Russian movies based on real events

A young Russian woman, trying to make it in the big city, is hired for an off-the-books government operation, which involves seducing and later exposing a number of prominent political opposition figures.

Simultaneously nihilistic and heartening, Ward No. 6 is based on a story by Chekov, in which a psychiatric doctor becomes a patient in his own asylum. Updated to contemporary Russia, the film is a cocktail of anxieties and riddles, showcasing how easy it is to become what we fear most.

A young detective in the Northern Russian region of Yakutia is dealing with a seemingly simple murder case. The investigation becomes a dangerous journey into the world of illegal mining and gold trafficking in which life has no value.

biography movie

A simple guy from Podolsk ends up in the Moscow Police Department and morally prepares for all sorts of humiliations. But the representatives of the law suddenly turn out to be exacting intellectuals…

15 August 1990. Viktor Tsoi, the Soviet Union’s most famous rock star, leader of the band Kino, a symbol of freedom and change, dies in an accident on a Latvian highway. The bus driver who was involved in the tragic accident will bring his body back to Leningrad. A party of mourners – Tsoi’s wife and her new boyfriend, his mistress, his producer, his young son and an obsessed photographer – are part of the trip back. This is going to be a long trip, the perfect occasion for an agonizing unravelling of love, jealousy, ambition, and greed.

The story of three Russian Olympic champions. Ordinary people, who have become the pride of their family and country, and made history of world sports.

The story of Rob Cole, a boy who is left a penniless orphan in an 11th-century English mining town when his mother dies of a mysterious illness. Vowing to become a physician and vanquish Death itself, he travels to Isfahan in Persia to study medicine under the great Ibn Sina. Through countless ordeals and challenges, and making many sacrifices along the way, he struggles on unwaveringly. His unflagging quest for knowledge leads to the blossoming of friendship and true love.

Salyut 7, the Soviet space station, was orbiting Earth in unmanned regime. Suddenly it stops responding to signals from the Ground Control. Fall of this station, the pride of soviet science and space industry, would not only damage the image of the country, but also bring upon tragedy, probably with loss of life. Astronauts have to be sent to the station to find what caused the breakdown and prevent the catastrophe. However, nobody has ever docked an uncontrolled object in space. To this day this is the most technically complicated mission in the history of the world of space navigation.

The love story of the famous ballet dancer Mathilde Kschessinska and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia.

Based on "In a Grove" by Akutagawa Rynoske. One shiny summer day the investigation group comes at former quarry check of indications of accused, witnesses and victims of the murder and the rape took place there half a year ago.

The story of the Podolsk cadets’ heroic stand outside Moscow in October 1941. Cadets were sent to the Ilyinsky line, fighting alongside units from the Soviet 43rd Army to hold back the German advance until reinforcements arrived. Hopelessly outnumbered, young men laid down their lives in a battle lasting almost two weeks to obstruct the far superior German forces advancing towards Moscow. Around 3,500 cadets and their commanding officers were sent to hold up the last line of defense outside Moscow. Most of them remained there for eternity.

Based on true and tragic events in the life of Vitaly Kaloyev, an architect and family man. In 2002, his wife and children die in a mid-air collision along with 70 other people, mostly children. Vitaly is one of the first people to discover the bodies of his family at the site of the crash. The blame is put on the company responsible for monitoring the air space, as well as the lone air traffic controller on duty at the time. Two years later, after much obstructed efforts to get apologies and answers, Vitaly flies to Switzerland to obtain justice.

The early Middle Ages. A time of heavy swords and dark blood law. The ruling clan is in discord. The guilt for the accidental death of the brother has fallen on the Grand Duke. According to the law, revenge must be taken by the younger brother, a bastard. For the refusal to kill, he has to pay with eve- rything he had, because “for peace you need more swords than for a war”...

Young girl Masha accidentally discovers the organization of snow and ice mages fighting the global devil under the leadership of Santa Claus.

