Hard to believe: 7 Russian TV series based on real events

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“fartsa”

Stylish and original story about an ambitious four enterprising friends in the setting of the Soviet Union of the sixties. The crime drama starring Alexander Petrov was one of the first Russian-made series bought by the popular streaming platform Netflix. Thaw period. A loser in gambling, Kostyl becomes a large debtor to the crime boss Pontus. Fortunately, who, if not bosom friends, will come to the rescue in difficult life circumstances. When you want to earn more and faster, you have to give up principles and go to the violation of the law. The guys serve as swindlers despised by society, establishing currency exchange, production and marketing of records. Soon Major Vostrikov is on the trail of daring speculators. Daring rock and roll with musical accompaniment, dynamically sustained rhythm of the narration, strong work of the costume designer and well-developed life of that time perfectly complement the fascinating plot of this adventurous story.

“Dyatlov Pass”

Everyone at least once heard the story of the death of a group of tourists in the Ural Mountains. The risky skiing adventure of nine students led by Igor Dyatlov turned into one of the most mysterious tragedies of the twentieth century. The protagonist of the series, KGB Major Oleg Kostin, will lead the investigation team and sort out this difficult matter. Two parallel storylines describe both the course of the investigation and the history of the most tragic campaign. The eight-part reconstruction of events claims to be one of the most reliable adaptations of this mystical story. Not surprising, because this time the creators of the series managed to get access to the closed materials of the criminal case. In addition, the diaries of the dead students were thoroughly studied, and the actors were selected in portrait resemblance to the prototypes.

“Patient Zero”

Kirsan, a young doctor at the children’s hospital, secretly sends tests of patients suspected of being infected with HIV to Moscow. Senior colleagues do not believe in the very possibility of such a diagnosis in children, but face reality when they receive confirmation from experts from the capital. Kirsan and a young scientist Dmitry Goncharov decide to stop the spread of HIV infection. To do this, they need to restore the disease chain and find the “null” patient – the first infected person who will point to the source of the infection. But not everyone wants publicity for this story: the heroes will be opposed by officials, other doctors, and even local residents. The new Kinopoisk series is based on the true story of the first HIV outbreak in the USSR. According to the producers, they sought not so much to restore the chronology of the incident and find those responsible, but to learn from the past and look at how the country, society and nation coped with this challenge.

“Good man”

A person is not always who he claims to be, even if he is a police officer. Recognizing a wolf in sheep’s clothing is not so easy, it is even more difficult to catch him. A gloomy thriller by Konstantin Bogomolov about a serial killer hiding under the guise of a good man, who managed to gain the confidence of the investigator. In provincial Voznesensk, where law enforcement agencies are mired in corruption and turn a blind eye to lawlessness, no one cares about ordinary residents. Everyone knows about the disappearance of people, but no one is in a hurry to investigate the murders. Only a local blogger manages to raise a fuss around what is happening. Thus, Moscow investigator Yevgenia Klyuchevskaya is sent to Voznesensk to “verify media information about the existence of a serial killer.” But she does not even suspect that the enemy is literally behind her. The heroine will have to deal with childhood trauma, understand the psychology of the killer and come to the only correct conclusion. Noir detective is saturated with an atmosphere of hopelessness and despondency thanks to the gloomy scenery of provincial devastation and the convincing game of Yulia Snigir’s tandem with Nikita Efremov. The prototype of the “good man” was the notorious “Angara maniac” Mikhail Popov, who killed more than 70 women. The film crew even managed to talk to the serial killer himself and get 320 volumes of the criminal case for a more detailed dive.

“Protectors”

In the center of the plot is the history of the strongest law firm of the Soviet Union – “Branch No. 1”. It is here that a recent student Nina Metlitskaya has a chance to transfer. The heroine with a heightened sense of justice is hard to put up with the judicial system, in which any inconvenient person can become an enemy of the people. Engaged judges and lawyers, abuse of office, bogus witnesses – this is what a young lawyer has to deal with. She is not afraid to take on difficult and unusual situations, approaching the matter with perseverance and meticulousness. The strengths of the series were the visual style and entourage of the Brezhnev era of stagnation. Offices, clothes, cars and dialogues of characters – all this is imbued with the cultural characteristics of that time with attention to detail. Also, the creators managed to excitingly file protracted lawsuits, which is important for a procedural drama. The series is based on the memoirs of Dina Kaminskaya, who defended Soviet dissidents in the sixties. She also became the prototype of the main character.

“Chernobyl”

The tragic accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant has repeatedly become the object of research for filmmakers and television people. In the new film adaptation, the viewer is offered a different reading of events in the format of an intriguing spy detective, which stands out noticeably against the background of previous productions. Experienced American intelligence officer Albert Lentz finds himself near a nuclear power plant on the eve of the disaster. Was the accident the result of sabotage by a foreign intelligence agency, and what are the connections between the intruder and the station staff? To understand these issues, as well as to calculate and neutralize the spy, it is up to the military counterintelligence officer Andrei Nikolaev. The investigation takes place against the background of the heroic efforts of rescuers and ordinary people who have come together to combat the devastating effects of the spread of radiation. The main character himself takes part in a dangerous rescue operation. Despite the fact that the official investigation is demanded to be stopped on Gorbachev’s personal order, Nikolayev continues to dig for the truth. But what are his true motives?

“Trotsky”

Adapted for the general public biography of one of the leaders of the Russian revolution. The Bolshevik Lev Trotsky, who lost the struggle for power to Stalin, lives in Mexico. For several years now, he has been expelled from the Soviet Union and virtually erased from official history. Canadian journalist Frank Jackson comes to Lev Davidovich. He bows before Stalin, but does not hide his interest in Trotsky’s role in the revolution. He, in turn, is eager to convey to people the truth that the Stalinists do not know. So, a retired revolutionary begins to remember how it all began and what it eventually led to, and Jackson becomes a welcome guest at Trotsky’s. The performer of the role of a seasoned politician was Konstantin Khabensky, whose recognizable voice brightens up numerous dialogues. The historical tape itself is replete with a convincing entourage, an impressive variety of costumes and scenery, as well as the presence of impressive mass scenes.