10 MAIN Soviet TV shows

1. ‘The Shield and the Sword’ (1968)

Alexander Belov (the star role of actor Stanislav Lyubshin) is a Soviet intelligence officer, who managed to infiltrate the German Abwehr (the military-intelligence service for the Wehrmacht) and get access to secret information of utmost importance. He appears as a regular man, far from a Superman. For the first time in Soviet cinema, the Nazis were not shown as caricature idiots, but smart and cunning opponents.

This is not just a TV series, but a whole TV epic in four installments – and one of the first serious works about Soviet intelligence. It was made for the 50th anniversary of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the KGB; in 1968, these films came out one after the other over two months, were shown in cinemas and enjoyed tremendous success. The main theme song – ‘What Does Motherland Begin With’ – became an all-time hit. According to Lyubshin, Vladimir Putin’s decision to become an intelligence officer was influenced by this movie saga.

Watch the TV show here.

2. ‘Investigation Led by Experts’ (1971-2002)

Three employees of the Moscow Criminal Investigations Department solve a very wide range of complex cases: from domestic homicide to illegal art trade. The series doesn’t have a lot of action scenes: the crimes are mostly solved by experts in their office with the help of brain work and logic.

‘The Experts’ was launched at the initiative of Minister of Internal Affairs Nikolai Shchelokov, who tried to raise the prestige of Soviet police (the 1970s had a boom of movies and TV shows that depicted valiant and humane law enforcement officers). The TV shows went on without breaks for 18 years, during which 22 movies were released; then, in 2002, a two-episode continuation was released - ‘Investigation Led by Experts. Ten Years Later’. The series and the actors starring in its main roles became incredibly popular. The viewers also loved the theme song from the series, the words of which became aphorisms: “Our mission is both dangerous and difficult and most invisible at first glance.”

Watch the TV show here.

3. ‘Shadows Disappear at Noon’ (1972)

The heirs of a wealthy merchant family are active opponents of the communists, but, after the Revolution and the Civil War, they’re forced to hide away in a Siberian village under a different identity. And, in an ironic twist of fate, their own children and the generations to follow become the most typical Soviet people. 

The entire 20th century is covered in the show’s seven episodes – from the Civil War and World War II to the 1970s – through the example of life in one village. This drama series exposes whole layers of people’s fates. This vivid movie saga was even shown at cinemas.

Watch the TV show here.

4. ‘Seventeen Moments of Spring’ (1973)

It’s World War II. A Soviet spy infiltrates the highest echelons of Nazi Germany command under the name Max Otto von Stierlitz. His task is to upset the Germans’ capitulation talks. Every day, risking to reveal himself, he flawlessly does his job and amazes with the strength of his character. One of the most piercing scenes is the meeting of Stierlitz with his wife, when they sit behind different tables in a cafe and pretend to not know each other.

The 12-episode TV show was and remains incredibly popular; it received a lot of state prizes and was personally liked by Leonid Brezhnev. The character of Stierlitz (masterfully performed by Vyacheslav Tikhonov) remains an icon of morality, humanism and professionalism for many. In a 2019 survey, Stierlitz became the movie hero that most coincides with Russians’ perception of an ideal political leader. Aside from that, he became a real folk hero: a lot of anecdotes were invented with him playing the main “role”.

Watch the TV show here.

5. ‘Big School-Break’ (1973)

A young historian named Nestor Severov works as a teacher at a night school for working youth – moreover, he’s burdened with being the head teacher of the class. Many of his students are older than him and all of them have families, their own problems and concerns. So, Nestor has to not only teach them history and discipline, but also solve their personal problems.

The four-episode mini TV series has a star-studded cast of Soviet actors, from Evgeny Kononov to Rolan Bykov. Very different and multifaceted characters and situations were shown in it. With a comedic part, it’s also a subtle lyrical work, and a little bit of propaganda of education for adults and workers. It is still very popular and repeats are often shown on TV.

Watch the TV show here.

6. ‘Eternal Call’ (1976-1983)

This is another long saga about a Siberian village that survives three wars and revolutions over the course of the 20th century. Some people return from the Russo-Japanese War, some secretly join the revolutionary party of the future Bolsheviks. The wheels of history roll over this period, as well, and now we have the Soviet authority, collectivization, World War II and ruthless concentration camps. The plot ends in 1961 and, until the very end, the viewer is left guessing who’s right, who’s wrong, who’s the traitor and whose conscience is clean.

In total, 19 episodes were released over two seasons. The TV show was very popular, received a lot of state awards and was aired on TV multiple times. The series was based on the novel of the same name by Anatoly Ivanov. He said it was a novel about the hard struggle of the people for justice, happiness and dignity; he said that the main idea is that “every truth – a regular truth, a worldly truth, and especially a social truth – is acquired by people with great hardship”.

Watch the TV show here.

7. ‘The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed’ (1979)

Post-war Moscow is torn by bandits and crime. Captain Gleb Zheglov (played by Vladimir Vysotsky) from the Moscow Criminal Investigations Department leads the anti-banditry department. A young and decisive man named Vladimir Sharapov (Vladimir Konkin), who just returned from the front, comes to his aid.

This TV show was, perhaps, the most successful among all the TV shows about Soviet police. Its popularity was so high that rumors were spreading that, during the airing of each of the five episodes, the city streets would literally become empty – and even crime rates fell.

Watch the TV show here.

8. ‘The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson’ (1980)

A Soviet version of the detective duo, who try to solve a series of mysterious crimes. The Soviet TV show was a very faithful retelling of Arthur Conan Doyle’s works. It turned out to be very believable, despite the fact that the street scenes were shot in Leningrad, Riga, and Tallinn and not London.

Even Queen Elizabeth appreciated how, in just 11 episodes, these Soviet actors managed to depict the essence of English gentlemen; she awarded Vasily Livanov (who played the role of Sherlock Holmes) with Honorary Membership of the Order of the British Empire. Margaret Thatcher is also said to have enjoyed the series.

Watch the TV show here.

9. ‘TASS Is Authorized to Declare…’ (1984)

The KGB is trying to find a spy who is passing secret information to the CIA about Soviet affairs in a fictional African country. This crime show about the most popular topic of the Cold War – the struggle between the Soviet and American intelligence services – was partially based on real events; the scriptwriter was directly consulted by the KGB.

The beloved ‘Stierlitz’ – Vyacheslav Tikhonov – played one of the main roles. This 10-episode TV show was shown right during the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, which the USSR boycotted, as a response to the U.S. boycotting Moscow’s 1980 Olympics.

Watch the TV show here.

10. ‘Gardes-Marines, Ahead!’ (1988)

It’s the Russian Empire in the 18th century. Three young Gardes-Marines from the Navigational School happen to get entangled in events of state significance. They’re carried away by a whirlpool of events, palace coups, intrigue and, of course, love.

This adventure mini TV series in four episodes about characters similar to Russian musketeers has it all – a star-studded cast (the trio of Sergey Zhigunov, Dmitry Kharatyan and Vladimir Shevelkov) and songs that are still popular. And, if the musketeers say: “All for one and one for all!”, the Gardes-Marines shout: “Keep your head up!”

Watch the TV show here.

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