The nature and architecture of the Leningrad Region is surprisingly diverse - a true paradise for cinematography. During these three days we will travel through the north-west of the region in search of places where popular Soviet and Russian films were shot. Here we go!
Let's start this day with the memories of the life and work of Victor Tsoi - we'll visit the place of filming the film "Summer". We'll pass through the locations of the Soviet drama "On a Wild Bridge", remember the pearls of Kuzmich and Mikhalych on the bay. In the afternoon we find ourselves in Vyborg, one of the most "cinematic" cities in Russia.
Let's go to Sestroretsk. Perhaps it was impossible to come up with a better location for the shooting of the notorious film "Summer" (2018). You surely remember the romantic rest scenes of young Tsoi and his friends on the shore of the Gulf of Finland - they are the most beautiful. According to the script in the frame was to appear in the dog, so the site invited a movie therapist with a specially trained spaniel. But suddenly there was a big black dog on the beach. The film crew thought it was a trained animal. In the end, the viewer never saw the spaniel.
We continue our journey along narrow country roads. Admiring the quiet rural beauty of these places, we turn to Lake Polyanski. The local hill with cedars depicted Siberia, and Polyanskoye Lake depicted the Siberian river in the drama "On a Wild Bridge" (1966). And also in this small settlement the First All-Russia congress of futurists took place, where Kazimir Malevich participated. The meeting was held in the house of the artist and poetess Elena Guro, who found in Polyany the last shelter.
Let's stop by for lunch at AmBar. In the warm season you can sit on the summer terrace to admire the lake during your meal. The menu can be praised for its variety - there are separate dishes for little visitors.
The film "Features of National Fishing" (1997) was filmed on the outskirts of the village Sovetsky, Vyborgsky district. It was here that the drunkenness of the mountain fishermen who lost their way and found themselves in Finland continued. Now in that very place on the bay bank there is a camping site "Cordon Kuzmicha" - let's look here for a while.
And here we are in Vyborg. We'll start our walk through the city from Fortress Street - the main street of the city. In March 2010 it turned into Andriyivsky Descent - Kiev Prospect, where Turbins lived (however, in his novel Mikhail Bulgakov renamed this Descent into Alekseevsky). As you have already understood, the series "White Guard" with Konstantin Khabensky, Vladimir Mashkov and other famous actors was filmed here. Artists-decorators have worked for glory: lined wooden porches in the street, decorated houses with plywood signs, made of foam plastic granite columns - almost like the real ones! And in two entrances of the first floor on Fortress 11 they made a bird shop. The half-ruined Goving house (haunted house) was also flickering in the frame. It was continued by pink "ointment" gates to Razezezhaya, which at the most inopportune moment for young Nikolai Turbin will be closed. And the English Baker Street for "Sherlock Holmes" (2013) was also built on Castle Hall; the episodes of "Admiral" (2006) were filmed here.
An important scene from the film "Sannikov Land" (1973) was filmed in Vyborg. Do you remember how Oleg Dal and Vladislav Dvorzhetsky's heroes climb the beautiful tower? Well, that was the Clock Tower, which will meet you on Khrepostnaya Street. Filming was complicated, the actors were replaced by Leningrad mountaineers. Another problem was discovered later: the TV antennas on the rooftops of the surrounding houses got into the frame. The film crew had to climb up to the roofs and dump all the antennas. As a result, at that moment there was an important football match, which was interrupted because of the news reporters. To settle the scandal, the locals were given 100 rubles each.
Especially for the film "And Trees Grow on Stone" (1985) in Vyborg, Viking wooden rooks or drakkars were built in life-size. After the filming Stanislav Rostotsky presented the city with giant boats, and they immediately became one of its symbols. In 2009, the film sculptures became dilapidated and had to be replaced with new ones, which were slightly different in color. By the way, the main prize of the Window to Europe Film Festival, held annually in Vyborg, is the Golden Rook.
Dinner at Espila, one of the oldest restaurants in town. It's been in the history since 1868! It's "the most accurate reconstruction of a Finnish restaurant lost during the war". The price tag is unlikely to seem outstanding to the residents of St. Petersburg: the prices are quite adequate for such a popular place. Live music and "casino" on sparkling wine are a bonus to the solid menu and cozy atmosphere.
Vyborg's nightlife isn't so bad. If there aren't enough events at Espil, you can walk through the local bars. Or, stick to the theme of our trip, go to an evening session at Cinopolis, the only cinema in the area.
In the morning we will continue to explore the cinema Vyborg, and then follow the trail of Soviet Sherlock Holmes. We will take our soul in a picturesque place where "Peculiarities of National Hunting" was shot, and spend the night on the bank of Ladoga.
Let's go for a walk in Montrepo Park. A lot of directors have made this park a place to shoot their paintings. For example, Eldar Ryazanov made his last film here. The scene of the main character's explanation with his sweetheart in the fairy tale "Andersen. Life without Love" (2006) was filmed in the Tea Garden. The legendary Alexey Balabanov also loved the park: here he filmed the drama "Castle". An episode in the beginning of "Sannikov Land" was also made in Montrepo, at the pier.