A group of friends and bandmates look to escape from the Chernobyl disaster.

The true-life, stranger-than-fiction tale of eighteenth-century Greek pirate turned merchant Ioannis Varvakis, who rose from humble beginnings to become the head of one of the largest mercantile empires in Europe.

In December 2004, close-knit family Maria, Henry and their three sons begin their winter vacation in Thailand. But the day after Christmas, the idyllic holiday turns into an incomprehensible nightmare when a terrifying roar rises from the depths of the sea, followed by a wall of black water that devours everything in its path. Though Maria and her family face their darkest hour, unexpected displays of kindness and courage ameliorate their terror.

Novocherkassk, USSR, 1962. Liudmila is a Party executive and devout communist who fought at the front of WWII for Stalin’s ideology. Certain that her contribution will create a communist society, she detests any anti-Soviet sentiment. During a workers’ strike at the local electromotive factory, Liudmila witnesses the demonstration being gunned down on the government’s order, seeking to suppress mass strikes in the USSR. During the bloodbath and the ensuing panic, her daughter disappears, which changes Liudmila’s world view. Despite the blockade of the city, mass arrests, and the authorities’ attempts to cover up the massacre, Liudmila searches for her daughter. We don’t know how the search will end, but realize that her life will never be the same.

Retreating from life after a tragedy, a man questions the universe by writing to Love, Time and Death. Receiving unexpected answers, he begins to see how these things interlock and how even loss can reveal moments of meaning and beauty.

Drama following the lives of a group of midwives working in the poverty-stricken East End of London during the 1950s, based on the best-selling memoirs of Jennifer Worth.

The film represents life in a godforsaken Russian village. The only way to reach the mainland is to cross the lake by boat and a postman became the only connection with the outside world. A reserved community has been set up here. Despite the modern technologies and a spaceport nearby the people of the village live the way they would in the Neolithic Era. There is neither government nor social services or jobs. The postman's beloved woman escapes the village life and moves to the city. Postman's outboard engine gets stolen and he can no longer deliver mail. His normal pattern of life is disrupted. The postman makes a decision to leave for the city too but returns before long with no certain reason. The script is based on real characters' stories. People from the village play their own parts in the film. The search for the protagonist lasted for over a year.

Krasnodar's debut in the Champions League in 2020. Emotional doc film about the brightest season in the history of the club.

Russian poet, singer and actor Vladimir Vysotsky was an idol of the 1970s and '80s. In 1980, at the age of 42, he passed away during the Moscow Olympic Games. This is the story of his last great love as handed down to his son from a family friend. Written by nitorch.

Alevtina Romanova is a warden in the woman's colony, and the only thing that is different from her «iron lady» image is her voice - a voice which even a notable opera diva would envy. However, Alevtina has been ashamed of her talent since the times she was a kid and nowadays, preliminarily making sure no one's around, she rarely sings for herself. Despite the fact that Alevtina is trying to stay invisible, one of the prisoners secretly records her singing on video by a cellphone and puts it online. The tape becomes a real sensation, and soon Alevtina is invited to Moscow to participate in the main singing show on national television. A sincere desire to change her life awakens inside Alevtina but she's not ready to compete in the show at all. The only person who could train her voice and prepare her for the performance is that very prisoner, who recorded the video, who turns out to be a singer in the past.

In 1944, a courageous group of Russian soldiers managed to escape from German captivity in a half-destroyed legendary T-34 tank. Those were the times of unforgettable bravery, fierce fighting, unbreakable love, and legendary miracles.

A war drama set during the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, in which Russian troops held on to a border stronghold for nine days. The film shows the heroic defense of Brest Fortress, which has taken upon the first stroke of German fascist invaders on June 22 1941.

Based on the true story, international historical project “Sobibor” is dedicated to the heroism of the Soviet o cer Alexander Pechersky. During the great Patriotic war, being in a Nazi concentration camp Sobibor he managed to do the impossible — for only three weeks to organize a revolt and mass escape of the prisoners. Part of the escapees were caught and shot, and the rest led by Pechersky managed to escape and joined the partisans.

