A film adaptation of Chingiz Aitmatov's classic novel The Day Lasts More Than a Hundred Years has entered production in Russia for a 2028 theatrical release.
The feature film project is scheduled to begin principal photography in 2027, with its premiere planned for 2028 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the author's birth.
Production is launched by the film company currently producing director Yuri Bykov's thriller The Summit. Principal shooting will center on a railway station constructed to mirror Aitmatov's fictional Buranny station, alongside deserted settlements across the region.
The source novel is described as a deep philosophical parable exploring human responsibility toward the past and future, historical memory, conscience, and moral choice.
Creative Team and Visual Effects
Director Igor Voloshin, who previously directed Lord of the Wind, Nirvana, Me, and fairytale blockbusters including The Wizard of the Emerald City and Buratino, will direct the picture. The screenplay is written by Oleg Malovichko, a prominent dramatist with more than 15 feature films and 20 television series to his credit, including The Highway, Patient Zero, Attraction, Slick, Union of Salvation, and Khrustalny.
Computer graphics for the production will be created by one of the country's leading visual effects studios under supervisor Alexander Gorokhov. Gorokhov and his team previously created digital effects for major feature films such as Night Watch, Yolki, Upon the Magic Roads, and The Wizard of the Emerald City.
Family Support and Central Themes
Eldar Aitmatov, son of the author and president of the Chingiz Aitmatov International Foundation, sent a message of support to the filmmakers. He noted that the book was one of his father's most complex and deeply felt works, created during a difficult period for Soviet society in 1980 following extensive research into history and traditional legends.
A central element of the narrative focuses on the legend of the mankurt, a figure stripped of memory whose name became a broader term for a person detached from their roots. Citing the mother of the mankurt in the story, Eldar Aitmatov noted that while land, wealth, and life itself can be taken away, she questioned who could dare attempt to steal human memory.
He stated that memory remains the final frontier for humanity while oblivion threatens civilization, adding that the novel is more relevant today than ever. He expressed confidence that the adaptation would be a significant cultural event for the centennial in 2028 and predicted it would become a global cinematic highlight.
