The 50 Greatest Russian Movies
by gena_xxx | created - 04 Oct 2016 | updated - 05 Apr 2017 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Ballad of a Soldier (1959)
Not Rated | 88 min | Drama, Romance, War
Young Russian soldier Alyosha earns a medal, but asks to visit his mother instead. His journey recounts various kinds of love during wartime.
Director: Grigoriy Chukhray | Stars: Vladimir Ivashov, Zhanna Prokhorenko, Antonina Maksimova, Nikolay Kryuchkov
Votes: 11,294
2. Andrei Rublev (1966)
R | 189 min | Biography, Drama, History
The life, times and afflictions of the fifteenth-century Russian iconographer St. Andrei Rublev.
Director: Andrei Tarkovsky | Stars: Anatoliy Solonitsyn, Ivan Lapikov, Nikolay Grinko, Nikolay Sergeev
Votes: 57,087 | Gross: $0.10M
3. Man with a Movie Camera (1929)
Not Rated | 68 min | Documentary
A man travels around a city with a camera slung over his shoulder, documenting urban life with dazzling invention.
Director: Dziga Vertov | Stars: Mikhail Kaufman, Elizaveta Svilova
Votes: 28,010
4. The Dawns Here Are Quiet (1972)
PG-13 | 188 min | Drama, History, War
During World War II in a small village outpost, a Soviet sergeant has his troop replaced by an all female unit. As they finally begin to appreciate one another, German paratroopers are spotted nearby and the realities of war emerge.
Director: Stanislav Rostotskiy | Stars: Andrey Martynov, Irina Dolganova, Elena Drapeko, Ekaterina Markova
Votes: 4,774
5. Come and See (1985)
Not Rated | 142 min | Drama, Thriller, War
After finding an old rifle, a young boy joins the Soviet resistance movement against ruthless German forces and experiences the horrors of World War II.
Director: Elem Klimov | Stars: Aleksey Kravchenko, Olga Mironova, Liubomiras Laucevicius, Vladas Bagdonas
Votes: 97,437
6. The Diamond Arm (1969)
Not Rated | 94 min | Adventure, Comedy, Crime
An ordinary Soviet citizen accidentally intervenes into a huge operation of international criminal group that trades illegally obtained jewelry.
Director: Leonid Gaidai | Stars: Yuriy Nikulin, Nina Grebeshkova, Andrey Mironov, Anatoliy Papanov
Votes: 16,253
7. Love and Doves (1985)
Not Rated | 107 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Injured on the job Vasily Kuzyakin gets a ticket to the resort. There he meets femme fatale Raisa Zakharovna, and once under the charm, moves to live with her. Unfortunately, a new life is not all that sweet as dreamed hapless Vasily.
Director: Vladimir Menshov | Stars: Aleksandr Mikhaylov, Nina Doroshina, Lyudmila Gurchenko, Sergey Yurskiy
Votes: 5,572
8. Only Old Men Are Going to Battle (1974)
92 min | Comedy, Drama, War
During World War II, a Soviet veteran pilot teaches newcomers that war is transient, and music is eternal.
Director: Leonid Bykov | Stars: Leonid Bykov, Sergey Podgornyy, Sergei Ivanov, Rustam Sagdullaev
Votes: 5,776
9. A esli eto lyubov? (1962)
102 min | Drama
High schoolers Ksenia and Boris begin to understand that the feelings they share are more than just a friendship. But their first timid sentiment became apparent to people around them. They... See full summary »
Director: Yuli Raizman | Stars: Zhanna Prokhorenko, Igor Pushkaryov, Aleksandra Nazarova, Nina Shorina
Votes: 282
10. The Cranes Are Flying (1957)
Not Rated | 95 min | Drama, Romance, War
Veronica plans a rendezvous with her lover, Boris, at the bank of river, only for him to be drafted into World War II shortly thereafter.
Director: Mikhail Kalatozov | Stars: Tatyana Samoylova, Aleksey Batalov, Vasiliy Merkurev, Aleksandr Shvorin
Votes: 19,792 | Gross: $0.02M
11. Mirror (1975)
Not Rated | 107 min | Biography, Drama
A dying man in his forties remembers his past. His childhood, his mother, the war, personal moments and things that tell of the recent history of all the Russian nation.
