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	Russian Souvenir, released by the official Mosfilm YouTube channel

Russian Souvenir
Russian Souvenir
	Russian: Русский сувенир
Directed by	Grigori Aleksandrov
Written by	Grigori Aleksandrov
Produced by	Valentin Maslov
Starring	Lyubov Orlova; Andrei Popov; Pavel Kadochnikov; Erast Garin; Elina Bystritskaya;
Cinematography	Grigoriy Ayzenberg
Edited by	Zoya Veryovkina
Music by	Kirill Molchanov
Production; company	Mosfilm
Release date	1960;
Running time	107 min.
Country	Soviet Union
Language	Russian

Russian Souvenir (Russian: Русский сувенир, romanized: Russkiy suvenir) is a 1960 Soviet comedy film directed by Grigori Aleksandrov.^[1]^[2] Despite the stellar cast, the film received devastating reviews from critics and was shelved.^[3]^[4] The worst film of 1960 according to the Soviet Screen magazine.^[5]

The film tells the story of when a plane makes an emergency landing in Siberia, an eclectic group of international passengers—including an American millionaire, a theology scholar, and a Soviet engineer—embarks on a transformative journey through the achievements of the Soviet Union, challenging their perceptions and culminating in a call for global peace.^[6]

Plot

A plane flying from Vladivostok to Moscow makes an emergency landing on the shores of Lake Baikal. Among the passengers are John Peebles (played by Erast Garin), a theology scholar curious about what the Soviet people have replaced God with; American millionaire Adlai Scott (played by Andrei Popov), preoccupied with whether Russia could return to capitalism; his secretary, Homer Jones (played by Pavel Kadochnikov); the Italian "countess" Pandora Montesi (played by Elina Bystritskaya); and the enigmatic Dr. Adams. The only Soviet passenger, engineer Varvara Komarova (played by Lyubov Orlova), is forced to assume multiple roles: tour guide, diplomat, resource manager, and entertainer.

The characters journey to a newly developed city in Siberia, witnessing the construction of the Bratsk Hydroelectric Power Station and the launch of a rocket to the Moon. Through these experiences, their perceptions of the Soviet Union undergo a dramatic transformation.

By the film’s conclusion, the reformed American millionaire gives a sensational interview, while the main heroine, Varvara, delivers a heartfelt call for world peace. This moment is set against frescoes depicting Saint George slaying the dragon, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil.

Cast

Lyubov Orlova as Varvara Komarova^[7]
Andrei Popov as Adlai Hunter Scott, American millionaire and writer
Pavel Kadochnikov as Homer Jones, Mr. Scott's secretary and American writer of Canadian descent
Erast Garin as Jones Peebles, Master of Theology, misogynist and bachelor
Elina Bystritskaya as Maria Pandora (Barbara) Montesi, Italian Countess^[8]
Aleksandr Barushnoy as Doctor Adams
Valentin Gaft as Claude Gerard, French composer
Liu Zhi Chang as Chinese pilot Wang
Anastasia Zuyeva as Yegorkina
Georgiy Budarov as Yegorkin
Alla Budnitskaya as interpreter Larisa Kurlychkina
Boris Novikov as worker Safonov ^[9]
Kola Beldy as student^[10]

Reception

Soviet critics called the "Russian Souvenir" plotless, ideologically weak, superficial, propagandizing "architectural excesses in construction during the cult of Stalin's personality."^[11] In particular, the satirical magazine "Krokodil" published a review of the film, in which the director and actors were ridiculed.^[12] Lyubov Orlova herself was disappointed with this film: "Every frame is emptiness... And I have rehashes and rehashes of myself... As if I'm just doing what I'm trying to repeat the techniques I once found, but I can't do anything anymore".^[13]

Decades later, critics' opinions were still negative. Elina Bystritskaya in 2003 noted: "I will never forget how Lyubov Orlova, who was almost 60 at the time, starred in the film "Russian Souvenir", where she played a girl of about twenty-five. It was a painful sight, and the film justly failed.".^[14] Alexander Malakhov from Kommersant, evaluating this work by Alexandrov and Orlova, wrote in 2005: "They could not get rid of ideological cliches, and in the 60s, stories about reeducated American millionaires caused not laughter, but irritation. The "Russian Souvenir" failed".^[15] Peter Rollberg wrote in Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema (2016) that Russian Souvenir "proved beyond doubt that the actress’s official image had become an anachronism despite the persistent admiration of millions of viewers".^[16]

References

^ Вот тебе Аксинья. Почему Элину Быстрицкую помнят по роли в «Тихом Доне»?
^ Тайны советского кино: «Бриллиантовая рука» была неслыханной наглостью
^ "Биография Любови Орловой". РИА Новости (in Russian). 2017-02-11. Archived from the original on 2021-09-21. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
^ "Любовь Орлова :: Кино и театр :: «Русский сувенир» (1960)". Archived from the original on 2019-02-20. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
^ Федоров А. В. (2022). Лучшие и худшие фильмы советского кинопроката: мнения читателей журнала «Советский экран» (1958—1991). М.: Межрегиональная общественная организация в поддержку построения информационного общества «Информация для всех». p. 101.
^ Русский сувенир at the KinoPoisk
^ Peter Rollberg Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema at Google Books
^ Элина Быстрицкая: К возрасту я отношусь философски
^ Прощайте, голуби! (1961)
^ «Увезу тебя я в тундру»: даже рокеры из «ЧайФа» аплодировали Кола Бельды
^ "Русский Вестник - Просмотр статьи". www.rv.ru. Archived from the original on 2019-02-19. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
^ Бурт, Валерий (13 February 2012). "Волшебная сила Орловой". Русская народная линия (in Russian).
^ "Любовь Орлова: легенда о Золушке". belcanto.ru (in Russian). 2007-02-08. Archived from the original on 2021-09-25. Что ни кадр, то пустота… А у меня перепевы и перепевы самой себя… Словно я тем только и занимаюсь, что пытаюсь повторять когда-то найденные приёмы, но у меня уже ничего не получается
^ "Элина БЫСТРИЦКАЯ: "К возрасту я отношусь философски"". archive.aif.ru (in Russian). 2003-07-18. Archived from the original on 2021-09-21. Retrieved 2021-09-21. Я никогда не забуду, как Любовь Орлова, которой тогда было под 60, снималась в фильме „Русский сувенир", где играла девушку лет двадцати пяти. Это было тяжкое зрелище, и фильм справедливо провалился
^ "Ее советское сиятельство". kommersant.ru (in Russian). 2005-01-24. Archived from the original on 2019-02-20. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
^ Peter Rollberg Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema, p. 542, at Google Books