A successful top manager of an investment company, Ivanov, is fleeing the harassment of security officials from Moscow to Kiev, a city without rules, and is trying to find a place for himself there. He discovers the opportunity for easy money, as everything around can be stolen. In Kiev, Ivanov, with his friend and business partner Spitsin, goes to night clubs, visits the gallery of modern art and prepares a deal to buy shipwrecks from a local scam. "Ivanov", shot in Kiev before the Maidan, is based on real events, it is a strange and bewitching tragicomedy about corruption, infidelity and loneliness.

Drama set in 1942, during one of the most important battles of World War II, which stopped the progress of Nazi forces and turned the tide of war in favor of the Allies. The Soviet army mounts a counter-attack on the Nazi forces that occupy half of Stalingrad on the other side of the Volga, but the operation to cross the river is unsuccessful. A few soldiers who managed to get to the other side take refuge in a house on the bank of Volga. Here they find a girl who didn’t escape when the Germans came. While the whole might of the German army descends onto them, the heroes of Stalingrad experience love, loss, joy and the sense of ultimate freedom that can only be felt by those about to die. They defend the house at all costs while the Red Army prepares for another attack.

A long time ago, Prometheus was cursed by the God's for bringing fire to mankind. Today, Fedor finds himself in Moscow for the first time and falls in love with Masha.

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Julia is incredibly talented. She can become a great ballerina. But for this purpose she must give up everything: the interests of the family, her first love, friendship. Over and over again the heroine will face a complex choice between the dream of beauty and real life. The history of the rise of a young provincial girl to the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre. A film about dreams, beauty, and ballet.

The life and career of the brutal Soviet dictator, Josef Stalin.

March 1965. In the heat of the Cold War, the USA and the USSR are competing for supremacy in space. What both superpowers aim for in this race, is to be the first to have a man walk in outer space. To accomplish that, no price is too high and no risk is too great. Now it’s up to the unlikely duo of a seasoned war veteran and a hot-headed test-pilot to fulfill this mission. Two men in a tiny spaceship, without proper testing, facing the complete unknown… They were supposed to do what no man has done before – and no man imagined what would happen next…

Since early childhood Peter has been obsessed with the world of puppets, but his greater obsession is with a real girl, Lisa. He crafts his perfect woman out of her. But Lisa isn't a docile marionette. She's a living human being and she rebels against her creator. Based on the critically-acclaimed, brilliant and poignant novel by one of the best contemporary Russian writers, Dina Rubina, "Petrushka Syndrome" is a multidimensional metaphor, where a sense of duality pervades everything. People and dolls, life and art, the Creator and the creation depend on one another. And where does one draw the line between them?

Director Andres Puustusmaa movie based on Andres Anvelt novel.

In 16th-century Russia in the grip of chaos, Ivan the Terrible strongly believes he is vested with a holy mission. Believing he can understand and interpret the signs, he sees the Last Judgment approaching. He establishes absolute power, cruelly destroying anyone who gets in his way. During this reign of terror, Philip, the superior of the monastery on the Solovetsky Islands, a great scholar and Ivan's close friend, dares to oppose the sovereign's mystical tyranny. What follows is a clash between two completely opposite visions of the world, smashing morality and justice, God and men. A grand-scale film with excellent leading roles by Mamonov and Yankovsky. An allegory of Stalinist Russia

The year is 1917. We are in the Russian countryside. It is the middle of freezing winter. A pale young, newly educated doctor arrives. Having to deal with one medical challenge after another he soon becomes the center of everyone's attention. To soothe the impressions of human suffering he turns to morphine.

The first biography of Pavel Durov, the creator of the social network VKontakte and the Telegram messenger told by his close circle. The biography of a person who claims to protects your privacy, but in fact - protects his own.

