50 Russian Films – A List of Some of the Best-Loved Comedies and Love Stories from Russia

#41 Lady into Lassie (1995)

This film is based on one of Pushkin’s short stories and takes us to the beautiful Russian countryside.

Elizabeth is a young woman who is bored to death in this countryside and fresh air. Her father is careful not to let her spend her time with anyone beneath her station, so she finds herself very lonely. The young man from next door, just back from University, has no such problems. He chases the local young servants around and kisses them whenever he feels like it. The fathers of these two youths have fallen out with each other decades ago, so Elizabeth (unable to curb her curiosity) dresses up as a servant girl to have a look at this dashing young man that everyone speaks of.

They soon fall in love and we have the pleasure of watching their secret rendezvous and innocent flirtations. It’s a lovely and sweet tale of first love.

Content note: There is one scene where there is some nude swimming at the beginning (9mins40sec-10mins30sec). However, if you skip that scene, it’s a film that anyone can watch.

Watch it on YouTube.

#42 Nastya (1993)

This is a story about a regular girl who lives an unremarkable and somewhat lonely life. One day she is given the opportunity to make a wish. She wishes to become beautiful. The kind of beautiful that people seem to pay attention to while they ignore her quiet kind of inner beauty and kindness.

Suddenly, Nastya wakes up as a “beauty” and experiences a completely different world. People start treating her differently and pay more attention to her. However, there is a reason why people say to be careful what we wish for. Nastya finds that life as a beautiful woman is not without its difficulties and may just lose her chance at true love in the process. After all, it can be just as difficult (maybe even more so) to deal with unwanted attention as it is to deal with not getting enough attention to begin with.

Watch Nastya on YouTube.

#43 The Pokrovsky Gates (1982)

Follows the lives of several people who live in a communal apartment. They share a kitchen and become an important part of each other’s lives. This one is full of eccentric characters and unusual situations. Such as a separated couple live who live together with the new fiancé of the wife. The husband isn’t even against his wife’s new union. What drives him crazy is that she thinks she still has a say in his own love life. Consequently, he has to secretly slip out of the house like a rebellious teenager to meet up with his own new girlfriend because his ex disapproves of her.

Another troublemaker is the young man who flirts so much that he can’t keep the names of the girls he meets straight. Of course, that all changes when he suddenly finds himself head over heels in love at first sight. This one is full of memorable scenes.

Watch it with CC subs on YouTube (PART 1 and PART 2) or on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.

#44 Station For Two (1983)

“Nowadays, we seem to live without excitement: Monotonously, as if in paradise. Don’t be afraid to gamble everything on one card and turn your life upside down!

We are no longer who we were at the start. We’ve lost our drive. Go ahead and take the risk! Don’t be afraid to change your life.”

A man is taking a long train trip to visit his father. He gets off the train for a quick snack during its 20-minute-stop. Certain unforeseen circumstances make him miss his train. As he waits for the next train, he gets to know the waitress that he had taken an instant dislike to. His short stay at this station leads to an unexpected romance with her that could turn his entire life upside down and for the better.

Watch this film on YouTube or on SOVIETMOVIESONLINE.

#45 Twelve Chairs (1971)

This is a famous satirical comedy. It’s another treasure hunt for items hidden during the times of war. This time the treasure was hidden in one of a set of 12 chairs. Ostap Bender, a charming swindler, and his partner in crime are on the hunt for this chair. Of course, they have to hunt down the many owners and have humorous encounters each time they come upon the next chair. Will they ever find the right chair? That is the question!

Watch Twelve Chairs on Amazon Prime, YouTube (PART 1 and PART 2), or SOVIETMOVIESONLINE. There is also a musical version of this story, which I prefer. In many ways, the two films complement each other. However, there are no subtitles available for that one. You can still watch it raw if you wish to practice your Russian. You can also check out the slightly less popular Golden Calf which follows the same main character of Ostap Bender.

#46 Piter FM/ Radio Wave (2006)

“I trust my phone is in good hands?”

Piter FM  is a modern story about seeking human connections.

Masha is planning her wedding. Frankly, her fiancé is doing all the planning and she is just going along with everything. Meanwhile, Maxim won a prize in architecture and is preparing to move to Germany. People envy them and you’d think that they would be happier. They are not exactly unhappy, but something is missing from their lives and they can’t quite put their finger on it.

