''Borrowing Matchsticks'' (russian: За спичками, Za spichkami, fi, Tulitikkuja lainaamassa) is a

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

–

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

produced by

Mosfilm Mosfilm (russian: Мосфильм, ''Mosfil’m'' ) is a film studio which is among the largest and oldest in the Russian Federation and in Europe. Founded in 1924 in the USSR as a production unit of that nation's film monopoly, its output incl ...

and Suomifilm in 1980. Film based on the novel by

Algot Untola Algot Untola (28 November 1868 – 21 May 1918) was a Finnish writer and journalist. Untola was born in Tohmajärvi, to the ''Tietäväinen'' family, and his real name was ''Algoth'', but he changed the name to ''Algot Untola''. Untola had many ...

Plot

Antti Ihalainen (Yevgeny Leonov) lives happily on the farm with his wife Anna-Lisa (Rita Polster). Once, when the house ran out of matches and the Ihalainens had nothing to make a fire for cooking coffee so loved by the Finns, Anna-Lisa sent her husband to a neighbor Hyvärinen (Sergei Filippov) for matches. On the way Ihalainen meets an old friend Jussi Vatanen (Vyacheslav Nevinny). Widower Jussi asks Ihalainen woo him Hyvärinen's daughter Anna-Kaisa (Vera Ivleva). When they came to visit Hyvärinen, Antti praised his friend for a long time ("the meat in the house Vatanen is never depleted, even in summer") and finally uttered the sacred words: "And why not Anna-Kaisa to marry Jussi Vatanen?". The Hyvärinens were enthusiastic about this idea. Antti had forgotten what was the original purpose of his visit to the Hyvärinens. Meanwhile, tailor Tahvo Kennonen (Georgy Vitsin) from a nearby town in a drunken conversation with a customer tells that long ago he liked Anna-Lisa, but Antti Ihalainen got ahead of him. Tahvo Kennonen plans to see his old sweetheart. Ihalainen between said Jussi successful courtship, and the friends decide to go into the city – to buy gifts for the bride's family, including grain spirit (vodka) for the old man Hyvärinen. In order to avoid buying a new bottle of this product, Jussi found an old one in the attic. The friends Antti and Jussi themselves for 10 years as a "tied" to drink, because 10 years before, being drunk, they fought with a miller, broke four ribs, and then for every broken miller's rib the friends had to give him a cow. Since then, they quit drinking. Sadly, the bottle wasn't empty. Although Jussi suggested to "pour this stuff," two friends drank it and then went to town drunk. Got to meet them tailor Tahvo Kenonen they intimidated and nearly beat him. Known gossiper Ville Huttunen (Olavi Ahonen), who also caught them on the road, they jokingly said that they were going to America. Ville Huttunen was quick to spread the news throughout the district. The rumor came to the ears, and Anna-Lisa, who has already begun to worry about why the husband is not so long back from the neighbors. And inspired by this news Tahvo Kennonen in a hurry to make a marriage proposal, "the rest of the widow" Anna-Lisa. At this time, Antti and Jussi, arriving in the city, it is not in a hurry to go home. When Ihalainen finally returned, and saw his wife's new husband, that it came out sideways ...

Cast

Yevgeny Leonov Yevgeny Pavlovich Leonov (russian: link=no, Евгений Павлович Леонов; 2 September 1926 – 29 January 1994) was a Soviet and Russian actor who played main parts in several of the most famous Soviet films, such as '' Gentlemen ...

(Antti Ihalainen) *

Vyacheslav Nevinny Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Nevinny (russian: link=no, Вячесла́в Миха́йлович Неви́нный; 30 November 1934 – 31 May 2009) was a Soviet and Russian actor who was titled a People's Artist of the USSR in 1986. He worked in th ...

(Jussi Vatanen) *

Georgy Vitsin Georgy Mikhailovich Vitsin (russian: Георгий Михайлович Вицин; 18 April 1917 – 22 October 2001) was a Soviet and Russian actor. People's Artist of the USSR (1990). Biography Vitsin was born in Terijoki, former Finla ...

(Tahvo Kennonen) *

Rita Polster Rita Polster (born 2 February 1948, in Turku, Finland) is a Finnish film actress. Polster began acting in Finnish film in 1976 and has made a number of appearances in Finnish film throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, appearing in many films su ...

(Anna-Lisa Ihalainen) * Ritva Valkama (Miina) *

Sergey Filippov Sergey Nikolayevich Filippov (russian: Сергей Николаевич Филиппов, 24 June 1912— 19 April 1990) was a Soviet and Russian film and stage actor and comedian, best known for his parts in films ''Adventures of Korzinkina'' ...

(Hyvärinen) *

Nina Grebeshkova Nina Pavlovna Grebeshkova (russian: Нина Павловна Гребешкова; born 29 November 1930) is a Russian actress. Since 1953 she has performed in more than thirty films. She was married to film director Leonid Gaidai. In 1954 gradu ...

(Hyvärinen's wife) *

Vera Ivleva Vera may refer to: Names *Vera (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) * Vera (given name), a given name (including a list of people and fictional characters with the name) **Vera (), archbishop of the archdiocese of Tarra ...

(Anna-Kaisa) *

Galina Polskikh Galina Polskikh (Гали́на Алекса́ндровна По́льских, born 27 November 1939) is a Soviet film actress. She has appeared in more than 100 films since 1962. In 1979 she was awarded the title of People's Artist of Russia, ...

(Kaisa Karhutar) *

Mikhail Pugovkin Mikhail Ivanovich Pugovkin (russian: Михаи́л Ива́нович Пу́говкин; July 13, 1923, Rameshki, Chukhlomsky District of Kostroma Oblast — July 25, 2008, Moscow) (aged 85) was a Soviet and Russian comic actor named a People' ...

(chief of Police) *

Kauko Helovirta Kauko Kustaa Helovirta (Hellström, 21 October 1924, Juupajoki – 13 September 1997, Helsinki, Finland) was a Finnish film actor. Helovirta entered film in 1950 and made about 40 Finnish films between then and 1995. Helovirta starred in the ...

(lieutenant Torvelainen) *

Olavi Ahonen Kauko Olavi Ahonen (21 July 1923 in Tikkakoski – 1 September 2000 in Helsinki, Finland) was a Finnish film actor. Ahonen first appeared in film in 1954 and made many appearances in Finnish film between then and 1997. He also appeared in ma ...

(Ville Huttunen) *

Leonid Kuravlyov Leonid Vyacheslavovich Kuravlyov (russian: Леонид Вячеславович Куравлёв; 8 October 1936 – 30 January 2022) was a Soviet and Russian film actor. He became a People's Artist of the RSFSR in 1976. Early life Kuravlyov w ...

(peasant) *

Viktor Uralsky The name Victor or Viktor may refer to: * Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname Arts and entertainment Film * ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film * ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...

(peasant)

External links

* * {{Leonid Gaidai 1980 films 1980 comedy films Russian comedy films 1980s Russian-language films 1980s Finnish-language films Films shot in Finland Films set in Finland Films set in the 20th century Films based on Finnish novels Films based on works by Algot Untola Films directed by Leonid Gaidai Films scored by Aleksandr Zatsepin Soviet comedy films Soviet multilingual films Finnish multilingual films Finnish comedy films 1980 multilingual films Russian-language Finnish films