Village Detective () is a 1969 Soviet

crime comedy film Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as drama or gangster film, but als ...

directed by Ivan Lukinsky and based on the novella of the same name by Vil Lipatov. Lyrical detective lives of rural local policeman Aniskin. Later on the screens came two sequels: ''Aniskin and Fantomas'' (1973) and ''Aniskin Again'' (1978). The film tells the story of a rural policeman who employs wit and community insight to solve the theft of an accordion, uncovering a tangled web of jealousy, mischief, and romance in a quiet village.

Plot

The plot centers on Gennady Nikolayevich Pazdnikov, the head of a rural cultural club, whose expensive accordion is stolen. Solving this significant crime, the most notable in the village since 1948, falls to the local policeman, Aniskin. After inspecting the crime scene and speaking with Pazdnikov, Aniskin learns that on the evening before the theft, Pazdnikov had spent time with Evdokiya Pronina, the shopkeeper of the village store. Suspicion initially falls on Pazdnikov’s romantic rival, Grigory Storozhevoy, as both men are vying for Pronina’s affections. Aniskin speaks with Grigory and Evdokiya but refrains from drawing any immediate conclusions. Later that evening, Aniskin encounters the Pankov brothers, known troublemakers, loitering near the club. That night, Aniskin and Pazdnikov conduct an experiment on the outskirts of the village, hoping to lure the thief into revealing themselves by tempting them to play the stolen accordion. This clever tactic leads Aniskin to deduce where the instrument might be hidden and clears Grigory of suspicion. Aniskin ultimately realizes that the accordion was stolen by the Pankov brothers. They intended to frame Storozhevoy, who had previously clashed with the unruly siblings, knowing he would likely be the first suspect. Instead of formally prosecuting the brothers, Aniskin warns them that if they continue causing trouble, he will ensure they face justice. He confides the truth only to their mother, Praskovya Pankova, while publicly claiming to have found the instrument abandoned in the forest. Meanwhile, Aniskin takes it upon himself to address Evdokiya Pronina’s romantic prospects. He arranges a meeting between her and Storozhevoy, which ends with the two leaving together, suggesting a potential resolution to their romantic entanglements.

Cast

Mikhail Zharov Mikhail Ivanovich Zharov (; 27 October 1899 – 15 December 1981) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor and director. People's Artist of the USSR (1949) and Hero of Socialist Labour (1974). He studied under the prominent director Theodo ...

as Fyodor Ivanovich Aniskin, rural district and a police lieutenant *

Tatyana Pelttser Tatyana Ivanovna Pelttser (; ; June 6, 1904 in Moscow – July 16, 1992 in Moscow), was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actress. People's Artist of the USSR (1972). Biography Tatyana Ivanovna Pelttser (or Peltzer) born into the family ...

as Glafira Aniskina, his wife * Natalya Sayko as Zina Aniskina, their daughter * Lidiya Smirnova as Yevdokia Mironovna Pronina, rural shop clerk *

Roman Tkachuk Roman Denisovich Tkachuk (; August 31, 1932 — January 10, 1994) was a USSR, Soviet theatre and film actor. Biography He was born on August 31, 1932, in Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg), USSR. He graduated from the Uzbekistan State Institute of ...

as Gennady Pozdnyakov, head of the club *

Nikolay Skorobogatov Nikolay Arkadevich Skorobogatov (; December 19, 1923, Vyazma, Vyazemsky Uyezd, Smolensk Governorate — June 10, 1987, Moscow) was a Soviet film and theater actor. Biography Born in the family of the railway. After graduating from high school, ...

as Ivan Ivanovich, chairman of the

kolkhoz A kolkhoz ( rus, колхо́з, a=ru-kolkhoz.ogg, p=kɐlˈxos) was a form of collective farm in the Soviet Union. Kolkhozes existed along with state farms or sovkhoz. These were the two components of the socialized farm sector that began to eme ...

* Georgy Slabinyak as Vitaly Pankov *

Anatoly Kubatsky Anatoly Lvovich Kubatsky (; 1 November 1908 – 29 December 2001) was a Soviet stage and film actor. Life Kubatsky was born in Moscow to parents of Polish ancestry. After studying under Yuri Zavadsky, he found acting work in various theaters throu ...

as Ivan, an old farmer * Vladislav Balandin as Rafail *

Yuri Chernov Yury Nikolayevich Chernov (; born 24 April 1949) is a Soviet and Russian actor of theatre and cinema. Honored Artist of Russia (1994) and People's Artist of Russia (2008). Biography Yuri was born on 24 April 1949 in the city of Kuibyshev. ...

balalaika The balalaika (, ) is a Russian string instrument, stringed musical instrument with a characteristic triangular wooden, hollow body, fretted neck, and three strings. Two strings are usually tuned to the same note and the third string is a perf ...

player Stepan *

Irina Zarubina Irina Petrovna Zarubina (; April 22, 1907 – May 20, 1976) was a Soviet and Russian actress. People's Artist of the RSFSR (1951). Biography She was born on April 22, 1907, in Kazan. In 1929, she graduated from the Russian State Institute of Pe ...

as milkmaid Praskovya Pankova * Maria Vinogradova as strict mother

Awards

The film won the award for Best Comedy at the

All-Union Film Festival The All-Union Film Festival (; tr.:''Vsesoyuznyy kinofestival'', also known as ВКФ; ''VKF'') was one of the most important film festivals of the Soviet Union. It was founded in 1958 and held regularly from 1964 to 1988. It was held annually fr ...

in Minsk.

References

External links

*
‘The Village Detective: A Song Cycle’ Review: Bill Morrison Finds Fresh Angles on a Half-Forgotten Mystery
1969 films Gorky Film Studio films 1960s crime comedy films Soviet black-and-white films Soviet crime comedy films Russian crime comedy films Russian-language crime comedy films Russian detective films Soviet detective films Films about police officers 1960s police comedy films 1969 comedy films 1960s Soviet films 1960s Russian-language films {{comedy-crime-film-stub