20 amazing Soviet musical films

20. Aibolit-66

• USSR, 1967.
• Adventure, comedy.
• Duration: 99 minutes.
• KinoPoisk: 7.1.

The monkey, which escaped from the robber Barmaley, tells Aibolit that he is rampant in Africa epidemic. The good doctor and his assistants set off to save the animals, but he will have to face many difficulties and insidious pirates.

Rolan Bykov, who himself played Barmaley, staged this film in a very unusual way. Heroes repeatedly break the fourth wall, that is, they turn directly to the viewer. The film crew regularly gets into the frame and even participates in the action. And besides that, there are a lot of memorable songs in the picture. One of the most popular was the composition "Normal heroes always go around" performed by villains.

19. The circus

• USSR, 1936.
• Melodrama, comedy.
• Duration: 90 minutes.
• KinoPoisk: 7.1.

Circus artist Marion Dixon arrives on tour in the USSR with the number "Flight to the Moon". Knowing the unsightly facts of the girl's biography, she is blackmailed by the German Franz von Kneischitz. Meanwhile, Soviet artists are preparing to surpass the success of the American.

It was in this film by Grigory Alexandrov that the song “My dear country is wide ...” sounded, which soon became a popular hit. Interestingly, Isaak Dunayevsky wrote another melody for the same picture, which was not included in the final cut. Later it was used in the film "Children of Captain Grant" with the text "Come on, sing a song to us, cheerful wind."

18. Snow Maiden

• USSR, 1968.
• Fairy tale, melodrama.
• Duration: 90 minutes.
• KinoPoisk: 7.2.

Many young men stare at the Snow Maiden, and Mizgir even leaves his beloved Kupava for her sake. However, the beauty is cold to others. And then the tsar says that the one who will achieve her heart before a certain time will be able to marry the Snow Maiden.

The music for this beautiful fairy tale was written by the composer Vladislav Kladnitsky. He is the author of hundreds of songs, including "The Scarlet Sail of Hope", as well as the creator of soundtracks for about 60 films. In many ways, it was thanks to the musical component that the “Snow Maiden” fell in love with the audience.

17. Star and death of Joaquin Murieta

• USSR, 1982.
• Biography, drama.
• Duration: 86 minutes.
• KinoPoisk: 7.2.

Poor Chilean Joaquin Murieta travels to California during the gold rush. He dreams of getting rich quick, and on the ship he meets his love. But in the US, only difficulties await them.

This film is based on the rock opera of the same name by Alexei Rybnikov. Unfortunately, over the years, the work has been lost against the background of the more popular Juno and Avos. But at least the musical component of the picture definitely deserves attention. Moreover, the soundtrack was recorded by such teams as Araks, Integral and Rock-Atelier.

16. Funny boys

• USSR, 1934.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 94 minutes.
• KinoPoisk: 7.2.

Elena from a wealthy family mistakenly takes the shepherd and talented musician Kostya Potekhin for a famous conductor and invites him to visit. A naive young man falls in love with a beautiful woman, but when the deception is revealed, the girl kicks out the guest. Meanwhile, Elena's housekeeper tries to confess her feelings to Kostya.

In this film by Grigory Alexandrov, Lyubov Orlova, the director's wife, played one of her first roles. And her screen partner was the famous singer Leonid Utyosov. It was they who performed the "March of the Merry Guys", "Heart" and other compositions that instantly became hits.

15. Kuban Cossacks

• USSR, 1949.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 115 minutes.
• KinoPoisk: 7.4.

Galina Peresvetova and Gordey Raven run two prosperous collective farms and compete endlessly in labor success. And here are their employees Nikolai and Dasha in love into each other. But executives suspect the relationship may be a cunning plan by competitors.

Director Ivan Pyryev wanted to make a film that would take place during a rural fair. And at the same time, the theme of socialist competition and excellent songs, which were standard for the time, were added to the picture, among which were the hit for all times “What were you ...”. By the way, the name "Kuban Cossacks" was invented by Joseph Stalin himself.

14. We are from Jazz

• USSR, 1983.
• Drama, comedy.
• Duration: 89 minutes.
• KinoPoisk: 7.7.

In the USSR of the 1920s, student Kostya was expelled from a technical school for his excessive passion for jazz. Then he decides to gather his group. And soon a small jazz band begins rehearsals and gives the first concerts. But achieving fame is very difficult.