Director: Andrei Tarkovsky | Stars: Margarita Terekhova, Filipp Yankovskiy, Ignat Daniltsev, Oleg Yankovskiy
Votes: 52,298 | Gross: $0.18M
12. Solaris (1972)
PG | 167 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A psychologist is sent to a station orbiting a distant planet in order to discover what has caused the crew to go insane.
Director: Andrei Tarkovsky | Stars: Natalya Bondarchuk, Donatas Banionis, Jüri Järvet, Vladislav Dvorzhetskiy
Votes: 98,329
13. Kidnapping, Caucasian Style (1967)
TV-13 | 82 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
A young student Shurik comes to a remote mountainous region in search of ancient legends and traditions. Fooled by the corrupt local governor, he helps him to kidnap a beautiful young girl, but soon realizes what he's done.
Director: Leonid Gaidai | Stars: Aleksandr Demyanenko, Natalya Varley, Vladimir Etush, Frunzik Mkrtchyan
Votes: 13,536
14. A Railway Station for Two (1983)
141 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A waitress from the provincial railway station falls in love with an accidental passenger. Before this passenger lies the menace of distant prison for the crime he didn't commit.
Director: Eldar Ryazanov | Stars: Lyudmila Gurchenko, Oleg Basilashvili, Nikita Mikhalkov, Nonna Mordyukova
Votes: 3,667
15. The Garage (1980)
96 min | Comedy, Drama
Meeting of the garage cooperative must exclude four own members because of a new highway's building. After the meeting it becomes clear that the exit door is closed by one of the members, who requires an equitable solution.
Director: Eldar Ryazanov | Stars: Alla Budnitskaya, Eldar Ryazanov, Lyudmila Tsvetkova, Mikhail Kokshenov
Votes: 4,304
16. Office Romance (1977)
Not Rated | 159 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
The life of entire statistical bureau becomes crazy when an ordinary worker, a shy man, falls in love with a boss, a strict woman.
Director: Eldar Ryazanov | Stars: Alisa Freyndlikh, Andrey Myagkov, Svetlana Nemolyaeva, Oleg Basilashvili
Votes: 10,391
17. Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession (1973)
TV-G | 88 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
An ordinary Soviet building manager, living in the 20th century, looks like Tsar of All Rus' - Ivan IV the Terrible (1530 - 1584). He'd never known this, until his neighbor created a time machine.
Director: Leonid Gaidai | Stars: Yuriy Yakovlev, Leonid Kuravlyov, Aleksandr Demyanenko, Saveliy Kramarov
Votes: 18,472
18. Welcome, or No Trespassing (1964)
74 min | Comedy, Family
A satirical comedy about the excessive restrictions that children face during their vacation in a Young Pioneer camp.
Director: Elem Klimov | Stars: Evgeniy Evstigneev, Arina Aleynikova, Ilya Rutberg, Lidiya Smirnova
Votes: 3,472
19. Operation 'Y' & Other Shurik's Adventures (1965)
TV-G | 95 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Three stories about Shurik - a young student. He fights against criminals, falls in love, confuses apartments, passes exams - he lives after all.
Director: Leonid Gaidai | Stars: Aleksandr Demyanenko, Mikhail Pugovkin, Aleksei Smirnov, Vladimir Basov
Votes: 14,830
20. Brother (1997)
99 min | Action, Crime, Drama
An ex-soldier with a personal honor code enters the family crime business in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Director: Aleksey Balabanov | Stars: Sergey Bodrov, Viktor Sukhorukov, Svetlana Pismichenko, Mariya Zhukova
Votes: 24,560
21. Gentlemen of Fortune (1971)
TV-13 | 88 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
It so happens that peaceful kindergarten teacher is incredibly similar to the terrible villain who stole the helmet of Alexander the Great. And villain's accomplices are unexpectedly similar to children - they also need love and care.
