''The

Hussar A hussar, ; ; ; ; . was a member of a class of light cavalry, originally from the Kingdom of Hungary during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely adopted by light cavalry ...

Ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

'' () is a 1962

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 ...

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 ...

Eldar Ryazanov Eldar Aleksandrovich Ryazanov (; 18 November 1927 – 30 November 2015) was a Soviet and Russian film director, screenwriter, poet, actor and pedagogue whose popular comedies, satirizing the daily life of the Soviet Union and Russia, are celebrat ...

, filmed on

Mosfilm Mosfilm (, ''Mosfil’m'' , initialism and portmanteau of Moscow Films) is a film studio in Moscow which is among the largest and oldest in the Russian Federation and in Europe. Founded in 1924 in the USSR as a production unit of that nation's fi ...

. In effect, it is one of the best loved musical comedies in

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

. With most of its dialogue delivered in verse, Ryazanov's script romanticizes the adventures of Nadezhda Durova during the

Napoleonic wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

. The swift paced, action packed, humor filled adventure is ingeniously mixed with light-hearted acting bravado and memorable operetta pieces. The film's musical score and songs were written by

Tikhon Khrennikov Tikhon Nikolayevich Khrennikov (; – 14 August 2007) was a Russian and Soviet composer, pianist, and General Secretary of the Union of Soviet Composers (1948–1991), who was also known for his political activities. He wrote three symphonies, f ...

. The leading roles — those of the cavalry maiden Shurochka Azarova and the dashing hussar

Poruchik The rank of lieutenant in Eastern Europe, also called ''poruchnick'' in Slavic languages, is one used in Slavophone armed forces. Depending on the country, it is either the lowest or second lowest officer rank. Etymology The rank designatio ...

Dmitry Rzhevsky — were played by Andrei Mironov's future wife Larisa Golubkina and the

People's Artist of the USSR People's Artist of the USSR, also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to artists of the Soviet Union. The term is confusingly used to translate two Russian language titles: Народный арти ...

Yuri Yakovlev, respectively. Comedian

Igor Ilyinsky Igor Vladimirovich Ilyinsky (13 January 1987) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor, director and comedian. Hero of Socialist Labour (1974) and People's Artist of the USSR (1949). Early years Igor Ilyinsky was born on 24 July 1901 in Mo ...

appeared as one-eyed Field-Marshal Prince

Mikhail Kutuzov Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov-Smolensky (; – ) was a Field Marshal of the Russian Empire. He served as a military officer and a diplomat under the reign of three Romanov monarchs: Empress Catherine II, and Emperors Paul ...

. The film is based on the play ''A Long Time Ago'' by Alexander Gladkov.

Emil Draitser Emil Draitser (born 1937) is an author and professor of Russian at Hunter College in New York City. Besides seventeen books of artistic and scholarly prose, his essays and short stories have been published in the ''Los Angeles Times'', ''Partisan R ...

, ''Making War, Not Love: Gender and Sexuality in Russian Humor'' (New York: St. Martin's Press, 2000.)
p.120
&mdash

in ''

Journal of Folklore Research The ''Journal of Folklore Research: An International Journal of Folklore and Ethnomusicology'' is a triannual peer-reviewed academic journal covering research on folklore, folklife, and ethnomusicology. It was established in 1942 and is published ...

'' The film proved so popular with Soviet audiences that

poruchik The rank of lieutenant in Eastern Europe, also called ''poruchnick'' in Slavic languages, is one used in Slavophone armed forces. Depending on the country, it is either the lowest or second lowest officer rank. Etymology The rank designatio ...

Rzhevsky became quite a folklore character, featured in numerous jokes. See Russian jokes#Poruchik Rzhevsky for samples.

