The Pokrovsky Gate
The Pokrovsky Gate (Russian: Покровские ворота, romanized: Pokrovskiye Vorota) is a 1982 Soviet comedy film produced for television by Mosfilm. It was directed by Mikhail Kozakov and stars Oleg Menshikov, Leonid Bronevoy, and Inna Ulyanova. The screenplay is based on a 1974 stage play by Leonid Zorin.
| The Pokrovsky Gate | |
|---|---|
 Back cover of Russian-language DVD | |
| Directed by | Mikhail Kozakov |
| Written by | Leonid Zorin |
| Starring | Oleg Menshikov Inna Ulyanova Anatoly Ravikovich Leonid Bronevoy Viktor Bortsov |
| Music by | Georgy Garanian Bulat Okudzhava |
| Cinematography | Nikolay Nemolyayev |
| Edited by | Irma Tsekavaya |
| Distributed by | Mosfilm |
Release date |
|
Running time | 140 minutes |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Language | Russian |
Featured in the film are three songs written and performed by renowned "bard" Bulat Okudzhava: "Chasovye Lyubvi" ("Sentries of Love"), "Zhivopistsy" ("Painters"), and "Pesenka ob Arbate" ("Ditty about Arbat").[1]
The title refers to a square on Moscow's Boulevard Ring near which the film's main characters reside.[2]
Plot
The story takes place in the 1950s. Konstantin “Kostik” Romin (Oleg Menshikov) has come to Moscow to study history and is staying with kindly aunt Alisa (Sofya Pilyavskaya), who lives in a "communal apartment" building there. His life soon becomes intertwined with those of the other residents. Among them are Margarita Pavlovna (Inna Ulyanova) and both her former husband Lev Khobotov (Anatoly Ravikovich), a publisher of foreign poetry, and her new beau, World War II veteran and engraver-turned-teacher Savva Ignatevich (Viktor Bortsov).
The main plot revolves around the congenial Khobotov’s attempts to find happiness with newfound love Lyudochka (Yelena Koreneva), while constantly being thwarted by the controlling Margarita. Another tenant is musical comedian Arkady Velyurov (Leonid Bronevoy), who is trying to revive his faltering career and escape from his own loneliness. He has become enamored of a young competitive swimmer, Svetlana (Tatyana Dogileva), who rebuffs his advances but takes a fancy to the opportunistic Kostik.
Kostik finds his own love interest, Rita[3] (Valentina Voilkova), for whom he decides to forsake his playboy lifestyle. In the end he becomes the catalyst for both Khobotov and Velyurov to find some measure of happiness: the former elopes with Lyudochka with the help of Kostik's pal Savransky, and the latter is elated that Svetlana attends one of his concerts in response to a telegram Kostik had urged him to send.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| 1 Yelena Koreneva | Lyudochka |
| 2 Oleg Menshikov | Konstantin “Kostik” Romin |
| 3 Inna Ulyanova | Margarita Pavlovna |
| 4 Viktor Bortsov | Savva Ignatevich |
| 5 Yevgeny Morgunov | Soyev (Velyurov's friend and collaborator) |
| 6 Leonid Bronevoy | Arkadi Velyurov |
| 7 Tatyana Dogileva | Svetlana Popova |
| 8 Valentina Voilkova | Rita |
| 9 Anatoly Ravikovich | Lev Yevgenevich Khobotov |
Other parts
- Rimma Markova as doctor
- Igor Dmitriev as Gleb Nikolaevich Orlovich
- Natalia Krachkovskaya as Olga Yanovna Soyeva
- Mikhail Kazakov as Konstantin Romin, after 25 years
- Emmanuil Geller as Savelich (voiced by Georgy Vitsin)
Notes/References
- http://www.ozon.ru/context/detail/id/1670793/ (in Russian)
- See Moscow Boulevard Ring: the Prechistensky Gate for a historical perspective. An illustration of the historical Pokrovsky Gates in old Moscow can be seen here:
- A diminutive form of "Margarita", a source of some irony; when she introduces herself to a bewildered Khobotov as "Margarita", Kostik interjects "Rita! RI-TA!"
External links
- The Pokrovsky Gate on IMDb
- The Pokrovsky Gate at AllMovie
- Detailed synopsis and discussion with many screen shots (in Russian)
- Complete text of Zorin play (in Russian)
- Пьесу легендарного драматурга покажут в московском театре (in Russian)