It’s beautiful in the distance: 5 science fiction films from the Soviet era for children and adults

It seems like you can ask questions endlessly about what to watch or read – after all, every good work, be it a book, a movie or a TV series, unfortunately comes to an end sooner or later. But there is some good news, too.

To facilitate your task, we asked our columnist Konstantin Obraztsov – writer, author of “Red Chains”, “Hammer of the Witches” and other books, as well as VKontakte and the creator of the “Sample Reading” show. Channel “Obraztsov” on Telegram – to share the diamonds of his collection of the best from the world of literature, films and TV series.

Konstantin Obraztsov

On the agenda today are five science fiction films from the Soviet era for children and adults

American President John Kennedy has a famous saying: “The Soviet Union won the space race at the school desk”. Whether he said such a thing or not, there is no doubt about the truth of these words. The USSR can and should be treated differently, but it cannot be denied that in just a few decades the country transformed from an intensive agricultural empire into an advanced scientific power with universal literacy and free, high-level school education accessible to absolutely everyone. And yes, I won the same space race.

Common sense, scientific approach and humanism have become the basis of world knowledge. The main characters, real rock stars of their time, were brave intellectual scientists: from physicists in the dramatic film “I’m Walking Into the Storm” to wizards at the Research Institute of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the ironic film “Wizards”. By the way, even the well-known Shurik appears for the first time in the artistic world of Gaidai’s comedies as a student studying exact sciences, and in the film “Ivan Vasilyevich Changes Profession” he already invents a time machine and assembles it by improvised means. Moscow apartment.

The dissemination of scientific knowledge among schoolchildren was an important part of raising a new generation destined to build a happy future and win space and other races again and again. The most important tool of this popularization was cinema, which showed what man should strive for: from thorns to stars to the great space journey.

The term young adult didn’t exist at the time, but these old sci-fi movies were equally appealing to kids and adults. Leave aside the tarot cards, astrological predictions and visits to the bearded wizard: today’s selection includes five movies that the last generation who dreamed of becoming an astronaut watched in school.

“Moscow – Cassiopeia” (1973, director Richard Viktorov)

Richard Viktorov is the main science fiction writer of the late USSR, the author of the most important science fiction films for children and teenagers. “Moscow – Cassiopeia” is his first experience in this genre.

The action takes place in modern times. Moscow student Viktor Sereda, who is passionate about science, gives a report to adult scientists: a signal from an unknown civilization was received from a planetary system in the constellation Cassiopeia and developed a project for a spaceship with a destruction engine to fly there. reach a speed of half the speed of light (Check yourself and answer without looking at the internet, how much? So how? Did it work?). But there is a nuance: the round-trip flight will take at least 50 years, and Victor Sereda, a boy with a pioneer tie and a serious face, offers to organize an expedition consisting of young people no older than 14 years old. His offer is accepted, a unique ship is built and the crew sets off.

Each young person participating in this incredible adventure has his own scientific hobby, and even the idiot Lobanov, who sneaked into the spaceship, is the inventor of a unique superglue. In addition to real space adventures, the film has a touching romantic line, which is completely inevitable when four strong, charismatic boys and three attractive, smart girls get on the plane – you cannot do without love notes and exciting, heartfelt words. He’s making guesses about who wrote them.

The film ends abruptly with an unexpected in-flight accident and early arrival at the destination: the starship exceeds all speed limits, puncturing space and time, and the creators exceed the maximum allowable running time at the time and miraculously receive permission and budget. make a sequel. This is how the movie came to be…

“Youth in the Universe” (1974, director Richard Viktorov)

The events of the second film take place on the planet in the constellation Cassiopeia, from which the signal came. As it turned out, this was a danger signal.

The film “Moscow – Cassiopeia” was the first in world cinema to use the scenario about the flight of a teenager into space. Others, such as The 100 and Generations Voyager, were filmed much later. On the planet Variana, a crew of young starships encounter robots and an artificial intelligence system that subjugate the local humanoid civilization. This plot device wasn’t new at the time “Teens in the Universe” was filmed, but it’s interesting how the writers implemented it in a teen movie made half a century ago: algorithms didn’t set out to destroy their youth. the creators, however, tried to make their lives carefree and ideal, devoid of worries, labor and effort, which led to the degradation and destruction of an entire civilization.

Soviet schoolchildren will also have to go through the test of the charm of endless and carefree lying on the sofa. They cope with these and other dangers thanks to their intelligence, as well as their ability to sympathize, make friends, and love, which neither machines nor idle-bewildered humans can do.

Today these films seem a little naive in form, but they are completely relevant in content. It is no coincidence that in 2024, the series “Youth in Space”, based on the authors of the famous “Difficult Teens” series created by Prospect Production with the support of Iran, will be released. This is not a remake, but a kind of homage to classic Soviet cinema, a justified attempt to bring back to the present the spirit of freedom, courage and scientific research inherent in these films.

