10 best TV series about life in the USSR that convey the spirit of the times

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

In recent years, interest in the past has grown steadily. Hollywood filmmakers are increasingly trying to revive the television projects of the 1990s, and Russian directors, one after another, release films and series, the events of which develop during the Soviet era. Our today's review presents the best TV series about life in the USSR, thanks to which you can feel the atmosphere of a bygone era.

The Far Side of the Moon, 2012, directed by Alexander Kott

The Brezhnev era appears in the series in all its glory and makes you remember the past, which is closely intertwined with the present, and the mystical component does not violate the harmony and integrity of perception. A captivating detective story, an atmosphere-creating setting, a lot of ironic moments and an overall lightness made the series one of the best of its kind.

"Thaw", 2013, director Valery Todorovsky

The atmospheric film is not so much about the thaw as a period of history, but rather about cinema during the thaw. High-quality scenery, large-scale filming, stunning music that creates the mood, and great acting - all this distinguishes "Thaw" from other retro series about the Soviet era. Its particular value lies in the fact that the filmmakers were able to tell the viewer about this era without idealizing or demonizing the past.

Fartsa, 2015, directed by Yegor Baranov

Despite the fact that the series cannot claim to be completely reliable, and the level of romanticism in it is clearly overestimated, Fartsa, nevertheless, perfectly conveys the spirit of the Soviet era. The creators included in 8 episodes the events that took place in the period from 1961 to 1991, having managed to create a rather fascinating and even funny series.

"Mysterious Passion", 2016, directed by Vlad Furman

In the series, events unfold from the thaw to the appearance of Soviet tanks in Prague. "Mysterious Passion" is Rozhdestvensky and Okudzhava, Vysotsky and Yevtushenko, Voznesensky, Brodsky, Akhmadulina and the atmosphere of the time when amazing people, real masters of souls and minds, created their creations. And even if in the film they have completely different names and surnames, the viewer unmistakably recognizes in each of them those whose work is still relevant today.

"Family Album", 2016, directed by Leonid Prudovsky

The Soviet era is shown here through the prism of events taking place in one large family of Academician Kolokoltsev. The series raises many different questions and makes each character decide for himself what is most important in everyone's life, and make a difficult choice between duty and responsibility to loved ones. The series literally takes the viewer to the Soviet Union of the 1950s and makes them live with the heroes of their fate.

"Optimists", 2017, director Alexei Popogrebsky

Some viewers call this series "The Thaw about Diplomats", comparing it with the series by Valery Todorovsky. Events are indeed unfolding during the thaw, and the protagonists are diplomats who believe in a bright future and that the times of Stalin's repressions and harsh censorship are a thing of the past. The special advantage of the series is its realism and the absence of any kind of romanticization of that period. But you can look from the inside at the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and enjoy the detective intrigue.

Murka, 2017, directors Anton Rosenberg and Yaroslav Mochalov

The series is very different from other films about the gangster Odessa of the 1920s. The scriptwriter Andrei Rubanov endowed the heroes with bright characters and distinctive Odessa flavor. And the whole story is devoted to debunking the myth about the famous heroine of the thieves' song and tells the story of Marus Klimova, who at one time destroyed the notorious gang of "Apostles" by infiltrating her.

Foundling, 2019, directed by Anton Bormatov

This series fully conveys the atmosphere of the NEP, when the spirit of permissiveness was in the air, and in the midst of the devastation gambling houses, cafes and restaurants sparkled with ostentatious luxury and the popular Jewish chanson sounded. "Foundling" became a reflection of a change in thinking at a time when in society one could meet both those who hated the revolution, but served the Bolsheviks, and those who sacredly believed in the bright future of Russia under the new government.

"Magomayev", 2020, directors Dmitry Tyurin and Roman Prygunov

Despite the excessive "festivity" of the picture drawn by the creators, the series is undoubtedly of interest both as a biography of the genius Soviet singer Muslim Magomayev, and as a mirror of the country in which such talents were born. Documentary footage from the life of Soviet people is especially helpful in creating the atmosphere.

"Intercessors", 2020, directed by Vladimir Kott

This series is of particular interest already because it was based on the books of the famous lawyer Dina Kaminskaya, who had a chance to work in the most high-profile trials in the 1960-1970s. She defended dissidents, after she was removed from participation in political affairs, and then she was forced to emigrate to the United States due to the threat of arrest. In "Intercessors" you can see from the inside the work of the judicial machine of the Soviet era, see how evidence was collected and why the presumption of innocence was often forgotten.

The resounding success of "Slave of Izaura" made Russian TV channels think about how the series are beneficial to television. And already in the nineties, own and long-term projects began to appear in Russia. The first, not yet familiar and therefore extremely popular.