5 Russian movies you must watch

Whether you’re learning the Russian language or are just a movie lover, have a read through these five suggestions – I’m only going to provide you with the best!

Брат (1997)

This film is a classic from 1997 as it should be. Translated into English it means brother. It is known all over the world and has also earned a few awards. There is also a sequel, but critics say that the first one is much better. Fun fact: The entire production of Брат was completed within 31 days and the budget was no more than $10,000. It started as a low budget movie where some actors didn’t even earn any money. They never imagined the success that this project was going to have. The story is about an ex-soldier from the Russian army who gets involved in the family crime business; but he has his own personal moral code.

Москва слезам не верит (1980)

The title describes the movie perfectly. ‘Moscow doesn’t believe in tears’. It was produced back in 1980, written by Valentin Chernykh and directed by Vladimir Menshov. One year after the production was finished the film won the Academy award for the best foreign language. And you’ve guess right when you think the genre is a drama. The story takes place in Moscow (obviously) and starts with three girlfriends talking about their dreams and wishes, love, disillusions.

Время первых (2017)

‘Age of the Pioneers’ – a movie produced by Dimitri Kiselew this April, so it’s quite new. It is set in the 1960s, during the Cold War. A Space Race between USSR and USA is on and the Russians plan to send a man into space. Two weeks before the start, the test vehicle gets destroyed and there is no time left to figure out why. Military pilots Pavel Belyayev and Alexey Leonov are ready to step into open space.

Легенда № 17 (2013)

The movie ‘Legend Number 17’ is a biographical sports film from the year 2013 about the rise of the Soviet hockey player Valeri Kharlamov and the first match of the Summit Series: USSR vs Canada back in 1972. This film received six Golden Eagle awards and also the State Prize of the Russian Federation for the years 2013 and 2014. It’s a must-see movie for sports enthusiasts and for all those who love a heart-warming story mixed up with a little sports history.

Собачье сердце (1988)

‘Heart of a dog’ is a Russian black-and-white movie, directed by Vladimir Bortko in the year 1988. It is based on the Mikhail Bulgakov’s novel Heart of a Dog. The story is a bit strange but quite good if you have a good imagination. Basically, it is about two professors from university who wanted to implant human hypophysis into a dog’s brain. Suddenly the dog started to look and act human, and the question arose: ‘Is everybody a human, who acts like one?’

You see, there is a huge variety of Russian movies and some of them are even known worldwide. I suggest you watch at least two of these movies because it will not only improve your language skills, but it will also give you an insight into Russian movie culture. What are your favourite Russian movies? Let me know and write your comments below.