7 Russian movies depicting noble life you can watch online FOR FREE

1. ‘A Cruel Romance’ (1984), dir. Eldar Ryazanov

This movie is based on Alexander Ostrovsky's play ‘The Dowry’. A poor widow named Kharita Ogudalova is trying to find a good husband for her daughter, Larisa. After her lover's sudden disappearance, the young woman is devastated and tells her mother she will marry "the first man she meets". But, he turns out to be a poor official named Yuli Karandyshev. However, Larisa's former lover, a shipowner named Sergei Paratov, suddenly returns to town. During his absence, he has gotten engaged to a wealthy bride, but keeps it a secret. However, Larisa's impending marriage is also hurting Paratov's pride, so he tries to seduce her.

The movie was named ‘Best Film in the USSR’ in 1984 and also won the top prize at the Indian International Film Festival.

Watch it for free with English subtitles in our ‘Content hub’ section.

2. ‘White Nights’ (1959), dir. Ivan Pyryev

St. Petersburg, bright summer nights. On the banks of the Neva River, the main protagonist meets a woman named Nastenka. She tells him that her fiancé has disappeared. Then, the young pair fall in love and decide to get married. But, soon, Nastenka's former lover reappears and Nastenka forgets about her new acquaintance…

The movie, based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's novella of the same name, received awards at film festivals in London and Edinburgh.

Watch it for free with English subtitles in our ‘Content hub’ section.

3. ‘War and Peace’ (1965), dir. Sergey Bondarchuk

This story follows the lives of several families in Russia against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars from 1805 to 1812. The movie won an Oscar in the ‘Best International Feature Film’ category. Critics consider it to be the best adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's epic. The roles of Andrei Bolkonsky and Anatol Kuragin were played by then Soviet superstars Vyacheslav Tikhonov and Vasily Lanovoy.

Spend a whole weekend relishing this glorious moving canvas (four feature length episodes, in total!) and then compare it with the recent BBC series.

Watch it for free with English subtitles in our ‘Content hub’ section.

4. ‘Uncle Vanya’ (1970), dir. Andrei Konchalovsky

This movie is based on Anton Chekhov's play of the same name. And, as in many of Chekhov's works, the action takes place in a noble countryside manor. The estate belonged to the late wife of Professor Serebryakov. Now, he himself, their daughter, the brother of his wife (Uncle Vanya) live together there, along with the professor's new wife.

Life is boring and seems meaningless. Uncle Vanya is very poor and his only occupation is to manage the household affairs of the estate. He is a man of delicate mental organization and is very worried when it turns out that the professor is not as wonderful a person as he had thought… or that the professor's young wife is not faithful to him…

The main roles were played by outstanding actors – Innokenty Smoktunovsky, Sergei Bondarchuk, Irina Kupchenko and Vladimir Zeldin. As a result, the movie won silver prizes at film festivals in San Sebastian, Sorrento and Milan.

The movie is also distinguished by an excellent score composed by Alfred Schnittke.

Watch it for free with English subtitles in our ‘Content hub’ section.

5. ‘My Tender and Affectionate Beast’ (1978), dir. Emil Loteanu

A love quadrangle is at the center of this plot. Three men fall in love with a young beautiful lady. She wants to get out of poverty and marries one of them. But then, she confesses her love to another. At the same time, she leaves her husband for the third… However, during a subsequent hunt, the woman is killed. Which of the jealous men committed the crime?

The plot of the movie is based on Anton Chekhov’s novel ‘The Shooting Party’. The male roles went to famous actors Oleg Yankovsky, Kirill Lavrov and Leonid Markov, while Galina Belyaeva played the fragile beauty.

The movie was a co-production of the USSR and West Germany. Audiences around the world adored the waltz heard in the movie, which was written by composer Eugene Doga. U.S. President Ronald Reagan even called this music “the waltz of the century”.

Watch it for free with English subtitles in our ‘Content hub’ section.

6. ‘An Unfinished Piece for Mechanical Piano’ (1976), dir. Nikita Mikhalkov

The plot also takes place on a country estate. A young widow of a general lives there together with her stepson and his wife Sophia. One day, guests gather at the estate. It turns out that Sophia is the first love of one of them, a man named Platonov. He confesses to her his re-emerged feelings. But, he is not ready for the fact that Sophia promises to leave her husband for him…

The movie is based on Anton Chekhov’s play ‘Platonov’, although its plot has been significantly altered. Also, screenwriters Alexander Adabashian and Nikita Mikhalkov used fragments of several other stories by Chekhov. 

The movie also won many awards at international film festivals, from Belgrade to Chicago, with critics especially noting the performance of actor Alexander Kalyagin, who played Platonov.

Watch it for free with English subtitles in our ‘Content hub’ section.

7. ‘A Nest of Gentry’ (1969), dir. Andrei Konchalovsky

Disillusioned with his family life after his wife's infidelity, Fyodor Lavretsky returns from French exile to his family estate. At home, he meets Liza, his cousin's daughter, and falls in love. Sometime later, Lavretsky learns from the newspapers of his wife's death in Paris. So, he professes his love to Liza and their feelings turn out to be mutual. It seems as if nothing could stand in the way of the lovers' happiness, but then, Lavretsky's wife suddenly returns to the estate…

The movie is based on Ivan Turgenev's novel of the same name, which is considered a classic Russian novel.

Watch it for free with English subtitles in our ‘Content hub’ section.