Director: Aleksandr Seryy | Stars: Evgeniy Leonov, Georgiy Vitsin, Saveliy Kramarov, Radner Muratov
Votes: 12,888
22. Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears (1980)
PG | 150 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Three young provincial women come to Moscow in search of what people in all the capitals of the world are looking for - love, happiness and prosperity. Their destinies develop exactly as the character of each of the girls suggests.
Director: Vladimir Menshov | Stars: Vera Alentova, Aleksey Batalov, Irina Muravyova, Aleksandr Fatyushin
Votes: 14,301 | Gross: $2.50M
23. The Rifleman of the Voroshilov Regiment (1999)
95 min | Crime, Drama
Veteran of World War II takes revenge on three scums who raped his naive granddaughter.
Director: Stanislav Govorukhin | Stars: Mikhail Ulyanov, Anna Sinyakina, Aleksandr Porokhovshchikov, Sergey Garmash
Votes: 4,870
24. Brat 2 (2000)
122 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Arriving in Moscow, Danila discovers Konstantin dead and he sets out to avenge his death; a journey that leads him to Chicago and a whole new experience.
Director: Aleksey Balabanov | Stars: Sergey Bodrov, Viktor Sukhorukov, Sergey Makovetskiy, Irina Saltykova
Votes: 17,352
25. Carnival Night (1956)
Not Rated | 78 min | Comedy, Drama, Musical
A new chief of a "Culture House" is planning to hold a terribly boring New Year concert. A group of young amateur actors are doing their best to liven up the concert.
Director: Eldar Ryazanov | Stars: Igor Ilyinsky, Lyudmila Gurchenko, Yuri Belov, Georgiy Kulikov
Votes: 3,097
26. What Men Talk About (2010)
Not Rated | 93 min | Comedy
Four long-time friends take a two day road trip from Moscow to Odessa to attend a friend's party. While traveling, they discuss with one another the negatives about being married men.
Director: Dmitriy Dyachenko | Stars: Leonid Barats, Aleksandr Demidov, Kamil Larin, Rostislav Khait
Votes: 6,764
27. The Girls (1962)
98 min | Comedy, Romance
Several romance stories - part funny, part sadly - set in a remote logging camp.
Director: Yuriy Chulyukin | Stars: Nadezhda Rumyantseva, Nikolay Rybnikov, Lyusena Ovchinnikova, Inna Makarova
Votes: 4,515
28. The Ascent (1977)
111 min | Drama, War
Two Soviet partisans on a mission to gather food contend with the winter cold, the occupying Germans, and their own psyches.
Director: Larisa Shepitko | Stars: Boris Plotnikov, Vladimir Gostyukhin, Sergey Yakovlev, Lyudmila Polyakova
Votes: 10,120
29. The Fool (II) (2014)
116 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Dima Nikitin is an ordinary honest plumber who suddenly decides to face the corrupt system of local politics in order to save the lives of 800 inhabitants of an old dormitory, which is about to collapse.
Director: Yuriy Bykov | Stars: Artyom Bystrov, Natalya Surkova, Yuriy Tsurilo, Boris Nevzorov
Votes: 16,444
30. Ostrov Sokrovishch (1988)
G | 72 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Cartoon adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's most famous adventure novel.
Director: David Cherkasskiy | Stars: Valeriy Bessarab, Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, Viktor Andrienko, Vyacheslav Dubinin
Votes: 4,352
31. Gusarskaya ballada (1962)
Not Rated | 94 min | Comedy, Musical, War
A young girl decides to join a Husar squadron and fight against Napoleon. Dressed as a man she has a hard time adjusting to the rude Husar life styles.
Director: Eldar Ryazanov | Stars: Larisa Golubkina, Yuriy Yakovlev, Igor Ilyinsky, Nikolay Kryuchkov
Votes: 1,749
32. Rozygrysh (1977)
96 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
At high school, some pupils decide to play a 'practical joke' on their teacher. On the day of midterm exam all of them say they she had told them the wrong date for the exam. She almost ... See full summary »
Director: Vladimir Menshov | Stars: Yevgeniya Khanayeva, Natalya Fateeva, Zinoviy Gerdt, Garri Bardin
Votes: 421
33. The Destiny of a Man (1959)
103 min | Drama, War
A Soviet soldier, Andrei Sokolov, has been separated from his family by World War II. Suffering in German captivity, he dreams of meeting his darlings after the victory. But cruel fate turned out otherwise.