In the morning we'll go to Vyborg Castle: more than one film was made here. Among them - the series "The Three Musketeers" (2013), the musical comedy "Singing Teacher" (1972) and the sensational drama Alexei Herman "It's hard to be God" (2013). The castle still holds a part of the props used during the work on the last painting. It is noteworthy that most of the actors on Vyborg's site were non-professionals - the director involved local residents in the shooting.
We will have lunch in "Tavern" - a restaurant with the most authentic atmosphere of the Middle Ages in town. It could easily have been the setting for a historical film. After a long walk it is an ideal place not to lose the essence of Old Vyborg.
In the afternoon we move out of Vyborg towards Ladoga. And first we stop at Finger. The story "The Engineer's Finger" from the movie series "Sherlock Holmes. The XX century begins" (1987-1988) was filmed here. The burnt-out house was a layout 2 meters from the camera. But the real scorched ruins of a small reinforced concrete building where Holmes found a sign from the press took part in the shooting. These ruins could be found even today. And the cafe "Prival" was built near the ruins on the place of "burned house".
Not far from Paltsevo there is a railway platform of Gvardeyskoye village - it depicts the station Eyford. Here came the main characters, performed by Vasily Livanov and Vitaly Solomin. Remember how important Sherlock Holmes walks against the background of the Guards, where he saw Stark's house burned down. It's a pity the building's been repainted and the windows blocked since. But on the whole, the situation here has hardly changed.
The Lutheran church in the village of Melnikovskoye was built in 1912. It is one of the most outstanding Finnish churches on the Karelian Isthmus. Fans of Alexander Rogozhin's film "Peculiarities of National Hunting" assume that it is this kirha that flickers in the initial shots of the comedy. Against her background, a dark-skinned citizen, whose "trumpets are burning", asks for money from the hero Ville Haapassalo.
And here we are in the main place of shooting everyone's favorite movie "Features of National Hunting. The flowing film crew arrived in 1994. The places here are really soulful: scattered fields, a lake, a forest. In Kuzmich's words, "he grabs his soul, holds it and does not let go".
We'll have dinner in Priozersk, in the restaurant of the complex "Tochka na map". Local food will quench all your sorrows. What are the fish Ladoga dumplings with spruce oil worth!
In Priozyorsk we'll visit the museum-fortress of Korela, next to which "Brother" was filmed. On the bank of the stormy river in Losevo we'll remember the heartbreaking shots from the movie "The Edge". Let's look at the locations of the shooting of "28 Panfilovites" and visit an ancient church in Murino, which has repeatedly glimpsed into the cinema.
The first episode of the film "Brother" (1997) Alexei Balabanov was filmed near the walls of the fortress Korela in Priozersk. Let's look here for an hour: a stone fortress on an island of the Vuoksy River played a major role in the history of the Karelian Isthmus. Its amazing history can be found in a small local history museum, located in one of the buildings of the fortress. You can get inside any day of the week except Monday.
Isn't it time to stop on vacation? You can warm up, fill up and buy goods on the way at Gazpromneft's filling stations.
We're going to have a rest in picturesque Losevo. This settlement of Priozersky district became the scenery for the film "The Edge" (2010) by Alexei Uchitel. In the film the actors were not only people, but also locomotives - the oldest, "Gustav", was released in 1905. And Vladimir Mashkov learned to perfectly control this machine. And Mashkov had to buy enough in the icy water. The shooting of the episode, when the hero is restoring the bridge across the river, was held in autumn. The actor was catching huge logs in cold water to set up supports. These shots were taken just in Losevo - here for the picture was built "destroyed bridge".
We'll stop by the Davinci for lunch. Three-storey panoramic restaurant is located on the lake shore, surrounded by pine forest. It is impossible to think of a better place for lunch!
Let's visit the village of Agalatovo. Here the shooting of the military drama "28 Panfilovites" (2015) took place. The nature around the village reminded the authors of the real places of military operations, where the feat was performed (in the Volokolamsk district). In the episode of the film appears the famous historian Bair Irincheev - director of the Military Museum of the Karelian Isthmus. He donated a part of overcoats from his museum to shoot a picture.
On the hills near Lake Krivoy in Toksovo shot several scenes of the film "The key without the right of transmission" (1976) with young Elena Proklova. And Toksovo cemetery became a reality for one of the turning scenes in the film "In Love of My Own Desire" (1982) with Oleg Yankovsky.
The old church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr's in Murino attracted more than one director. Already after the church was closed in the 30s, the wedding scenes for the film "Dubrovsky" with Boris Livanov were shot here. For many years the temple was used for different needs, gradually collapsed and dilapidated. In episodes of the film "Musorgsky" (1950) it is still in good condition. At the end of the 80s the collapsing building with a sagging rotunda and cross attracted the attention of Lev Tsutsulskovsky. Filming detective "Wednesday" with Nikolai Karachentsev led to even greater destruction of the temple. After this painting, about 50 buckets of water were taken out of the church. Today the temple looks decent: in 1988 there were large-scale reconstruction works.
For dinner we will stop by the restaurant "Tribuna" - the first family restaurant in St. Petersburg, located under the soffits of the football stadium. The menu includes Caucasian, European, Russian and Asian dishes. And also there are broadcasts of important sporting matches.