The cinema was one of the favorite pastimes of the Soviet public, cheap and easy to get, since cinemas could be found even in the smallest cities. This may explain the record number of viewers of some Soviet films, many of which remain favorites of several generations.

10. 'The sunrises are more peaceful here' (1973)

It is one of the most moving movies about World War II. The adaptation of the homonymous story by Soviet writer Boris Vasiliev does not feature battle scenes or the horrors of war. It is the story of a young non-commissioned officer, to whom five young girls are sent... in the swamps and forests of northern Russia, the six try to wage an unequal battle against the Nazis, who outnumber them. The girls die one by one under the most harrowing circumstances. He is the only one who survives. The film, directed by Stanislav Rostotski, became a box office leader in 1973, with an estimated 66 million admissions. In 2015, a new adaptation of the story was released by director Renat Davletiárov.

9. 'The New Adventures of the Uncatchable' (1968)

The first film The Unattainable Avengers was released in 1966. The adventures of four teenage revolutionaries during the Civil War, their struggle with supporters of the tsarist regime, became a real box-office hit and caused a furore among young Soviet viewers. Director Edmond Keosaian was asked to shoot the second part, and the film The New Adventures of the Uncaptured became one of the blockbusters of 1968, with 66.2 million admissions.

Special attention should be paid to the music of the film: the songs Pogonia and Russkoe Pole by composer Yan Frenkel became real hits. By the way, there is also a third part, The Crown of the Russian Empire.

8. 'The Shield and the Sword' (1968)

The whole country followed with bated breath the work of a Soviet spy in the Nazi hideout. He managed to rise to the rank of Gauptschturmführer SS and, at the same time, transmit top secret data. The cinematic epic is considered the most authentic account of the difficult work of spies during World War II. The film was seen by more than 68 million viewers. And after its success, the cult series Seventeen Moments of Spring about the Soviet spy Stirlitz appeared on the screens.

7. 'Operation Y and other adventures of Shurik' (1965)

The film consists of three parts, all of them comic: The Helper, Fascination and Operation Y. Its plot is different, but in all of them Shúrik appears, a simple-minded protagonist, but kind, honest and polite. This new-fangled Soviet intellectual works on a construction site with a fellow thug, or prepares for an exam in one day in a stranger's flat, or takes on real swindlers who organize robberies.

One of the most famous comedies of Leonid Gaidai was enthusiastically received by millions of Soviets and the phrases of the film have become sayings, even until now it is considered a classic of Soviet cinema. In 1965 the film became the leader in the Soviet box office: 69 million people saw it. The year after its success, Gaidái began shooting the sequel: The Prisoner of the Caucasus, or New Adventures of Shurik.

6. 'Ekipazh' (Airport on fire, 1980)

One of the first Soviet disaster films, which has not lost its validity and spectacular nature to this day. The first part of the film shows the private lives of the crew members and their family problems of various kinds. In the second part, however, all the protagonists get on the plane together. Shortly after takeoff, it turns out that there is a crack in the cabin and it depressurizes... The pilots turn out to be true heroes and try to save the passengers, risking their own lives. This feat influences their personalities and characters, and upon their return, each manages to become a slightly different person and solve their own problems.

Alexander Mitta's Soviet film is believed to have been inspired by the success of Arthur Haley's book Airport and its Hollywood adaptation. The Soviet film became a box office leader in 1980, with 71 million admissions. In 2016, Nikolai Lebedev directed a new film, Suicide Rescue, starring Danila Kozlovsky.

5. 'Wedding in Malinovka' (1967)

Almost all the men from the town of Malinovka went to the front in the Civil War. And while the women were waiting for the soldiers of the Red Army, the local hetman and his gang decided to seize power in the village and began to rob the population. In addition, he wants to take as his wife the beautiful young Irinka, who is in love with the shepherd. The musical comedy was seen by 74.6 million people, however, it was only the second highest grossing of 1967... Only one film managed to surpass Wedding in Malinovka. This is The Prisoner of the Caucasus, about the already beloved Shurik by viewers.

4. 'The Prisoner of the Caucasus or New Adventures of Shurik' (1967)

The sequel about the adventures of Shurik, directed by Leonid Gaidái, was seen by 76.5 million people. It is no longer a series of shorts, but a feature film about a student who comes to the Caucasus to study local customs... and who has to participate by chance in a tradition like kidnapping a bride. It is a hilarious comedy and the phrases of this work have become popular sayings.

3. 'The Diamond Arm' (1969)

A group of smugglers accidentally mistakes a humble and honest Soviet man for their middle man. They decide to sew diamonds into his cast. While the bandits try to take the diamonds, the Soviet militia asks the protagonist to cooperate and unmask the criminals. The script was written especially for the cult actor Yuri Nikulin, who played the main role, in addition, the Soviet sex symbol Andrey Mironov also gives a brilliant performance in this film (besides singing and dancing). Yuri Nikulin plays a typical Soviet man: kind, simple, a good family man and selfless. The Arm of Diamonds is another comedy by Leonid Gaidái, which became a cult movie and became famous for its quotes. 76.7 million viewers saw the film the year of its release.

2. 'Moscow does not believe in tears' (1980)

The film has two parts. The first is that the protagonist, a modest girl from the provinces who lives in a student residence, works in a factory and plans to enter a high school. She poses as a professor's daughter and begins an affair with a handsome Muscovite from an intellectual family. He finds out about his girlfriend's pregnancy and runs away. In the second part, we meet the protagonist 20 years later, a successful woman, who became the director of a large factory, who was able to overcome all difficulties: raise her daughter alone and achieve great success in her work. professional. Only her personal life never worked out. And one day her whole life changes: she falls in love with a simple metal worker.

This Vladimir Menshov melodrama not only became a box office leader in 1980 (84 million viewers), but also won an Oscar for best foreign language film.

1. 'Pirates of the 20th Century' (1980)

Somewhere in the Indian Ocean, a Soviet freighter is hijacked by pirates. This is a shipment of opium transported to the Soviet Union for the production of pharmaceuticals. The unarmed Soviet sailors manage to escape and try to fight off the entire gang of pirates. A very “western” movie and the first Soviet action movie was directed by Boris Durov. In 1980 the film was seen by more than 87 million people. It became the highest-grossing film in the history of the Soviet Union, surpassing even the Oscar-winning melodrama Moscow Doesn't Believe in Tears, released that same year.

READ MORE: This is the definitive list of the 100 best Russian and Soviet films

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