An inspiring biopic about the legendary skier Elena Vyalbe. Born in a small town in the north of Russia, she had the courage and dedication to overcome a slew of obstacles on her way to becoming the very best in her sport. The film captures a historic skiing event at the 1997 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Trondheim, Norway, where Elena Vyalbe made skiing history by winning five out of five gold medals, which to this day remains a record achievement.

Soviet Georgia, 1983. Preparations for Nika and Ana's wedding are in full swing and it's a big day for both of their elite families. For the newlyweds and their friends, however, the celebrations are in fact part of a cover-up, as they plot an audacious escape from the Soviet Union.

The film is inspired by an incredible story of a shepherd dog named Palm who was inadvertently left in the airport by her owner. She befriends nine-year old Nicholas whose mother dies leaving him with a father he barely knows - a pilot who finds the dog at the airport. It's a story of amazing adventures, true friendship and unconditional love.

This story is not a figment of the scriptwriters’ imagination; these are real living facts. New Russian action movie Shugaley is a story about the war that is going on today. The film is based on real events taking place in Libya today. Two Russian social scientists, Maxim Shugaley and Samir Seifan, are invited to the conflict-torn country to carry out a public opinion research. In the course of their work, they come over the information, that would be damaging to the puppet government if made public. Russians are kidnapped and tortured in a private prison for more than a year. The situation cannot be resolved peacefully, so the Russian side is preparing a rescue operation. Premiere date - end of april 2020

The breakout of the war shatters the world of a young student, Lyudmila Pavlichenko, forcing her to enlist in the army in 1941. The maiden turns out to be a natural-born sniper, her impressive skill and prowess make her stand out among men and women alike. Seeing Pavlichenko as a tangible threat, the German High Command gives orders to eliminate the girl whatever the cost. In the meanwhile, Lyudmila meets a man and falls in love. War fades into the background... Soon, however, another misfortune befalls Lyudmila leaving the man she loves on the brink of death and herself seriously wounded. The girl is pulled out of combat and later goes to the United States with a publicity visit. Eleanor Roosevelt welcomes Lyudmila in the White House and the two women soon become close. It won't be long before Pavlichenko stands before an audience in Chicago pressing for a second front. Will her words have the capacity to change the course of war?

Tank commander Kalashnikov is severely injured in battle in 1941. The accident leaves him incapacitated and unable to return to the front line. While recovering in the hospital he begins creating the initial sketches of what will become one of the world’s most legendary weapons. A self-taught inventor, Mikhail Kalashnikov, is only 29 when he develops the now iconic assault riffle — the AK-47.

A story about the life of Sergey Pavlovich Korolyov, the lead Soviet rocket engineer and spacecraft designer.

The story is based on the real events of 1985. The team of a Russian polar icebreaker “Mikhail Gromov” discovered a giant iceberg. The ship came into collision while attempting to take cover from the weather and is forced to drift with ice along the Amundsen Sea coast. The crew of “Gromov” spent 133 days of polar night trying to find a way out of their icy trap. They have no room for mistakes; one wrong move and the vessel is crushed by ice.

The film is dedicated to the first steps of mankind on the path of space exploration and direct the fate of the first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. The main motif - the fight for the right to be first: the competition in the first cosmonaut, competition in missile technology, the confrontation of superpowers - the USSR and the USA. In the first group of astronauts were selected from three thousand fighter pilots across the country. In twenty of the legendary got the best of the best. Which of them will fly first, no one knew. In this way, had to contend not only with the pull of the earth ...

In the winter of 2011, after a controversial election, Vladimir Putin was reinstalled as president of Russia. In response, hundreds of thousands of citizens rose up all over the country to challenge the legitimacy of Putin’s rule. Among them were a group of young, radical-feminist punk rockers, better known as Pussy Riot. Wearing colored balaclavas, tights, and summer dresses, they entered Moscow’s most venerated cathedral and dared to sing “Mother Mary, Banish Putin!” Now they have become victims of a “show” trial.