''Dnestrovskiye melodii'' (; ) is a 1973

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

Moldavian

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serv ...

starring

Sofia Rotaru Sofiia Mykhailivna Yevdokymenko-Rotaru ( ; ; ; born 7 August 1947), known simply as Sofia Rotaru, is a Ukrainian pop singer of Romanian origin. Rotaru, nicknamed "Bukovinsky Solovey" ("the Nightingale from Bukovina"), emerged in 1966 as a po ...

in the main role, as well as

Ion Suruceanu Ion Suruceanu (born 9 September 1949) is a Moldovan singer and former parliamentarian. In 1990 he was awarded the People's Artist award of Moldavian SSR. Brief background Ion Suruceanu was born in the village of Suruceni, Ialoveni District, ...

, Nadezhda Chepraga and Maria Cudreanu. The movie

symbol A symbol is a mark, Sign (semiotics), sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, physical object, object, or wikt:relationship, relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by cr ...

izes the propaganda and ideology of the Soviet regime. The movie features songs in Romanian and Russian of Sofia Rotaru and other singers, as well as behind the scenes background voice monologues in Russian between the songs.

Plot

Nadejda Cepraga, Maria Cudreanu, as well as Ion Suruceanu appear also with soloist performances. At the time of the movie, Sofia Rotaru, young graduate of the Kishinev Musical Arts Conservatory was a Distinguished Artist of the Ukrainian SSR. The scenic background of the movie attempt to display economic achievement by show-casting new buildings in Chisinău, constructed for the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the communist

Moldavian SSR The Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic or Moldavian SSR (, mo-Cyrl, Република Советикэ Сочиалистэ Молдовеняскэ), also known as the Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic, Moldovan SSR, Soviet Moldavia, Sovie ...

: Hotel "Intourist", Concert Palace "Octombrie".

Cast

Emil Loteanu Emil Loteanu (6 November 1936 – 18 April 2003) was a Moldovan and Soviet film director born in what is now Republic of Moldova. He moved to Bucharest and Moscow in his early life. His best known films are '' Lăutarii'', '' Gypsies Are Found Ne ...

Eugen Doga Eugen Doga (1 March 1937 – 3 June 2025) was a Moldovan composer. He made significant contributions to various forms of music during his career. He created ballets, ''Luceafărul'', ''Venancia'', and ''Queen Margot'', the opera ''Dialogues of ...

appear in episodes as well. Both Loteanu and Doga have lived and worked for extensive periods of time in Soviet Union and Doga is known to be resident of Moscow for the most part of his life.

Production

Most of the featured buildings, serving as decorations and the main filming scene (hotel "Intourist"), palace "October") were in fact built in the very same 1974, specially for the 50th Anniversary of the

Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic The Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, shortened to Moldavian ASSR, was an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republics, autonomous republic of the Ukrainian SSR between 12 October 1924 and 2 August 1940, encompassing the modern territory ...

References

1973 films 1970s Soviet films 1970s Russian-language films Soviet musical films Russian-language musical films Soviet-era Moldovan films 1973 musical films {{Moldova-film-stub