Most of the soundtrack to this picture is made up of jazz compositions written by Anatoly Kroll, mixed with archival recordings of the 1920s. But the songs from the film gained particular popularity. For example, the yard “Come on, put away your suitcase” and “The Old Piano” by Mark Minkov.

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13. Spring

• USSR, 1947.
• Melodrama, comedy.
• Duration: 104 minutes.
• KinoPoisk: 7.7.

Operetta actress Vera Shatrova gets her first major film role. She should play the scientist Irina Nikitina, whom she is very similar to. But the heroine needs to be both in the theater and on the set at the same time. Then Vera asks Nikitina herself to replace her, which leads to many comical situations.

The third picture on our list is Alexandrov's painting with Lyubov Orlova. The author took a typical buffoonery plot about similar people and a change in occupations and mixed it with Soviet realities. A separate advantage of the tape is the compositions of Isaac Dunayevsky, among which the title "Spring is Coming".

12. Winter evening in Gagra

• USSR, 1985.
• Drama, comedy, melodrama.
• Duration: 90 minutes.
• KinoPoisk: 7.7.

Young Arkady Grachev from Vorkuta finds the once-famous tap dancer Alexei Beglov and asks him to become his teacher. After the first attempts, it turns out that the young man has absolutely no talent. In the meantime, television is erroneously reporting Beglov's death.

The idea of ​​this film was born by Karen Shakhnazarov while working on the film “We are from Jazz”, where he met the tap dancer Alexei Bystrov. The dancer died during filming, and the director decided to come up with an artistic plot based on the master's biography.

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11. Draw

• USSR, 1976.
• Melodrama.
• Duration: 91 minutes.
• KinoPoisk: 7.8.

Not having prepared for the test, the students decide to play the teacher and say that she did not warn about the test. But the deception is revealed, which leads to conflicts among schoolchildren.

In the directorial debut of Vladimir Menshov, the young Dmitry Kharatyan played his first role. The actor did not sing the songs himself: the voice of the soloist of the VIA "Good fellows" Anatoly Kiselev sounds in the picture.

10. Mermaid

• USSR, Bulgaria, 1976.
• Fairy tale, melodrama.
• Duration: 81 minutes.
• KinoPoisk: 7.9.

The Soviet film adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale retains a significant part of the original plot. The little mermaid falls in love with the prince and, in order to be with him, she negotiates with the witch. True, she does not take away the girl’s voice, but her unusual hair.

The version from director Vladimir Bychkov turned out to be unexpectedly adult and even gloomy for a children's fairy tale. And the music for the film was written by the legendary Yevgeny Krylatov, the author of compositions for more than 150 Soviet films and cartoons.

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9. Cinderella

• USSR, 1947.
• Fairy tale, comedy.
• Duration: 84 minutes.
• KinoPoisk: 8.0.

The plot of this great fairy tale is well known to everyone. Playwright Yevgeny Schwartz only slightly corrected and supplemented the story of Charles Perrault about the hardworking and modest Cinderella, who goes to the ball and falls in love with the prince.

Many great actors played in the classic Soviet film. For example, Faina Ranevskaya as a stepmother and Erast Garin as a king. The audience loved the songs from this picture no less. So, until now, “Kind Bug” regularly sounds at children's holidays.

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8. Mr. X

• USSR, 1958.
• Melodrama, comedy.
• Duration: 88 minutes.
• KinoPoisk: 8.0.

Acrobat Mr. X conquers women with his talent and mystery. But when he meets the young widow Theodora Verdier, he is forced to introduce himself under a false name so as not to reveal his true occupation. At the same time, the novel of the son of the owner of the hotel "Green Parrot" and the actress of the circus Marie develops.

It is interesting that in the original operetta by the Hungarian Imre Kalman "Princess of the Circus" the action took place in St. Petersburg and many characters were Russian. In the film adaptation, the plot was moved to Paris, changing the names and nationalities of the heroes. The main role in the film was played by the owner of an incredibly beautiful baritone Georg Ots, who performed the famous "Mr. X's Aria".

7. Hussar ballad

• USSR, 1962.
• Historical, comedy.
• Duration: 96 minutes.
• KinoPoisk: 8.0.

On the eve of the war of 1812, the hussar lieutenant Rzhevsky arrives at the house of his bride Alexandra. The groom has never seen the girl and presents her as a typical cutesy young lady. In fact, Shura is an excellent swordsman and keeps in the saddle, and therefore decides to play Rzhevsky by dressing in a male cornet costume. But then she secretly goes along with the hussars towards the enemy.

