romantic comedy
Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...
Oleg Yankovsky
Oleg Ivanovich Yankovsky (; 23 February 1944 – 20 May 2009) was a Soviet Union, Soviet and Russian actor who excelled in psychologically sophisticated roles of modern intellectuals. In 1991, he became, together with , the last person to be nam ...
and Mikhail Agranovich. The film was Yankovsky's sole directorial effort. Oleg Yankovsky won the award for Best Actor at
Kinotavr
Kinotavr (), also known as the Sochi Open Russian Film Festival was an open film festival held in the resort city of Sochi, Russia annually in June since 1991, until it was cancelled in the wake of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.New Year, Sofia declares that she will soon die and would like to leave this world with the assurance that her daughter will be happy. The light goes out in the apartment and there is a knock at the door. An unfamiliar visitor named Igor appears with a bouquet of roses and champagne. He has arrived at the house completely by accident. In order to fulfill her dying mother's wishes, Tatiana decides to present this stranger (Igor) to Sofia as her fiancé. Igor decides to play along. He says that Tatiana is his genuine lover and phones his actual lover to announce that he is late at work, forgetting that his lover has
caller ID
Caller identification (Caller ID) is a telephone service, available in analog and digital telephone systems, including voice over IP (VoIP), that transmits a caller's telephone number to the called party's telephone equipment when the call is ...
. When the young girl calls back, Tatiana creates a scandal and Igor leaves.
Trying to break out of her deception, Tatiana persuades a saleswoman from the vegetable aisle to play the role of a long lost daughter, whom Tatiana allegedly disowned at the
maternity hospital
A maternity hospital specializes in caring for women during pregnancy and childbirth. It also provides care for newborn infants, and may act as a centre for clinical training in midwifery and obstetrics. Formerly known as lying-in hospitals, most ...
. This scene occurs in front of Igor, who decided to continue his casual acquaintance.
On New Year's Eve, Sofia insists that Tatiana spend the holiday with Igor and she leaves for the city. In the street, there is an unexpected meeting with the "daughter" who is dressed up as
Santa Claus
Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Chris ...
on crutches. Together they come home, where they find Sofia Ivanovna, who has risen to her feet. In tune with the striking chimes and clad in the suit of yet another Santa Claus, Igor appears on the landing and proposes to Tatiana.
Oleg Yankovsky
Oleg Ivanovich Yankovsky (; 23 February 1944 – 20 May 2009) was a Soviet Union, Soviet and Russian actor who excelled in psychologically sophisticated roles of modern intellectuals. In 1991, he became, together with , the last person to be nam ...
as Igor
*Natalia Shchukina as Dina, a saleswoman of the vegetable aisle
* Ivan Yankovsky as angel-boy, who throws banana skins