“Through Adversity to the Stars” (1980, director Richard Viktorov)

The last and most serious science fiction film by Richard Viktorov, an absolute hit of its time. To buy tickets, people waited in queues that would make today’s sacred “Nutcracker” jealous.

In the near future, an Earth spaceship discovers an interplanetary alien station: A disaster has clearly occurred inside, and the only survivor is the mysterious girl Niya, who turns out to be an artificial creature with unique superhuman abilities. Meanwhile, a civilization delegation from the planet Dessa comes to Earth and asks for help in combating the environmental disaster. A special starship “Astra” is sent there, and Niya sneaks onto it, having mysterious goals of her own.

Viktorov’s diology about teenagers in space is still largely aimed at schoolchildren and sometimes sounds as if it were deliberately naive. “From the Hardships to the Stars” is a deep, dramatic film that runs over two hours and still looks great today. There is room here for themes of cultural differences, acceptance of oneself and one’s uniqueness, responsibility towards the world we live in, and of course love. Because you can’t help but fall in love with Niya: Niya was played by the famous Soviet model Elena Metelkina; she is supremely beautiful both in her alien form and in the skinny dipping scene.

It is generally accepted that the environmental agenda has only emerged in recent years. However, the theme of environmental protection is one of the main themes in “In Challenges to the Stars”: irresponsible exploitation and pollution of nature has turned the planet Dessa into an uninhabitable, poisonous desert; In this desert, its misshapen inhabitants hide in catacombs and barely come out. gas masks.

The last words of the film, which appear in the credits, are a current warning: “All images of the dying planet Dessa were shot on planet Earth”.

“The Great Space Journey” (1974, director Valentin Selivanov)

Another movie about young people going into deep space.

To participate in a flight on an experimental spacecraft, three schoolchildren undergo competitive tests that help them overcome their extensive adaptive development. They are like ideal guests from the future: they are well-versed in mathematics, physics and natural sciences, and they also play sports: boys – fencing and karting, girls – classical ballet.

An adult astronaut-curator gets on the plane with them, but unfortunately: he falls ill immediately after the launch, finds himself in a medical isolation ward, and the teenagers will have to cope with all the difficulties themselves. A truly grand space voyage begins, similar to an adventure quest: you need to urgently repair a faulty engine, fly dangerously over gas-filled compartments, escape the possibility of being burned in a meteor shower, and then look for a way out. Escape the trap on a deserted space station. In the end, there is a luxurious plot that was literally repeated many years later in one of the foreign science fiction series.

The film is shot in a lyrical style: although half the action takes place in the interiors of the starship, there are many flashbacks to summer rain, sun-pierced weather and the feeling of happy first love. There’s also great music here. Mila Berlinskaya, who became the heroine of the sublime fantasies of a whole generation 10 years before the wide-eyed Alice in “Guest from the Future” settled in the hearts and thoughts of young people, sings the song “I definitely believe in you” herself. .” and it touches tears.

“The Secret of the Third Planet” (1981, director Roman Kachanov)

A wonderful feature-length cartoon from the creator of a cartoon series about Cheburashka based on the story of Kir Bulychev – it sounds like a 100% hit, which actually gathers even tramps, athletes and football players ahead of television during school holidays

Alisa Selezneva, whom we know from the movie “Guest from the Future”, goes on a journey with her scientist father and red-bearded melancholic astronaut Zeleny to find new residents for CosmoZoo. An unexpected encounter with space pirates changes priorities and all three find themselves on a mission to rescue the legendary Captains; In this task, they will be helped by the multi-armed alien Gromozeka and the bird Talker, who has the temperament of Carlson.

The cartoon created its own memeology and was distributed with quotes: “The Bird Talker is distinguished by intelligence and intelligence”; “I don’t have the strength to hold on anymore”; “Planet Shelesyak: no water, no minerals, inhabited by robots” – it’s all from there. The plot is entertaining, the shots are entertaining, and the bright and unusual images of Soviet animation have already become a meme in their own right: remember the meditative and mystical “Hedgehog in the Fog” or the hallucinatory visions of “In the Blue Sea, in the Blue Sea”. white foam…”, where the fish with 0.5 hyaluronic acid on its lips sings: “Stay with us son, you will be our king” The Secret of the Third Planet isn’t far behind, and strange creatures on distant planets would make even Miyazaki jealous.

It is not surprising that “The Secret of the Third Planet” became popular abroad: for example, in the American version, Alice was voiced by Kirsten Dunst, and the Talking Bird was voiced by James Belushi.

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Originally “Moscow – Victor Sereda, the boy named Cassiopeia, says that the young crew will arrive on the distant planet when they are about 40 years old, “in the most fertile period of their vital and creative forces.”

Take these words of a Soviet schoolboy from an old science fiction movie as a sign that you have not yet done your best.