Tatiana Lioznova and Mikael Tariverdiev on set
Vyacheslav Tikhonov
Seventeen Moments of Spring
Screening Marathon
22 - 23 September 2018
Pushkin House is pleased to present a two day screening marathon of the Soviet Cult Classic Seventeen Moments of Spring and accompanied events.
The 1973 Soviet espionage TV series 'Seventeen Moments of Spring' with its haunting score and songs by composer Mikael Tariverdiev is rightly some of the most famous and well loved in Russian cinematic history. Yet inexplicably, it remains virtually unknown outside the Russian community and a small group of cognoscienti in the West.
When first released, each of the 12 episodes were was watched by a reported 50-80 million people, the streets emptied and, reportedly, crime rates dropped. It was the most popular Soviet TV series of all time.
The series was directed by Tatyana Lioznova and based on the novel of the same title by Yulian Semyonov. It portrays the exploits of Maxim Isaev, a Soviet spy operating in Nazi Germany under the name Max Otto von Stierlitz, portrayed by Vyacheslav Tikhonov.
Pushkin House is proud to be screening some 11 hours of footage, with subtitles. Come and immerse yourself in this iconic thriller that transformed the image of the KGB and provided a stylish, thoughtful counterpoint to the West's James Bond image of espionage.
Find out more about the film and watch the trailer by following THIS LINK.
Delicious snacks and drinks from ZIMA Russian Restaurant will be on sale throughout the day.
This event was organised in collaboration with Barbican and New East Cinema's film season "Generations - Russian Cinema of Change'.
Marathon Schedule
DAY 1 , Saturday 22 September
11.00am - 12.00pm
Round Table discussion with Dina Newman, Alex Kan, Ian Christie and special guests
The first day of the marathon will begin with a Round Table discussion involving the BBC Russia correspondents Dina Newman, Alex Kan and Professor of film and media history Ian Christie as well as special guests. They will discuss the cultural significance of Seventeen Moments of Spring and its score.
The conversation will investigate the strange birth of the series as part of Yuri Andropov’s attempt to rebrand the KGB, its rumoured influence on Vladimir Putin, why it became so hugely popular and whether it really does portray ‘the Soviet James Bond'.
In English.
Alexander Kan is the BBC Russian Service Art and Culture Correspondent. He is the author of three books about the cultural underground in the Soviet Union ("Poka ne nachalsya Jazz" (2008), "Kuryokhin" (2012), "Pop-Mekhanika" (2014), as well as many articles in the Western and Russian media. He was a music critic, journalist and producer in Leningrad in the 1970s-1990s.
Professor Ian Christie is a British film scholar. He has written several books including studies of the works of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, Martin Scorsese and the development of cinema. He is a regular contributor to Sight & Sound magazine and a frequent broadcaster.Christie is currently Professor of Film and Media History at Birkbeck, University of London.
Dina Newman is a broadcast journalist for the BBC World Service. Newman graduated from the Moscow State University and moved to the UK in 1990. In 1995 she landed her dream job in the BBC with a brief to inform the former Soviet citizens about market economy and democracy. A turning point in her career came in 2012 when she made a radio documentary which exposed shocking irregularities and contempt for law within the justice system. The documentary won an Amnesty International Radio Award. In 2014 Newman spent a year travelling to Donbass, where she witnessed the unfolding tragedy of a peaceful area turning into a war zone. Currently she makes history programmes for BBC Witness.
1.00pm - 6.00pm
Seventeen Moments of Spring Screening Part One
Over two days, the entire Seventeen Moments of Spring series will be screened with English subtitles. Here is a chance for Russians to celebrate one of their most moving, influential and popular cultural achievements and for English speakers to be transported by one of the greatest cinematic portrayals of espionage.
In Russian with English subtitles.
Please note, DAY 1 of the Marathon is now SOLD OUT
DAY 2, Sunday 23 September
11.00am - 6.00pm
Seventeen Moments of Spring Screening Part Two
On the second day of the marathon we continue screening the rest of the episodes from Seventeen Moments of Spring.
In Russian with English subtitles.