Movie Eldara Ryazanova based on Alexander Gladkov's play "A long time ago", so the entire main text is written in verse. And besides this, the compositions of Tikhon Khrennikov sound in the picture, which he came up with for the theatrical production of the work. Even before the filming of the film, many of them, such as couplets of hussars, became popular. Therefore, the director decided to leave them in the film adaptation.

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6. Wizards

• USSR, 1982.
• Fantasy, melodrama.
• Duration: 147 minutes.
• KinoPoisk: 8.0.

A simple guy Ivan falls in love with the beautiful witch Alena, who works at NUINA (Scientific Universal Institute of Extraordinary Services). They are already preparing a wedding, but the deputy director Apollon Sataneev looks at the girl. Meanwhile, the institution is developing a real magic wand.

This film is based on a satirical book. brothers Strugatsky "Monday starts on Saturday." But in the screen version, the atmosphere has become lighter and more fabulous. The picture gave the audience such compositions as “Three White Horses” and “Song of the Snowflake”.

5. Wedding in Malinovka

• USSR, 1967.
• Military, comedy.
• Duration: 95 minutes.
• KinoPoisk: 8.0.

In the small village of Malinovka during the civil war, power is constantly changing. However, this does not prevent young Yarinka and Andreika from falling in love with each other. But after the attack of Ataman Gritian of Tauride, the inhabitants need to unite with a detachment of Kotovites in order to free themselves from the power of the bandits.

Now it has already been forgotten that the film was shot based on the operetta of the same name, which was created by Boris Alexandrov (the son of Alexander Alexandrov, the author of the anthem of the USSR and Russia). Moreover, the original libretto of the work was written in Ukrainian.

4. For two hares

• USSR, 1961.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 77 minutes.
• KinoPoisk: 8.1.

The ruined barber shop owner Golokhvastov decides to marry an ugly girl for a dowry. But then he meets Galya, with whom he intends to have a secret affair. However, the desire to get everything and immediately destroys all the plans of the hero.

Initially, Viktor Ivanov shot the film in Ukrainian, not expecting an all-Union distribution. But when the picture gained immense popularity, the same actors re-voiced most of their lines in Russian. The original soundtrack was discovered only in 2013.

3. Midshipmen, forward!

• USSR, 1987.
• Adventure, historical.
• Duration: 290 minutes.
• KinoPoisk: 8.1.

In the middle of the 18th century, three young cadets study at a navigational school. Against their will, they are drawn into palace intrigues aimed at overthrowing the empress.

The television film by Svetlana Druzhinina was filmed as a response to the film about the Three Musketeers. And the authors managed not only to create a new story, but also to write no less memorable songs. Unlike the “Drawing” featured in our list, here Dmitry Kharatyan performed all the parts himself.

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2. D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers

• USSR, 1979.
• Adventure, historical.
• Duration: 250 minutes.
• KinoPoisk: 8.1.

Film adaptation of the book Alexandra Dumas dedicated to the poor but proud Gascon d'Artagnan. He arrives in Paris, wanting to join the ranks of the king's musketeers, but soon finds himself embroiled in intrigues on which the fate of all of France depends.

In this film adaptation, everything coincided perfectly: from charismatic actors and a greatly simplified plot to the musical component. Many of the songs from the film became hits, and they are often performed and re-recorded without reference to the original story. Moreover, in the picture there are compositions for any mood: from the dashing “Song of the Musketeers” to the lyrical “Ballad of Athos”.

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1. Bat

• USSR, 1978.
• Melodrama, comedy.
• Duration: 141 minutes.
• KinoPoisk: 8.2.

Banker Heinrich Eisenstein often cheats on his wife. And even the night when he should go to prison, the womanizer plans to spend at the ball with young beauties. But friend Falk decided to play a trick on Heinrich and send him a maid in a carnival costume. And in the end, Eisenstein's wife appears as a mysterious stranger.

It is surprising that the brothers Yuri and Vitaly Solomin played in the film based on the operetta by Johann Strauss. They got the roles of not relatives, but simply friends. The vocal parts for the characters were performed by other artists, which does not spoil the impression of the picture at all: the combination of great music, humor and acting still pleases.

What Soviet musical films do you remember? Tell us about them and your favorite songs in the comments!