Plot

The film begins in the summer of 1812 when Lieutenant Rzhevsky arrives at the home of retired Major Azarov with a letter of introduction. The major's 17-year-old niece, Alexandra (Shura), is Rzhevsky's "betrothed by proxy," though the two have never met. Rzhevsky imagines her as a delicate and sentimental woman, but Shura, raised by her military uncle and his orderly Ivan, is far from conventional. She rides horses, fences, and shoots with precision. Their first encounter occurs as Shura, dressed in a cornet’s uniform for a masquerade ball, overhears Rzhevsky's less-than-flattering account of their engagement. Amused, she decides to play a prank, later presenting herself as an overly mannered and powdered young lady. During Shura’s birthday ball, news arrives of Napoleon's invasion of Russia. Rzhevsky and the other officers return to their regiments, and Shura resolves to join the fight in secret. Disguised as a cornet, she earns her first combat experience the next day by delivering critical orders while evading French soldiers. Her bravery impresses a Russian general, who appoints her as a junior adjutant. Over six months of service, Shura gains a reputation as a fearless soldier, with no one suspecting her true identity—not even Rzhevsky. Her secret is revealed only when an old family acquaintance informs Field Marshal Kutuzov, who initially orders her to return home. However, after learning of her heroics, including rescuing a general from French captivity, Kutuzov awards her the Cross of St. George and allows her to retain her rank. In the film's climax, Shura apologizes to her comrades for her deception, while Rzhevsky admits his mistake in underestimating her character. The two confess their love, and Shura agrees to marry him, bringing the story to a heartwarming conclusion. The film combines themes of patriotism, courage, and humor with a romantic subplot, set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars.

Cast

* Larisa Golubkina as Shura Azarova * Yury Yakovlev as

Dmitry Rzhevsky *

as Field-Marshal Kutuzov * Nikolai Kryuchkov as Ivan * Viktor Koltsov as Major Azarov * Antoni Khodursky as Count Nurin *

Tatyana Shmyga Tatyana Ivanovna Shmyga (; born 31 December 1928 – died 3 February 2011) was a Soviet Union, Soviet and Russian operetta, operetta/musical theatre performer. She went on to act in films as well. She was a People's Artist of the USSR (1978).

as Louise Germont * Lev Polyakov as Pelymov * Yuri Belov as hussar-partisan

Interesting facts

* The director was planning to take

Alisa Freindlich Alisa Brunovna Freindlich (born 8 December 1934) is a Russian actress. Since 1983, Freindlich has been a leading actress of the Bolshoi Drama Theater in Saint Petersburg, Russia. She was awarded the title of the People's Artist of the USSR in ...

for the leading role. She was even auditioned several times for the role. No one doubted that she would get the role. However, at the last moment, Larisa Golubkina, who was not known to anyone yet, was confirmed for the role of Shurochka. It was her debut in the movie. * Before Freindlich, Lyudmila Gurchenko, Valentina Malyavina, Tatyana Nikulina and

Svetlana Nemolyaeva Svetlana Vladimirovna Nemolyaeva (; born 18 April 1937) is a Soviet and Russian actress of film and theatre. She is the widow of Alexander Lazarev.(29 July 2012)Светлана Немоляева: «Пережить смерть Саши в о� ...

were auditioned for the role of Shurochka. * The film was made especially for the 150th anniversary of the

Battle of Borodino The Battle of Borodino ( ) or Battle of Moscow (), in popular literature also known as the Battle of the Generals, took place on the outskirts of Moscow near the village of Borodino on 7 September 1812 during Napoleon's invasion of Russia. ...

. The premiere of the film was held September 7, 1962, the day of the battle, in the Moscow cinema "Russia". * A few of the costumes created for the film ''

War and Peace ''War and Peace'' (; pre-reform Russian: ; ) is a literary work by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, the work comprises both a fictional narrative and chapters in which Tolstoy discusses history and philosophy. An ...

'' were used during the filming. * Sergei Yursky and

Vyacheslav Tikhonov Vyacheslav Vasilyevich Tikhonov (; 8 February 1928 – 4 December 2009) was a Soviet and Russian actor whose best known role was as Soviet spy Stierlitz in the television series ''Seventeen Moments of Spring''. He was a recipient of numerou ...

were first auditioned for the role of Lieutenant Rzhevsky.

References

External links

* * {{Eldar Ryazanov 1962 films 1960s historical comedy films 1962 musical comedy films 1960s war comedy films Soviet historical comedy films Soviet musical comedy films Soviet war comedy films Russian-language war comedy films 1960s Soviet films 1960s Russian-language films Films directed by Eldar Ryazanov Napoleonic Wars films Films about female wartime cross-dressers Mosfilm films 1960s historical musical films Soviet historical musical films Films scored by Tikhon Khrennikov Russian-language musical comedy films Russian-language historical musical films