One day, Masha drops her phone and Maxim picks it up. As they try to find a suitable time and place to meet up so that Maxim can give the phone back, they start having conversations on this phone and there is an undeniable connection between them.

Watch it on YouTube.

#47 The Stroll (2003)

This film was successfully shown at several international film festivals. It’s effectively a walk through St. Petersburg.

A young man approaches a young woman on the streets of St. Petersburg. He claims that he has fallen in love with her at first sight and simply tags along wherever she goes. He even calls up his best friend to make the girl feel more at ease. She, in turn, flirts shamelessly with both men as they take a non-stop tour of the city. It doesn’t take long for this to become a love triangle, which starts causing rifts between the two men. The camera keeps following them as feelings of love, jealousy, and envy develop.

Content note: Rated 15+ for occasional strong language and themes. However, there is nothing explicit here.

Watch The Stroll on Amazon Prime. It’s also available on DVD.

#48 Yolki (2010)

The name of this film literally translates to fir trees/Christmas trees. It is also occasionally used as another way of saying “damn it.”

Think of this as a Russian take on Love Actually. It’s not as good as the British film but is very amusing and enjoyable nonetheless.

In an orphanage, a proud little girl announces that she is the secret daughter of the president of Russia. Naturally, the other children see through her lies and ask her to prove it, all the while knowing it’s impossible. They promise to believe her if the president says a certain phrase during the official New Year speech. A little boy decides to become her knight in shining armour. Armed with the rule of Six Degrees of Separation, he sets off a chain of events that allow us to follow stories in several cities across the vast Russia.

Available on Amazon Prime (as Six Degrees of Celebration). There are also several sequels. These too are available on Amazon Prime.

Lastly, here are two films for fans of Danila Kozlovsky!

#49 Five Brides (2011)

“Marriage is a powerful thing. I’ve never even laid eyes on my husband and yet I miss him already!”

Related Post: I Was a Male War Bride (1949) – A Saucy Romantic Comedy with Slapstick

After WWII ended in 1945, some soldiers had to remain stationed at their posts in Germany as a precaution. Aleksei, one of the soldiers, is sent on a short vacation to Russia. Afraid that all the prettiest girls will be taken by the time they get back home, the boys ask Aleksei to bring them back brides. All of them exclaim that they trust his judgement, thrust wedding bands, and passports at him and send him on his way. Having had his friendship doubted, Aleksei grudgingly agrees and heads off on a bride hunt armed with four rings and passports, not to mention his own. We have a full review of this comedy. Just follow the link below.

Watch this film on YouTube.

Related Post: Five Brides (One Groom)- A Comedy About Love and Friendship

#50 We Are From The Future (2008)

Four modern young men make their money selling on medals and other trinkets from the war. They come by most of these by disturbing the graves of war heroes and making fun of them in the process.

So, it is no surprise when they are suddenly thrust into the past. Straight into the middle of WWII. They are in for a rude awakening! Consequently, they are made to fight alongside the other soldiers and learn about the sacrifices their forefathers made to make way for the world we all live in today. They are shown that war is no laughing matter the hard way. It’s a powerful film about not taking the past for granted. All present and future is built on the past and if one forgets it, one is that much more likely to repeat the mistakes of the past.

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

George Santayana

Related Post: Wartime Romances In Film: A Look Back

The first part of the film is a tad difficult to get through. The filmmakers went out of their way to show how rough, rude and disrespectful the leads are. It is all in the vein of showing as stark a contrast to their more matured selves after their return from their trip to WWII. It works, but the film is only really enjoyable once they end up in the past. From then on it’s a fantastic film about war, love and growing as people.

Content note: Some strong language (especially in the beginning), violence and some brief partial nudity. Although no official rating, think of it as 15+ content. Maybe even borderline R for the realities of war.

Available to stream on Amazon Prime.

Featured Image: That Very Same Munchhausen (1979). Other Photo credits: Mosfilm, Lenfilm, Odessa Film Studios, Gosteleradio, Star Media, Central Partnership

This is only the tip of the iceberg. There are many other fantastic films I would have loved to share with you. I will, however, keep an eye out in case any other favourites become available with English subtitles. In the meantime, happy watching! And let me know what you think of the films you watch down below. Have any of the stories made your new favourites list?

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