Category: Soviet Cinema Classics

King Thrushbeard – Russian Version

Original YT playout date: 14 February 2010
Duration: 1:27:05

This was made in Slovakia under socialism, but is extremely popular in Russia and the Russian version comes almost into the canon of Soviet filmography.

This is based around the Brothers Grimm fairy tale of the same name, which bears the number 52 in the list of Grimm’s tales.

A beautiful, but spoiled and shallow princess criticizes all her suitors. The last of her suitors is a young king with such a thick beard that she dubs him King Thrushbeard. The young king leaves in anger. Her father, exasperated and angry that she has scorned all her suitors, declares that the first man who comes to the palace the next day will become her husband. Meanwhile, an unknown stranger overhears the conversation…. (rest on Wikipedia)

This upload dedicated to my wife of course, for Valentines Day, and also to Gina (“”zina1078dbb””) and “”Velikaya Rus””. Both these ladies have done amazing work in YouTube to keep the old Russian and other socialist era cinema alive and easily available throught the world. I recommend subbing to both their channels if you like this.
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Koschei the Deathless – Кащей Бессмертный

Original YT playout date: 31 January 2010
Duration: 1:03:45

An early Soviet movie from 1944 directed by Alexander Rou and starring Georgiy Millyar as the undead skeletal rapist ogre of ancient Slavonic mythology. Here it serves an analogy of the aggressor against Russia in the Second World War, still raging at the time this film was made. It is a call to the Russian people to rise up against the monster and drive it from their homeland.
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Varvara Krasa Dlinnaya Kosa – Barbara the Fair

Original YT playout date: 16 January 2010
Duration: 1:20:25

Huliganov TV has been able to get hold of a full version of this Soviet children’s movie for your enjoyment. Directed in 1969 by Alexandr Rou, this production of the Russian Story of “”Barbara the Fair with Silky Hair”” stars Mikhail Pugovkin as King Jeremy, Anastacia Zuyeva as the Narrator Lady, Georgiy Millar as King Chudo-Yudo, and Tatiana Klyuyeva as the eponymous Barbara.

The story is a traditional style fairytale, with King Jeremy kidnapped by the underwater kind Chudo-Yudo while making a census of his lands, and agreeing unwisely to a ransome demanded for his release…

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The Star Child – Сказка о Звездном Мальчике

Original YT playout date: 3 January 2010
Duration: 2:361

From the old soviet children’s film archives comes (thanks to my wife’s Belarus connexions) this well-known film based on a story by Oscar Wilde – the Star Child who drove away his mother, and then came to realise the enormity of what he had done. This is the whole film, in two parts of roughly equal length. Happy Russian Christmas! С Рождеством! (I put it up for Russian Christmas in January, a tradition time of year when this used to be televised).
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