Director: Sergey Bondarchuk | Stars: Sergey Bondarchuk, Pavel Boriskin, Zinaida Kirienko, Pavel Volkov
Votes: 3,711
34. Unbelievable Adventures of Italians in Russia (1974)
TV-PG | 104 min | Adventure, Comedy, Crime
The mad adventures of the mad Italians, searching for the mad treasures in the mad Russia.
Directors: Francesco Prosperi, Eldar Ryazanov | Stars: Andrey Mironov, Ninetto Davoli, Antonia Santilli, Alighiero Noschese
Votes: 6,340
35. Grandads-Robbers (1972)
92 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
An old detective thinks that he is too young for retiring. With the help of his friends, he plans to commit 'the crime of the century' and then quickly solve it. But being a criminal is much more harder than being a policeman.
Director: Eldar Ryazanov | Stars: Yuriy Nikulin, Evgeniy Evstigneev, Olga Aroseva, Georgiy Burkov
Votes: 2,221
36. Za spichkami (1980)
100 min | Adventure, Comedy, History
In Eastern Finland, in Liperi to be exact, Anna-Liisa Ihalainen asks her husband Antti to get some matches from the Ihalainen household. Unfortunately that trip takes a little longer than expected.
Directors: Leonid Gaidai, Risto Orko | Stars: Evgeniy Leonov, Vyacheslav Nevinnyy, Rita Polster, Ritva Valkama
Votes: 1,250
37. Kalina krasnaya (1974)
110 min | Drama
A former thief is released from a prison. He tries to start a new life with his penfriend - a good village woman, but his past doesn't let him go.
Director: Vasiliy Shukshin | Stars: Lidiya Fedoseeva-Shukshina, Vasiliy Shukshin, Ivan Ryzhov, Mariya Skvortsova
Votes: 2,013
38. Serge (1960)
80 min | Comedy, Drama
The mother of a 5 years old Seryozha remarries. This man becomes a friend and a confident, an adult who see Seryozha not as a child, but as a person.
Directors: Georgiy Daneliya, Igor Talankin | Stars: Boris Barkhatov, Sergey Bondarchuk, Irina Skobtseva, Natalya Chechyotkina
Votes: 718
39. Afonya (1975)
PG | 92 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A carefree plumber spends his days drinking and chasing women, but the emptiness of his life starts catching up to him.
Director: Georgiy Daneliya | Stars: Leonid Kuravlyov, Evgeniya Simonova, Evgeniy Leonov, Saveliy Kramarov
Votes: 4,859
40. Autumn Marathon (1979)
90 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Middle-aged university professor desperately tries to strike a balance in his life between his wife and his mistress, slowly getting bogged down in his own lies.
Director: Georgiy Daneliya | Stars: Oleg Basilashvili, Natalya Gundareva, Marina Neyolova, Evgeniy Leonov
Votes: 3,659
41. Burnt by the Sun (1994)
R | 135 min | Drama, War
In the USSR in 1936, shadows of Stalin's repressions fall on a famous, revolutionary hero. The accusations of him being a foreign spy are nonsense, and everyone knows that. However, a slow process of his downfall has already started.
Director: Nikita Mikhalkov | Stars: Nikita Mikhalkov, Ingeborga Dapkunaite, Oleg Menshikov, Nadezhda Mikhalkova
Votes: 16,355 | Gross: $2.62M
42. Leviathan (2014)
R | 140 min | Crime, Drama
In a Russian coastal town, Kolya is forced to fight the corrupt mayor when he is told that his house will be demolished. He recruits a lawyer friend to help, but the man's arrival brings further misfortune for Kolya and his family.
Director: Andrey Zvyagintsev | Stars: Aleksey Serebryakov, Elena Lyadova, Roman Madyanov, Vladimir Vdovichenkov
Votes: 56,934 | Gross: $1.09M
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