhausen (no.4)
In Love By Choice (no.22)
Formula of Love (no.5)
But most of the others have been re-watched far too many times too 🙂
The Sherlock Holmes adaptations are highly appreciated, yes. I haven’t re-watched them since I was very little and given the choice tend to revisit the BBC Sherlock lately. I’m scared of watching it in case I don’t like it as much now, which is very silly. If there is one thing I strongly recommend NOT watching, it’s any Russian adaptation of Shakespeare. I can’t explain it, but it doesn’t feel anything like Shakespeare to me. His beauty definitely becomes lost in translation. Ha!
It sounds like you have a preference for love stories somewhat tinged with sadness from your picks above. So, you would probably enjoy numbers 50, 32, 33, 34, 35!, 39, 11, 29 in addition to those you chose.
Too funny – is my preference obvious? 😉 All the numbers you suggested were indeed the other films I thought I’d like to check out when I read the list! Yes, I really do like love stories with a bit of sadness. (My film review of a Good Rain Knows is a perfect example!)
Bullseye! I’m a bit surprised at the accuracy of my own aim 😉