8 POPULAR Russian spy movies
Find and neutralize: We talk about about the most exciting modern movies about spies and saboteurs.
‘Hero’, 2019
Many years ago, the main character studied in the ‘Youth’ unit, where orphans were raised by agents working undercover. But, the project was closed when its founder, the father of the protagonist, was killed. And now, his measured life suddenly bursts into the past and everything rolls into the abyss. Now, he will have to learn a lot of unpleasant secrets, of which the main - where and why his father, who everyone thought dead, was hiding for 15 years. And why agents are being hunted. The spectacular movie, shot on a grand scale, diligently exploits the myth that there are no retired spies: there are chases, shooting and even a meeting with a friend who found himself on the other side of the barricades. The movie was also released abroad in Germany, the UK and the Baltic States.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKcbfdd4qj0
‘Spy’, 2012
Nazi Germany is preparing an attack on the Soviet Union. A German intelligence agent must convince the country's leadership that there is no fear of war before 1943...
If the ‘Atomic Heart’ game was ever made into a movie, it would be this one. In ‘Spy’, Moscow looks like a fantastic alternate city, where the cyclopean ‘Palace of Soviets’ project has been built, airships are hanging in the air, huge black cars drive along the streets and the state security officers dashingly dance the tango. This unusual movie is worth watching and, at the same time, guessing who the spy is. The movie, meanwhile, was presented at the Sputnik Russian Film Festival in Poland.
‘Decision on liquidation’, 2018
A spy thriller based on real events about a special operation in the Caucasus - the elimination of the leader of the militants. During the second Chechen war, the FSB plans to destroy the terrorist Bazgaev: the team that will carry out this task is led by operative Yegor, who was once captured by him and managed to stay alive. Unlike his colleague, who was killed by the militants.
Alexander Aravin’s movie successfully combines the most important factors for success: a dynamic script, events in the country’s recent history and a strong cast. The movie was appreciated by audiences both in Europe and Asia: ‘Decision to Liquidate’ was shown at international festivals in Vietnam, Japan, Argentina, Portugal and Bulgaria.
‘Translated from German’, 2020
The plot centers on catching saboteurs using an ancient Germanic scripture. An NKVD officer turns to a university teacher for help - he needs to find an ancient German text that spies are using as an encryption key. The heroine takes on the search for the rare publication.
Something between a spy thriller and an action movie, this mini-series takes place against the backdrop of pre-war everyday life. But, at the same time, there was room for some melodrama in the plot, as well.
‘In August of '44’, 2001
The novel by Vladimir Bogomolov, on which the movie is based, has been translated into 30 languages and is based on real events. Operatives of the Soviet counterintelligence ‘SMERSH’ are trying to find and neutralize a group of agents who are sending encryption from the territory of Belarus liberated from the Nazis. They need to be discovered as quickly as possible: A military operation that Soviet troops are secretly planning is under threat. With an intense, dramatic plot on a documentary basis, ‘In August of '44’ can safely be called an action-packed flick. Internationally, it was screened at the Cineteca Nacional festival in Mexico.
‘Return’, 2012
Somewhere in Europe, police arrest two Russian spies: A young operative has exposed them both and now they have to return to Russia. Nothing good awaits the main character in his homeland: his superiors are going to blame him for the failure of the mission; his parents, whom he had not seen for many years, have died. After living in the U.S., he has to adapt to completely unfamiliar local realities and find out for himself what led to the death of his father and mother. A spy against crime - the plot seems to be not new, but this does not interfere with the movie.
‘We will not say goodbye’, 2018
In the Fall of 1941, German troops are advancing towards Moscow. Soldiers of the rifle division are sent to Kalinin (now Tver), where only 2,000 people are defending the city. The saboteurs, meanwhile, are doing everything to prevent them. The main character suddenly begins to be suspected of involvement in their actions. ‘We Will Not Say Goodbye’ tells about one of the most dramatic moments of the war: German troops planned, having captured Kalinin, to continue the attack on the capital. But, the city fights back - battles rage on its streets for three days. At the very least, the movie is worth watching to learn about this particular page of history.
‘The Big House’, 2023
Leningrad is at unease: Count, a saboteur who worked for the Germans during the war, has appeared in the city. Once, he planned to carry out a large-scale terrorist attack and destroy key buildings for the Soviet government, including the huge building of the NKVD, which was popularly called the ‘Big House’. Many years later, he is plotting something again. The main character, KGB Lieutenant Colonel Mikhail Shirokov, prevented the terrorist attack then, but missed the bandit himself. Now, he is again trying to find the Count and, along the way, discovers that two U.S. spies are planning to kidnap a Soviet nuclear physicist...
This eight-part mini series has all the components of a successful cinema project: the action jumps from the blockade of 1942 to the peaceful 1965, the plot involves enemy agents of all stripes, spies are planning to escape to the U.S. by plane and much, much more!
